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Attn: Dj

Just a quick personal note. I'm working on my story for you. it's just going to take me a bit.
I'd like to send it to you at your personal email considering the content. You can contact me at my email @ robotz12248@cox.net
Lloyd

When you get the time please go back and check on my post about the L298N motor driver. I have another question.
Thanks


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#23  
@ALL - I too would be interested. I'm almost 52 and programming was never a strong suite. I've had no education in any of this, I just sort oftry stuff out and get alot of help from guys like you. I have a couple of Arduino duellinova boards I have never even taken out of the package as I don't even know where to begin. When I found the EZ-B it was so much easier to get things moving right away. But I would like to do some imbedded tasks with the arduinos. Any help would be fantastic! I live in the Norfolk, VA area. Bret
#24  
56 in central California
#25  
if you need any electronics design,i been designing electronic circuits for near 25 years started at a very young age,right now at work i use all types of sensors for very high precision test in-house test equipment
#26  
@ robotmaker : So kind of you to offer your abilities and skills with the group. This is just another example of the great people in this EZ group! If you willgo back in this post I described what I would like to do with Gizmo's eyes. Wiring the center LED, and the bottom six I can do. If you have any ideas or suggestions it would be appreciated. I'm an old school engineer type that believes in "K.I.S.S." (i.e. keep it simple stupid: ). I'm probably making this a whole lot more complicated then need be. I'm just trying to keep as many I/O pins free as possible on the EZ-B. I'd like to be able to remove Gizmo's head, an then life his body off, so I can easily make mods as it develops. I could always use servo exstenions and treat the plugs as quick disconnects if need be. A nice simple battery driven circuit in the head would be great. I'm working on his head this week and will be posting pics soon.
Thanks all,
Lloyd
#27  
from the circuits NEIK did not bad,but on current output I/0 pin is not 40 ma
High-Current Sink/source 25 mA/25 mA from data sheet,you will need a mosfet ,very low ohms ,called RDS on
you said you are looking to blink them,there are a few idea one is a time circuit few caps and resistors called rc circuit or timing chip like 555 timer ,second is buying a blinking led,3rd is software and depending on what leds you want to blink and other you dont ,will need that info can be done with 1 I/O port,easy way is to buy blinking leds for the ones you want to blink
there is a problem using 10 mm leds it does use up current 1 MA LED is a little better
10mm takes up to 20 ma sometimes more
off one I/O PIN you can drive many mosfets or a mosfet for each string of leds
Netherlands
#28  
@robotmaker
Look at my schematic and description beneath it, i already advised him to use a mosfet.
As for the blinking, Lloyd said he wanted to do it randomly. I don't think that's possible with a 555.
#29  
Good point on the 10 mm LED. Maybe I'll try putting 2x 5mm in the tube. One blue, one red. Hopefully will give me a purpleish effect. I'll fog the lense. I'll observe the discussion on the circuit for now.
Thanks all.
#30  
HI Guys, Yes I have been following what is going on and I am very happy to see the sharing of information. Llyod did you ask my age? Will I am 59 years young:D I started working with computers in 1970, MY first job yes in 1971 as a computer operator. Then on to programmer,
software developer, writing software for the US, Toronto and the Australia office. I then became the manger of the help desk and IT department. That is when I stop programming and had to worry about a lot of people and had a lot of stress in my life. MY Job like a lot of others went over seas. An the the strokes began. *stress* ok sorry I gave you more info then you asked about. I have a passion for robots I always have.

Niek- Good work I will use it and if I have any questions I will let you know.

Thanks
BC

PS this is why I try not to talk on the forum( I can get longe winded) *blush*
Netherlands
#31  
Want to know my story?


My name is Niek, I'm 13 years old, from the Netherlands and i love electronics, computers and all technical things.

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Since i was about 7-8 i've been busy with electronics, i used to make alarms on my door with 2 paperclips that touched each other when the door opened and for example made lights and beepers turn on.

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After that I have been busy with chemicals but it lost my interest when i got my own soldering iron when i was 8. I directly soldered a little bike out of iron-wire and then mounted a little working light on it. After that I was mainly busy with electronic-kits (electronic dice, light seeking robot, and a small LED-marquee)

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When I joined a local hackerspace (where you had to be 12 to join) at the age of 9 I was extremely happy. I have put together many more kits like a wooden drawbridge, working radio and solar battery-charger.

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For the parts in my projects i usually took apart things I got like a electronic toothbrush, car radio and all kinds of things (I even drew little schematics for inventions at school!)

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About 3 years ago I started NiekProductions.nl. It was some kind of experimentation site because it always changed. After that i bought NiekProductions.com.

Until half a year ago I thought PCB designing was hard and unnecessary but now i'm almost constantly busy doing it. I have designed a lot (from witch half isn't published) and i'm still busy doing it. Now i think it's a lot more synoptic (compare the schematic above and below

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Hope i haven't been using up too much space in this thread.

-Niek
Netherlands
#32  
I forgot to mention, maybe you already noticed but i tend to document everything i do.
#33  
Niek, That was great. It is nice to know some background on people you talk to.
The document part is very important. Because you never know when you are going to need it.

Please keep doing what you, you are building a strong foundation for your future.
Now I have a problem with my ominbot. I will post it under general because I do not think the is the place for it. Keep up the good work:D

BC
#34  
@neik
it can be done witha 555 timer ,may need a few,dpends on how random you want them and the time they stay on,he says he wants to use only one I/O PORT or there are digital counter chip with the I/O port as a trigger

looks like a good job on pcb boardi many many many boards (more then 100)
and alot hand made ,from yours it looks good
i got my first solder gun at age 7 as a gift from my dad,and electronics kit
at age 23 i got my engineer degree ,now i desgn very hoh precision in-house test equipment
witch meens i made pcb's from scratch,some take 5 boards per tester
in house testers is board the check pcb from the pcb bath ,before they go in to a product and final testers before they get ship
you and started about the same age in electronics,right going to be gone for a week to china to repair a equipment that broke down
#35  
@Niek - I am very impressed with you. You have a tremendous future.
#36  
@NIEK
you seem like me when i started,may you soon be able photo read schematic
what i meen by that is look at a circuit and memorize it a beable to redraw it
called electronic photographic memory,bigger the circuit the harddest it is to memorize
took me a long time to do it

my favorate part going to all these countries is i get to see alot for free and get paid alot,plus the best news i get to keep very good top of the line equipment to work at home,or at work or one the trips i take alot
#37  
WOW!!!!!!! I am so glad I started this thread. I am truly enjoying the lively discussion that has grown from it! Thanks for the info BC; and no, I don't think you ran on to much! You too robotmaker! Its great learning about all the people that are on here.
@Niek:
Thank you also for adding your story to the mix. You certainly are a intelligent young man. I concur with BC. You are indeed laying a strong foundation for your future. Nice to know we have so many with engineering backrounds. I am a retired architectural engineer. I also have degree in electronics; but very long time ago. I was trained as an Aircrraft Armaments Tech. in helicopters when I was in the army. I did two tours of duty in Vietnam. I also have a degree in Commerical Photography, from the Ohio Institute of Photography. Some of my past jobs have been; Professional Automotive Test Driver.Paramedic and volunteer fireman. Director of Operations for a small electronics firm here in central Florida; and of course an architectural engineer. I started building scale models and miniatures when I was 13 y. o. I went on to build one inch scale miniatures as an adult and I am a past member of the International Guild of Miniature Artisians. Thats the basics.

I'm hoping DJ droppes by our discussion here. I think he would enjoy it.
As for the circuit we all seem to be working on for Gizmo's head. Must admit I got a little lost. Are we there yet???????? Let me restate my basic idea. If possible I want an independent circuit in his head. I'm designing it so that his head will be removeable and the top "dome" will lift off as well. Again I want to thank all of you for your kind assistance. Robot On!!!!!!!!!!
Lloyd
#38  
@Robotz012248
you in FLA,i got my degree from FIU ,about 20 years ago and now i work at a electronic A/C company
love working with mostly all types of sensors including ultrasonic use for depth and bubble detector
gas sersors ,ir sensors,special sensors,weight or scale sensors and lot more depending the job
got a very big design awards for super high precision AC SOURCE(not a power supply) 100 % pure sinewave at 1ppm,(1 part per million) for calibrating high precision 8 digit meters save the company $10000,got a great bonus,if you have heard of amprobe meters that is one we make ,but many many many more test equpment
job i have it great much travel all over the world and best pay $100k plus a year

@niek
i see also you work on moms kitchen table (she would get mad at me),i did that too until i bought a very big house with 20 feet by 40 feet lab
saw your website look good so far,i also have a robotics website ,havent done too much yet on it lately ,working on robots and travel take my time

@Robotz012248
what do you want your eyes to do,blink in series,blink different ones,or some on and some blink,i guess you are not looking at a mouth type vu meter as the mouth talks the leds move
let me know and will design a circuit using only one pin
if only random and blinking its fairly easy,times you need a few,so not really power saving,most likely the easy way is to use a digital counter chip only
but depends on what you want
will need also what type of led and power output for for current needed
#39  
@robotmaker : If you will go back to the beginning of this post I described what I wanted to do with the eyes. I wanted something rather simple if possible. I do have one of the "A" boards ( you know, that "A" word we don't use on EZ-B) However, I'm not doing very well learning how to use it. Niek said he was going to send me some links with good tutorials, so, we shall see.

@ Niek :
When you get a chance, would you send me those links you were talking about?????? I have one of "those" microcontrollers laying on my workbench waiting for the day I might learn how to use it.
I also have another small project I'm working on that it might be useful for. I don't think this forum is the approiate place to discuss the "A" word. If you don't mind contact me at my personal email so we can possibly set up a different contact method. Are you on Facebook? Thanks.
Lloyd
Netherlands
#40  
@Robotz012248

I don't have facebook but i do have e-mail.
What e-mail can i reach you?
#41  
@Robotz012248 this is what you said

I'm sorry. I should have given you all the info. I attached 3 pics of the basic set up of Gizmo's head. A project box from Radio Shack; and two flashlights from Harbor Freight. You can see the reflector from one of the flashlights with the alum. tube, which will house the 10 mm blue LED. The 12; 3 mm LEDs will be placed in a circle around the tube; placed in holes drilled in the reflector. The 10 mm LED has a forward voltage of 3.2 to 3.6 volts. The 5mm LED's have a forward voltage of 3.2 to 3.4 volts. All of them are typical 2mA current draw. Using our friend, Ohm's law, is how I determined a resistor value of 15 ohm. The six upper LED's will be on the "on-off " circuit and the lower six on a separate circuit. Does that sound right to you? What I need help with is the make-up of the circuit that will turn the six upper LED's off and on, ( ie...the blink!) I think it would look more human like if the "blinks" happened somewhat ramdomly, say based on every 3 to 10 seconds. Any ideas or suggestions?

you say you want the first 10mm leds to go on -off ,very easy
then second circuit you said you need 6 leds blink on-off at 3 to 10 sec
very easy all you need is a 555 timer and a mosfet and to strat the time first led come on then off then triggers the 555 timer for 3 -10 seconds
orr do you also need the first set of leds to go off-on at a time like 3-10 seconds too
still can be done with only one 555 timer now if you need them at different times on-off ,like example one at 3 sec and one at 10 sec vcan use 2 555 times or use one 555 with a timer switch mostly a 555 timer with a extra transistor on the timing circuit and you only need one I/O digital pin