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Twinkleclaus
04-25-2011, 12:55 PM
I made a faux Jacobs Ladder for my friends Halloween display. It is made of an ATMega328p w/Arduino bootloader, a MC1413 darlington array and EL-Wire. I have some basic info at http://www.twinkleclaus.com/?q=node/423 (http://www.twinkleclaus.com/?q=node/423) and a video at http://www.twinkleclaus.com/?q=node/420

This was a prototype-as-you-go type project (it's messy, but it works!). If I had to make it again, there is a bunch of things I would change. For example, I'd forgo the relays and order up some TRIACs. Also, I'd etch a circuit board so it took up less room (the long wires were included for a mounting scheme that I abandoned).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=levXWuHpetY

http://www.twinkleclaus.com/files/images/jladder-circuitbd.annotation.preview.jpg
budude
04-25-2011, 02:19 PM
That is awesome!!! Is that EL wire? It looks too thin for rope light...

edit - - duh - - never mind - missed the "EL Wire" note on it...
BuzzKill
04-25-2011, 03:29 PM
You don't even need to go to that trouble. There are EL wire sequencers available that even include the transformer, as well as lots of kits and scematics.

http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9203
http://www.elbestbuy.com/livewire.html (pricey)
http://www.acmeart.com/greg/rhino/rhino8.pdf
ErnieHorning
04-25-2011, 05:26 PM
There are EL wire sequencers available...
That's how you know you had a good idea. There's be a few times that I thought I had a unique idea and found that somebody already received the patent the year before. Which usually means, they filed for it up to 6 years before.:(
Twinkleclaus
04-25-2011, 07:52 PM
You don't even need to go to that trouble. There are EL wire sequencers available that even include the transformer, as well as lots of kits and scematics.

http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9203
http://www.elbestbuy.com/livewire.html (pricey)
http://www.acmeart.com/greg/rhino/rhino8.pdf

But learning is part of the fun! I was aware of the sequencers (and there is a neat Arduino EL shield) but I was making this for a friend and wanted to keep it on the cheap, using parts I either already had or were easily and cheaply available.