doityourselfchristmas.com - User contributions [en]

Renard Wireless Converter

2012-10-07T03:04:31Z

Chelmuth: /* Renard basics and how they relate to Ren-W */

:[[File:Ren-w_complete.JPG|330px ]]

== '''Why a Wireless Converter?''' ==

:Sometimes it's not practical, affordable or maybe even possible to lay physical cable to a particular light controller. For example, trenching beneath your driveway to put a megatree on the other side is a messy, dirty and potentially expensive project. Or let's say you have a pond behind your house and you'd like to put a display on the bank on the other side where there's already an electrical connection for a circulating fountain. Or maybe your neighbor across the street wants you to help him light his house -- trenching beneath a street or suspending cable above it would probably require multiple permits from your local municipality, if it were allowed at all. Maybe you've built a new house and you don't want to leave a window open so all the cables can be routed through it to the outside. Or perhaps you live in an apartment building or rented condo where drilling a hole through the wall isn't even an option. These are just some examples of instances where a wireless connection to your outside Renard controller could very likely be the simplest and most affordable choice. That's why the Ren-W was invented.

== '''Overview''' ==

:Ren-W is an inexpensive, compact (3”H x 2.5”W), easy-to-build and configure plug-in wireless adapter for Renard controllers and 595/Grinch systems that use Ren-C (see Ren-C note below). It can also be used with other Renard controllers with very slight modifications to the controllers to tap +5v power for the Ren-W. The Ren-W functions as a transparent serial connection between Renard controllers by converting RS-485 serial data into a digital stream, transmitting it wirelessly to another Ren-W where the digital stream is recombined into serial data and fed into the Renard controller’s normal RJ45 input jack (J2) via short cat5 cable, just like it would have been had the computer been hard-wired directly to the controller. In a typical Renard daisy chain design, channel data that a Renard controller can’t use is passed through and out the controller’s data-out RJ45 jack (J1) as RS-485 data, which is then fed back into the Ren-W, retransmitted to the next Ren-W that’s supposed to receive it, where the digital stream is recombined into serial data, etc. and the process is repeated for as many Ren-W adapters as are in the chain. The Ren-W uses inexpensive yet powerful XBee Pro wireless radio modules to perform the actual wireless transmission/reception functions. The cost to build a single Ren-W board varies from about $27 to $73, depending on the various electronic components chosen.

== '''DMX''' ==
:Ren-W is NOT compatible with DMX systems as DMX requires data speeds upwards of 250kbps. The XBee radio that Ren-W uses for wireless communication cannot support streaming data at that speed; it tops out at around 80kbps, which means that 57,600 baud is the highest communication speed Ren-W can support.

== '''Compatibility with various Renard Controllers''' ==

:The Ren-W has been successfully tested with the following controllers:
:* WayneJ's Renard SS8, SS16 and SS24
:* Wjohn's Ren-C in either a Ren-C/Olsen 595 or Ren-C/Grinch setup
:* Wjohn's Ren64 ver XC5
:* Frank Kostyun's Ren24, versions 3.0 and 3.3, and the Ren24LV
:* Budude's Ren48LSD v3b
:* Renard Simple24 and Renard Simple32 by Mactayl and TStraub
:* CTMal's RenServo
:* Other Renard boards that use similar serial input/output circuitry should also work.
:* The following serial port parameters are highly suggested: Baud: 57600, Parity: Mark, Stop bits: 2

== '''Renard basics and how they relate to Ren-W''' ==

:In standard operation when multiple Renard SS controllers are daisy chained from one into the next, each controller uses the first X number of Vixen channels it receives where X is the number of channels the controller is designed to control. This is always a multiple of 8 because of the Renard program code and the PIC16F688 chips used in the SS controllers. The channels it can’t use are passed along to the next controller. Therefore, the order in which you chain one controller into the next can make a difference, and even more dramatically if the controllers have different channel counts. For example, if you had an SS8 and an SS24 (total 32 channels) and the first controller was the SS8 which daisy chained into the SS24, the SS8 will use the first 8 channels (1-8) and the SS24 would get the overflow channels 9-32. However, if the order was reversed and the SS24 was the first controller which daisy chained into the SS8, the SS24 will use the first 24 channels (1-24) and the SS8 would get the overflow channels 25-32. The Ren-W simulates the daisy chain concept with “Point-to-point broadcasting” (PTP or Alternate PTP) because the Ren-W boards’ XBee radios are configured to provide exactly the same daisy chain logic, just as if you were connecting the controllers with cat5 cable to daisy chain one into the next, etc.

:To make two (or more) Renard controllers respond identically with the same Vixen commands, Vixen users usually replicate the Vixen channel information that controls one Renard to the corresponding channels that control the other Renards. However, what if you could use a “signal splitter” cable that distributed the same serial signal to multiple controllers, not unlike the concept of a “multi-outlet serial plug strip?” (Splitting an actual, stock serial signal to multiple devices without additional amplification is certainly possible but is generally a discouraged practice – the concept is used here for the illustration.) With such a splitter, each SS controller plugged into the “multi-outlet serial strip” would receive exactly the same channel information at the same time, just as if each was connected directly to the computer’s serial port. In the 32-channel example above however, since the SS8 has only 8 channels, it would be able to use only Vixen channels 1-8 while the SS24 would be able to use channels 1-24, ''and channels 25-32 would not be used by either controller.'' The “serial signal splitter” concept can be accomplished wirelessly quite easily; Ren-W refers to this as ''“Global Broadcasting.”''

:A version of Renard firmware is available that makes "global broadcasting" possible while still retaining individual channel control. The firmware is an ideal match for the Ren-W and uses a "start address" concept where you set the starting channel number for the controller(s). For more information read the configuration guide: [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/index.php?title=Renard_Start_Address_Configuration_Guide Start Address Configuration Guide]

== '''XBee Wireless Radio Module Basics''' ==

:XBee radio modules are essentially addressable wireless serial modems. Ren-W uses XBee radios as a “serial line replacement” to the normal cat5 wiring used to connect Renard controllers. XBees can communicate with one another on a one to one, one to many, or one to all "global broadcast" mode, depending on how each module is configured. The XBee’s configuration flexibility makes it possible to configure a Ren-W network so that multiple Renard controllers respond to the same channels or the network may be configured so that each controller has its own range of channels, which is more in keeping with normal Renard use. XBee radios are designed to accommodate streaming serial data up to 80kbps. Therefore, for best results, set your computer and Renard controllers at 57,600 baud; at 115,200 you may encounter erratic behavior.

== '''Ren-W Operating Modes''' ==

* '''Receive only mode:''' only one XBee module is required, plugged into the XBee RX (right) side of the Ren-W board.
* '''Transmit only mode:''' only one XBee module is required, plugged into the XBee TX (left) side of the Ren-W board.
* '''Repeater mode:''' two XBee modules are needed, one for each side of the Ren-W board. One will receive, the other will retransmit the Vixen commands to the next Ren-W. This applies only to the SMA board, the only board that has space for two Xbee modules.
* '''E-mode repeater:''' only one XBee module is needed to perform the repeater functions, plugged into the XBee TX (left) side of the Ren-W board. Because a single XBee module must perform receive/transmit sequentially instead of simultaneously, small periodic delays in propagating the Vixen commands to the next Ren-W unit may occur. Note also that E-mode requires the use of the alternate PTP configuration scheme, outlined below, as well as a jumper across JP5. Only the SMA board can operate in e-mode.

== '''Signal Propagation Delay''' ==

:An XBee module can require up to 6ms to process received data; normally it's 2-3ms. While this is a very short period of time, consider that the delay is cumulative when multiple Ren-W nodes are configured in repeater mode. For example, in a Ren-W network of 5 nodes, the last SS controller could be nearly 30ms late in reacting to Vixen control commands. This may not be very perceptible in some situations but in others, it could become quite noticeable and the delay should be factored into the general design of a Ren-W network, and possibly during the light sequencing design as well. Note that in global broadcast mode, the delay is not cumulative as all receiving Ren-Ws receive the Vixen commands simultaneously and each unit would only be 2-3ms (or less) late. In actual testing, whatever delay may exist in global broadcast mode is virtually undetectable.

== '''Selecting the right XBee Modules - Which Do I Need?''' ==

:XBee RF modules come in a standard and a "pro" version, and they operate in the 2.4ghz frequency spectrum. The modules do not interfere with wireless computer networks that also operate at 2.4ghz. The lower-powered standard version is said to have a line-of-sight transmission range upwards of 300 feet while the more powerful “pro” version is only ¼” larger and has a line-of-sight range upwards of a mile. In actual use, the distances are quite probably less than the stated specifications, especially considering the modules will likely be housed inside a protective non-metallic box of some kind. Mounting inside a metal box is not advised as it will severely hamper effective transmission distance.

::[[File:xbee_radio_modules.JPG|750px ]]

:The antenna type on an XBee module can make a difference, too. (Be sure to read the pages about antennas!) The short, 1" wire antenna will provide better coverage than the flat, on-chip antenna. A version is also available with an antenna connector, presumably for a external directional antenna and even greater range potential. There is no significant price difference for the different antenna types and all are available for both the standard and pro versions. Suggestion: If using the Ren-W in normal repeater mode, consider using the lower powered, lesser expensive standard module for receiving and the more powerful pro module for transmitting, depending, of course, on the transmission distance needed. A special version of the Ren-W board is available for those who want to try an external antenna, using XBee modules that have the SMA antenna connector. Because of the length of this connector, the board has been reengineered so that the XBee modules point downward:

::::[[File:Ren-w_sma.JPG|310px ]]

:Other than the power difference and slightly larger physical size of the “pro” version, the modules are interchangeable, pin-for-pin identical, and the configuration settings are identical as well. '''However, consider that the “pro” version has 10x the transmitting power of its lower-powered sibling, and it has a more sensitive receiver, too. These two factors make it the XBee module of choice for the Ren-W.'''

:It’s important to remember that Ren-W was created to be more of an extension to an existing, wired system than as a complete replacement of it. Wireless connections are never as secure as hard-wired connections are and periodically, data drop-outs can and likely will occur because wireless data transfer is inherently much more complex. But used in the right situations, Ren-W can be an effective solution to a wiring logistics problem.

'''Ren-C Note:''' When Ren-W is connected to a Ren-C's RS-IN jack, it is necessary to install a balun on the cable between the Ren-W and the Ren-C. The balun will reduce the EMI interference that the XBee module creates in the cat5 wire. Without the balun, the Ren-C will likely experience framing errors and no communication with the Ren-W. (Radio Shack part# 273-0069)

'''Additional Ren-W Links'''
*[[Renard Wireless Converter]]
*[[Ren-W BOM and Construction]]
*[[Ren-W Configuration Concepts]]
*[[Ren-W XBee Radio Configuration]]
*[[Ren-W Questions/Answers]]
*[[Ren-W Troubleshooting]]
*[[Ren-W Antenna Info]]
*[[Ren-W Controller Heater]]
*[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8102 Ren-W Topic on the DIYC Forums]

[[Category:Renard]]
[[Category:Ren-W]]
[[Category:Renard SS8]]
[[Category:Renard SS16]]
[[Category:Renard SS24]]
[[Category:Renard 24]]
[[Category:Renard 48LSD]]
[[Category:Renard 64XC]]
[[Category:Renard64]]
[[Category:Renard16 (xmus)]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Renard Main Page

2012-09-03T03:14:09Z

Chelmuth: /* General Renard Information */

==General Information and How-To's==

:Renard is the name of a computer-controlled, PIC-based dimmer scheme, and also refers to dimming controllers that people have built based on this scheme. The designs all use mid-range PIC micro-controllers, are generally modular in units of eight channels (dimmable circuits), and use medium-speed, daisy-chainable, one-direction serial communications for input. Renard controllers do not have stand-alone show sequencing capabilities, and rely on a separate computer (usually a PC) to send it real-time sequences of dimmer commands.

:Renard is strictly a do-it-yourself project, and there aren't any commercial (hardware or software) products available. There are, however, a number of PCB designs that people have created and made available for others to order on a coop basis. These include:

----
:*'''Ren4Flood''' - a small 4-channel (single PIC) board for controlling a RGB+W LED flood such as the DIYC Flood (pcb design by budude)
:*'''Renard8''' - a small 8-channel (single PIC) board for use with external SSRs.
:*'''Renard SS8''' - a 8-channel (single PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by Wayne J)
:*'''Renard16''' - a 16-channel (two-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by xmus)
:*'''Renard SS16''' - a 16-channel (two-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by Wayne J)
:*'''Renard24''' - a 24-channel (three-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by fkostyun)
:*'''Renard24LV''' - a 24-channel (three-PIC) board for use with external SSRs (pcb design by fkostyun)
:*'''Renard SS24''' - a 24-channel (three-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by Wayne J)
:*'''Simple Renard 32 Combo''' - a 32-channel (one-PIC) board for use with external SSRs (pcb design by Mactayl and tstraub)
:*'''Simple Renard RGB+W''' - a 32-channel (one-PIC) board that can be used to drive low power dc loads (pcb design by Mactayl and tstraub)
:*'''Ren48LSD''' - a 48-channel (six-PIC) board that can be used to drive LED SuperStrips.
:*'''Renard64''' - a 64-channel (eight-PIC) board that uses external SSRs.
:*'''Ren-T''' - a transformer board for use with Renard to supply power, zero-crossing signal, and/or RS485 conversion
:*'''Ren-C''' - a board that converts a 595/Grinch (normally non-dimming) board to a dimming 64-channel board.
:*'''Ren-W''' - a board that converts a wired Renard controller into a wireless controller. (pcb design by Dirknerkle. See [http://www.diychristmas.org DIYChristmas.org])
:*'''Ren816XB''' - a 8 or 16 channel board (two PIC) based on the SS16 but designed for external SSRs and is wireless. (pcb design by Dirknerkle. See [http://www.diychristmas.org DIYChristmas.org])

----

==General Renard Information==

:[[Renard]]: General Overview

:[[Renard Data Cables]]: Information for Current Renard Board Design Data Cables

:[[Renard Standard Setup]]: Simplified Connection Instructions

:[[Renard Firmware]]: Description and Download

:[[Renard Connection Instructions]]

:[[PIC Programming Hints]]: p16f688.inc error, PIC16F688 Programming Socket/Adapter.

:[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/5/5b/Renard-Presentation-2012-08-17.pdf Renard Controller Presentation given during the August 17th, 2012 Online Mini Conference]

:[[IC_Orientation]]: Pin1 Identification information for helping identify Pin1 on IC's

==Renard Board Designs==

:[[Ren4Flood]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Renard8]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM)

:[[The Renard SS8 Controller Board | Renard SS8]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Renard 16 Controller | Renard 16]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[The Renard SS16 Controller Board | Renard SS16]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[24 Channel Renard with SSR Assembly Instructions | Renard 24]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Renard 24LV| Renard 24LV]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[The Renard SS24 Controller Board | Renard SS24]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Simple_Renard_32_Combo | Simple Renard 32 Combo]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Simple_Renard_RGB%2BW | Simple Renard RGB+W]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Ren48LSDv3c | Ren 48LSD]]: PCB Documentation (BOMs, Assembly Instructions, Q&A)

:[[Renard64 |Renard 64 XA/XB ]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM)

:[[Renard 64XC |Renard 64 XC ]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM)

:[[Renard-595 Converter]]: REN-C. Description of a Board for 192-level Dimming of the 64-Channel Olsen Controller or the GRINCH Controller

:[[Ren-T Assembly Instructions|Ren-T]]: A transformer board that can supply power and ZC for the Renard boards.

:[[Renard Wireless Converter]]: REN-W. Documentation (PCB layout, Schematic, BOMs, Assembly Instructions, Q&A, Troubleshooting)

:[[Media: REN816XB_r2.pdf‎]]: REN816XB. Documentation (BOM, build, and configuration instructions)

[[Category:DIYC Controllers]]
[[Category:DIYC Hardware]]
[[Category:Renard]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Renard Main Page

2012-09-03T03:13:54Z

Chelmuth: /* General Renard Information */

==General Information and How-To's==

:Renard is the name of a computer-controlled, PIC-based dimmer scheme, and also refers to dimming controllers that people have built based on this scheme. The designs all use mid-range PIC micro-controllers, are generally modular in units of eight channels (dimmable circuits), and use medium-speed, daisy-chainable, one-direction serial communications for input. Renard controllers do not have stand-alone show sequencing capabilities, and rely on a separate computer (usually a PC) to send it real-time sequences of dimmer commands.

:Renard is strictly a do-it-yourself project, and there aren't any commercial (hardware or software) products available. There are, however, a number of PCB designs that people have created and made available for others to order on a coop basis. These include:

----
:*'''Ren4Flood''' - a small 4-channel (single PIC) board for controlling a RGB+W LED flood such as the DIYC Flood (pcb design by budude)
:*'''Renard8''' - a small 8-channel (single PIC) board for use with external SSRs.
:*'''Renard SS8''' - a 8-channel (single PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by Wayne J)
:*'''Renard16''' - a 16-channel (two-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by xmus)
:*'''Renard SS16''' - a 16-channel (two-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by Wayne J)
:*'''Renard24''' - a 24-channel (three-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by fkostyun)
:*'''Renard24LV''' - a 24-channel (three-PIC) board for use with external SSRs (pcb design by fkostyun)
:*'''Renard SS24''' - a 24-channel (three-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by Wayne J)
:*'''Simple Renard 32 Combo''' - a 32-channel (one-PIC) board for use with external SSRs (pcb design by Mactayl and tstraub)
:*'''Simple Renard RGB+W''' - a 32-channel (one-PIC) board that can be used to drive low power dc loads (pcb design by Mactayl and tstraub)
:*'''Ren48LSD''' - a 48-channel (six-PIC) board that can be used to drive LED SuperStrips.
:*'''Renard64''' - a 64-channel (eight-PIC) board that uses external SSRs.
:*'''Ren-T''' - a transformer board for use with Renard to supply power, zero-crossing signal, and/or RS485 conversion
:*'''Ren-C''' - a board that converts a 595/Grinch (normally non-dimming) board to a dimming 64-channel board.
:*'''Ren-W''' - a board that converts a wired Renard controller into a wireless controller. (pcb design by Dirknerkle. See [http://www.diychristmas.org DIYChristmas.org])
:*'''Ren816XB''' - a 8 or 16 channel board (two PIC) based on the SS16 but designed for external SSRs and is wireless. (pcb design by Dirknerkle. See [http://www.diychristmas.org DIYChristmas.org])

----

==General Renard Information==

:[[Renard]]: General Overview

:[[Renard Data Cables]]: Information for Current Renard Board Design Data Cables

:[[Renard Standard Setup]]: Simplified Connection Instructions

:[[Renard Firmware]]: Description and Download

:[[Renard Connection Instructions]]

:[[PIC Programming Hints]]: p16f688.inc error, PIC16F688 Programming Socket/Adapter.

:[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/5/5b/Renard-Presentation-2012-08-17.pdf Renard Controller Presentation given during the August 17th, 2012 Online Mini Conference]

:[[IC_Orientation]]: Pin1 Identification information for helping identify Pin1 on IC's]

==Renard Board Designs==

:[[Ren4Flood]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Renard8]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM)

:[[The Renard SS8 Controller Board | Renard SS8]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Renard 16 Controller | Renard 16]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[The Renard SS16 Controller Board | Renard SS16]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[24 Channel Renard with SSR Assembly Instructions | Renard 24]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Renard 24LV| Renard 24LV]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[The Renard SS24 Controller Board | Renard SS24]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Simple_Renard_32_Combo | Simple Renard 32 Combo]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Simple_Renard_RGB%2BW | Simple Renard RGB+W]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Ren48LSDv3c | Ren 48LSD]]: PCB Documentation (BOMs, Assembly Instructions, Q&A)

:[[Renard64 |Renard 64 XA/XB ]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM)

:[[Renard 64XC |Renard 64 XC ]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM)

:[[Renard-595 Converter]]: REN-C. Description of a Board for 192-level Dimming of the 64-Channel Olsen Controller or the GRINCH Controller

:[[Ren-T Assembly Instructions|Ren-T]]: A transformer board that can supply power and ZC for the Renard boards.

:[[Renard Wireless Converter]]: REN-W. Documentation (PCB layout, Schematic, BOMs, Assembly Instructions, Q&A, Troubleshooting)

:[[Media: REN816XB_r2.pdf‎]]: REN816XB. Documentation (BOM, build, and configuration instructions)

[[Category:DIYC Controllers]]
[[Category:DIYC Hardware]]
[[Category:Renard]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Renard Main Page

2012-09-03T03:04:11Z

Chelmuth: /* General Renard Information */

==General Information and How-To's==

:Renard is the name of a computer-controlled, PIC-based dimmer scheme, and also refers to dimming controllers that people have built based on this scheme. The designs all use mid-range PIC micro-controllers, are generally modular in units of eight channels (dimmable circuits), and use medium-speed, daisy-chainable, one-direction serial communications for input. Renard controllers do not have stand-alone show sequencing capabilities, and rely on a separate computer (usually a PC) to send it real-time sequences of dimmer commands.

:Renard is strictly a do-it-yourself project, and there aren't any commercial (hardware or software) products available. There are, however, a number of PCB designs that people have created and made available for others to order on a coop basis. These include:

----
:*'''Ren4Flood''' - a small 4-channel (single PIC) board for controlling a RGB+W LED flood such as the DIYC Flood (pcb design by budude)
:*'''Renard8''' - a small 8-channel (single PIC) board for use with external SSRs.
:*'''Renard SS8''' - a 8-channel (single PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by Wayne J)
:*'''Renard16''' - a 16-channel (two-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by xmus)
:*'''Renard SS16''' - a 16-channel (two-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by Wayne J)
:*'''Renard24''' - a 24-channel (three-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by fkostyun)
:*'''Renard24LV''' - a 24-channel (three-PIC) board for use with external SSRs (pcb design by fkostyun)
:*'''Renard SS24''' - a 24-channel (three-PIC) board with integrated SSRs (pcb design by Wayne J)
:*'''Simple Renard 32 Combo''' - a 32-channel (one-PIC) board for use with external SSRs (pcb design by Mactayl and tstraub)
:*'''Simple Renard RGB+W''' - a 32-channel (one-PIC) board that can be used to drive low power dc loads (pcb design by Mactayl and tstraub)
:*'''Ren48LSD''' - a 48-channel (six-PIC) board that can be used to drive LED SuperStrips.
:*'''Renard64''' - a 64-channel (eight-PIC) board that uses external SSRs.
:*'''Ren-T''' - a transformer board for use with Renard to supply power, zero-crossing signal, and/or RS485 conversion
:*'''Ren-C''' - a board that converts a 595/Grinch (normally non-dimming) board to a dimming 64-channel board.
:*'''Ren-W''' - a board that converts a wired Renard controller into a wireless controller. (pcb design by Dirknerkle. See [http://www.diychristmas.org DIYChristmas.org])
:*'''Ren816XB''' - a 8 or 16 channel board (two PIC) based on the SS16 but designed for external SSRs and is wireless. (pcb design by Dirknerkle. See [http://www.diychristmas.org DIYChristmas.org])

----

==General Renard Information==

:[[Renard]]: General Overview

:[[Renard Data Cables]]: Information for Current Renard Board Design Data Cables

:[[Renard Standard Setup]]: Simplified Connection Instructions

:[[Renard Firmware]]: Description and Download

:[[Renard Connection Instructions]]

:[[PIC Programming Hints]]: p16f688.inc error, PIC16F688 Programming Socket/Adapter.

:[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/5/5b/Renard-Presentation-2012-08-17.pdf Renard Controller Presentation given during the August 17th, 2012 Online Mini Conference]

:[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/2/29/Pin1Chart.pdf Pin1 Identification Chart for helping identify Pin1 on IC's]

==Renard Board Designs==

:[[Ren4Flood]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Renard8]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM)

:[[The Renard SS8 Controller Board | Renard SS8]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Renard 16 Controller | Renard 16]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[The Renard SS16 Controller Board | Renard SS16]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[24 Channel Renard with SSR Assembly Instructions | Renard 24]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Renard 24LV| Renard 24LV]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[The Renard SS24 Controller Board | Renard SS24]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Simple_Renard_32_Combo | Simple Renard 32 Combo]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Simple_Renard_RGB%2BW | Simple Renard RGB+W]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM, Assembly Instructions)

:[[Ren48LSDv3c | Ren 48LSD]]: PCB Documentation (BOMs, Assembly Instructions, Q&A)

:[[Renard64 |Renard 64 XA/XB ]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM)

:[[Renard 64XC |Renard 64 XC ]]: PCB Documentation (schematic, layout, BOM)

:[[Renard-595 Converter]]: REN-C. Description of a Board for 192-level Dimming of the 64-Channel Olsen Controller or the GRINCH Controller

:[[Ren-T Assembly Instructions|Ren-T]]: A transformer board that can supply power and ZC for the Renard boards.

:[[Renard Wireless Converter]]: REN-W. Documentation (PCB layout, Schematic, BOMs, Assembly Instructions, Q&A, Troubleshooting)

:[[Media: REN816XB_r2.pdf‎]]: REN816XB. Documentation (BOM, build, and configuration instructions)

[[Category:DIYC Controllers]]
[[Category:DIYC Hardware]]
[[Category:Renard]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

File:Pin1Chart.pdf

2012-09-03T03:02:56Z

Chelmuth: PDF to help identify Pin1 on IC's

PDF to help identify Pin1 on IC's

Ren48LSDv3c

2012-07-06T14:29:08Z

Chelmuth: /* Ren48LSD (v3c) Construction Manual */

=Ren48LSD (v3c) Construction Manual=

'''For information on the older version of this board (v3b) please go to [[Ren48LSD]].''' This page is for the v3c version of the board.

==''What'' is the Ren48LSD?==
The Ren48LSD ('''L'''ED '''S'''trip '''D'''river) controller came about as a solution to drive Frank's LED Super Strips. Originally I used [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] to drive them and while it's a workable solution, it tends to be somewhat bulky and requires lots of additional wiring between the controller and DCSSRs as well as to the strips themselves. Another alternative is [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]] which uses ULN2803 drivers. The issue with this solution is that it has limitations in how much power it can sink to the strips due to the ULN2803 package power dissipation.

The strips require up to 360mA per output (18 LEDs x 20mA) so I used an NPN bipolar transistor to drive them. The transistors support up to 600mA maximum but should be limited to 400mA per output overall due to trace/connector maximums. The transistors are fairly cheap so it makes for a simple, inexpensive solution. The controller design used the [[The_Renard_SS24_Controller_Board|Ren24SS]] as a base, using the same PIC, clocking and serial interface configuration but expanded to 6 PICs to support 48 channels or driving up to 12 strips per board. Because of this, the controller supports standard [[Renard_Firmware#Regular_Firmware|Renard protocol FW]] using RS-232/485 as well as the [[Renard_Firmware#DMX_firmware|DMX]] version. The board requires either a 5vdc well regulated supply or a good 9-24vdc supply. The input supply also drives the LED strips.

'''For information on the previous version of this board (v3b) please go to [[Ren48LSD]].''' This page is for the v3c version of the board.

==How does the Ren48LSD work?==
The Ren48LSD uses the same architecture for the logic portions of the board from the RenardSS series of boards. Sequence information is passed from a PC running Vixen or other sequencing program via an RS-232 or RS-485/DMX interface. The ST485 chips receive this information and turn into standard TTL logic levels that the PIC can understand. The PIC reads in the data and if it determines that the information corresponds to itself, it updates the dimming levels of all 8 channels. It removes this information from the stream and feeds the rest out to the next PIC and that one performs the same. This is repeated for all 6 PICs. The last PIC, PIC 6, feeds what's left of the stream out to the other ST485 chip which translates it to RS-485 levels for the next controller in the line. It is important to realize that the information is removed from the stream and that the resultant leftover stream will have all of the data offset by the 48 channels of information used by the Ren48LSD. For example, if you have two Ren48LSDs, on Vixen you would configure a single Renard/DMX plug-in with 96 channels. The first Ren48LSD consumes the first 48 channels of information leaving only 48 channels on it's outputs. The second Ren48LSD will see this incoming data as controller #1 again and assume the data is for it. This is very much different than standard hard/soft-coded DMX or LOR devices that use a set address yet still pass on the entire stream to the next controller on the line. There are advantages and disadvantages to either approach - but you should be aware of this when combining normal DMX devices before/after a Ren48LSD (or any Renard controller running DMX code).

The PICs receive the data on pin 5 and after consuming their 8 channels of data, forward the rest out of pin 6 of the PIC which in turn goes to pin 5 of the next PIC. PIC #6 or the last PIC feeds the next controller if you have one attached as mentioned above. All of the PICs are fed the same clock from the external oscillator.

The logic portions of the board require a steady +5vdc supply. This can be supplied in two ways on the Ren48LSD. If you use a well-regulated +5vdc power supply, you skip installing all of the regulator circuitry and install a jumper across the +5vdc bypass connector. This will feed the power from the DC IN 1 jack directly to the logic components. Obviously care must be taken to ONLY use a 5vdc supply - if a 12v supply is connected in this configuration, you will probably lose all of your PICs, ST485 chips and the Oscillator in one shot. If you are planning to use a 9-24vdc supply then you must install the regulator circuitry. This allows the power supplied on the DC IN 1 connector to be converted down to +5vdc for the logic components. It is important to realize that the 5v created is only used by the logic components, it is NOT sent out to the outputs of the Ren48LSD. The outputs always follow whatever you place on DC IN 1 and DC IN 2. The two connectors are separated so it is possible to run different voltages on DC IN 1 and DC IN 2 (say 5v and 12v). Here again, extreme caution must be taken to ensure you do not mix up supplies or plug your device into the wrong outputs (say a 5v strip into a 12v output). In addition, you must ensure that the two power supplies will work harmoniously with a shared ground connection since the ground plane is shared between DC IN 1 and DC IN 2.

So - now that the PICs have the updated dimming levels for all of it's channels, it enables each of its outputs using PWM or Pulse Width Modulation. It is important to grasp that the voltage levels are not controlled - it is the amount of time on and off that is varied within a small cycle of time for each update. It seems logical that to dim things you would just change the voltage from 12v to 9v for example. Instead, the voltage is on at the full 12v for x amount of time and then it is off (0v) for the y amount of time - it is not something in-between. The cycle time is controlled by the PIC in the case of the Ren48LSD. In RenardSS boards, they use a Zero-Cross (ZC) signal which is created by an opto-isolator attached to the AC line (either directly to the mains or via a transformer and in both cases through some resistors to limit the current to the opto). Since the Ren48LSD does not have any AC supplied to it, the PIC basically makes up it's own timing but it closely resembles what is seen with normal ZC usage.

The Ren48LSD uses sourced outputs and not sinked outputs like the RenardSS controllers. Why is this? Because the PIC needs to turn on a transistor and to do this, it supplies 5v on it's output which turns on the transistor (via a resistor to limit the current) which allows current to flow from the collector to the emitter of the transistor. The emitter is directly connected to ground so basically, the transistor sinks the current from the LEDs (or whatever you have attached to the output) to ground. The positive voltage from the DC power supply connects directly to the device you have attached and this completes the circuit.

==Revision History==
The main changes from the v3b version of the board are a newly designed voltage regulator circuit. It was found on the v3b that the standard LM7805 regulator would get very hot when fully loaded at 12v (the v3b only supported 5vdc or 9-12vdc input). When fully on, the device sat at it's peak temperature of about 120 degC. I came up with a few workarounds which addressed this (see the v3b page) but for the next revision, I decided to change the regulator completely. Instead of using a linear 7805 regulator, I went with the LM2575-5 switching regulator. While it requires a few more parts (a coil, diodes and low ESR filter capacitors) it does allow the v3c version of the board to go up to 24vdc at full load. The regulator stays well within the temperature specs and in normal operation does not even get warm.

You do have to decide prior to building the board whether you will be using +5vdc or 9-24vdc as your input supply source (specifically to DC IN 1). If you are going with 5vdc, then you don't need any of the regulator circuit components - in fact you should specifically leave them off the board. There is a bypass jumper block on the board that bypasses the +5v from DC IN 1 directly to the logic on the board so you must install that block and jumper that as well. If you are going with 9-24vdc then you do need to install all of the regulator circuit to provide 5v to the logic on the board (PICs, Oscillator, RS485 chips).

==Ren48LSD (v3c) Parts==
In addition to the [http://www.diyledexpress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=68 PCB], you will need the following components:

<table border="1"><tr><td>'''Mouser BOM'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>Mouser PN</td><td>Description</td><td>Qty</td></tr>
<tr><td>579-PIC16F688-I/P</td><td>Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-3</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>511-ST485BN</td><td>Buffers & Line Drivers Hi-Spd Lo Pwr Trans</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-2</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 8P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>520-TCH1843-X</td><td>ECS-2100AX-18.432MHZ</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-MPS2222AG</td><td>Bipolar Transistors 600mA 75V NPN</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5239B</td><td>Zener Diodes 9.1 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5229B</td><td>Zener Diodes 4.3 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-1N5819G</td><td>Schottky (Diodes & Rectifiers) 1A 40V</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-LM2575TV-5G</td><td>Switching Converters, Regulators & Controllers 5V 1A PWR SW REG</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>532-577102B00</td><td>Heatsinks TO-220 HORIZ/VERT SLIM CHANNEL STYLE</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>604-WP7113ID</td><td>Standard LED - Through Hole HI EFF RED DIFFUSED</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>581-SA105E104MAR</td><td>Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC) - Leaded 50volts 0.1uF 20% Z5U</td><td>9</td></tr>
<tr><td>667-ELC-18B331L</td><td>Power Inductors 330UH RADIAL COIL CHOKE</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>140-RXJ331M1CBK1012P</td><td>Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors - Leaded 16V 330uF 105C 10x12.5 mm</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>140-RXJ101M1HBK1016P</td><td>Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors - Leaded 50V 100uF 105C 10x16 mm</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-680-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 680ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-120-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 120ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-27K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 27Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-1K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 1.0Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-470-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 470ohms</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-10K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 10Kohms</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5556416-1</td><td>Telecom & Ethernet Connectors 8 PCB TOP ENTRY</td><td>14</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-7969492</td><td>Terminal Blocks 5.08MM VERTICAL 2P wire protector</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5-146281-2</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings 2 P HEADER GOLD 30u single row</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>649-65474-002LF</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings SHUNT TIN</td><td>1</td></tr>
</table>

[http://www.mouser.com:80/ProjectManager/ProjectDetail.aspx?AccessID=76c8f3ed18 Click here for Mouser Direct Project BOM]

Most of the components are not overly critical and some can be omitted in certain
cases. The electrolytic capacitors must only be subsituted with low-ESR versions only. Failure to do so could result in instability in the regulation circuit. If you are using a well regulated 5vdc supply, the voltage regulator, 1N5819 diodes (2), 330uH coil, and 100uf capacitor should not be installed. This will require a jumper to be placed across the +5vdc bypass terminal block which effectively shunts DC IN 1 directly to the board logic.

The BOM is available from [http://www.diyledexpress.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3 DIYLEDExpress.com] 

==Building the Ren48LSD==

The Ren48LSD requires a fair bit of soldering so take your time and ensure you
install the components in the correct orientation when required. Start by sorting
the components by type and values. Look over the PCB before starting noting the
location of the various components. Follow the standard procedure of installing
the lowest profile parts first and ending up with the tallest.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Construction-0.png]]

1. Install the six 10k resistors near each PIC

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-01a.jpg|850px]]

2. Install the two 1k resistors near the 485 chips

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-02a.jpg|850px]]

3. Install the two 27k resistors near the 485 chips

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-03a.jpg|850px]]

4. Install the one 120 resistor near the 485 chips

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-04a.jpg|850px]]

5. Install the one 680 resistor near the LED

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-05a.jpg|850px]]

6. Install the 1N5229 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation - the band on the diode goes towards the top of the board in the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-06a.jpg|850px]]

7. Install the 1N5239 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation - the band on the diode goes towards the top of the board in the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-07a.jpg|850px]]

8. Install the two 1N5819 diodes near the voltage regulator '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)''' – note the correct orientation - the diode closest to DCIN1 has the band on the diode facing down and in the square hole, the diode closest to the choke has the band on the diode facing right and in the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-08a.jpg|850px]]

9. Install all forty-eight 470 ohm resistors doing 4-8 at a time.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-09a.jpg|850px]]

10. Install the nine decoupling capacitors near the IC sockets and oscillator. Note that the silkscreen says ".01uF" - in fact they are 0.1uF (100nF).

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-10a.jpg|850px]]

11. Install the six 14-pin PIC chip sockets - note the correct orientation - the top 3 sockets have the notch facing towards the left, and the bottom 3 sockets have the notch facing the right.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-11a.jpg|850px]]

12. Install the two 8-pin 485 chip sockets - note the correct orientation - the notch faces to the right side of the board towards the PICs.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-12a.jpg|850px]]

13. Install the 18.432MHz oscillator – note the correct orientation - the package has one square corner (and a dot) and that goes into the square hole on the board

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-13a.jpg|850px]]

14. Install the 48 transistors – note the correct orientation – the emitter is nearest the PICs, base in the middle and collector near the RJ45 jacks. The legs of the transistors will need to be bent slightly to fit the holes. The middle leg will end up being out in front of the flat side of the transistor.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-14a.jpg|850px]]

15. Install the two 2-pin shunt jumpers

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-15a.jpg|850px]]

16. Install the LED – note correct orientation - the flat side of the LED faces the bottom of the board and the shorter leg goes into the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-16a.jpg|850px]]

17. Install the DC input terminal blocks – note correct orientation - have the side where the power wires will be inserted facing to the right.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-17a.jpg|850px]]

18. Install the +5vdc bypass block '''(Install for 5vdc input)'''

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-18a.jpg|850px]]

Note that if you are using a regulated 5vdc power supply for your input, you should omit installing most of the regulator circuitry.

19. Install the LM2575 regulator '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)''' - note correct orientation - pin 1 is denoted by the square pad - the odd number pins are the pins farthest away from the back

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-19a.jpg|850px]]

20. Install the 100uF/50v capacitor '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)''' – note correct orientation - the capacitor has a stripe on the side denoting the negative leg that goes in the round hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-20a.jpg|850px]]

21. Install the 330uF/16v capacitor – note correct orientation - the capacitor has a stripe on the side denoting the negative leg that goes in the round hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-21a.jpg|850px]]

22. Mount the 5v regulator heat sink if you installed the regulator – use a small amount of heat sink compound

23. Install the choke coil '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)'''

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-22.jpg|850px]]

24. Install the fourteen RJ45 jacks – note that side-entry jacks can be substituted

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-23a.jpg|850px]]

Congratulations! That completes the construction of the Ren48LSD!

==Initial Testing==
The first thing you will want to do in any PCB construction project is to double check that you have all components installed and in the proper orientation. You will then want to inspect the board for any cold/bridged solder joints. Take your time with this step and go over each and every joint.

If you have any of the IC's installed - remove them now. Connect your power supply to the “DC IN 1” - it supplies power to controller portion of the board as well as strip outputs 1-6. “DC IN 2” is a separate input to drive strips 7-12. Note that the ground is shared between the two inputs. If you are using a well regulated +5vdc power supply as your power input, the regulator circuit should not be installed. However, you must manually bypass this by placing a jumper wire between the +5vdc bypass terminal block. Turn on the supply and verify the power LED lights up. Verify you have 5v between pins 1 and 14 on each PIC socket as well as between pins 5 and 8 on the 485 chip sockets. Install all of the IC's if this passes.

==Programming the PIC controllers==
The Ren48LSD does not supply or use a ZeroCross input and therefore the Renard firmware (either Renard or DMX protocol) must be configured for DC/PWM
operation. In addition, if you are using the DMX firmware, you may want to set the initial starting address but generally, this can be left at '1' for all PICs since the code is self-addressing. Also – like the ULN2803 drivers, the transistors invert the output so the firmware uses positive outputs.

===Renard Protocol===
Obtain the standard Renard firmware [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/d/d3/Renard-20071229.asm here:]

Make the following changes:

#define PWM_build 1 – change from '0'
#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 1 – change from '15'
;#define OUTPUT_NEGATIVE_TRUE – comment this out

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code. A standard version of the code with the settings above has been compiled already for you in the File Library available [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/dynamics/attachment.php?attachmentid=207&d=1280420686 here].

===Renard-DMX Protocol===
Obtain the DMX Renard firmware from [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/e/ea/Renard-dmx-20080814.asm here:]

#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 0 – change from '40'
#define SINK_map 0x00 – change from '0xFF'

If you want to change the DMX starting address then alter it below – this is only required on the first PIC in the chain. If you have multiple Ren48LSD controllers, you can leave the second/subsequent PICs at '1' and they will automatically start off where the last PIC left off.

#define DMX_START_ADDRESS 1

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code (unless using a starting address). A standard version of the code with the settings above has been compiled already for you in the File Library available [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/dynamics/attachment.php?attachmentid=206&d=1280420686 here].

Whichever firmware you choose, install the flashed PICs into the sockets noting the correct orientation. Also install the two 485 chips into their sockets noting the correct orientation. You are now ready for final testing.

==Final Testing==
I chose not to design in the diagnostic LEDs as those used on the RenSS series of controllers. The design is fairly straight-forward and as long as you are sure of the voltage inputs and the PICs are flashed properly you should not have any issues if your soldering is good.

If you are using RS232, you should install the shunt on the "RS232" header which shorts pin 5 of the RJ45-IN connector to ground for proper RS232 operation. The wiring is the same as the RenardSS series so you can follow the cabling requiremnents for that.

As the Renard controller variations do not use bussed DMX it's not critical to install the DMX termination shunt if you are only using Renard controllers. This is because they are using point-to-point configurations. However - if this particular controller is at the end of a line of other normal (bussed) DMX devices, you should install the shunt to properly terminate the bus.

I'm assuming at this point that you have built one or more of the LED SuperStrips to test with. If not - - well - - do it... Note that the strips have one caveat – I have found that the LED colors go in Red, Blue, Green and White order – not Red, Green, Blue and White order. The RJ45 outputs are as follows:

#Common +DC
#Red Ground
#Common +DC
#Blue Ground
#Common +DC
#Green Ground
#Common +DC
#White Ground

What does this mean to you? Well – if you use standard straight-thru RJ45/Ethernet cables, the color order will be RBGW channel order in Vixen so if you want to use an RGBW order, you'll need to change the channel order in Vixen. The other alternative (and the way I do it) is to swap pins 4 and 6 at one end of the RJ45 cable. I did this because I thought it made more sense to keep the natural pin order versus color order. Note that pins 1, 3, 5 and 7 are tied together both on the PCB as well as the strips – there is no way to have separate +DC runs with the strips.

Connect the Ren48LSD to your PC using standard wiring practices as on the Wiki for other Renard controllers. Develop a Vixen sequence to turn on/off each channel in groups of four using the appropriate Renard/DMX plug-in. Channels 1, 5, 9, etc should have the same programming but only have 1 channel in the group (1,2,3,4) on at a time. This helps ensure you have unique channel
addressing from each RJ45 output.

With the sequence running, plug in a strip into each RJ45 and ensure each color turns on in order (remember that the B & G colors are swapped). Once that is complete you change the on/off to ramp up/downs to verify dimming operation. Finally, you can perform a full load test with 12 strips installed.

The Ren48LSD can be used to drive other devices as well of course. The MightyMini floods can be wired using normal RGBW wiring since the MM end of the cable goes into terminal blocks versus an RJ45 jack. Another popular flood is the ChristmasOnManor Rainbow Flood. This is an RGB (no white) flood so it only uses 3 channels. The wiring uses pins 2, 4 and 8 to drive Red, Green and Blue. Note that pin 6 - or the 3rd channel is not used here. You have a few choices - in Vixen simply skip that channel, or if you really want to use that channel, you will need to do some creative cabling or not use the RJ45 jacks at all and wire the 3 channels directly to the board. You can also alter the code in the PIC to only use 6 channels but this probably isn't worth the effort of changing the code.

==TroubleShooting==
So - you've built your new Ren48LSD, connected it up to your computer and tried a quick sequence and nothing happens! There are several checks to perform in order:

===Visual Inspection===
The very first step involves a close visual inspection of the board. Double check that you have the correct component in the correct location and in the correct orientation. Look at every single solder connection and if some are not shiny or look suspect - reflow them to be sure.
===Power===
Measure across pins 1 and 14 on all PIC sockets (U1 -> U6) - it should read 5v

Measure across pins 5 and 8 on both RS-485 sockets (U7, U8) - it should read 5v

If you do not measure 5v and you are using the "+5VDC BYPASS" feature, then ensure your supply is actually providing 5v at the "DC IN 1" terminal block.

If you do not measure 5v and you are using the regulator circuit, then ensure you are providing at least 7.5vdc (and up to 24vdc) into the "DC IN 1" terminal block from your supply. If that's OK, then inspect the soldering all around the regulator, coil, diodes and filter capacitors on the right hand side of the board. Ensure the filter capacitors, diodes and regulator were installed with the correct orientation.

===PIC Programming===
Reflash your PICs with the .hex file from this Wiki page or the File Library - perform a 'Verify' to be sure it's not blank
===Clocking===
With all six PICs installed, measure the voltage from pin 14 (gnd) to pin 2 (OSC) on all PICs - it should read around 2.5v (+/- 0.3v). If it appears to be stuck at 0 or 5v, then you probably have a soldering issue, the oscillator was installed with the incorrect orientation or the oscillator is bad. There should be 5v between the upper left and lower right pins on the oscillator (as viewed from the top of the board shown above).

Another possible reason for seeing close to 5v on pin 2 is that none of the PICs have been programmed properly. This is due to no loading of the output from the oscillator. Before replacing the oscillator, re-verify that the PICs have been programmed.

===Communications===
From Vixen, ensure you have the appropriate plug-in selected and configured. If you are using Renard/Serial code, you should have the "Renard Dimmer (modified)" selected using Protocol Version 1 and the correct COM port selected for your serial port. Ensure the baud rate is 57600 (if using the standard image), 8-bits, no parity, no stop bits and that it matches the port settings in the Windows Control Panel (Device Manager) as well. Ensure your cabling is correct from the Wiki documentation for Renard (it is the same as the RenSS series). Ensure the "RS232" jumper is ON and that the "TERM" jumper is OFF.

If you are using Renard/DMX code, you should have either the "Enttec Open DMX" or "Enttec DMX USB Pro" plug-in selected (unless you are using E1.31 which is beyond this document). Ensure your DMX dongle is seen as a COM port (unplug/plug in to be sure while Vixen is not up) and the plug-in is configured to match the port number. The baud rate settings are not used for DMX (it's always 250Kbps). If using the Enttec Open dongle, you need to configure the DMX Add-In as well so that the data is streamed to the device.Ensure your cabling is correct from the Wiki documentation for Renard (it is the same as the RenSS series). Ensure the "RS232" jumper is OFF. The "TERM" jumper will probably make no difference whether it's on or off but you can try both ways to see if it makes any difference.

Note that it's not really within the scope of this document to troubleshoot Vixen/dongle/cabling issues - please go through some of the Wiki documentation and if at all possible, try to confirm on a working piece of equipment before troubleshooting something that isn't broken to begin with. It's assumed at this point that to the best of your knowledge that everything up to the "IN" jack is in working order.

Configure a short Vixen sequence with a slow on/off sequence for each channel - 1 second on, 1 second off. Alternate the odd channels so that they are the opposite polarity of the even channels. In other words, when channel 1 is ON, channel 2 is OFF or when channel 2 is ON, channel 1 is off. Create a 48-channel sequence in this fashion so you can test all PICs at once. With the sequence running, measure the outputs of the PIC at pins 1, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8 and 7. You should see each pin alternate from 0v to 5v once a second matching the sequence. If this is not the case, then sequencing data is not being received by the PIC(s).

Measure the voltage at pin 5 on PIC #1 (U1) with the same sequence running (from ground). it should be alternating between 0v and 5v and not be stuck at one or the other. If it appears stuck, then inspect the "IN" RS-485 chip at U7 (and the entire path from it to pin 5 on PIC #1/U1 pin 5) and ensure there are no bent pins (including the RJ45 jack itself), cold solder joints. Swap the two chips at U7 and U8 ("OUT" RS-485) to see if that resolves the issue. If the failure is in-between channels, then perform the same check on pin 5 on all PICs. For PICs #2-6, pin 5 is fed from pin 6 on the preceding PIC. In other words PIC 1, pin 6 feeds PIC 2, pin 5 and down the line so it could be an issue with the preceding PIC. Swap PICs around to see if that helps - otherwise it is probably a soldering issue.

If the problem is with a daisy-chained controller FROM this Ren48LSD, then inspect the RS-485 "OUT" chip closely at U8 for bent pins, solder issues, etc. Check the output RJ45 jack at J14 for crossed pins. Swap the RS-485 chip between U7 and U8 to see if that helps. Note that ALL output from the Ren48LSD is at RS-485 levels so the daisy-chained controller should not have the RS-232 jumper enabled.

===Output Drivers===
It's assumed at this point that you have checked that a sequence can drive the PIC outputs properly between 0 and 5v OK. With the PIC(s) removed and power on, connect a ''known good device'' (flood, RGB strip, etc) to the output socket(s) in question.

Use a piece of hookup wire and connect the wire from pin 1 to the following pins:

:Pin 3 - channel 1/9/17/25/33/41
:Pin 13 - channel 2/10/18/26/34/42
:Pin 12 - channel 3/11/19/27/35/43
:Pin 11 - channel 4/12/20/28/36/44
:Pin 10 - channel 5/13/21/29/37/45
:Pin 9 - channel 6/14/22/30/38/46
:Pin 8 - channel 7/15/23/31/39/47
:Pin 7 - channel 8/16/24/32/40/48

After connecting the wire to the output pins, the device should turn on. If it does not, then it's possible the output driver (transistor) is bad. Check the path from the PIC output pin you are testing through the 470 ohm resistor and to the base of the transistor in question. The nomenclature (name) of the transistor matches the channel number so "Q23" is for channel 23. Replacements may have been included with your kit or you can get them at RadioShack - most MPS2222a, PN2222A or 2N3904 types can be subsituted. If you have multiple transistors bad, then you should investigate how this happened before replacing the transistors since there's a good chance they will simply blow again.

==FAQ==

Q1: What if I only have 6 strips and won't be using ports 7-12?

A1: Well - you're in luck! Next to PIC #3 and PIC #6 is a via hole that will bypass PICs #4 - #6 if you install a wire between them. Note that this is only necessary if you are planning to daisy-chain another board from this one. This effectively makes this a Ren24LSD. If you are not going to daisy-chain another board, you can leave it off as well as the RS-485 output chip. Personally, I think this is false economy since you'll have to dig the parts up if you change your mind and want to run a board off this one. In either case, you certainly save time and money by not installing the PICs, sockets, transistors, resistors and output connectors for strips 7-12 if you don't have them.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Construction-Bypass.png]]

Q2: Can I use standard DIY SSRs with the Ren48LSD?

A2: Maybe - but with the following caveats:
:*It has not been tested at all
:*The power LED on the SSR will not work as there is no ground fed to pin 7.
:*To be safe, pins 3, 5 and 7 should not be connected from the Ren48LSD to the SSR.
:*You may want to stick with a 5vdc source only if insure of the specifications of the optoisolators used on the SSRs. If you are using the standard coop AC or DC SSRs then they should be able to use anything up to 12vdc OK.
For these reasons, it is not really recommended to use an SSR on the Ren48LSD at this time.
----

==Schematic==

'''NOTE - the schematic below has an error on the input circuitry but the board itself is correct. Use the RenSS (any) schematic for the communication circuitry for now.'''

Here is the schematic drawing for the Ren48LSD v3c in PDF format - [[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Schematic.pdf]]

----
--[[User:Budude|Budude]] 03:08, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

[[Category:DIYC Controllers]]
[[Category:Renard]]
[[Category:Renard 48LSD]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Ren48LSD

2012-07-06T14:28:03Z

Chelmuth: /* Ren48LSD (v3b) Construction Manual */

=Ren48LSD (v3b) Construction Manual=
'''For information on the newer version of this board (v3c) please go to [[Ren48LSDv3c]].''' This page is for the v3b version of the board.

==What is the Ren48LSD?==
The Ren48LSD ('''L'''ED '''S'''trip '''D'''river) controller came about as a solution to drive Frank's LED Super Strips. Originally I used [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] to drive them and while it's a workable solution, it tends to be somewhat bulky and requires lots of additional wiring between the controller and DCSSRs as well as to the strips themselves. Another alternative is [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]] which uses ULN2803 drivers. The issue with this solution is that it has limitations in how much power it can sink to the strips due to the ULN2803 package power dissipation.

The strips require up to 360mA per output (18 LEDs x 20mA) so I used an NPN bipolar transistor to drive them. The transistors support up to 600mA so there's plenty of headroom left. The transistors are fairly cheap so it makes for a simple, inexpensive solution. The controller design used the [[The_Renard_SS24_Controller_Board|Ren24SS]] as a base, using the same PIC, clocking and serial interface configuration but expanded to 6 PICs to support 48 channels or driving up to 12 strips per board. Because of this, the controller supports standard [[Renard_Firmware#Regular_Firmware|Renard protocol FW]] using RS-232/485 as well as the [[Renard_Firmware#DMX_firmware|DMX]] version. The board requires either a 5vdc well regulated supply or a good 9- 12vdc supply. The input supply also drives the LED strips.

==Ren48LSD (v3b) Parts==
In addition to the PCB, you will need the following components:

<table border="1"><tr><td>'''Mouser BOM'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>Mouser PN</td><td>Description</td><td>Qty</td></tr>
<tr><td>579-PIC16F688-I/P</td><td>Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-3</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>511-ST485BN</td><td>Buffers & Line Drivers Hi-Spd Lo Pwr Trans</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-2</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 8P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>520-TCH1843-X</td><td>ECS-2100AX-18.432MHZ</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-MPS2222AG</td><td>Bipolar Transistors 600mA 75V NPN</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5239B</td><td>Zener Diodes 9.1 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5229B</td><td>Zener Diodes 4.3 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>511-L7805CV</td><td>Linear Regulators - Standard 5.0V 1.0A Positive</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>532-577102B00</td><td>Heatsinks TO-220 HORIZ/VERT SLIM CHANNEL STYLE</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>604-WP7104IT</td><td>Standard LED - Through Hole HI EFF RED TRANS</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>80-C322C104K5R</td><td>Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC) - Leaded 50volts 0.1uF 10%</td><td>10</td></tr>
<tr><td>871-B41827A4228M000</td><td>Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors - Leaded 16volts 2200uF 12.5x20mm 85deg C</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-680-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 680ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-120-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 120ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-27K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 27Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-1K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 1.0Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-470-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 470ohms</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-10K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 10Kohms</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5520251-4</td><td>Telecom & Ethernet Connectors 8/8 SIDE ENTRY</td><td>14</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-7969492</td><td>Terminal Blocks 5.08MM VERTICAL 2P wire protector</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5-146281-2</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings 2 P HEADER GOLD 30u single row</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>649-65474-002LF</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings SHUNT TIN</td><td>1</td></tr>
</table>

None of the components are overly critical and some can be omitted in certain
cases. If you are using a well regulated 5vdc supply, you will not need the voltage
regulator or its heat sink.

==Building the Ren48LSD==
The Ren48LSD requires a fair bit of soldering so take your time and ensure you
install the components in the correct orientation when required. Start by sorting
the components by type and values. Look over the PCB before starting noting the
location of the various components. Follow the standard procedure of installing
the lowest profile parts first and ending up with the tallest.

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-1.jpg]]

#Install the six 10k resistors near each PIC
#Install the two 1k resistors near the 485 chips
#Install the two 27k resistors near the 485 chips
#Install the one 120 resistor near the 485 chips
#Install the one 680 resistor near the LED
#Install the 1N5229 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation
#Install the 1N5239 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-2.jpg]]

#Install all forty-eight 470 ohm resistors doing 4-8 at a time.

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-3.jpg]]

#Some find it easier to install the two decoupling capacitors near the RS485 chips at this point - jump ahead one picture to see where they go - otherwise install them after the sockets
#Install the six 14-pin PIC chip sockets - note the correct orientation (top 3 go one way, bottom 3 go the other way)
#Install the two 8-pin 485 chip sockets - note the correct orientaiton

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-4.jpg]]

#Install the 18.432MHz oscillator – note the squared corner for correct orientation
#Install the ten decoupling capacitors near the IC sockets, oscillator and regulator

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-5.jpg]]

#Install the 48 transistors – note the correct orientation – the emitter is nearest the PICs, base in the middle and collector near the RJ45 jacks

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-6.jpg]]

#Install the two 2-pin shunt jumpers (note picture shows only one installed)
#Install the LED – note correct orientation
#Install the DC input terminal blocks – note correct orientation
#Install the 5v regulator (OPTIONAL) - the back goes towards the edge of the board
#Install the large capacitor – note correct orientation

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-7.jpg]]

#If you are not using the 5v regulator then you need to install a jumper across the input/output of where the regulator goes. A 1/2W resistor lead is good for this but any 18-20 gauge wire is fine.
[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-8.jpg]]

#Install the fourteen RJ45 jacks – note that top-entry jacks can be subsituted
#Mount the 5v regulator heat sink if you installed the regulator – use a small amount of heat sink compound

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-9.jpg]]

Congratulations! That completes the construction of the Ren48LSD!

==Initial Testing==
The first thing you will want to do in any PCB construction project is to double check that you have all components installed and in the proper orientation. You will then want to inspect the board for any cold/bridged solder joints. Take your time with this step and go over each and every joint.

Connect your power supply to the “DC IN 1” - it supplies power to controller portion of the board as well as strip outputs 1-6. “DC IN 2” is a separate input to drive strips 7-12. Note that the ground is shared between the two inputs. Turn on the supply and verify the power LED lights up. Verify you have 5v between pins 1 and 14 on each PIC socket as well as between pins 5 and 8 on the 485 chips.

==Programming the PIC controllers==
The Ren48LSD does not supply or use a ZeroCross input and therefore the Renard firmware (either Renard or DMX protocol) must be configured for DC/PWM
operation. In addition, if you are using the DMX firmware, you may want to set the initial starting address but generally, this can be left at '1' for all PICs since the code is self-addressing. Also – like the ULN2803 drivers, the transistors invert the output so the firmware uses positive outputs.

===Renard Protocol===
Obtain the standard Renard firmware [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/d/d3/Renard-20071229.asm here:]

Make the following changes:

#define PWM_build 1 – change from '0'
#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 1 – change from '15'
;#define OUTPUT_NEGATIVE_TRUE – comment this out

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code.

===Renard-DMX Protocol===
Obtain the DMX Renard firmware from [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/e/ea/Renard-dmx-20080814.asm here:]

#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 0 – change from '40'
#define SINK_map 0x00 – change from '0xFF'

If you want to change the DMX starting address then alter it below – this is only required on the first PIC in the chain. If you have multiple Ren48LSD controllers, you can leave the second/subsequent PICs at '1' and they will automatically start off where the last PIC left off.

#define DMX_START_ADDRESS 1

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code (unless using a starting address).

Whichever firmware you choose, install the flashed PICs into the sockets noting the correct orientation. Also install the two 485 chips into their sockets noting the correct orientation. You are now ready for final testing.

==Final Testing==
I chose not to design in the diagnostic LEDs as those used on the RenSS series of controllers. The design is fairly straight-forward and as long as you are sure of the voltage inputs and the PICs are flashed properly you should not have any issues if your soldering is good.

If you are using RS232, you should install the shunt on the "RS232" header which shorts pin 5 of the RJ45-IN connector to ground for proper RS232 operation. The wiring is the same as the RenardSS series so you can follow the cabling requiremnents for that.

As the Renard controller variations do not use bussed DMX it's not critical to install the DMX termination shunt if you are only using Renard controllers. This is because they are using point-to-point configurations. However - if this particular controller is at the end of a line of other normal (bussed) DMX devices, you should install the shunt to properly terminate the bus.

I'm assuming at this point that you have built one or more of the LED SuperStrips to test with. If not - - well - - do it... Note that the strips have one caveat – I have found that the LED colors go in Red, Blue, Green and White order – not Red, Green, Blue and White order. The RJ45 outputs are as follows:

#Common +DC
#Red Ground
#Common +DC
#Blue Ground
#Common +DC
#Green Ground
#Common +DC
#White Ground

What does this mean to you? Well – if you use standard straight-thru RJ45/Ethernet cables, the color order will be RBGW channel order in Vixen so if you want to use an RGBW order, you'll need to change the channel order in Vixen. The other alternative (and the way I do it) is to swap pins 4 and 6 at one end of the RJ45 cable. I did this because I thought it made more sense to keep the natural pin order versus color order. Note that pins 1, 3, 5 and 7 are tied together both on the PCB as well as the strips – there is no way to have separate +DC runs with the strips.

Connect the Ren48LSD to your PC using standard wiring practices as on the Wiki for other Renard controllers. Develop a Vixen sequence to turn on/off each channel in groups of four using the appropriate Renard/DMX plug-in. Channels 1, 5, 9, etc should have the same programming but only have 1 channel in the group (1,2,3,4) on at a time. This helps ensure you have unique channel
addressing from each RJ45 output.

With the sequence running, plug in a strip into each RJ45 and ensure each color turns on in order (remember that the B & G colors are swapped). Once that is complete you change the on/off to ramp up/downs to verify dimming operation. Finally, you can perform a full load test with 12 strips installed.

==FAQ==

Q1: Can this use 24vdc?

A1: Yes it can but it will require a different regulator (actually a DC-DC switching converter). This applises to all voltages from 12-24vdc actually. Please review this [[File:Ren48LSD-Regulator-Change.pdf]] for options regarding the changes required.

Q2: What if I only have 6 strips?

A2: Well - you're in luck! Next to PIC #3 and PIC #6 is a via hole that will bypass PICs #4 - #6 if you install a wire between them. Note that this is only necessary if you are planning to daisy-chain another board from this one. This effectively makes this a Ren24LSD. If you are not going to daisy-chain another board, you can leave it off as well as the RS-485 output chip. Personally, I think this is false economy since you'll have to dig the parts up if you change your mind and want to run a board off this one. In either case, you certainly save time and money by not installing the PICs, sockets, transistors, resistors and output connectors for strips 7-12 if you don't have them.

[[File:PIC-Jumper.jpg]]

Q3: What the heck is that "GAB DMX-THRU" connector for?

A3: This was an attempt to support DMX-THRU so that you can run additional DMX devices from an external RJ45 or XLR connector. "GAB" stands for "Ground", "Data-A" and "Data-B" for the RS-485 interface for DMX. This has not been tested at all yet so it may or may not work at this time. If you do try it and it works, please let me know and we can udpate this entry to show it works OK.

Q4: Can I use standard DIY SSRs with the Ren48LSD?

A4: Maybe - but with the following caveats:
:*It has not been tested at all
:*The power LED on the SSR will not work as there is no ground fed to pin 7.
:*To be safe, pins 3, 5 and 7 should not be connected from the Ren48LSD to the SSR.
:*You may want to stick with a 5vdc source only if insure of the specifications of the optoisolators used on the SSRs. If you are using the standard coop AC or DC SSRs then they should be able to use anything up to 12vdc OK.
For these reasons, it is not really recommended to use an SSR on the Ren48LSD at this time.
----

<PDF Version removed as it was downlevel>

Here is the schematic drawing for the Ren48LSD in PDF format - [[File:Ren48LSD-Schematic.pdf]]

----
--[[User:Budude|Budude]] 03:08, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

[[Category:DIYC Controllers]]
[[Category:Renard]]
[[Category:Renard 48LSD]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Ren48LSD

2012-07-06T14:27:24Z

Chelmuth: /* Ren48LSD (v3b) Construction Manual */

=Ren48LSD (v3b) Construction Manual=

==What is the Ren48LSD?==
The Ren48LSD ('''L'''ED '''S'''trip '''D'''river) controller came about as a solution to drive Frank's LED Super Strips. Originally I used [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] to drive them and while it's a workable solution, it tends to be somewhat bulky and requires lots of additional wiring between the controller and DCSSRs as well as to the strips themselves. Another alternative is [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]] which uses ULN2803 drivers. The issue with this solution is that it has limitations in how much power it can sink to the strips due to the ULN2803 package power dissipation.

The strips require up to 360mA per output (18 LEDs x 20mA) so I used an NPN bipolar transistor to drive them. The transistors support up to 600mA so there's plenty of headroom left. The transistors are fairly cheap so it makes for a simple, inexpensive solution. The controller design used the [[The_Renard_SS24_Controller_Board|Ren24SS]] as a base, using the same PIC, clocking and serial interface configuration but expanded to 6 PICs to support 48 channels or driving up to 12 strips per board. Because of this, the controller supports standard [[Renard_Firmware#Regular_Firmware|Renard protocol FW]] using RS-232/485 as well as the [[Renard_Firmware#DMX_firmware|DMX]] version. The board requires either a 5vdc well regulated supply or a good 9- 12vdc supply. The input supply also drives the LED strips.

'''For information on the newer version of this board (v3c) please go to [[Ren48LSDv3c]].''' This page is for the v3b version of the board.

==Ren48LSD (v3b) Parts==
In addition to the PCB, you will need the following components:

<table border="1"><tr><td>'''Mouser BOM'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>Mouser PN</td><td>Description</td><td>Qty</td></tr>
<tr><td>579-PIC16F688-I/P</td><td>Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-3</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>511-ST485BN</td><td>Buffers & Line Drivers Hi-Spd Lo Pwr Trans</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-2</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 8P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>520-TCH1843-X</td><td>ECS-2100AX-18.432MHZ</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-MPS2222AG</td><td>Bipolar Transistors 600mA 75V NPN</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5239B</td><td>Zener Diodes 9.1 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5229B</td><td>Zener Diodes 4.3 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>511-L7805CV</td><td>Linear Regulators - Standard 5.0V 1.0A Positive</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>532-577102B00</td><td>Heatsinks TO-220 HORIZ/VERT SLIM CHANNEL STYLE</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>604-WP7104IT</td><td>Standard LED - Through Hole HI EFF RED TRANS</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>80-C322C104K5R</td><td>Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC) - Leaded 50volts 0.1uF 10%</td><td>10</td></tr>
<tr><td>871-B41827A4228M000</td><td>Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors - Leaded 16volts 2200uF 12.5x20mm 85deg C</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-680-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 680ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-120-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 120ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-27K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 27Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-1K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 1.0Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-470-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 470ohms</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-10K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 10Kohms</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5520251-4</td><td>Telecom & Ethernet Connectors 8/8 SIDE ENTRY</td><td>14</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-7969492</td><td>Terminal Blocks 5.08MM VERTICAL 2P wire protector</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5-146281-2</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings 2 P HEADER GOLD 30u single row</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>649-65474-002LF</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings SHUNT TIN</td><td>1</td></tr>
</table>

None of the components are overly critical and some can be omitted in certain
cases. If you are using a well regulated 5vdc supply, you will not need the voltage
regulator or its heat sink.

==Building the Ren48LSD==
The Ren48LSD requires a fair bit of soldering so take your time and ensure you
install the components in the correct orientation when required. Start by sorting
the components by type and values. Look over the PCB before starting noting the
location of the various components. Follow the standard procedure of installing
the lowest profile parts first and ending up with the tallest.

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-1.jpg]]

#Install the six 10k resistors near each PIC
#Install the two 1k resistors near the 485 chips
#Install the two 27k resistors near the 485 chips
#Install the one 120 resistor near the 485 chips
#Install the one 680 resistor near the LED
#Install the 1N5229 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation
#Install the 1N5239 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-2.jpg]]

#Install all forty-eight 470 ohm resistors doing 4-8 at a time.

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-3.jpg]]

#Some find it easier to install the two decoupling capacitors near the RS485 chips at this point - jump ahead one picture to see where they go - otherwise install them after the sockets
#Install the six 14-pin PIC chip sockets - note the correct orientation (top 3 go one way, bottom 3 go the other way)
#Install the two 8-pin 485 chip sockets - note the correct orientaiton

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-4.jpg]]

#Install the 18.432MHz oscillator – note the squared corner for correct orientation
#Install the ten decoupling capacitors near the IC sockets, oscillator and regulator

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-5.jpg]]

#Install the 48 transistors – note the correct orientation – the emitter is nearest the PICs, base in the middle and collector near the RJ45 jacks

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-6.jpg]]

#Install the two 2-pin shunt jumpers (note picture shows only one installed)
#Install the LED – note correct orientation
#Install the DC input terminal blocks – note correct orientation
#Install the 5v regulator (OPTIONAL) - the back goes towards the edge of the board
#Install the large capacitor – note correct orientation

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-7.jpg]]

#If you are not using the 5v regulator then you need to install a jumper across the input/output of where the regulator goes. A 1/2W resistor lead is good for this but any 18-20 gauge wire is fine.
[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-8.jpg]]

#Install the fourteen RJ45 jacks – note that top-entry jacks can be subsituted
#Mount the 5v regulator heat sink if you installed the regulator – use a small amount of heat sink compound

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-9.jpg]]

Congratulations! That completes the construction of the Ren48LSD!

==Initial Testing==
The first thing you will want to do in any PCB construction project is to double check that you have all components installed and in the proper orientation. You will then want to inspect the board for any cold/bridged solder joints. Take your time with this step and go over each and every joint.

Connect your power supply to the “DC IN 1” - it supplies power to controller portion of the board as well as strip outputs 1-6. “DC IN 2” is a separate input to drive strips 7-12. Note that the ground is shared between the two inputs. Turn on the supply and verify the power LED lights up. Verify you have 5v between pins 1 and 14 on each PIC socket as well as between pins 5 and 8 on the 485 chips.

==Programming the PIC controllers==
The Ren48LSD does not supply or use a ZeroCross input and therefore the Renard firmware (either Renard or DMX protocol) must be configured for DC/PWM
operation. In addition, if you are using the DMX firmware, you may want to set the initial starting address but generally, this can be left at '1' for all PICs since the code is self-addressing. Also – like the ULN2803 drivers, the transistors invert the output so the firmware uses positive outputs.

===Renard Protocol===
Obtain the standard Renard firmware [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/d/d3/Renard-20071229.asm here:]

Make the following changes:

#define PWM_build 1 – change from '0'
#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 1 – change from '15'
;#define OUTPUT_NEGATIVE_TRUE – comment this out

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code.

===Renard-DMX Protocol===
Obtain the DMX Renard firmware from [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/e/ea/Renard-dmx-20080814.asm here:]

#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 0 – change from '40'
#define SINK_map 0x00 – change from '0xFF'

If you want to change the DMX starting address then alter it below – this is only required on the first PIC in the chain. If you have multiple Ren48LSD controllers, you can leave the second/subsequent PICs at '1' and they will automatically start off where the last PIC left off.

#define DMX_START_ADDRESS 1

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code (unless using a starting address).

Whichever firmware you choose, install the flashed PICs into the sockets noting the correct orientation. Also install the two 485 chips into their sockets noting the correct orientation. You are now ready for final testing.

==Final Testing==
I chose not to design in the diagnostic LEDs as those used on the RenSS series of controllers. The design is fairly straight-forward and as long as you are sure of the voltage inputs and the PICs are flashed properly you should not have any issues if your soldering is good.

If you are using RS232, you should install the shunt on the "RS232" header which shorts pin 5 of the RJ45-IN connector to ground for proper RS232 operation. The wiring is the same as the RenardSS series so you can follow the cabling requiremnents for that.

As the Renard controller variations do not use bussed DMX it's not critical to install the DMX termination shunt if you are only using Renard controllers. This is because they are using point-to-point configurations. However - if this particular controller is at the end of a line of other normal (bussed) DMX devices, you should install the shunt to properly terminate the bus.

I'm assuming at this point that you have built one or more of the LED SuperStrips to test with. If not - - well - - do it... Note that the strips have one caveat – I have found that the LED colors go in Red, Blue, Green and White order – not Red, Green, Blue and White order. The RJ45 outputs are as follows:

#Common +DC
#Red Ground
#Common +DC
#Blue Ground
#Common +DC
#Green Ground
#Common +DC
#White Ground

What does this mean to you? Well – if you use standard straight-thru RJ45/Ethernet cables, the color order will be RBGW channel order in Vixen so if you want to use an RGBW order, you'll need to change the channel order in Vixen. The other alternative (and the way I do it) is to swap pins 4 and 6 at one end of the RJ45 cable. I did this because I thought it made more sense to keep the natural pin order versus color order. Note that pins 1, 3, 5 and 7 are tied together both on the PCB as well as the strips – there is no way to have separate +DC runs with the strips.

Connect the Ren48LSD to your PC using standard wiring practices as on the Wiki for other Renard controllers. Develop a Vixen sequence to turn on/off each channel in groups of four using the appropriate Renard/DMX plug-in. Channels 1, 5, 9, etc should have the same programming but only have 1 channel in the group (1,2,3,4) on at a time. This helps ensure you have unique channel
addressing from each RJ45 output.

With the sequence running, plug in a strip into each RJ45 and ensure each color turns on in order (remember that the B & G colors are swapped). Once that is complete you change the on/off to ramp up/downs to verify dimming operation. Finally, you can perform a full load test with 12 strips installed.

==FAQ==

Q1: Can this use 24vdc?

A1: Yes it can but it will require a different regulator (actually a DC-DC switching converter). This applises to all voltages from 12-24vdc actually. Please review this [[File:Ren48LSD-Regulator-Change.pdf]] for options regarding the changes required.

Q2: What if I only have 6 strips?

A2: Well - you're in luck! Next to PIC #3 and PIC #6 is a via hole that will bypass PICs #4 - #6 if you install a wire between them. Note that this is only necessary if you are planning to daisy-chain another board from this one. This effectively makes this a Ren24LSD. If you are not going to daisy-chain another board, you can leave it off as well as the RS-485 output chip. Personally, I think this is false economy since you'll have to dig the parts up if you change your mind and want to run a board off this one. In either case, you certainly save time and money by not installing the PICs, sockets, transistors, resistors and output connectors for strips 7-12 if you don't have them.

[[File:PIC-Jumper.jpg]]

Q3: What the heck is that "GAB DMX-THRU" connector for?

A3: This was an attempt to support DMX-THRU so that you can run additional DMX devices from an external RJ45 or XLR connector. "GAB" stands for "Ground", "Data-A" and "Data-B" for the RS-485 interface for DMX. This has not been tested at all yet so it may or may not work at this time. If you do try it and it works, please let me know and we can udpate this entry to show it works OK.

Q4: Can I use standard DIY SSRs with the Ren48LSD?

A4: Maybe - but with the following caveats:
:*It has not been tested at all
:*The power LED on the SSR will not work as there is no ground fed to pin 7.
:*To be safe, pins 3, 5 and 7 should not be connected from the Ren48LSD to the SSR.
:*You may want to stick with a 5vdc source only if insure of the specifications of the optoisolators used on the SSRs. If you are using the standard coop AC or DC SSRs then they should be able to use anything up to 12vdc OK.
For these reasons, it is not really recommended to use an SSR on the Ren48LSD at this time.
----

<PDF Version removed as it was downlevel>

Here is the schematic drawing for the Ren48LSD in PDF format - [[File:Ren48LSD-Schematic.pdf]]

----
--[[User:Budude|Budude]] 03:08, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

[[Category:DIYC Controllers]]
[[Category:Renard]]
[[Category:Renard 48LSD]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Controllers

2012-07-01T02:35:40Z

Chelmuth: /* E680/681 */ Updated Link to 680

==RGB / PIXEL CONTROLLERS / Extenders==
===Interfaces===
====USB to DMX512====
USB DMX dongles are commonly used in conjunction with PC software to output a single universe (512 channels) of DMX.

* [https://www.audiovisualdevices.com.au/viewprod.php?catid=&productid=USB485RJ-ISO Audio Visual Devices] or http://auschristmaslighting.com/wiki/index.php/USB485RJ-ISO
* [http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main_menu=Products&pn=70303&show=description Enttec Open DMX USB]
* [http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main_menu=Products&prod=70304&show=description Enttec DMX USB Pro]
* [http://shop.martinxmas.com/product.php?id_product=10 RPM DIY USB to DMX Adaptor]

FTDI drivers for dongles:
* [http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm FTDI VCP Drivers]
* [http://www.ftdichip.com/Documents/InstallGuides.htm Install Guides for FTDI Drivers]
* [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?17739-FTDI-USB-gt-Serial Updating a FTDI dongle's EEPROM]

====Ethernet (E1.31) to DMX512====
=====PIXAD8=====

Protocol E1.31

The ECG-PIXAD8 is an interface adapter that conditions and distributes the signals from the ECG-M32MX to 8 different pixel strings using serial pixel protocols (SPI and Manchester Encoded). The ECG-PIXAD8 includes two separate power buses with bus fuse protection and individual string fuse protection. Each bus is supplied power via high current screw terminals and the strings are provided power and signal through a pluggable terminal strip for each string. The software controls the round-robin sharing of two dedicated SPI channels. Each channel is responsible for serving one group of four strings.

More details at http://www.j1sys.com/ecg-pixad8/

* [http://www.j1sys.com/ecg-dr4/ Joshua 1 Systems] '''[[ECG-DR4]]''' Ethernet to 4 DMX / Renard outputs

* [[Controller Setups and Settings]]

* [[Network Configuration]]

====Ethernet (E1.31) to SPI====
* [http://www.j1sys.com/ecg-pixad8/ Joshua 1 Systems] '''[[ECG-PIXAD8]]''' Ethernet to 8 SPI (pixel) outputs
* [http://www.stellascapes.com Stellascapes Stellascapes] E2 & '''[[E16]]''' Ethernet to 2 / 16 SPI (pixel) outputs

====DMX512 to SPI====
These interfaces accept a DMX input and typically drive one or more pixel strings.

* [http://forums.auschristmaslighting.com/index.php/board,34.0.html TP3244 Pixel Driver] 4 SPI (2801 / 6803) outputs
* [https://www.audiovisualdevices.com.au/viewprod.php?catid=&productid=USB485RJ-ISO Audio Visual Devices] '''[[APC718]]''' Single SPI (2801 / 6803) output
* [[Onumen Controllers]] (note that the start address of the DPP controllers cannot be fixed)
* [[RPM Pixel Bridge]]

====DMX512 to Servo====
These interfaces accept a DMX input and typically drive one or more RC servos.

* [https://www.audiovisualdevices.com.au/viewprod.php?catid=&productid=APC718 Audio Visual Devices] '''[[APC718]]''' 5 servo outputs
* [http://store.lightorama.com/servodog.html LOR Servo Dog] 8 servo outputs

====DMX512 to RF====
* [https://www.audiovisualdevices.com.au/viewprod.php?catid=&productid=APC740 Audio Visual Devices] '''[[APC740]]''' Remote power point controller

===PIXAD8===

Protocol E1.31

The ECG-PIXAD8 is an interface adapter that conditions and distributes the signals from the ECG-M32MX to 8 different pixel strings using serial pixel protocols (SPI and Manchester Encoded). The ECG-PIXAD8 includes two separate power buses with bus fuse protection and individual string fuse protection. Each bus is supplied power via high current screw terminals and the strings are provided power and signal through a pluggable terminal strip for each string. The software controls the round-robin sharing of two dedicated SPI channels. Each channel is responsible for serving one group of four strings.

More details at http://www.j1sys.com/ecg-pixad8/

===ECG-P12R===

The ECG-P12R is a pair of assembled and tested boards. The boards are the P12R controller and a P12x Panel board. The boards are split into two functions to allow flexibility in packaging and to allow the P12x Panel board to be made with 3oz copper to deliver the higher amperage needed to distribute power across multiple strings.

The ECG-P12R is designed to provide the digitial level signals for 12 different pixel strings using serial pixel protocols (SPI and Manchester Encoded). The software controls the round robin sharing of three dedicated SPI channels. Each channel is responsible for serving one group of four strings.

More Details at http://www.j1sys.com/ecg-p12r/

===ECG-PPX===

ECG-PPX is a combination of small adapter boards that can be used in conjunction with our pixel oriented products (PIXAD8, P12R, etc.) to extend the pixel signals over much longer distances. They should also work with most other brands of pixel drivers. The ECG-PPX system also will distribute a modest power envelope over the same cable for optionally powering the pixels without the need for local power supplies at the pixel strings.

More details at http://www.j1sys.com/ecg-ppx/

===E680/681===

E680 information http://sandevices.com/E680Info.html

E681 information http://sandevices.com/E681info.html

===TP3244 Pixel Driver===
* Controlled through: [[DMX]]

The Tiger Protocol Bridge (TigerPB) TP3212 is a small controller for use with RGB LED lights and LED strips that utilise driver chips like the 6803/2801/3005. These are the currently targeted protocols and it is possible that other 2-wire and single wire protocols could be supported with firmware upgrades. This will provide future proofing of your controller.

The initial release will accept a standard DMX512A data stream and provide control for 170 RGB Pixels (510ch). There will be dual buffered outputs that will allow you to split the 170 pixels into say 100/70 and run them in different directions and yet control them as a single 170 pixel string.
Each dual buffered output will also allow for the parallel connection of the same number of pixels allowing for two strings to be used with the same patterns. If these are run in opposite directions they would provide for mirrored effects.
Each of the Dual outputs will be able to drive different protocols if required.

If ran with ECG product line from http://www.j1sys.com you can use hyper-DMX and this controller can be expanded to running 4 Universe's off each controller.

More info to Follow and at this point this controller is no longer sold. It has been talked about coming back out. As the information comes in it will be updated. If you can get one used, they are still very nice units and work well.

More info at http://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php/board,34.0.html

===RPM WS2801 to DMX Pixel Bridge===
* Controlled through: [[DMX]]

===T3: DMX512 - SPI Bridge===
* Controlled through: [[DMX]]

The T3 controller provides a bridge between DMX512 and 4 strings of RGB pixels.

More details at http://www.stellascapes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=62

===E2: Ethernet - SPI Bridge===

The E2 controller is an ethernet based bridge and power supply unit to control 2 strings of RGB pixels or the Stella-spark strings. Accepting Either ACN ( E1.31 ) or Art-net control protocols, the E2 is compatible with a vast range of control software. Configuration of the E2 is simple via a very easy to use Web based GUI. Everything is done via a standard web browser. The E2 operates on low voltage DC ( 12-48V ), using a high efficiency internal switch mode power supply to accurately supply the right voltage to the pixel strings. The E2 is weather tight and will happy operate outdoors.

More details at http://www.stellascapes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=62

===E16-II Controllers===

The E16-II controllers are Stellascapes flagship controllers for SPI based RGB Led fixtures. Based on Stellascapes successful E16-I, the E16-II brings a number of improved features, and and increased range of ready to use configurations. All variants share a number of key features;

Art-net II, or Streaming ACN ( E1.31 ) input protocols - DMX over IP.
10/100 Megabit Ethernet
16 output strings, each individually configurable for addressing
Easy to use web based GUI for control
On Board Single RGB LED for system testing without the need to have attached string
16 Character LCD Display for diagnostics and identification information.

More details at http://www.stellascapes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=62

===E16 - Commercial===

The E16-II Commercial controller is a ready to install system designed for permanent or low movement installations, such as permanent theme park installations, or holiday lighting. Enclosed in a high impact, UV resistant case the E16-Commerical includes an integrated mains power supply ( 110-250VAC 50/60Hz ), providing 320W of power, sufficient to fully power 672 RGB pixels. Waterproof Cable glands provide an mechanism for cable entry for UTP and Mains. Splash proof venting systems are used to duct air in and out of the system for active cooling. 16 400mm "tails" with waterproof screw up connectors are provided for interconnection to the strings. Each String is individually fused to provide protection in the event of a failure or breakage.

More details at http://www.stellascapes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=62

===E16-Bare===

The E16-II is available as a set of "bare-board" assemblies. The boards includes the microprocessor and associated circuitry, software, ethernet interconnectivity and buffered outputs. Bring your own case, power supply, output connectors. Perfect for the do-it-yourselfer , or where the system needs to be build into something where the commercial or Pro systems just won't work. Note Stellascapes does not provide a PCB only option.

More details at http://www.stellascapes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=62

==Feature Comparisons==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ DC Controller Comparison Table
! Manufacturer
! Model
! Pre-built
! DC Voltage
! Channels
! Channel Current
! Total Current
! Protocol(s)
! Total Price
! Per Ch Price
|-
| [http://www.lightorama.com/ Light-O-Rama]
| [http://store.lightorama.com/cmdedcca.html CMB16D]
| Yes
| 5V - 60V
| 16
| 4A
| 20A per 8 Ch
| LOR, DMX
| $119.95
| $7.49
|-
| [http://www.lightorama.com/ Light-O-Rama]
| [http://store.lightorama.com/cmdedcca2.html CMB16D-QC]
| Yes
| 5V - 60V
| 16
| 4A
| 20A per 8 Ch
| LOR, DMX
| $99.95
| $6.24
|-
| [http://www.tigerdmx.com TigerDMX]
| [[TigerDMX48]]
| Yes
| 9V - 55V
| 48
| 2.5A
| 30A per 24 Ch
| DMX
| $145.00
| $3.02
|-
| [http://www.tigerdmx.com TigerDMX]
| [http://www.tigerdmx.com/tigerdmx120lc.php TigerDMX120LC]
| Yes
| 12V - 36V
| 120
| 100mA
|
| DMX
| $125.00
| $1.04
|-
| [http://www.audiovisualdevices.com.au AVD]
| [[DC48]]
| Yes
| 12V - 36V
| 48
| 2A
| 20A per 24 Ch
| DMX
| $199.00
| $4.15
|-
| [http://www.audiovisualdevices.com.au AVD]
| [[DC24]]
| Yes
| 12V - 36V
| 24
| 2A
| 15A per 12 Ch
| DMX
| $129.00
| $5.38
|-
| [http://www.cngdjs.com Audiolight Intl]
| HD-714 [http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209915969-378113147/Easy-DMX-LED-controller-dmx-decoder-driver.html] [http://www.holidaycoro.com/3-Channel-RGB-DMX-Controller-p/25.htm]
| Yes
| 12V - 24V
| 3
| 2A
| 6A
| DMX
| $8.95
| $2.98
|-
| [http://www.cngdjs.com Audiolight Intl]
| HD-712 [http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209915969-378111925/Easy-DMX-LED-controller-dmx-decoder-driver.html] [http://www.holidaycoro.com/3-Channel-RGB-DMX-Controller-p/24.htm]
| Yes
| 12V - 24V
| 27
| 1A
| 15A
| DMX
| $44.21
| $1.64
|-
| [http://www.leynew.com Leynew]
| LN-DMXMODEL-3CH-LV12 [http://www.holidaycoro.com/27-Channel-RGB-DMX-Controller-p/26.htm] [http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209915969-307297826/DMX-512-Module-decoder.html]
| Yes
| 12V
| 3
| 2A
| 6A
| DMX
| $7.49
| $2.49
|-
| [http://http://www.euchips.com/en/ EUChips]
| [http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209915969-410843238/DMX512-Decoder-DC12-24V-input-max-3A-each-channel-output.html PX24506]
| Yes
| 12V - 24V
| 3
| 3A
| 9A
| DMX
| $22.32
| $7.44
|-
| [http://www.xmasinmelb.com/zencart/ wjohn]
| [[DMX3]]
| No
| 9-35vdc
| 3
| 2A per Chn
| up to 6A
| DMX
| $9.00
| $3.00
|-
| [http://www.xmasinmelb.com/zencart/ wjohn]
| [[DMX16DCSSR]]
| No
| 12-24vdc
| 16
| 2A per Chn
| up to 10A
| DMX
| $48.00
| $3.00
|-
| [http://www.xmasinmelb.com/zencart/ wjohn]
| [[REN64]]
| No
| 9-35vdc
| 64
| 2A per Chn
| up to 7A per SSR
| RS232/485, DMX
| $67.50
| $1.05
|-
| [http://www.christmasinshirley.com/wiki/index.php?title=Renard_Main_Page Renard]
| [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/index.php?title=Ren48LSDv3c Ren48LSD]
| No
| 5,9-24vdc
| 48
| 400mA
| 9.6A x 2
| RS232/485, DMX
| $44.66
| $0.93
|}

[[Category:RGB]]
[[Category:Pixel]]

File:FAST Snowfall Tube With Tail (Random) 20110813 .asm

2012-03-10T01:34:54Z

Chelmuth: uploaded a new version of "File:FAST Snowfall Tube With Tail (Random) 20110813 .asm": Fixed it so the variable is set to 56 leds by default

Ren48LSD

2011-10-22T03:20:55Z

Chelmuth: /* Renard-DMX Protocol */

=Ren48LSD (v3b) Construction Manual=

==What is the Ren48LSD?==
The Ren48LSD ('''L'''ED '''S'''trip '''D'''river) controller came about as a solution to drive Frank's LED Super Strips. Originally I used [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] to drive them and while it's a workable solution, it tends to be somewhat bulky and requires lots of additional wiring between the controller and DCSSRs as well as to the strips themselves. Another alternative is [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]] which uses ULN2803 drivers. The issue with this solution is that it has limitations in how much power it can sink to the strips due to the ULN2803 package power dissipation.

The strips require up to 360mA per output (18 LEDs x 20mA) so I used an NPN bipolar transistor to drive them. The transistors support up to 600mA so there's plenty of headroom left. The transistors are fairly cheap so it makes for a simple, inexpensive solution. The controller design used the [[The_Renard_SS24_Controller_Board|Ren24SS]] as a base, using the same PIC, clocking and serial interface configuration but expanded to 6 PICs to support 48 channels or driving up to 12 strips per board. Because of this, the controller supports standard [[Renard_Firmware#Regular_Firmware|Renard protocol FW]] using RS-232/485 as well as the [[Renard_Firmware#DMX_firmware|DMX]] version. The board requires either a 5vdc well regulated supply or a good 9- 12vdc supply. The input supply also drives the LED strips.

'''For information on the newer version of this board (v3c) please go to [[Ren48LSDv3c]].''' This page is for the v3b version of the board.

==Ren48LSD (v3b) Parts==
In addition to the PCB, you will need the following components:

<table border="1"><tr><td>'''Mouser BOM'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>Mouser PN</td><td>Description</td><td>Qty</td></tr>
<tr><td>579-PIC16F688-I/P</td><td>Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-3</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>511-ST485BN</td><td>Buffers & Line Drivers Hi-Spd Lo Pwr Trans</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-2</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 8P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>520-TCH1843-X</td><td>ECS-2100AX-18.432MHZ</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-MPS2222AG</td><td>Bipolar Transistors 600mA 75V NPN</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5239B</td><td>Zener Diodes 9.1 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5229B</td><td>Zener Diodes 4.3 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>511-L7805CV</td><td>Linear Regulators - Standard 5.0V 1.0A Positive</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>532-577102B00</td><td>Heatsinks TO-220 HORIZ/VERT SLIM CHANNEL STYLE</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>604-WP7104IT</td><td>Standard LED - Through Hole HI EFF RED TRANS</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>80-C322C104K5R</td><td>Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC) - Leaded 50volts 0.1uF 10%</td><td>10</td></tr>
<tr><td>871-B41827A4228M000</td><td>Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors - Leaded 16volts 2200uF 12.5x20mm 85deg C</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-680-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 680ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-120-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 120ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-27K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 27Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-1K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 1.0Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-470-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 470ohms</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-10K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 10Kohms</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5520251-4</td><td>Telecom & Ethernet Connectors 8/8 SIDE ENTRY</td><td>14</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-7969492</td><td>Terminal Blocks 5.08MM VERTICAL 2P wire protector</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5-146281-2</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings 2 P HEADER GOLD 30u single row</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>649-65474-002LF</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings SHUNT TIN</td><td>1</td></tr>
</table>

None of the components are overly critical and some can be omitted in certain
cases. If you are using a well regulated 5vdc supply, you will not need the voltage
regulator or its heat sink.

==Building the Ren48LSD==
The Ren48LSD requires a fair bit of soldering so take your time and ensure you
install the components in the correct orientation when required. Start by sorting
the components by type and values. Look over the PCB before starting noting the
location of the various components. Follow the standard procedure of installing
the lowest profile parts first and ending up with the tallest.

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-1.jpg]]

#Install the six 10k resistors near each PIC
#Install the two 1k resistors near the 485 chips
#Install the two 27k resistors near the 485 chips
#Install the one 120 resistor near the 485 chips
#Install the one 680 resistor near the LED
#Install the 1N5229 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation
#Install the 1N5239 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-2.jpg]]

#Install all forty-eight 470 ohm resistors doing 4-8 at a time.

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-3.jpg]]

#Some find it easier to install the two decoupling capacitors near the RS485 chips at this point - jump ahead one picture to see where they go - otherwise install them after the sockets
#Install the six 14-pin PIC chip sockets - note the correct orientation (top 3 go one way, bottom 3 go the other way)
#Install the two 8-pin 485 chip sockets - note the correct orientaiton

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-4.jpg]]

#Install the 18.432MHz oscillator – note the squared corner for correct orientation
#Install the ten decoupling capacitors near the IC sockets, oscillator and regulator

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-5.jpg]]

#Install the 48 transistors – note the correct orientation – the emitter is nearest the PICs, base in the middle and collector near the RJ45 jacks

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-6.jpg]]

#Install the two 2-pin shunt jumpers (note picture shows only one installed)
#Install the LED – note correct orientation
#Install the DC input terminal blocks – note correct orientation
#Install the 5v regulator (OPTIONAL) - the back goes towards the edge of the board
#Install the large capacitor – note correct orientation

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-7.jpg]]

#If you are not using the 5v regulator then you need to install a jumper across the input/output of where the regulator goes. A 1/2W resistor lead is good for this but any 18-20 gauge wire is fine.
[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-8.jpg]]

#Install the fourteen RJ45 jacks – note that top-entry jacks can be subsituted
#Mount the 5v regulator heat sink if you installed the regulator – use a small amount of heat sink compound

[[File:Ren48LSD-construction-9.jpg]]

Congratulations! That completes the construction of the Ren48LSD!

==Initial Testing==
The first thing you will want to do in any PCB construction project is to double check that you have all components installed and in the proper orientation. You will then want to inspect the board for any cold/bridged solder joints. Take your time with this step and go over each and every joint.

Connect your power supply to the “DC IN 1” - it supplies power to controller portion of the board as well as strip outputs 1-6. “DC IN 2” is a separate input to drive strips 7-12. Note that the ground is shared between the two inputs. Turn on the supply and verify the power LED lights up. Verify you have 5v between pins 1 and 14 on each PIC socket as well as between pins 5 and 8 on the 485 chips.

==Programming the PIC controllers==
The Ren48LSD does not supply or use a ZeroCross input and therefore the Renard firmware (either Renard or DMX protocol) must be configured for DC/PWM
operation. In addition, if you are using the DMX firmware, you may want to set the initial starting address but generally, this can be left at '1' for all PICs since the code is self-addressing. Also – like the ULN2803 drivers, the transistors invert the output so the firmware uses positive outputs.

===Renard Protocol===
Obtain the standard Renard firmware [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/d/d3/Renard-20071229.asm here:]

Make the following changes:

#define PWM_build 1 – change from '0'
#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 1 – change from '15'
;#define OUTPUT_NEGATIVE_TRUE – comment this out

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code.

===Renard-DMX Protocol===
Obtain the DMX Renard firmware from [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/e/ea/Renard-dmx-20080814.asm here:]

#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 0 – change from '40'
#define SINK_map 0x00 – change from '0xFF'

If you want to change the DMX starting address then alter it below – this is only required on the first PIC in the chain. If you have multiple Ren48LSD controllers, you can leave the second/subsequent PICs at '1' and they will automatically start off where the last PIC left off.

#define DMX_START_ADDRESS 1

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code (unless using a starting address).

Whichever firmware you choose, install the flashed PICs into the sockets noting the correct orientation. Also install the two 485 chips into their sockets noting the correct orientation. You are now ready for final testing.

==Final Testing==
I chose not to design in the diagnostic LEDs as those used on the RenSS series of controllers. The design is fairly straight-forward and as long as you are sure of the voltage inputs and the PICs are flashed properly you should not have any issues if your soldering is good.

If you are using RS232, you should install the shunt on the "RS232" header which shorts pin 5 of the RJ45-IN connector to ground for proper RS232 operation. The wiring is the same as the RenardSS series so you can follow the cabling requiremnents for that.

As the Renard controller variations do not use bussed DMX it's not critical to install the DMX termination shunt if you are only using Renard controllers. This is because they are using point-to-point configurations. However - if this particular controller is at the end of a line of other normal (bussed) DMX devices, you should install the shunt to properly terminate the bus.

I'm assuming at this point that you have built one or more of the LED SuperStrips to test with. If not - - well - - do it... Note that the strips have one caveat – I have found that the LED colors go in Red, Blue, Green and White order – not Red, Green, Blue and White order. The RJ45 outputs are as follows:

#Common +DC
#Red Ground
#Common +DC
#Blue Ground
#Common +DC
#Green Ground
#Common +DC
#White Ground

What does this mean to you? Well – if you use standard straight-thru RJ45/Ethernet cables, the color order will be RBGW channel order in Vixen so if you want to use an RGBW order, you'll need to change the channel order in Vixen. The other alternative (and the way I do it) is to swap pins 4 and 6 at one end of the RJ45 cable. I did this because I thought it made more sense to keep the natural pin order versus color order. Note that pins 1, 3, 5 and 7 are tied together both on the PCB as well as the strips – there is no way to have separate +DC runs with the strips.

Connect the Ren48LSD to your PC using standard wiring practices as on the Wiki for other Renard controllers. Develop a Vixen sequence to turn on/off each channel in groups of four using the appropriate Renard/DMX plug-in. Channels 1, 5, 9, etc should have the same programming but only have 1 channel in the group (1,2,3,4) on at a time. This helps ensure you have unique channel
addressing from each RJ45 output.

With the sequence running, plug in a strip into each RJ45 and ensure each color turns on in order (remember that the B & G colors are swapped). Once that is complete you change the on/off to ramp up/downs to verify dimming operation. Finally, you can perform a full load test with 12 strips installed.

==FAQ==

Q1: Can this use 24vdc?

A1: Yes it can but it will require a different regulator (actually a DC-DC switching converter). This applises to all voltages from 12-24vdc actually. Please review this [[File:Ren48LSD-Regulator-Change.pdf]] for options regarding the changes required.

Q2: What if I only have 6 strips?

A2: Well - you're in luck! Next to PIC #3 and PIC #6 is a via hole that will bypass PICs #4 - #6 if you install a wire between them. Note that this is only necessary if you are planning to daisy-chain another board from this one. This effectively makes this a Ren24LSD. If you are not going to daisy-chain another board, you can leave it off as well as the RS-485 output chip. Personally, I think this is false economy since you'll have to dig the parts up if you change your mind and want to run a board off this one. In either case, you certainly save time and money by not installing the PICs, sockets, transistors, resistors and output connectors for strips 7-12 if you don't have them.

[[File:PIC-Jumper.jpg]]

Q3: What the heck is that "GAB DMX-THRU" connector for?

A3: This was an attempt to support DMX-THRU so that you can run additional DMX devices from an external RJ45 or XLR connector. "GAB" stands for "Ground", "Data-A" and "Data-B" for the RS-485 interface for DMX. This has not been tested at all yet so it may or may not work at this time. If you do try it and it works, please let me know and we can udpate this entry to show it works OK.

Q4: Can I use standard DIY SSRs with the Ren48LSD?

A4: Maybe - but with the following caveats:
:*It has not been tested at all
:*The power LED on the SSR will not work as there is no ground fed to pin 7.
:*To be safe, pins 3, 5 and 7 should not be connected from the Ren48LSD to the SSR.
:*You may want to stick with a 5vdc source only if insure of the specifications of the optoisolators used on the SSRs. If you are using the standard coop AC or DC SSRs then they should be able to use anything up to 12vdc OK.
For these reasons, it is not really recommended to use an SSR on the Ren48LSD at this time.
----

<PDF Version removed as it was downlevel>

Here is the schematic drawing for the Ren48LSD in PDF format - [[File:Ren48LSD-Schematic.pdf]]

----
--[[User:Budude|Budude]] 03:08, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

[[Category:DIYC Controllers]]
[[Category:Renard]]
[[Category:Renard 48LSD]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

FAST Finally Affordable Snowfall Tube

2011-09-27T00:05:13Z

Chelmuth: /* Firmware */

== F.A.S.T ('''F'''inally '''A'''ffordable '''S'''nowfall '''T'''ube) ==

* NOTE - THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN-PROGRESS - IT IS NOT COMPLETE YET *

===What is FAST===
FAST was created by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] as a inexpensive substitute for commercial snowfall (meteor) tubes. Snowfall tubes are long clear plastic tubes that have a group of LEDs arranged in a linear fashion and the LEDs light in a sequential manner from the top to the bottom. The visual effect looks like a bright snowflake falling down. The FAST consists of a [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/f/f9/FAST_Controller.png FAST Controller PCB] that drives 1-8 [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/a/a3/LED_Segment.png LED Segment PCBs] each with 7 LED's per segment for a total of 7-56 SuperFlux LED's. Based on the numbr of LED Segment Boards used, the snowfall tubes can be between 6" to 48" in length.

The FAST is designed using a concept called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexing] Charlieplexing, in its simplest form, works using a matrix of complementary pairs of LEDs. This allows a large number of LEDs to be driven by a small number of I/O pins from a PIC microcontroller. In the FAST, 56 LEDs are controlled using just 8 connections! 

===FAST Controller===
[[File:FAST-Controller-PCB1.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST Controller is a brains of the FAST, it contains a [http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/41203B.pdf PIC16F688-I/P] Microcontroller. The PIC must be programmed with the FAST software. The FAST controller is connected to a clean and stable 5VDC input to power the microprocessor and the LEDs. The FAST controller output is connected to a FAST LED Segment PCB. 

===FAST LED Segment===
[[File:FAST-Segment-PCB1.jpg|600px]] 
The FAST LED Segment board is an approximately 6" long modular board that contains 7 Piranha Style Superflux LEDs connected in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexed] fashion. The boards are designed to allow multiple boards to be daisy chained to allow various length tubes to be constructed. From 1 - 8 boards can be connected to each FAST controller creating a 6" to 48" long snowfall tube.

=== Using the FAST ===

The FAST is run on 5vdc and its operation is quite simple: You apply power and the tube starts to run; when you want it to stop, you remove power. If you want it to make a half fall, you simply remove power before it gets to the bottom of the tube. If you want it to fall twice, you leave power applied long enough to get two falls. The length of fall time will depend upon variables you change in the firmware when you program the PIC.

=== Controlling the FAST ===

The FAST is driven by 5vdc and draws approximately 25ma. The unit can be directly connected to a 5vdc power supply and the tube will run continuously. The FAST can also be driven by a variety of controllers. Examples of these are the [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]], a [[Renard_64XC|Ren64XC]] with [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] and the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]]. Note that the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]] was designed specifically for the purpose of driving Super Strips. The Ren64XC/DCSSR combination will work as well but it's a more expensive, larger and more cumbersome configuration to use but if you are driving other higher current DC devices, it can work fine.

==BOM==
From Mouser: 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Qty
! Part Number
! Description
|-
| 1
|571-1-390261-3
|IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN
|-
| 1
|579-PIC16F688-I/P
|Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O
|-
| 8
|299-51-RC
|Carbon Film Resistors - Through Hole 51ohms
|-
|1
|80-C322C104K5R
|0.1uF Capacitor Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors
|}

In addition, you will need up to 56 White Piranha Style Super flux LEDs. Other colors could be used, but you may need to adjust the resistor values on the controller board. 

The FAST needs to be placed in a housing for display. A common fluorescent tube protector which is available from [http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100163152&langId=-1&catalogId=10053 Home Depot] or [http://www.lowes.com/pd_280611-337-LTG04T8_0__?productId=1208471 Lowes] works well. A similar tube is available in quantity from [http://www.mcmaster.com/#2044T47 McMaster Carr] 
During the 2011 Fall [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/ Group Buy] a [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24 Hanging End Cap] was available. These caps are specifically designed to fit the [http://www.mcmaster.com/#2044T47 McMaster Carr] 2044T47 Plastic Tube 1.09" Inside Diameter, 4' Length $2.11.

==PCBs==
The PCBs for the FAST were designed by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] and [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?9-P.-Short Phil Short]. They are available by contacting [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?3704-dlovely dlovely]
===FAST Controller PCB===
[[File:FAST_Controller.png|300px]]
===FAST LED Segment PCB===
[[File:LED_Segment.png|300px]]
 

==Assembly Instructions==
'''This section is still being written , it is not final!''' 

Assembly of the FAST is done in three steps:
# Assembly of the FAST Controller.
# Assembly of the LED Segments.
# Connecting the two units together and installing them in a housing. 

Begin by inspecting the PCBs to look for any defects such as cracks or breaks. The holes on the board should be open on both sides. Then inspect and sort out the various parts for the boards. 

===FAST Controller Assembly===
1. Install the eight 51 ohm resistors in positions R1-R8. 
[[File:Build-01.jpg|300px]] 
2. Install the 14 pin IC socket so that the notch faces the top of the board like the silkscreen. 
[[File:Build-02.jpg|300px]] 
3. Install the 0.1uF capacitor in position C1. The capacitor is not polarized, so it can go in either way. 
4. Cut and solder eight 3" lengths of wire to J2 on the end of the board. The wires are numbered from 1-8. The #1 wire is near the bottom of the board in the square hole. 
5. Solder the input power wires to J1. The positive wire goes to the hole marked with the "+". 
6. Put the board to the side and do not install the PIC yet. 

===LED Segment Assembly===
It is strongly recommended that you test each LED before you solder it to the PCB using a LED tester. 

Based on how long you are making the FAST, you will need to assemble 1-8 LED Segment boards. 
1. Solder the seven Superflux LEDs to the LED Segment PCB. The LEDs are polarized, there is one corner that is cut off and not square. The LED must be installed so that the orientation of the notched corner matches the silkscreen. If you are using the LEDs sold in the Fall2011 group buy, they are inserted with the notched corner matching the silkscreen. '''WARNING, Some LEDs from other vendors may have different orientations and they may need to be rotated 180 degrees from the silkscreen drawing. Please check to make sure know the correct orientation for your LEDs before soldering them to the PCB.''' The correct orientation of the LEDs would be to have the two cathode(-) pins of the LED in inserted in the two left side holes in the PCB. 
[[File:FAST-LED-orientation.jpg|246px]] 

2. Repeat Step #1 for each of your LED Segment PCBs. 
3. The LED Segment PCBs need to be interconnected to make them the desired length. This is done by aligning the Input holes of one PCB with the Output holes of the next board. To do this lay one board on top of the next and carefully align the Input and Output Holes. You need to solder eight jumpers through these holes to each of the PCBs. Short lengths or wire or cutoff leads from resistors or other components work great. 
[[File:Clips 1.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 2.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 3.jpg|300px]] 
4. Repeat Step #3 until you have the correct number of LED Segment PCBs connected. 

===Final Assembly===
1. Solder the wires from the FAST Controller to the Input of the top LED Segment PCB. The #1 wire on the controller side is near the top of the board and has a square hole. It is soldered to the #1 hole of the Input of the top LED Segment pcb, which is marked by the number 1 near the top of the board. The holes on the LED Segment board are offset into two columns. The columns are odd and even. So the #2 wire from the FAST Controller goes into the first hole in second column slightly below and to the right of where you soldered in the first wire. The #3 wire goes in the hole directly below the #1 wire. The #4 wire goes below the #2 wire. Continue until you have soldered in all 8 wires. 
2. Inspect all of the PCBs to make sure that there are no issues with the soldering. 
3. Insert the PIC into the socket on the FAST Controller 
[[File:Build-05.jpg|300px]] 
4. Apply 5vdc to the power input of the FAST Controller and the LEDS should begin to light and fall. 
5. The FAST Controller should be placed behind the top LED Segment PCB with some cardboard between the board to prevent them from shorting out. This assembly can then slide into the plastic housing. 
[[File:Connection_Top.jpg|300px]] 
[[File:Connection_Side.jpg|300px]] 
6. Apply the end caps and seal the tube to prevent rain from entering. 

Congratulations, you have finished constructing your FAST. 

==Schematic==
===FAST Controller===
[[File:FAST_Controller_SCH.jpg|300px]] 
===FAST LED Segment===
TBD 

==Firmware==
The firmware is under development. If you are interested in helping add features, please contact [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth chelmuth] The current versions are available here. 
[[File:FAST With Tail (Modular Wiring) 20110804.asm]] 
This is the original Static Speed with tail. You can Change the fall rate by changing lines that I have commented.
 
 
[[File:FAST Snowfall Tube With Tail (Random) 20110813 .asm]]‎ 
This is the newer Static Speed and Random Speed firmware. There are more settings you can change in this firmware. Fall Rate, Random Rate, Speed up as it falls, Etc. Looks for the Lines commented with ######## for options you can change to customize your FAST tubes.
 
 
[[File:FAST_Snowfall_Tube_Segment_(Diag)_20110926.asm]] 
This is a diagnostic firmware for the FAST. This will go through and light one LED at a time for about 2 seconds to help identify wiring issues or shorts or opens.

==FAST Discussion Threads==
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?15589-Finally-Affortable-Snowfall-Tubes-(FAST) Original Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16137-Interest-FAST-LEDancer Interest Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16456-FAST-Ren48LSD-Ren4Flood-DIYC-Flood-Offsite-Group-Buy Group Buy Thread] 

==Video==
[http://vimeo.com/27348185 18" Prototype] 
[http://vimeo.com/23734734 Full 56 LED Proof of Concept Design]

[[Category:LED Projects]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]
[[Category:Display_Items]]

File:FAST Snowfall Tube Segment (Diag) 20110926.asm

2011-09-27T00:02:52Z

Chelmuth: Diagnostic Software Lights 1 LED at a time for about 2 Seconds.

Diagnostic Software Lights 1 LED at a time for about 2 Seconds.

File:FAST Snowfall Tube With Tail (Random) 20110813 .asm

2011-09-26T23:18:27Z

Chelmuth: uploaded a new version of "File:FAST Snowfall Tube With Tail (Random) 20110813 .asm": Fixed Bug where setting anything smaller than 56 LED's caused snowtube to not start at top of tube.

Ren4Flood

2011-09-24T19:31:00Z

Chelmuth: /* Building the Ren4Flood */

=Ren4Flood Construction Manual=

'''== THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS - NOT FINAL!!! ==
'''

==What is the Ren4Flood?==
The Ren4Flood is a four channel controller primarily aimed at controlling an RGB+W LED flood such as the MightyMini, Rainbow Flood (RGB only) or the [[DIYC_Flood|DIYC Flood]]. It uses the existing Renard architecture and code which has been modified to only consume four channels versus the normal eight that a Renard uses per PIC. The logic/control/communication portion of the circuit comes straight from the RenardSS series of controllers so much of the credit goes to Wayne James and of course Phil Short for their contributions. The output section is taken from the Ren48LSD but reduced to only four channels. One minor difference on the RS-485 interface is that jumpers have been added to bypass the input directly to the output creating a non-regenerated "THRU" port instead of the more common output port on the RenSS series. This allows you to use static node addressing without affecting other nodes further up/down the line.

The other significant difference with the Ren4Flood is that it employs two input trigger ports. While this is not completely defined at the moment, the idea is of at least two different scenarios. The first allowing the installation of a switch to be mounted to the flood enclosure and simply turning on all of the LEDs to create a bright flood to be used during setup or off-season. The other scenario is using a trigger for security reasons. The input would be connected to some type of N/O switches and closing the switch would trigger the board to perform some type of light effect to scare off and/or alert you to this. Additional code could be used to monitor the input for data and if after a particular time period passes with no traffic (say 15 minutes), a light pattern would start for a set length of time to create simple mood/background lighting after the show completes.

==How does the Ren4Flood work?==
As mentioned before, the Ren4Flood uses the same architecture for the logic portions of the board from the RenardSS series of boards. Sequence information is passed from a PC running Vixen or other sequencing program via an RS-232 or RS-485/DMX interface. The ST485 chips receive this information and turn into standard TTL logic levels that the PIC can understand. The PIC reads in the data and if it determines that the information corresponds to itself, it updates the dimming levels of all 4 channels. It removes this information from the stream and feeds the rest out to the other ST485 chip which translates it to RS-485 levels for the next controller in the line. It is important to realize that the information is removed from the stream and that the resultant leftover stream will have all of the data offset by the 4 channels of information used by the Ren4Flood. For example, if you have two Ren4Flood, on Vixen you would configure a single Renard/DMX plug-in with 8 channels. The first Ren4Flood consumes the first 4 channels of information leaving only 4 channels on it's outputs. The second Ren4Flood will see this incoming data as controller #1 again and assume the data is for it. This is very much different than standard hard/soft-coded DMX or LOR devices that use a set address yet still pass on the entire stream to the next controller on the line. There are advantages and disadvantages to either approach - but you should be aware of this when combining normal DMX devices before/after a Ren4Flood (or any Renard controller running DMX code).

The Ren4Flood has a jumper to bypass this however and can pass the data straight from the input to the output plug. This means you will need to set the hardware address by programming the PIC with different addresses on each Ren4Flood controller.

The PICs receive the data on pin 5 and after consuming their 4 channels of data, forward the rest out of pin 6 of the PIC which in turn goes to the next controller if you have one attached as mentioned above.

The board requires a 12-24vdc supply which is converted to +5v for the logic portion of the controller but is also fed directly out to the outputs via the transistors.

The Ren4Flood uses sourced outputs and not sinked outputs like the RenardSS controllers. Why is this? Because the PIC needs to turn on a transistor and to do this, it supplies 5v on it's output which turns on the transistor (via a resistor to limit the current) which allows current to flow from the collector to the emitter of the transistor. The emitter is directly connected to ground so basically, the transistor sinks the current from the LEDs (or whatever you have attached to the output) to ground. The positive voltage from the DC power supply connects directly to the device you have attached and this completes the circuit.

==Revision History==
The v1c version is currently the only version of the Ren4Flood in production.

==Ren4Flood (v1c) Parts==
In addition to the PCB, you will need the following components:

'''NOTE - THIS BOM IS NOT CORRECT FOR THE REN4FLOOD YET - COMING SOON!
'''
<table border="1"><tr><td>'''Mouser BOM'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>Mouser PN</td><td>Description</td><td>Qty</td></tr>
<tr><td>579-PIC16F688-I/P</td><td>Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-3</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>511-ST485BN</td><td>Buffers & Line Drivers Hi-Spd Lo Pwr Trans</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-2</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 8P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>520-TCH1843-X</td><td>ECS-2100AX-18.432MHZ</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-MPS2222AG</td><td>Bipolar Transistors 600mA 75V NPN</td><td>4</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5239B</td><td>Zener Diodes 9.1 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5229B</td><td>Zener Diodes 4.3 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-1N5819G</td><td>Schottky (Diodes & Rectifiers) 1A 40V</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>512-LM7805CT</td><td>Linear Regulators - Standard 1A Pos Vol Reg</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>532-577102B00</td><td>Heatsinks TO-220 HORIZ/VERT SLIM CHANNEL STYLE</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>604-WP7113ID</td><td>Standard LED - Through Hole HI EFF RED DIFFUSED</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>581-SA105E104MAR</td><td>Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC) - Leaded 50volts 0.1uF 20% Z5U</td><td>5</td></tr>
<tr><td>647-UHE1C471MPD</td><td>Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors - Leaded 16volts 470uF 105c 8x15 3.5LS</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>581-SA105E224MAR</td><td>Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC) - Leaded 50volts 0.22uF 20% Z5U</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>581-SA305E105MAR</td><td>Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC) - Leaded 50volts 1uF 20% Z5U</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-680-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 680ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-120-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 120ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-27K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 27Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-1K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 1.0Kohms</td><td>4</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-470-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 470ohms</td><td>4</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-10K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 10Kohms</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5556416-1</td><td>Telecom & Ethernet Connectors 8 PCB TOP ENTRY</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-7969492</td><td>Terminal Blocks 5.08MM VERTICAL 2P wire protector</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>651-1727078</td><td>Fixed Terminal Blocks 8P 3.81mm 90DEG</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>651-1727036</td><td>Fixed Terminal Blocks 4P 3.81mm 90DEG</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>538-22-28-4056</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings 5CKT VERT HDR</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>538-70287-1001</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings C-GRID .100" 2X03P VT HDR </td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5-146281-2</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings 2 P HEADER GOLD 30u single row</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>649-65474-002LF</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings SHUNT TIN</td><td>3</td></tr>
</table>

Most of the components are not overly critical and some can be omitted in certain cases.

==Building the Ren4Flood==

'''NOTE - THE ASSEMBLY STEPS ARE NOT FINAL FOR THE REN4FLOOD YET - COMING SOON!
'''

The Ren4Flood requires a modest bit of soldering so take your time and ensure you install the components in the correct orientation when required. Start by sorting the components by type and values. Look over the PCB before starting noting the location of the various components. Follow the standard procedure of installing the lowest profile parts first and ending up with the tallest.

1. Install the three 10k resistors near top center of the board

2. Install the four 1k resistors two near the top 485 chip and two near the middle of the board

3. Install the two 27k resistors near the top 485 chip

4. Install the one 120 resistor near the top 485 chip

5. Install the one 680 resistor near the LED in the middle of the board

6. Install the 1N5229 diode above the top 485 chip – note the correct orientation - the band on the diode goes towards the right side of the board

7. Install the 1N5239 diode above the top 485 chip – note the correct orientation - the band on the diode goes towards the left side of the board

8. Install the four 470 ohm resistors near the right side of the board

9. Install the five 0.1uf decoupling capacitors near the IC sockets, oscillator and near the voltage regulator. Note that the silkscreen says 100nF.

10. Install the one 0.33uf capacitor to the right of the voltage regulator. Note that the silkscreen says 330nF. The BOM lists a 0.22uf capacitor, either a 0.22uf or a 0.33uf can be used.

11. Install the two 1.0uf capacitors and near the ICSP header. Note that the silkscreen says "1uF".

12. Install the one 14-pin PIC chip socket and the two 8-pin 485 chip sockets - note the correct orientation with the socket notch in the same direction as the silk screen.

13. Install the 18.432MHz oscillator – note the correct orientation - the package has one square corner (and a dot) and that goes into the square hole on the board

14. Install the two 2-pin headers on the left side of the board in the term and rs232 holes

15. Install the one 2x3-pin header to the left of the bottom rs485 chip

16. Install the one 5-pin header in the top center of the board int the holes marked ICSP

17. Install the LED – note correct orientation - the flat side of the LED faces to the left. The longer leg of the LED goes in the hole to the right.

18. Install the one 2-terminal DC input terminal blocks – note correct orientation - have the side where the power wires will be inserted facing the bottom of the board

19. Install the one 4-terminal trigger terminal block on the top right of the board.

20. Install the one 8-terminal flood terminal block to the right side of the board.

21. Install the LM7805 regulator - note correct orientation - pin 1 is denoted by the dot on the package and the board. Mount the heat sink to the device and use a small amount of heat sink compound

22. Install the one 1N5819 diode near the voltage regulator ( – note the correct orientation - the diode has the band on the diode facing towards the top of the board. '''NOTE - If you are using the Ren4Flood with the DIYC Flood do not install this diode - instead use a jumper'''

23. Install the 470uF/16v capacitor – note correct orientation - the capacitor has a stripe on the side denoting the negative leg that goes in the hole near the "-"mark on the board.

24. Install the two RJ45 jacks – note that side-entry jacks can be substituted

25. Install the 4 transistors – note the correct orientation – the flat side of the package faces towards the bottom of the board.

Congratulations! That completes the construction of the Ren4Flood!

==Initial Testing==
The first thing you will want to do in any PCB construction project is to double check that you have all components installed and in the proper orientation. You will then want to inspect the board for any cold/bridged solder joints. Take your time with this step and go over each and every joint.

If you have any of the IC's installed - remove them now. Connect your power supply to the “DC IN” - it supplies power to controller portion of the board as well as the outputs. Turn on the supply and verify the power LED lights up. Verify you have 5v between pins 1 and 14 on the PIC socket as well as between pins 5 and 8 on the 485 chip sockets. Install all of the IC's if this passes. The PIC goes in the 14 pin socket with the notch facing the top of the board. The two 485 chips go in the 8 pin sockets on the left side of the board and the notches face to the left.

==Programming the PIC controllers==
The Ren4Flood does not supply or use a ZeroCross input and therefore the Renard firmware (either Renard or DMX protocol) must be configured for DC/PWM
operation. In addition, if you are using the DMX firmware, you may want to set the initial starting address but generally, this can be left at '1' for all PICs since the code is self-addressing. Also – like the ULN2803 drivers, the transistors invert the output so the firmware uses positive outputs.

===Renard Protocol===
'''4-channel Renard/Serial firmware for the Ren4Flood will be coming soon - for now use standard Renard code'''
Obtain the standard Renard firmware [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/d/d3/Renard-20071229.asm here:]

Make the following changes:

#define PWM_build 1 – change from '0'
#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 1 – change from '15'
;#define OUTPUT_NEGATIVE_TRUE – comment this out

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code. A standard version of the code with the settings above has been compiled already for you in the File Library available [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/dynamics/attachment.php?attachmentid=207&d=1280420686 here].

===Renard-DMX Protocol===
Obtain the Ren4Flood firmware from [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/dynamics/attachment.php?attachmentid=379&d=1316753757 here:]

If you want to change the DMX starting address then alter it below.

#define DMX_START_ADDRESS 1

Compile the code into hex code and program the PIC with the same code (unless using a starting address). A standard version of the code with the settings above has been compiled already for you in the File Library available [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/dynamics/attachment.php?attachmentid=380&d=1316753757 here].

Whichever firmware you choose, install the flashed PIC into the socket noting the correct orientation. Also install the two 485 chips into their sockets noting the correct orientation. You are now ready for final testing.

==Final Testing==
I chose not to design in the diagnostic LEDs as those used on the RenSS series of controllers. The design is fairly straight-forward and as long as you are sure of the voltage inputs and the PICs are flashed properly you should not have any issues if your soldering is good.

If you are using RS232, you should install the shunt on the "RS232" header which shorts pin 5 of the RJ45-IN connector to ground for proper RS232 operation. The wiring is the same as the RenardSS series so you can follow the cabling requiremnents for that.

As the Renard controller variations do not use bussed DMX it's not critical to install the DMX termination shunt if you are only using Renard controllers. This is because they are using point-to-point configurations. However - if this particular controller is at the end of a line of other normal (bussed) DMX devices, you should install the shunt to properly terminate the bus.

Connect the Ren4Flood to your PC using standard wiring practices as on the Wiki for other Renard controllers. Develop a Vixen sequence to turn on/off each channel one-by-one using the appropriate Renard/DMX plug-in. With the sequence running, measure the output of each terminal block pair and ensure the voltage swings from 0 to DC IN.

==FAQ==
What are the jumper settings for the board? 
There are three jumper settings on the Ren4Flood pcb.

1) The first jumper is the TERM jumper. You may need to connect the shunt across the two pins if this is the last device in a string of DMX devices.

2) The second jumper is the RS232 jumper. You may need to connect the shunt across the two pins if you are sending data to the board using RS232 signaling.

3) The Third jumper is the THRU jumper. This is a 2x3 header. For "normal" Renard operation, there should be a pair of jumpers across both 1&2 (they go vertically). For "THRU" they should go across 2&3. Basically this jumpers pins 4&5 from the IN connector directly to the OUT connector. If you use the THRU connection using the standard Ren48LSD code, it will not be an issue since ALL data is bypassed across the connector. You will need to set the starting address on each PIC however.

Can you program the pic while it is on the board? 
Yes, by using the ICSP header connected to your PIC2 or PIC3 programmer you can program the PIC while it is on the board. Please make sure to note the orientation of pin 1 of the ICSP header (marked by the arrow at the top).

==Schematic==

Here is the schematic drawing for the Ren4Flood v1c in PDF format - (not available yet)

=PCB=
The PCBs for the Ren4Flood were designed by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?1986-budude Brian Ullmark (budude)]. The PCB is available by contacting [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?3704-dlovely dlovely] 
[[File:Ren4Flood-v1c.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Ren4Flood-v1c-PCB1.jpg|300px]] 

----

[[Category:DIYC Controllers]]
[[Category:Renard]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Ren48LSDv3c

2011-08-27T03:21:49Z

Chelmuth: /* Renard-DMX Protocol */

=Ren48LSD (v3c) Construction Manual=

==''What'' is the Ren48LSD?==
The Ren48LSD ('''L'''ED '''S'''trip '''D'''river) controller came about as a solution to drive Frank's LED Super Strips. Originally I used [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] to drive them and while it's a workable solution, it tends to be somewhat bulky and requires lots of additional wiring between the controller and DCSSRs as well as to the strips themselves. Another alternative is [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]] which uses ULN2803 drivers. The issue with this solution is that it has limitations in how much power it can sink to the strips due to the ULN2803 package power dissipation.

The strips require up to 360mA per output (18 LEDs x 20mA) so I used an NPN bipolar transistor to drive them. The transistors support up to 600mA so there's plenty of headroom left. The transistors are fairly cheap so it makes for a simple, inexpensive solution. The controller design used the [[The_Renard_SS24_Controller_Board|Ren24SS]] as a base, using the same PIC, clocking and serial interface configuration but expanded to 6 PICs to support 48 channels or driving up to 12 strips per board. Because of this, the controller supports standard [[Renard_Firmware#Regular_Firmware|Renard protocol FW]] using RS-232/485 as well as the [[Renard_Firmware#DMX_firmware|DMX]] version. The board requires either a 5vdc well regulated supply or a good 9-24vdc supply. The input supply also drives the LED strips.

'''For information on the previous version of this board (v3b) please go to [[Ren48LSD]].''' This page is for the v3c version of the board.

==How does the Ren48LSD work?==
The Ren48LSD uses the same architecture for the logic portions of the board from the RenardSS series of boards. Sequence information is passed from a PC running Vixen or other sequencing program via an RS-232 or RS-485/DMX interface. The ST485 chips receive this information and turn into standard TTL logic levels that the PIC can understand. The PIC reads in the data and if it determines that the information corresponds to itself, it updates the dimming levels of all 8 channels. It removes this information from the stream and feeds the rest out to the next PIC and that one performs the same. This is repeated for all 6 PICs. The last PIC, PIC 6, feeds what's left of the stream out to the other ST485 chip which translates it to RS-485 levels for the next controller in the line. It is important to realize that the information is removed from the stream and that the resultant leftover stream will have all of the data offset by the 48 channels of information used by the Ren48LSD. For example, if you have two Ren48LSDs, on Vixen you would configure a single Renard/DMX plug-in with 96 channels. The first Ren48LSD consumes the first 48 channels of information leaving only 48 channels on it's outputs. The second Ren48LSD will see this incoming data as controller #1 again and assume the data is for it. This is very much different than standard hard/soft-coded DMX or LOR devices that use a set address yet still pass on the entire stream to the next controller on the line. There are advantages and disadvantages to either approach - but you should be aware of this when combining normal DMX devices before/after a Ren48LSD (or any Renard controller running DMX code).

The PICs receive the data on pin 5 and after consuming their 8 channels of data, forward the rest out of pin 6 of the PIC which in turn goes to pin 5 of the next PIC. PIC #6 or the last PIC feeds the next controller if you have one attached as mentioned above. All of the PICs are fed the same clock from the external oscillator.

The logic portions of the board require a steady +5vdc supply. This can be supplied in two ways on the Ren48LSD. If you use a well-regulated +5vdc power supply, you skip installing all of the regulator circuitry and install a jumper across the +5vdc bypass connector. This will feed the power from the DC IN 1 jack directly to the logic components. Obviously care must be taken to ONLY use a 5vdc supply - if a 12v supply is connected in this configuration, you will probably lose all of your PICs, ST485 chips and the Oscillator in one shot. If you are planning to use a 9-24vdc supply then you must install the regulator circuitry. This allows the power supplied on the DC IN 1 connector to be converted down to +5vdc for the logic components. It is important to realize that the 5v created is only used by the logic components, it is NOT sent out to the outputs of the Ren48LSD. The outputs always follow whatever you place on DC IN 1 and DC IN 2. The two connectors are separated so it is possible to run different voltages on DC IN 1 and DC IN 2 (say 5v and 12v). Here again, extreme caution must be taken to ensure you do not mix up supplies or plug your device into the wrong outputs (say a 5v strip into a 12v output). In addition, you must ensure that the two power supplies will work harmoniously with a shared ground connection since the ground plane is shared between DC IN 1 and DC IN 2.

So - now that the PICs have the updated dimming levels for all of it's channels, it enables each of its outputs using PWM or Pulse Width Modulation. It is important to grasp that the voltage levels are not controlled - it is the amount of time on and off that is varied within a small cycle of time for each update. It seems logical that to dim things you would just change the voltage from 12v to 9v for example. Instead, the voltage is on at the full 12v for x amount of time and then it is off (0v) for the y amount of time - it is not something in-between. The cycle time is controlled by the PIC in the case of the Ren48LSD. In RenardSS boards, they use a Zero-Cross (ZC) signal which is created by an opto-isolator attached to the AC line (either directly to the mains or via a transformer and in both cases through some resistors to limit the current to the opto). Since the Ren48LSD does not have any AC supplied to it, the PIC basically makes up it's own timing but it closely resembles what is seen with normal ZC usage.

The Ren48LSD uses sourced outputs and not sinked outputs like the RenardSS controllers. Why is this? Because the PIC needs to turn on a transistor and to do this, it supplies 5v on it's output which turns on the transistor (via a resistor to limit the current) which allows current to flow from the collector to the emitter of the transistor. The emitter is directly connected to ground so basically, the transistor sinks the current from the LEDs (or whatever you have attached to the output) to ground. The positive voltage from the DC power supply connects directly to the device you have attached and this completes the circuit.

==Revision History==
The main changes from the v3b version of the board are a newly designed voltage regulator circuit. It was found on the v3b that the standard LM7805 regulator would get very hot when fully loaded at 12v (the v3b only supported 5vdc or 9-12vdc input). When fully on, the device sat at it's peak temperature of about 120 degC. I came up with a few workarounds which addressed this (see the v3b page) but for the next revision, I decided to change the regulator completely. Instead of using a linear 7805 regulator, I went with the LM2575-5 switching regulator. While it requires a few more parts (a coil, diodes and low ESR filter capacitors) it does allow the v3c version of the board to go up to 24vdc at full load. The regulator stays well within the temperature specs and in normal operation does not even get warm.

You do have to decide prior to building the board whether you will be using +5vdc or 9-24vdc as your input supply source (specifically to DC IN 1). If you are going with 5vdc, then you don't need any of the regulator circuit components - in fact you should specifically leave them off the board. There is a bypass jumper block on the board that bypasses the +5v from DC IN 1 directly to the logic on the board so you must install that block and jumper that as well. If you are going with 9-24vdc then you do need to install all of the regulator circuit to provide 5v to the logic on the board (PICs, Oscillator, RS485 chips).

==Ren48LSD (v3c) Parts==
In addition to the PCB, you will need the following components:

<table border="1"><tr><td>'''Mouser BOM'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>Mouser PN</td><td>Description</td><td>Qty</td></tr>
<tr><td>579-PIC16F688-I/P</td><td>Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-3</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>511-ST485BN</td><td>Buffers & Line Drivers Hi-Spd Lo Pwr Trans</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-2</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 8P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>520-TCH1843-X</td><td>ECS-2100AX-18.432MHZ</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-MPS2222AG</td><td>Bipolar Transistors 600mA 75V NPN</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5239B</td><td>Zener Diodes 9.1 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5229B</td><td>Zener Diodes 4.3 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-1N5819G</td><td>Schottky (Diodes & Rectifiers) 1A 40V</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-LM2575TV-5G</td><td>Switching Converters, Regulators & Controllers 5V 1A PWR SW REG</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>532-577102B00</td><td>Heatsinks TO-220 HORIZ/VERT SLIM CHANNEL STYLE</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>604-WP7113ID</td><td>Standard LED - Through Hole HI EFF RED DIFFUSED</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>581-SA105E104MAR</td><td>Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC) - Leaded 50volts 0.1uF 20% Z5U</td><td>9</td></tr>
<tr><td>667-ELC-18B331L</td><td>Power Inductors 330UH RADIAL COIL CHOKE</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>140-RXJ331M1CBK1012P</td><td>Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors - Leaded 16V 330uF 105C 10x12.5 mm</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>140-RXJ101M1HBK1016P</td><td>Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors - Leaded 50V 100uF 105C 10x16 mm</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-680-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 680ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-120-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 120ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-27K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 27Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-1K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 1.0Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-470-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 470ohms</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-10K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 10Kohms</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5556416-1</td><td>Telecom & Ethernet Connectors 8 PCB TOP ENTRY</td><td>14</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-7969492</td><td>Terminal Blocks 5.08MM VERTICAL 2P wire protector</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5-146281-2</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings 2 P HEADER GOLD 30u single row</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>649-65474-002LF</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings SHUNT TIN</td><td>1</td></tr>
</table>

Most of the components are not overly critical and some can be omitted in certain
cases. The electrolytic capacitors must only be subsituted with low-ESR versions only. Failure to do so could result in instability in the regulation circuit. If you are using a well regulated 5vdc supply, the voltage regulator, 1N5819 diodes (2), 330uH coil, and 100uf capacitor should not be installed. This will require a jumper to be placed across the +5vdc bypass terminal block which effectively shunts DC IN 1 directly to the board logic.

==Building the Ren48LSD==

The Ren48LSD requires a fair bit of soldering so take your time and ensure you
install the components in the correct orientation when required. Start by sorting
the components by type and values. Look over the PCB before starting noting the
location of the various components. Follow the standard procedure of installing
the lowest profile parts first and ending up with the tallest.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Construction-0.png]]

1. Install the six 10k resistors near each PIC

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-01a.jpg|850px]]

2. Install the two 1k resistors near the 485 chips

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-02a.jpg|850px]]

3. Install the two 27k resistors near the 485 chips

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-03a.jpg|850px]]

4. Install the one 120 resistor near the 485 chips

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-04a.jpg|850px]]

5. Install the one 680 resistor near the LED

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-05a.jpg|850px]]

6. Install the 1N5229 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation - the band on the diode goes towards the top of the board in the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-06a.jpg|850px]]

7. Install the 1N5239 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation - the band on the diode goes towards the top of the board in the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-07a.jpg|850px]]

8. Install the two 1N5819 diodes near the voltage regulator '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)''' – note the correct orientation - the diode closest to DCIN1 has the band on the diode facing down and in the square hole, the diode closest to the choke has the band on the diode facing right and in the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-08a.jpg|850px]]

9. Install all forty-eight 470 ohm resistors doing 4-8 at a time.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-09a.jpg|850px]]

10. Install the nine decoupling capacitors near the IC sockets and oscillator. Note that the silkscreen says ".01uF" - in fact they are 0.1uF (100nF).

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-10a.jpg|850px]]

11. Install the six 14-pin PIC chip sockets - note the correct orientation - the top 3 sockets have the notch facing towards the left, and the bottom 3 sockets have the notch facing the right.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-11a.jpg|850px]]

12. Install the two 8-pin 485 chip sockets - note the correct orientation - the notch faces to the right side of the board towards the PICs.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-12a.jpg|850px]]

13. Install the 18.432MHz oscillator – note the correct orientation - the package has one square corner (and a dot) and that goes into the square hole on the board

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-13a.jpg|850px]]

14. Install the 48 transistors – note the correct orientation – the emitter is nearest the PICs, base in the middle and collector near the RJ45 jacks. The legs of the transistors will need to be bent slightly to fit the holes. The middle leg will end up being out in front of the flat side of the transistor.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-14a.jpg|850px]]

15. Install the two 2-pin shunt jumpers

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-15a.jpg|850px]]

16. Install the LED – note correct orientation - the flat side of the LED faces the bottom of the board and the shorter leg goes into the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-16a.jpg|850px]]

17. Install the DC input terminal blocks – note correct orientation - have the side where the power wires will be inserted facing to the right.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-17a.jpg|850px]]

18. Install the +5vdc bypass block '''(Install for 5vdc input)'''

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-18a.jpg|850px]]

Note that if you are using a regulated 5vdc power supply for your input, you should omit installing most of the regulator circuitry.

19. Install the LM2575 regulator '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)''' - note correct orientation - pin 1 is denoted by the square pad - the odd number pins are the pins farthest away from the back

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-19a.jpg|850px]]

20. Install the 100uF/50v capacitor '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)''' – note correct orientation - the capacitor has a stripe on the side denoting the negative leg that goes in the round hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-20a.jpg|850px]]

21. Install the 330uF/16v capacitor – note correct orientation - the capacitor has a stripe on the side denoting the negative leg that goes in the round hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-21a.jpg|850px]]

22. Mount the 5v regulator heat sink if you installed the regulator – use a small amount of heat sink compound

23. Install the choke coil '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)'''

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-22.jpg|850px]]

24. Install the fourteen RJ45 jacks – note that side-entry jacks can be substituted

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-23a.jpg|850px]]

Congratulations! That completes the construction of the Ren48LSD!

==Initial Testing==
The first thing you will want to do in any PCB construction project is to double check that you have all components installed and in the proper orientation. You will then want to inspect the board for any cold/bridged solder joints. Take your time with this step and go over each and every joint.

If you have any of the IC's installed - remove them now. Connect your power supply to the “DC IN 1” - it supplies power to controller portion of the board as well as strip outputs 1-6. “DC IN 2” is a separate input to drive strips 7-12. Note that the ground is shared between the two inputs. If you are using a well regulated +5vdc power supply as your power input, the regulator circuit should not be installed. However, you must manually bypass this by placing a jumper wire between the +5vdc bypass terminal block. Turn on the supply and verify the power LED lights up. Verify you have 5v between pins 1 and 14 on each PIC socket as well as between pins 5 and 8 on the 485 chip sockets. Install all of the IC's if this passes.

==Programming the PIC controllers==
The Ren48LSD does not supply or use a ZeroCross input and therefore the Renard firmware (either Renard or DMX protocol) must be configured for DC/PWM
operation. In addition, if you are using the DMX firmware, you may want to set the initial starting address but generally, this can be left at '1' for all PICs since the code is self-addressing. Also – like the ULN2803 drivers, the transistors invert the output so the firmware uses positive outputs.

===Renard Protocol===
Obtain the standard Renard firmware [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/d/d3/Renard-20071229.asm here:]

Make the following changes:

#define PWM_build 1 – change from '0'
#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 1 – change from '15'
;#define OUTPUT_NEGATIVE_TRUE – comment this out

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code. A standard version of the code with the settings above has been compiled already for you in the File Library available [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/dynamics/attachment.php?attachmentid=207&d=1280420686 here].

===Renard-DMX Protocol===
Obtain the DMX Renard firmware from [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/e/ea/Renard-dmx-20080814.asm here:]

#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 0 – change from '40'
#define SINK_map 0x00 – change from '0xFF'

If you want to change the DMX starting address then alter it below – this is only required on the first PIC in the chain. If you have multiple Ren48LSD controllers, you can leave the second/subsequent PICs at '1' and they will automatically start off where the last PIC left off.

#define DMX_START_ADDRESS 1

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code (unless using a starting address). A standard version of the code with the settings above has been compiled already for you in the File Library available [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/dynamics/attachment.php?attachmentid=206&d=1280420686 here].

Whichever firmware you choose, install the flashed PICs into the sockets noting the correct orientation. Also install the two 485 chips into their sockets noting the correct orientation. You are now ready for final testing.

==Final Testing==
I chose not to design in the diagnostic LEDs as those used on the RenSS series of controllers. The design is fairly straight-forward and as long as you are sure of the voltage inputs and the PICs are flashed properly you should not have any issues if your soldering is good.

If you are using RS232, you should install the shunt on the "RS232" header which shorts pin 5 of the RJ45-IN connector to ground for proper RS232 operation. The wiring is the same as the RenardSS series so you can follow the cabling requiremnents for that.

As the Renard controller variations do not use bussed DMX it's not critical to install the DMX termination shunt if you are only using Renard controllers. This is because they are using point-to-point configurations. However - if this particular controller is at the end of a line of other normal (bussed) DMX devices, you should install the shunt to properly terminate the bus.

I'm assuming at this point that you have built one or more of the LED SuperStrips to test with. If not - - well - - do it... Note that the strips have one caveat – I have found that the LED colors go in Red, Blue, Green and White order – not Red, Green, Blue and White order. The RJ45 outputs are as follows:

#Common +DC
#Red Ground
#Common +DC
#Blue Ground
#Common +DC
#Green Ground
#Common +DC
#White Ground

What does this mean to you? Well – if you use standard straight-thru RJ45/Ethernet cables, the color order will be RBGW channel order in Vixen so if you want to use an RGBW order, you'll need to change the channel order in Vixen. The other alternative (and the way I do it) is to swap pins 4 and 6 at one end of the RJ45 cable. I did this because I thought it made more sense to keep the natural pin order versus color order. Note that pins 1, 3, 5 and 7 are tied together both on the PCB as well as the strips – there is no way to have separate +DC runs with the strips.

Connect the Ren48LSD to your PC using standard wiring practices as on the Wiki for other Renard controllers. Develop a Vixen sequence to turn on/off each channel in groups of four using the appropriate Renard/DMX plug-in. Channels 1, 5, 9, etc should have the same programming but only have 1 channel in the group (1,2,3,4) on at a time. This helps ensure you have unique channel
addressing from each RJ45 output.

With the sequence running, plug in a strip into each RJ45 and ensure each color turns on in order (remember that the B & G colors are swapped). Once that is complete you change the on/off to ramp up/downs to verify dimming operation. Finally, you can perform a full load test with 12 strips installed.

The Ren48LSD can be used to drive other devices as well of course. The MightyMini floods can be wired using normal RGBW wiring since the MM end of the cable goes into terminal blocks versus an RJ45 jack. Another popular flood is the ChristmasOnManor Rainbow Flood. This is an RGB (no white) flood so it only uses 3 channels. The wiring uses pins 2, 4 and 8 to drive Red, Green and Blue. Note that pin 6 - or the 3rd channel is not used here. You have a few choices - in Vixen simply skip that channel, or if you really want to use that channel, you will need to do some creative cabling or not use the RJ45 jacks at all and wire the 3 channels directly to the board. You can also alter the code in the PIC to only use 6 channels but this probably isn't worth the effort of changing the code.

==FAQ==

Q1: What if I only have 6 strips?

A1: Well - you're in luck! Next to PIC #3 and PIC #6 is a via hole that will bypass PICs #4 - #6 if you install a wire between them. Note that this is only necessary if you are planning to daisy-chain another board from this one. This effectively makes this a Ren24LSD. If you are not going to daisy-chain another board, you can leave it off as well as the RS-485 output chip. Personally, I think this is false economy since you'll have to dig the parts up if you change your mind and want to run a board off this one. In either case, you certainly save time and money by not installing the PICs, sockets, transistors, resistors and output connectors for strips 7-12 if you don't have them.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Construction-Bypass.png]]

Q2: Can I use standard DIY SSRs with the Ren48LSD?

A2: Maybe - but with the following caveats:
:*It has not been tested at all
:*The power LED on the SSR will not work as there is no ground fed to pin 7.
:*To be safe, pins 3, 5 and 7 should not be connected from the Ren48LSD to the SSR.
:*You may want to stick with a 5vdc source only if insure of the specifications of the optoisolators used on the SSRs. If you are using the standard coop AC or DC SSRs then they should be able to use anything up to 12vdc OK.
For these reasons, it is not really recommended to use an SSR on the Ren48LSD at this time.
----
==Schematic==

Here is the schematic drawing for the Ren48LSD v3c in PDF format - [[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Schematic.pdf]]

----
--[[User:Budude|Budude]] 03:08, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

[[Category:DIYC Controllers]]
[[Category:Renard]]
[[Category:Renard 48LSD]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Ren48LSDv3c

2011-08-27T03:21:27Z

Chelmuth: /* Renard Protocol */

=Ren48LSD (v3c) Construction Manual=

==''What'' is the Ren48LSD?==
The Ren48LSD ('''L'''ED '''S'''trip '''D'''river) controller came about as a solution to drive Frank's LED Super Strips. Originally I used [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] to drive them and while it's a workable solution, it tends to be somewhat bulky and requires lots of additional wiring between the controller and DCSSRs as well as to the strips themselves. Another alternative is [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]] which uses ULN2803 drivers. The issue with this solution is that it has limitations in how much power it can sink to the strips due to the ULN2803 package power dissipation.

The strips require up to 360mA per output (18 LEDs x 20mA) so I used an NPN bipolar transistor to drive them. The transistors support up to 600mA so there's plenty of headroom left. The transistors are fairly cheap so it makes for a simple, inexpensive solution. The controller design used the [[The_Renard_SS24_Controller_Board|Ren24SS]] as a base, using the same PIC, clocking and serial interface configuration but expanded to 6 PICs to support 48 channels or driving up to 12 strips per board. Because of this, the controller supports standard [[Renard_Firmware#Regular_Firmware|Renard protocol FW]] using RS-232/485 as well as the [[Renard_Firmware#DMX_firmware|DMX]] version. The board requires either a 5vdc well regulated supply or a good 9-24vdc supply. The input supply also drives the LED strips.

'''For information on the previous version of this board (v3b) please go to [[Ren48LSD]].''' This page is for the v3c version of the board.

==How does the Ren48LSD work?==
The Ren48LSD uses the same architecture for the logic portions of the board from the RenardSS series of boards. Sequence information is passed from a PC running Vixen or other sequencing program via an RS-232 or RS-485/DMX interface. The ST485 chips receive this information and turn into standard TTL logic levels that the PIC can understand. The PIC reads in the data and if it determines that the information corresponds to itself, it updates the dimming levels of all 8 channels. It removes this information from the stream and feeds the rest out to the next PIC and that one performs the same. This is repeated for all 6 PICs. The last PIC, PIC 6, feeds what's left of the stream out to the other ST485 chip which translates it to RS-485 levels for the next controller in the line. It is important to realize that the information is removed from the stream and that the resultant leftover stream will have all of the data offset by the 48 channels of information used by the Ren48LSD. For example, if you have two Ren48LSDs, on Vixen you would configure a single Renard/DMX plug-in with 96 channels. The first Ren48LSD consumes the first 48 channels of information leaving only 48 channels on it's outputs. The second Ren48LSD will see this incoming data as controller #1 again and assume the data is for it. This is very much different than standard hard/soft-coded DMX or LOR devices that use a set address yet still pass on the entire stream to the next controller on the line. There are advantages and disadvantages to either approach - but you should be aware of this when combining normal DMX devices before/after a Ren48LSD (or any Renard controller running DMX code).

The PICs receive the data on pin 5 and after consuming their 8 channels of data, forward the rest out of pin 6 of the PIC which in turn goes to pin 5 of the next PIC. PIC #6 or the last PIC feeds the next controller if you have one attached as mentioned above. All of the PICs are fed the same clock from the external oscillator.

The logic portions of the board require a steady +5vdc supply. This can be supplied in two ways on the Ren48LSD. If you use a well-regulated +5vdc power supply, you skip installing all of the regulator circuitry and install a jumper across the +5vdc bypass connector. This will feed the power from the DC IN 1 jack directly to the logic components. Obviously care must be taken to ONLY use a 5vdc supply - if a 12v supply is connected in this configuration, you will probably lose all of your PICs, ST485 chips and the Oscillator in one shot. If you are planning to use a 9-24vdc supply then you must install the regulator circuitry. This allows the power supplied on the DC IN 1 connector to be converted down to +5vdc for the logic components. It is important to realize that the 5v created is only used by the logic components, it is NOT sent out to the outputs of the Ren48LSD. The outputs always follow whatever you place on DC IN 1 and DC IN 2. The two connectors are separated so it is possible to run different voltages on DC IN 1 and DC IN 2 (say 5v and 12v). Here again, extreme caution must be taken to ensure you do not mix up supplies or plug your device into the wrong outputs (say a 5v strip into a 12v output). In addition, you must ensure that the two power supplies will work harmoniously with a shared ground connection since the ground plane is shared between DC IN 1 and DC IN 2.

So - now that the PICs have the updated dimming levels for all of it's channels, it enables each of its outputs using PWM or Pulse Width Modulation. It is important to grasp that the voltage levels are not controlled - it is the amount of time on and off that is varied within a small cycle of time for each update. It seems logical that to dim things you would just change the voltage from 12v to 9v for example. Instead, the voltage is on at the full 12v for x amount of time and then it is off (0v) for the y amount of time - it is not something in-between. The cycle time is controlled by the PIC in the case of the Ren48LSD. In RenardSS boards, they use a Zero-Cross (ZC) signal which is created by an opto-isolator attached to the AC line (either directly to the mains or via a transformer and in both cases through some resistors to limit the current to the opto). Since the Ren48LSD does not have any AC supplied to it, the PIC basically makes up it's own timing but it closely resembles what is seen with normal ZC usage.

The Ren48LSD uses sourced outputs and not sinked outputs like the RenardSS controllers. Why is this? Because the PIC needs to turn on a transistor and to do this, it supplies 5v on it's output which turns on the transistor (via a resistor to limit the current) which allows current to flow from the collector to the emitter of the transistor. The emitter is directly connected to ground so basically, the transistor sinks the current from the LEDs (or whatever you have attached to the output) to ground. The positive voltage from the DC power supply connects directly to the device you have attached and this completes the circuit.

==Revision History==
The main changes from the v3b version of the board are a newly designed voltage regulator circuit. It was found on the v3b that the standard LM7805 regulator would get very hot when fully loaded at 12v (the v3b only supported 5vdc or 9-12vdc input). When fully on, the device sat at it's peak temperature of about 120 degC. I came up with a few workarounds which addressed this (see the v3b page) but for the next revision, I decided to change the regulator completely. Instead of using a linear 7805 regulator, I went with the LM2575-5 switching regulator. While it requires a few more parts (a coil, diodes and low ESR filter capacitors) it does allow the v3c version of the board to go up to 24vdc at full load. The regulator stays well within the temperature specs and in normal operation does not even get warm.

You do have to decide prior to building the board whether you will be using +5vdc or 9-24vdc as your input supply source (specifically to DC IN 1). If you are going with 5vdc, then you don't need any of the regulator circuit components - in fact you should specifically leave them off the board. There is a bypass jumper block on the board that bypasses the +5v from DC IN 1 directly to the logic on the board so you must install that block and jumper that as well. If you are going with 9-24vdc then you do need to install all of the regulator circuit to provide 5v to the logic on the board (PICs, Oscillator, RS485 chips).

==Ren48LSD (v3c) Parts==
In addition to the PCB, you will need the following components:

<table border="1"><tr><td>'''Mouser BOM'''</td></tr>
<tr><td>Mouser PN</td><td>Description</td><td>Qty</td></tr>
<tr><td>579-PIC16F688-I/P</td><td>Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-3</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>511-ST485BN</td><td>Buffers & Line Drivers Hi-Spd Lo Pwr Trans</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-1-390261-2</td><td>IC & Component Sockets 8P ECONOMY TIN</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>520-TCH1843-X</td><td>ECS-2100AX-18.432MHZ</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-MPS2222AG</td><td>Bipolar Transistors 600mA 75V NPN</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5239B</td><td>Zener Diodes 9.1 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>78-1N5229B</td><td>Zener Diodes 4.3 Volt 0.5 Watt</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-1N5819G</td><td>Schottky (Diodes & Rectifiers) 1A 40V</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>863-LM2575TV-5G</td><td>Switching Converters, Regulators & Controllers 5V 1A PWR SW REG</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>532-577102B00</td><td>Heatsinks TO-220 HORIZ/VERT SLIM CHANNEL STYLE</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>604-WP7113ID</td><td>Standard LED - Through Hole HI EFF RED DIFFUSED</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>581-SA105E104MAR</td><td>Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC) - Leaded 50volts 0.1uF 20% Z5U</td><td>9</td></tr>
<tr><td>667-ELC-18B331L</td><td>Power Inductors 330UH RADIAL COIL CHOKE</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>140-RXJ331M1CBK1012P</td><td>Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors - Leaded 16V 330uF 105C 10x12.5 mm</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>140-RXJ101M1HBK1016P</td><td>Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors - Leaded 50V 100uF 105C 10x16 mm</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-680-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 680ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-120-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 120ohms</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-27K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 27Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-1K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 1.0Kohms</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-470-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 470ohms</td><td>48</td></tr>
<tr><td>299-10K-RC</td><td>Carbon Film Resistors 10Kohms</td><td>6</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5556416-1</td><td>Telecom & Ethernet Connectors 8 PCB TOP ENTRY</td><td>14</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-7969492</td><td>Terminal Blocks 5.08MM VERTICAL 2P wire protector</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>571-5-146281-2</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings 2 P HEADER GOLD 30u single row</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>649-65474-002LF</td><td>Headers & Wire Housings SHUNT TIN</td><td>1</td></tr>
</table>

Most of the components are not overly critical and some can be omitted in certain
cases. The electrolytic capacitors must only be subsituted with low-ESR versions only. Failure to do so could result in instability in the regulation circuit. If you are using a well regulated 5vdc supply, the voltage regulator, 1N5819 diodes (2), 330uH coil, and 100uf capacitor should not be installed. This will require a jumper to be placed across the +5vdc bypass terminal block which effectively shunts DC IN 1 directly to the board logic.

==Building the Ren48LSD==

The Ren48LSD requires a fair bit of soldering so take your time and ensure you
install the components in the correct orientation when required. Start by sorting
the components by type and values. Look over the PCB before starting noting the
location of the various components. Follow the standard procedure of installing
the lowest profile parts first and ending up with the tallest.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Construction-0.png]]

1. Install the six 10k resistors near each PIC

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-01a.jpg|850px]]

2. Install the two 1k resistors near the 485 chips

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-02a.jpg|850px]]

3. Install the two 27k resistors near the 485 chips

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-03a.jpg|850px]]

4. Install the one 120 resistor near the 485 chips

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-04a.jpg|850px]]

5. Install the one 680 resistor near the LED

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-05a.jpg|850px]]

6. Install the 1N5229 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation - the band on the diode goes towards the top of the board in the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-06a.jpg|850px]]

7. Install the 1N5239 diode near the 485 chips – note the correct orientation - the band on the diode goes towards the top of the board in the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-07a.jpg|850px]]

8. Install the two 1N5819 diodes near the voltage regulator '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)''' – note the correct orientation - the diode closest to DCIN1 has the band on the diode facing down and in the square hole, the diode closest to the choke has the band on the diode facing right and in the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-08a.jpg|850px]]

9. Install all forty-eight 470 ohm resistors doing 4-8 at a time.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-09a.jpg|850px]]

10. Install the nine decoupling capacitors near the IC sockets and oscillator. Note that the silkscreen says ".01uF" - in fact they are 0.1uF (100nF).

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-10a.jpg|850px]]

11. Install the six 14-pin PIC chip sockets - note the correct orientation - the top 3 sockets have the notch facing towards the left, and the bottom 3 sockets have the notch facing the right.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-11a.jpg|850px]]

12. Install the two 8-pin 485 chip sockets - note the correct orientation - the notch faces to the right side of the board towards the PICs.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-12a.jpg|850px]]

13. Install the 18.432MHz oscillator – note the correct orientation - the package has one square corner (and a dot) and that goes into the square hole on the board

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-13a.jpg|850px]]

14. Install the 48 transistors – note the correct orientation – the emitter is nearest the PICs, base in the middle and collector near the RJ45 jacks. The legs of the transistors will need to be bent slightly to fit the holes. The middle leg will end up being out in front of the flat side of the transistor.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-14a.jpg|850px]]

15. Install the two 2-pin shunt jumpers

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-15a.jpg|850px]]

16. Install the LED – note correct orientation - the flat side of the LED faces the bottom of the board and the shorter leg goes into the square hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-16a.jpg|850px]]

17. Install the DC input terminal blocks – note correct orientation - have the side where the power wires will be inserted facing to the right.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-17a.jpg|850px]]

18. Install the +5vdc bypass block '''(Install for 5vdc input)'''

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-18a.jpg|850px]]

Note that if you are using a regulated 5vdc power supply for your input, you should omit installing most of the regulator circuitry.

19. Install the LM2575 regulator '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)''' - note correct orientation - pin 1 is denoted by the square pad - the odd number pins are the pins farthest away from the back

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-19a.jpg|850px]]

20. Install the 100uF/50v capacitor '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)''' – note correct orientation - the capacitor has a stripe on the side denoting the negative leg that goes in the round hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-20a.jpg|850px]]

21. Install the 330uF/16v capacitor – note correct orientation - the capacitor has a stripe on the side denoting the negative leg that goes in the round hole.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-21a.jpg|850px]]

22. Mount the 5v regulator heat sink if you installed the regulator – use a small amount of heat sink compound

23. Install the choke coil '''(Do not install for 5vdc input)'''

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-22.jpg|850px]]

24. Install the fourteen RJ45 jacks – note that side-entry jacks can be substituted

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Build-23a.jpg|850px]]

Congratulations! That completes the construction of the Ren48LSD!

==Initial Testing==
The first thing you will want to do in any PCB construction project is to double check that you have all components installed and in the proper orientation. You will then want to inspect the board for any cold/bridged solder joints. Take your time with this step and go over each and every joint.

If you have any of the IC's installed - remove them now. Connect your power supply to the “DC IN 1” - it supplies power to controller portion of the board as well as strip outputs 1-6. “DC IN 2” is a separate input to drive strips 7-12. Note that the ground is shared between the two inputs. If you are using a well regulated +5vdc power supply as your power input, the regulator circuit should not be installed. However, you must manually bypass this by placing a jumper wire between the +5vdc bypass terminal block. Turn on the supply and verify the power LED lights up. Verify you have 5v between pins 1 and 14 on each PIC socket as well as between pins 5 and 8 on the 485 chip sockets. Install all of the IC's if this passes.

==Programming the PIC controllers==
The Ren48LSD does not supply or use a ZeroCross input and therefore the Renard firmware (either Renard or DMX protocol) must be configured for DC/PWM
operation. In addition, if you are using the DMX firmware, you may want to set the initial starting address but generally, this can be left at '1' for all PICs since the code is self-addressing. Also – like the ULN2803 drivers, the transistors invert the output so the firmware uses positive outputs.

===Renard Protocol===
Obtain the standard Renard firmware [http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/d/d3/Renard-20071229.asm here:]

Make the following changes:

#define PWM_build 1 – change from '0'
#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 1 – change from '15'
;#define OUTPUT_NEGATIVE_TRUE – comment this out

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code. A standard version of the code with the settings above has been compiled already for you in the File Library available [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/dynamics/attachment.php?attachmentid=207&d=1280420686 here].

===Renard-DMX Protocol===
Obtain the DMX Renard firmware from [http://www.christmasinshirley.com/wiki/images/e/ea/Renard-dmx-20080814.asm here:]

#define DC_build 1 – change from '0'
#define CTR_LOCKOUT 0 – change from '40'
#define SINK_map 0x00 – change from '0xFF'

If you want to change the DMX starting address then alter it below – this is only required on the first PIC in the chain. If you have multiple Ren48LSD controllers, you can leave the second/subsequent PICs at '1' and they will automatically start off where the last PIC left off.

#define DMX_START_ADDRESS 1

Compile the code into hex code and program all six PICs with the same code (unless using a starting address). A standard version of the code with the settings above has been compiled already for you in the File Library available [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/dynamics/attachment.php?attachmentid=206&d=1280420686 here].

Whichever firmware you choose, install the flashed PICs into the sockets noting the correct orientation. Also install the two 485 chips into their sockets noting the correct orientation. You are now ready for final testing.

==Final Testing==
I chose not to design in the diagnostic LEDs as those used on the RenSS series of controllers. The design is fairly straight-forward and as long as you are sure of the voltage inputs and the PICs are flashed properly you should not have any issues if your soldering is good.

If you are using RS232, you should install the shunt on the "RS232" header which shorts pin 5 of the RJ45-IN connector to ground for proper RS232 operation. The wiring is the same as the RenardSS series so you can follow the cabling requiremnents for that.

As the Renard controller variations do not use bussed DMX it's not critical to install the DMX termination shunt if you are only using Renard controllers. This is because they are using point-to-point configurations. However - if this particular controller is at the end of a line of other normal (bussed) DMX devices, you should install the shunt to properly terminate the bus.

I'm assuming at this point that you have built one or more of the LED SuperStrips to test with. If not - - well - - do it... Note that the strips have one caveat – I have found that the LED colors go in Red, Blue, Green and White order – not Red, Green, Blue and White order. The RJ45 outputs are as follows:

#Common +DC
#Red Ground
#Common +DC
#Blue Ground
#Common +DC
#Green Ground
#Common +DC
#White Ground

What does this mean to you? Well – if you use standard straight-thru RJ45/Ethernet cables, the color order will be RBGW channel order in Vixen so if you want to use an RGBW order, you'll need to change the channel order in Vixen. The other alternative (and the way I do it) is to swap pins 4 and 6 at one end of the RJ45 cable. I did this because I thought it made more sense to keep the natural pin order versus color order. Note that pins 1, 3, 5 and 7 are tied together both on the PCB as well as the strips – there is no way to have separate +DC runs with the strips.

Connect the Ren48LSD to your PC using standard wiring practices as on the Wiki for other Renard controllers. Develop a Vixen sequence to turn on/off each channel in groups of four using the appropriate Renard/DMX plug-in. Channels 1, 5, 9, etc should have the same programming but only have 1 channel in the group (1,2,3,4) on at a time. This helps ensure you have unique channel
addressing from each RJ45 output.

With the sequence running, plug in a strip into each RJ45 and ensure each color turns on in order (remember that the B & G colors are swapped). Once that is complete you change the on/off to ramp up/downs to verify dimming operation. Finally, you can perform a full load test with 12 strips installed.

The Ren48LSD can be used to drive other devices as well of course. The MightyMini floods can be wired using normal RGBW wiring since the MM end of the cable goes into terminal blocks versus an RJ45 jack. Another popular flood is the ChristmasOnManor Rainbow Flood. This is an RGB (no white) flood so it only uses 3 channels. The wiring uses pins 2, 4 and 8 to drive Red, Green and Blue. Note that pin 6 - or the 3rd channel is not used here. You have a few choices - in Vixen simply skip that channel, or if you really want to use that channel, you will need to do some creative cabling or not use the RJ45 jacks at all and wire the 3 channels directly to the board. You can also alter the code in the PIC to only use 6 channels but this probably isn't worth the effort of changing the code.

==FAQ==

Q1: What if I only have 6 strips?

A1: Well - you're in luck! Next to PIC #3 and PIC #6 is a via hole that will bypass PICs #4 - #6 if you install a wire between them. Note that this is only necessary if you are planning to daisy-chain another board from this one. This effectively makes this a Ren24LSD. If you are not going to daisy-chain another board, you can leave it off as well as the RS-485 output chip. Personally, I think this is false economy since you'll have to dig the parts up if you change your mind and want to run a board off this one. In either case, you certainly save time and money by not installing the PICs, sockets, transistors, resistors and output connectors for strips 7-12 if you don't have them.

[[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Construction-Bypass.png]]

Q2: Can I use standard DIY SSRs with the Ren48LSD?

A2: Maybe - but with the following caveats:
:*It has not been tested at all
:*The power LED on the SSR will not work as there is no ground fed to pin 7.
:*To be safe, pins 3, 5 and 7 should not be connected from the Ren48LSD to the SSR.
:*You may want to stick with a 5vdc source only if insure of the specifications of the optoisolators used on the SSRs. If you are using the standard coop AC or DC SSRs then they should be able to use anything up to 12vdc OK.
For these reasons, it is not really recommended to use an SSR on the Ren48LSD at this time.
----
==Schematic==

Here is the schematic drawing for the Ren48LSD v3c in PDF format - [[File:Ren48LSD-v3c-Schematic.pdf]]

----
--[[User:Budude|Budude]] 03:08, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

[[Category:DIYC Controllers]]
[[Category:Renard]]
[[Category:Renard 48LSD]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

File:LED Segment.png

2011-08-19T18:12:52Z

Chelmuth: uploaded a new version of "File:LED Segment.png"

LED Segment Board Layout

File:FAST Controller.png

2011-08-19T18:00:21Z

Chelmuth: uploaded a new version of "File:FAST Controller.png": Changed the Rev2.0

FAST Controller Board Design

File:LED Segment.png

2011-08-19T17:59:42Z

Chelmuth: uploaded a new version of "File:LED Segment.png": Rev 2 Moved Pin 1

LED Segment Board Layout

FAST Finally Affordable Snowfall Tube

2011-08-13T20:42:23Z

Chelmuth: /* Firmware */

== F.A.S.T ('''F'''inally '''A'''ffordable '''S'''nowfall '''T'''ube) ==

* NOTE - THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN-PROGRESS - IT IS NOT COMPLETE YET *

===What is FAST===
FAST was created by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] as a inexpensive substitute for commercial snowfall (meteor) tubes. Snowfall tubes are long clear plastic tubes that have a group of LEDs arranged in a linear fashion and the LEDs light in a sequential manner from the top to the bottom. The visual effect looks like a bright snowflake falling down. The FAST consists of a [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/f/f9/FAST_Controller.png FAST Controller PCB] that drives 1-8 [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/a/a3/LED_Segment.png LED Segment PCBs] each with 7 LED's per segment for a total of 7-56 SuperFlux LED's. Based on the numbr of LED Segment Boards used, the snowfall tubes can be between 6" to 48" in length.

The FAST is designed using a concept called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexing] Charlieplexing, in its simplest form, works using a matrix of complementary pairs of LEDs. This allows a large number of LEDs to be driven by a small number of I/O pins from a PIC microcontroller. In the FAST, 56 LEDs are controlled using just 8 connections! 

===FAST Controller===
[[File:FASTProto sm.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST Controller is a brains of the FAST, it contains a [http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/41203B.pdf PIC16F688-I/P] Microcontroller. The PIC must be programmed with the FAST software. The FAST controller is connected to a clean and stable 5VDC input to power the microprocessor and the LEDs. The FAST controller output is connected to a FAST LED Segment PCB. 

===FAST LED Segment===
[[File:LEDSegmentProto.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST LED Segment board is an approximately 6" long modular board that contains 7 Piranha Style Superflux LEDs connected in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexed] fashion. The boards are designed to allow multiple boards to be daisy chained to allow various length tubes to be constructed. From 1 - 8 boards can be connected to each FAST controller creating a 6" to 48" long snowfall tube.

=== Using the FAST ===

The FAST is run on 5vdc. The operation of the FAST is quite simple. You apply power and the tube starts to run. When you want it to stop you remove power. If you want it to make a half fall. You simply remove power before it get's to the bottom of the tube. If you want it to fall twice you leave power applied long enough to get two falls. Length of time with depend on fall time that you set before you programmed the PIC.

=== Controlling the FAST ===

The FAST is driven by 5vdc and draws approximately 25ma. The unit can be directly connected to a 5vdc power supply and the tube will run continuously. The FAST can also be driven by a variety of controllers. Examples of these are the [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]], a [[Renard_64XC|Ren64XC]] with [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] and the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]]. Note that the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]] was designed specifically for the purpose of driving Super Strips. The Ren64XC/DCSSR combination will work as well but it's a more expensive, larger and more cumbersome configuration to use but if you are driving other higher current DC devices, it can work fine.

==BOM==
From Mouser: 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Qty
! Part Number
! Description
|-
| 1
|571-1-390261-3
|IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN
|-
| 1
|579-PIC16F688-I/P
|Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O
|-
| 8
|299-51-RC
|Carbon Film Resistors - Through Hole 51ohms
|-
|1
|80-C322C104K5R
|0.1uF Capacitor Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors
|}

In addition, you will need up to 56 White Piranha Style Super flux LEDs. Other colors could be used, but you may need to adjust the resistor values on the controller board. 

The FAST needs to be placed in a housing for display. A common fluorescent tube protector which is available from [http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100163152&langId=-1&catalogId=10053 Home Depot] or [http://www.lowes.com/pd_280611-337-LTG04T8_0__?productId=1208471 Lowes] works well. A similar tube is available in quantity from [http://www.mcmaster.com/#2044T47 McMaster Carr] 
During the 2011 Fall [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/ Group Buy] a [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24 Hanging End Cap] was available.

==PCBs==
The PCBs for the FAST were designed by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] and [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?9-P.-Short Phil Short]
===FAST Controller PCB===
[[File:FAST_Controller.png|300px]]
===FAST LED Segment PCB===
[[File:LED_Segment.png|300px]]
 

==Assembly Instructions==
'''This section is still being written , it is not final!''' 

Assembly of the FAST is done in three steps:
# Assembly of the FAST Controller.
# Assembly of the LED Segments.
# Connecting the two units together and installing them in a housing. 

Begin by inspecting the PCBs to look for any defects such as cracks or breaks. The holes on the board should be open on both sides. Then inspect and sort out the various parts for the boards. 

===FAST Controller Assembly===
1. Install the eight 51 ohm resistors in positions R1-R8. 
[[File:Build-01.jpg|300px]] 
2. Install the 14 pin IC socket so that the notch faces the top of the board like the silkscreen. 
[[File:Build-02.jpg|300px]] 
3. Install the 0.1uF capacitor in position C1. The capacitor is not polarized, so it can go in either way. 
4. Cut and solder eight 3" lengths of wire to J2 on the end of the board. The wires are numbered from 1-8. The #1 wire is near the bottom of the board in the square hole. 
5. Solder the input power wires to J1. The positive wire goes to the hole marked with the "+". 
6. Put the board to the side and do not install the PIC yet. 

===LED Segment Assembly===
Based on how long you are making the FAST, you will need to assemble 1-8 LED Segment boards. 
1. Solder the seven Superflux LEDs to the LED Segment PCB. The LEDs are polarized, there is one corner that is cut off and not square. The LED must be installed so that the orientation of the notched corner matches the silkscreen. '''WARNING, Some LEDs may have different orientations and they may need to be rotated 180 degrees from the silkscreen drawing. Please check to make sure know the correct orientation for your LEDs before soldering them to the PCB. Please check the group buy thread for the latest information before soldering the LEDS.''' 
2. Repeat Step #1 for each of your LED Segment PCBs. 
3. The LED Segment PCBs need to be interconnected to make them the desired length. This is done by aligning the Input holes of one PCB with the Output holes of the next board. To do this lay one board on top of the next and carefully align the Input and Output Holes. You need to solder eight jumpers through these holes to each of the PCBs. Short lengths or wire or cutoff leads from resistors or other components work great. 
[[File:Clips 1.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 2.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 3.jpg|300px]] 
4. Repeat Step #3 until you have the correct number of LED Segment PCBs connected. 

===Final Assembly===
1. Solder the wires from the FAST Controller to the Input of the top LED Segment PCB. The #1 wire on the controller side is near the bottom of the board and has a square hole. It is soldered to the #1 hole of the Input of the top LED Segment pcb, which is marked by the number 1. The holes on the LED Segment board are offset into two rows. The rows are odd and even. So the #2 wire from the FAST Controller goes into the first hole in second row slightly above and to the left of where you soldered in the first wire. The #3 wire goes in the hole directly above the #1 wire. The #4 wire goes above the #2 wire. Continue until you have soldered in all 8 wires. 
2. Inspect all of the PCBs to make sure that there are no issues with the soldering. 
3. Insert the PIC into the socket on the FAST Controller 
[[File:Build-05.jpg|300px]] 
4. Apply 5vdc to the power input of the FAST Controller and the LEDS should begin to light and fall. 
5. The FAST Controller should be placed behind the top LED Segment PCB with some cardboard between the board to prevent them from shorting out. This assembly can then slide into the plastic housing. 
[[File:Connection_Top.jpg|300px]] 
[[File:Connection_Side.jpg|300px]] 
6. Apply the end caps and seal the tube to prevent rain from entering. 

Congratulations, you have finished constructing your FAST. 

==Schematic==
===FAST Controller===
[[File:FAST_Controller_SCH.jpg|300px]] 
===FAST LED Segment===
TBD 

==Firmware==
The firmware is under development. If you are interested in helping add features, please contact [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth chelmuth] The current versions are available here. 
[[File:FAST With Tail (Modular Wiring) 20110804.asm]] 
This is the original Static Speed with tail. You can Change the fall rate by changing lines that I have commented.
 
 
[[File:FAST Snowfall Tube With Tail (Random) 20110813 .asm]]‎ 
This is the newer Static Speed and Random Speed firmware. There are more settings you can change in this firmware. Fall Rate, Random Rate, Speed up as it falls, Etc. Looks for the Lines commented with ######## for options you can change to customize your FAST tubes.

==FAST Discussion Threads==
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?15589-Finally-Affortable-Snowfall-Tubes-(FAST) Original Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16137-Interest-FAST-LEDancer Interest Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16456-FAST-Ren48LSD-Ren4Flood-DIYC-Flood-Offsite-Group-Buy Group Buy Thread] 

==Video==
[http://vimeo.com/27348185 18" Prototype] 
[http://vimeo.com/23734734 Full 56 LED Proof of Concept Design]

[[Category:LED Projects]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]
[[Category:Display_Items]]

FAST Finally Affordable Snowfall Tube

2011-08-13T20:42:03Z

Chelmuth: /* Firmware */

== F.A.S.T ('''F'''inally '''A'''ffordable '''S'''nowfall '''T'''ube) ==

* NOTE - THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN-PROGRESS - IT IS NOT COMPLETE YET *

===What is FAST===
FAST was created by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] as a inexpensive substitute for commercial snowfall (meteor) tubes. Snowfall tubes are long clear plastic tubes that have a group of LEDs arranged in a linear fashion and the LEDs light in a sequential manner from the top to the bottom. The visual effect looks like a bright snowflake falling down. The FAST consists of a [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/f/f9/FAST_Controller.png FAST Controller PCB] that drives 1-8 [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/a/a3/LED_Segment.png LED Segment PCBs] each with 7 LED's per segment for a total of 7-56 SuperFlux LED's. Based on the numbr of LED Segment Boards used, the snowfall tubes can be between 6" to 48" in length.

The FAST is designed using a concept called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexing] Charlieplexing, in its simplest form, works using a matrix of complementary pairs of LEDs. This allows a large number of LEDs to be driven by a small number of I/O pins from a PIC microcontroller. In the FAST, 56 LEDs are controlled using just 8 connections! 

===FAST Controller===
[[File:FASTProto sm.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST Controller is a brains of the FAST, it contains a [http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/41203B.pdf PIC16F688-I/P] Microcontroller. The PIC must be programmed with the FAST software. The FAST controller is connected to a clean and stable 5VDC input to power the microprocessor and the LEDs. The FAST controller output is connected to a FAST LED Segment PCB. 

===FAST LED Segment===
[[File:LEDSegmentProto.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST LED Segment board is an approximately 6" long modular board that contains 7 Piranha Style Superflux LEDs connected in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexed] fashion. The boards are designed to allow multiple boards to be daisy chained to allow various length tubes to be constructed. From 1 - 8 boards can be connected to each FAST controller creating a 6" to 48" long snowfall tube.

=== Using the FAST ===

The FAST is run on 5vdc. The operation of the FAST is quite simple. You apply power and the tube starts to run. When you want it to stop you remove power. If you want it to make a half fall. You simply remove power before it get's to the bottom of the tube. If you want it to fall twice you leave power applied long enough to get two falls. Length of time with depend on fall time that you set before you programmed the PIC.

=== Controlling the FAST ===

The FAST is driven by 5vdc and draws approximately 25ma. The unit can be directly connected to a 5vdc power supply and the tube will run continuously. The FAST can also be driven by a variety of controllers. Examples of these are the [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]], a [[Renard_64XC|Ren64XC]] with [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] and the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]]. Note that the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]] was designed specifically for the purpose of driving Super Strips. The Ren64XC/DCSSR combination will work as well but it's a more expensive, larger and more cumbersome configuration to use but if you are driving other higher current DC devices, it can work fine.

==BOM==
From Mouser: 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Qty
! Part Number
! Description
|-
| 1
|571-1-390261-3
|IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN
|-
| 1
|579-PIC16F688-I/P
|Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O
|-
| 8
|299-51-RC
|Carbon Film Resistors - Through Hole 51ohms
|-
|1
|80-C322C104K5R
|0.1uF Capacitor Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors
|}

In addition, you will need up to 56 White Piranha Style Super flux LEDs. Other colors could be used, but you may need to adjust the resistor values on the controller board. 

The FAST needs to be placed in a housing for display. A common fluorescent tube protector which is available from [http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100163152&langId=-1&catalogId=10053 Home Depot] or [http://www.lowes.com/pd_280611-337-LTG04T8_0__?productId=1208471 Lowes] works well. A similar tube is available in quantity from [http://www.mcmaster.com/#2044T47 McMaster Carr] 
During the 2011 Fall [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/ Group Buy] a [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24 Hanging End Cap] was available.

==PCBs==
The PCBs for the FAST were designed by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] and [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?9-P.-Short Phil Short]
===FAST Controller PCB===
[[File:FAST_Controller.png|300px]]
===FAST LED Segment PCB===
[[File:LED_Segment.png|300px]]
 

==Assembly Instructions==
'''This section is still being written , it is not final!''' 

Assembly of the FAST is done in three steps:
# Assembly of the FAST Controller.
# Assembly of the LED Segments.
# Connecting the two units together and installing them in a housing. 

Begin by inspecting the PCBs to look for any defects such as cracks or breaks. The holes on the board should be open on both sides. Then inspect and sort out the various parts for the boards. 

===FAST Controller Assembly===
1. Install the eight 51 ohm resistors in positions R1-R8. 
[[File:Build-01.jpg|300px]] 
2. Install the 14 pin IC socket so that the notch faces the top of the board like the silkscreen. 
[[File:Build-02.jpg|300px]] 
3. Install the 0.1uF capacitor in position C1. The capacitor is not polarized, so it can go in either way. 
4. Cut and solder eight 3" lengths of wire to J2 on the end of the board. The wires are numbered from 1-8. The #1 wire is near the bottom of the board in the square hole. 
5. Solder the input power wires to J1. The positive wire goes to the hole marked with the "+". 
6. Put the board to the side and do not install the PIC yet. 

===LED Segment Assembly===
Based on how long you are making the FAST, you will need to assemble 1-8 LED Segment boards. 
1. Solder the seven Superflux LEDs to the LED Segment PCB. The LEDs are polarized, there is one corner that is cut off and not square. The LED must be installed so that the orientation of the notched corner matches the silkscreen. '''WARNING, Some LEDs may have different orientations and they may need to be rotated 180 degrees from the silkscreen drawing. Please check to make sure know the correct orientation for your LEDs before soldering them to the PCB. Please check the group buy thread for the latest information before soldering the LEDS.''' 
2. Repeat Step #1 for each of your LED Segment PCBs. 
3. The LED Segment PCBs need to be interconnected to make them the desired length. This is done by aligning the Input holes of one PCB with the Output holes of the next board. To do this lay one board on top of the next and carefully align the Input and Output Holes. You need to solder eight jumpers through these holes to each of the PCBs. Short lengths or wire or cutoff leads from resistors or other components work great. 
[[File:Clips 1.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 2.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 3.jpg|300px]] 
4. Repeat Step #3 until you have the correct number of LED Segment PCBs connected. 

===Final Assembly===
1. Solder the wires from the FAST Controller to the Input of the top LED Segment PCB. The #1 wire on the controller side is near the bottom of the board and has a square hole. It is soldered to the #1 hole of the Input of the top LED Segment pcb, which is marked by the number 1. The holes on the LED Segment board are offset into two rows. The rows are odd and even. So the #2 wire from the FAST Controller goes into the first hole in second row slightly above and to the left of where you soldered in the first wire. The #3 wire goes in the hole directly above the #1 wire. The #4 wire goes above the #2 wire. Continue until you have soldered in all 8 wires. 
2. Inspect all of the PCBs to make sure that there are no issues with the soldering. 
3. Insert the PIC into the socket on the FAST Controller 
[[File:Build-05.jpg|300px]] 
4. Apply 5vdc to the power input of the FAST Controller and the LEDS should begin to light and fall. 
5. The FAST Controller should be placed behind the top LED Segment PCB with some cardboard between the board to prevent them from shorting out. This assembly can then slide into the plastic housing. 
[[File:Connection_Top.jpg|300px]] 
[[File:Connection_Side.jpg|300px]] 
6. Apply the end caps and seal the tube to prevent rain from entering. 

Congratulations, you have finished constructing your FAST. 

==Schematic==
===FAST Controller===
[[File:FAST_Controller_SCH.jpg|300px]] 
===FAST LED Segment===
TBD 

==Firmware==
The firmware is under development. If you are interested in helping add features, please contact [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth chelmuth] The current versions are available here. 
[[File:FAST With Tail (Modular Wiring) 20110804.asm]] 
This is the original Static Speed with tail. You can Change the fall rate by changing lines that I have commented.
 
 
[[File:FAST Snowfall Tube With Tail (Random) 20110813 .asm]]‎
This is the newer Static Speed and Random Speed firmware. There are more settings you can change in this firmware. Fall Rate, Random Rate, Speed up as it falls, Etc. Looks for the Lines commented with ######## for options you can change to customize your FAST tubes.

==FAST Discussion Threads==
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?15589-Finally-Affortable-Snowfall-Tubes-(FAST) Original Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16137-Interest-FAST-LEDancer Interest Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16456-FAST-Ren48LSD-Ren4Flood-DIYC-Flood-Offsite-Group-Buy Group Buy Thread] 

==Video==
[http://vimeo.com/27348185 18" Prototype] 
[http://vimeo.com/23734734 Full 56 LED Proof of Concept Design]

[[Category:LED Projects]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]
[[Category:Display_Items]]

FAST Finally Affordable Snowfall Tube

2011-08-13T20:38:54Z

Chelmuth: /* Firmware */

== F.A.S.T ('''F'''inally '''A'''ffordable '''S'''nowfall '''T'''ube) ==

* NOTE - THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN-PROGRESS - IT IS NOT COMPLETE YET *

===What is FAST===
FAST was created by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] as a inexpensive substitute for commercial snowfall (meteor) tubes. Snowfall tubes are long clear plastic tubes that have a group of LEDs arranged in a linear fashion and the LEDs light in a sequential manner from the top to the bottom. The visual effect looks like a bright snowflake falling down. The FAST consists of a [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/f/f9/FAST_Controller.png FAST Controller PCB] that drives 1-8 [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/a/a3/LED_Segment.png LED Segment PCBs] each with 7 LED's per segment for a total of 7-56 SuperFlux LED's. Based on the numbr of LED Segment Boards used, the snowfall tubes can be between 6" to 48" in length.

The FAST is designed using a concept called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexing] Charlieplexing, in its simplest form, works using a matrix of complementary pairs of LEDs. This allows a large number of LEDs to be driven by a small number of I/O pins from a PIC microcontroller. In the FAST, 56 LEDs are controlled using just 8 connections! 

===FAST Controller===
[[File:FASTProto sm.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST Controller is a brains of the FAST, it contains a [http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/41203B.pdf PIC16F688-I/P] Microcontroller. The PIC must be programmed with the FAST software. The FAST controller is connected to a clean and stable 5VDC input to power the microprocessor and the LEDs. The FAST controller output is connected to a FAST LED Segment PCB. 

===FAST LED Segment===
[[File:LEDSegmentProto.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST LED Segment board is an approximately 6" long modular board that contains 7 Piranha Style Superflux LEDs connected in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexed] fashion. The boards are designed to allow multiple boards to be daisy chained to allow various length tubes to be constructed. From 1 - 8 boards can be connected to each FAST controller creating a 6" to 48" long snowfall tube.

=== Using the FAST ===

The FAST is run on 5vdc. The operation of the FAST is quite simple. You apply power and the tube starts to run. When you want it to stop you remove power. If you want it to make a half fall. You simply remove power before it get's to the bottom of the tube. If you want it to fall twice you leave power applied long enough to get two falls. Length of time with depend on fall time that you set before you programmed the PIC.

=== Controlling the FAST ===

The FAST is driven by 5vdc and draws approximately 25ma. The unit can be directly connected to a 5vdc power supply and the tube will run continuously. The FAST can also be driven by a variety of controllers. Examples of these are the [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]], a [[Renard_64XC|Ren64XC]] with [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] and the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]]. Note that the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]] was designed specifically for the purpose of driving Super Strips. The Ren64XC/DCSSR combination will work as well but it's a more expensive, larger and more cumbersome configuration to use but if you are driving other higher current DC devices, it can work fine.

==BOM==
From Mouser: 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Qty
! Part Number
! Description
|-
| 1
|571-1-390261-3
|IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN
|-
| 1
|579-PIC16F688-I/P
|Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O
|-
| 8
|299-51-RC
|Carbon Film Resistors - Through Hole 51ohms
|-
|1
|80-C322C104K5R
|0.1uF Capacitor Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors
|}

In addition, you will need up to 56 White Piranha Style Super flux LEDs. Other colors could be used, but you may need to adjust the resistor values on the controller board. 

The FAST needs to be placed in a housing for display. A common fluorescent tube protector which is available from [http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100163152&langId=-1&catalogId=10053 Home Depot] or [http://www.lowes.com/pd_280611-337-LTG04T8_0__?productId=1208471 Lowes] works well. A similar tube is available in quantity from [http://www.mcmaster.com/#2044T47 McMaster Carr] 
During the 2011 Fall [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/ Group Buy] a [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24 Hanging End Cap] was available.

==PCBs==
The PCBs for the FAST were designed by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] and [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?9-P.-Short Phil Short]
===FAST Controller PCB===
[[File:FAST_Controller.png|300px]]
===FAST LED Segment PCB===
[[File:LED_Segment.png|300px]]
 

==Assembly Instructions==
'''This section is still being written , it is not final!''' 

Assembly of the FAST is done in three steps:
# Assembly of the FAST Controller.
# Assembly of the LED Segments.
# Connecting the two units together and installing them in a housing. 

Begin by inspecting the PCBs to look for any defects such as cracks or breaks. The holes on the board should be open on both sides. Then inspect and sort out the various parts for the boards. 

===FAST Controller Assembly===
1. Install the eight 51 ohm resistors in positions R1-R8. 
[[File:Build-01.jpg|300px]] 
2. Install the 14 pin IC socket so that the notch faces the top of the board like the silkscreen. 
[[File:Build-02.jpg|300px]] 
3. Install the 0.1uF capacitor in position C1. The capacitor is not polarized, so it can go in either way. 
4. Cut and solder eight 3" lengths of wire to J2 on the end of the board. The wires are numbered from 1-8. The #1 wire is near the bottom of the board in the square hole. 
5. Solder the input power wires to J1. The positive wire goes to the hole marked with the "+". 
6. Put the board to the side and do not install the PIC yet. 

===LED Segment Assembly===
Based on how long you are making the FAST, you will need to assemble 1-8 LED Segment boards. 
1. Solder the seven Superflux LEDs to the LED Segment PCB. The LEDs are polarized, there is one corner that is cut off and not square. The LED must be installed so that the orientation of the notched corner matches the silkscreen. '''WARNING, Some LEDs may have different orientations and they may need to be rotated 180 degrees from the silkscreen drawing. Please check to make sure know the correct orientation for your LEDs before soldering them to the PCB. Please check the group buy thread for the latest information before soldering the LEDS.''' 
2. Repeat Step #1 for each of your LED Segment PCBs. 
3. The LED Segment PCBs need to be interconnected to make them the desired length. This is done by aligning the Input holes of one PCB with the Output holes of the next board. To do this lay one board on top of the next and carefully align the Input and Output Holes. You need to solder eight jumpers through these holes to each of the PCBs. Short lengths or wire or cutoff leads from resistors or other components work great. 
[[File:Clips 1.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 2.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 3.jpg|300px]] 
4. Repeat Step #3 until you have the correct number of LED Segment PCBs connected. 

===Final Assembly===
1. Solder the wires from the FAST Controller to the Input of the top LED Segment PCB. The #1 wire on the controller side is near the bottom of the board and has a square hole. It is soldered to the #1 hole of the Input of the top LED Segment pcb, which is marked by the number 1. The holes on the LED Segment board are offset into two rows. The rows are odd and even. So the #2 wire from the FAST Controller goes into the first hole in second row slightly above and to the left of where you soldered in the first wire. The #3 wire goes in the hole directly above the #1 wire. The #4 wire goes above the #2 wire. Continue until you have soldered in all 8 wires. 
2. Inspect all of the PCBs to make sure that there are no issues with the soldering. 
3. Insert the PIC into the socket on the FAST Controller 
[[File:Build-05.jpg|300px]] 
4. Apply 5vdc to the power input of the FAST Controller and the LEDS should begin to light and fall. 
5. The FAST Controller should be placed behind the top LED Segment PCB with some cardboard between the board to prevent them from shorting out. This assembly can then slide into the plastic housing. 
[[File:Connection_Top.jpg|300px]] 
[[File:Connection_Side.jpg|300px]] 
6. Apply the end caps and seal the tube to prevent rain from entering. 

Congratulations, you have finished constructing your FAST. 

==Schematic==
===FAST Controller===
[[File:FAST_Controller_SCH.jpg|300px]] 
===FAST LED Segment===
TBD 

==Firmware==
The firmware is under development. If you are interested in helping add features, please contact [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth chelmuth] The current version is available here. 
[[File:FAST With Tail (Modular Wiring) 20110804.asm]]
[[File:FAST Snowfall Tube With Tail (Random) 20110813 .asm]]‎

==FAST Discussion Threads==
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?15589-Finally-Affortable-Snowfall-Tubes-(FAST) Original Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16137-Interest-FAST-LEDancer Interest Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16456-FAST-Ren48LSD-Ren4Flood-DIYC-Flood-Offsite-Group-Buy Group Buy Thread] 

==Video==
[http://vimeo.com/27348185 18" Prototype] 
[http://vimeo.com/23734734 Full 56 LED Proof of Concept Design]

[[Category:LED Projects]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]
[[Category:Display_Items]]

File:FAST Snowfall Tube With Tail (Random) 20110813 .asm

2011-08-13T20:37:38Z

Chelmuth:

FAST Finally Affordable Snowfall Tube

2011-08-13T20:33:07Z

Chelmuth: /* Firmware */

== F.A.S.T ('''F'''inally '''A'''ffordable '''S'''nowfall '''T'''ube) ==

* NOTE - THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN-PROGRESS - IT IS NOT COMPLETE YET *

===What is FAST===
FAST was created by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] as a inexpensive substitute for commercial snowfall (meteor) tubes. Snowfall tubes are long clear plastic tubes that have a group of LEDs arranged in a linear fashion and the LEDs light in a sequential manner from the top to the bottom. The visual effect looks like a bright snowflake falling down. The FAST consists of a [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/f/f9/FAST_Controller.png FAST Controller PCB] that drives 1-8 [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/a/a3/LED_Segment.png LED Segment PCBs] each with 7 LED's per segment for a total of 7-56 SuperFlux LED's. Based on the numbr of LED Segment Boards used, the snowfall tubes can be between 6" to 48" in length.

The FAST is designed using a concept called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexing] Charlieplexing, in its simplest form, works using a matrix of complementary pairs of LEDs. This allows a large number of LEDs to be driven by a small number of I/O pins from a PIC microcontroller. In the FAST, 56 LEDs are controlled using just 8 connections! 

===FAST Controller===
[[File:FASTProto sm.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST Controller is a brains of the FAST, it contains a [http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/41203B.pdf PIC16F688-I/P] Microcontroller. The PIC must be programmed with the FAST software. The FAST controller is connected to a clean and stable 5VDC input to power the microprocessor and the LEDs. The FAST controller output is connected to a FAST LED Segment PCB. 

===FAST LED Segment===
[[File:LEDSegmentProto.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST LED Segment board is an approximately 6" long modular board that contains 7 Piranha Style Superflux LEDs connected in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexed] fashion. The boards are designed to allow multiple boards to be daisy chained to allow various length tubes to be constructed. From 1 - 8 boards can be connected to each FAST controller creating a 6" to 48" long snowfall tube.

=== Using the FAST ===

The FAST is run on 5vdc. The operation of the FAST is quite simple. You apply power and the tube starts to run. When you want it to stop you remove power. If you want it to make a half fall. You simply remove power before it get's to the bottom of the tube. If you want it to fall twice you leave power applied long enough to get two falls. Length of time with depend on fall time that you set before you programmed the PIC.

=== Controlling the FAST ===

The FAST is driven by 5vdc and draws approximately 25ma. The unit can be directly connected to a 5vdc power supply and the tube will run continuously. The FAST can also be driven by a variety of controllers. Examples of these are the [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]], a [[Renard_64XC|Ren64XC]] with [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] and the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]]. Note that the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]] was designed specifically for the purpose of driving Super Strips. The Ren64XC/DCSSR combination will work as well but it's a more expensive, larger and more cumbersome configuration to use but if you are driving other higher current DC devices, it can work fine.

==BOM==
From Mouser: 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Qty
! Part Number
! Description
|-
| 1
|571-1-390261-3
|IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN
|-
| 1
|579-PIC16F688-I/P
|Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O
|-
| 8
|299-51-RC
|Carbon Film Resistors - Through Hole 51ohms
|-
|1
|80-C322C104K5R
|0.1uF Capacitor Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors
|}

In addition, you will need up to 56 White Piranha Style Super flux LEDs. Other colors could be used, but you may need to adjust the resistor values on the controller board. 

The FAST needs to be placed in a housing for display. A common fluorescent tube protector which is available from [http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100163152&langId=-1&catalogId=10053 Home Depot] or [http://www.lowes.com/pd_280611-337-LTG04T8_0__?productId=1208471 Lowes] works well. A similar tube is available in quantity from [http://www.mcmaster.com/#2044T47 McMaster Carr] 
During the 2011 Fall [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/ Group Buy] a [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24 Hanging End Cap] was available.

==PCBs==
The PCBs for the FAST were designed by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] and [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?9-P.-Short Phil Short]
===FAST Controller PCB===
[[File:FAST_Controller.png|300px]]
===FAST LED Segment PCB===
[[File:LED_Segment.png|300px]]
 

==Assembly Instructions==
'''This section is still being written , it is not final!''' 

Assembly of the FAST is done in three steps:
# Assembly of the FAST Controller.
# Assembly of the LED Segments.
# Connecting the two units together and installing them in a housing. 

Begin by inspecting the PCBs to look for any defects such as cracks or breaks. The holes on the board should be open on both sides. Then inspect and sort out the various parts for the boards. 

===FAST Controller Assembly===
1. Install the eight 51 ohm resistors in positions R1-R8. 
[[File:Build-01.jpg|300px]] 
2. Install the 14 pin IC socket so that the notch faces the top of the board like the silkscreen. 
[[File:Build-02.jpg|300px]] 
3. Install the 0.1uF capacitor in position C1. The capacitor is not polarized, so it can go in either way. 
4. Cut and solder eight 3" lengths of wire to J2 on the end of the board. The wires are numbered from 1-8. The #1 wire is near the bottom of the board in the square hole. 
5. Solder the input power wires to J1. The positive wire goes to the hole marked with the "+". 
6. Put the board to the side and do not install the PIC yet. 

===LED Segment Assembly===
Based on how long you are making the FAST, you will need to assemble 1-8 LED Segment boards. 
1. Solder the seven Superflux LEDs to the LED Segment PCB. The LEDs are polarized, there is one corner that is cut off and not square. The LED must be installed so that the orientation of the notched corner matches the silkscreen. '''WARNING, Some LEDs may have different orientations and they may need to be rotated 180 degrees from the silkscreen drawing. Please check to make sure know the correct orientation for your LEDs before soldering them to the PCB. Please check the group buy thread for the latest information before soldering the LEDS.''' 
2. Repeat Step #1 for each of your LED Segment PCBs. 
3. The LED Segment PCBs need to be interconnected to make them the desired length. This is done by aligning the Input holes of one PCB with the Output holes of the next board. To do this lay one board on top of the next and carefully align the Input and Output Holes. You need to solder eight jumpers through these holes to each of the PCBs. Short lengths or wire or cutoff leads from resistors or other components work great. 
[[File:Clips 1.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 2.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 3.jpg|300px]] 
4. Repeat Step #3 until you have the correct number of LED Segment PCBs connected. 

===Final Assembly===
1. Solder the wires from the FAST Controller to the Input of the top LED Segment PCB. The #1 wire on the controller side is near the bottom of the board and has a square hole. It is soldered to the #1 hole of the Input of the top LED Segment pcb, which is marked by the number 1. The holes on the LED Segment board are offset into two rows. The rows are odd and even. So the #2 wire from the FAST Controller goes into the first hole in second row slightly above and to the left of where you soldered in the first wire. The #3 wire goes in the hole directly above the #1 wire. The #4 wire goes above the #2 wire. Continue until you have soldered in all 8 wires. 
2. Inspect all of the PCBs to make sure that there are no issues with the soldering. 
3. Insert the PIC into the socket on the FAST Controller 
[[File:Build-05.jpg|300px]] 
4. Apply 5vdc to the power input of the FAST Controller and the LEDS should begin to light and fall. 
5. The FAST Controller should be placed behind the top LED Segment PCB with some cardboard between the board to prevent them from shorting out. This assembly can then slide into the plastic housing. 
[[File:Connection_Top.jpg|300px]] 
[[File:Connection_Side.jpg|300px]] 
6. Apply the end caps and seal the tube to prevent rain from entering. 

Congratulations, you have finished constructing your FAST. 

==Schematic==
===FAST Controller===
[[File:FAST_Controller_SCH.jpg|300px]] 
===FAST LED Segment===
TBD 

==Firmware==
The firmware is under development. If you are interested in helping add features, please contact [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth chelmuth] The current version is available here. 
[[File:FAST With Tail (Modular Wiring) 20110804.asm]]

==FAST Discussion Threads==
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?15589-Finally-Affortable-Snowfall-Tubes-(FAST) Original Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16137-Interest-FAST-LEDancer Interest Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16456-FAST-Ren48LSD-Ren4Flood-DIYC-Flood-Offsite-Group-Buy Group Buy Thread] 

==Video==
[http://vimeo.com/27348185 18" Prototype] 
[http://vimeo.com/23734734 Full 56 LED Proof of Concept Design]

[[Category:LED Projects]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]
[[Category:Display_Items]]

FAST Finally Affordable Snowfall Tube

2011-08-13T20:32:14Z

Chelmuth: /* Firmware */

== F.A.S.T ('''F'''inally '''A'''ffordable '''S'''nowfall '''T'''ube) ==

* NOTE - THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN-PROGRESS - IT IS NOT COMPLETE YET *

===What is FAST===
FAST was created by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] as a inexpensive substitute for commercial snowfall (meteor) tubes. Snowfall tubes are long clear plastic tubes that have a group of LEDs arranged in a linear fashion and the LEDs light in a sequential manner from the top to the bottom. The visual effect looks like a bright snowflake falling down. The FAST consists of a [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/f/f9/FAST_Controller.png FAST Controller PCB] that drives 1-8 [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/a/a3/LED_Segment.png LED Segment PCBs] each with 7 LED's per segment for a total of 7-56 SuperFlux LED's. Based on the numbr of LED Segment Boards used, the snowfall tubes can be between 6" to 48" in length.

The FAST is designed using a concept called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexing] Charlieplexing, in its simplest form, works using a matrix of complementary pairs of LEDs. This allows a large number of LEDs to be driven by a small number of I/O pins from a PIC microcontroller. In the FAST, 56 LEDs are controlled using just 8 connections! 

===FAST Controller===
[[File:FASTProto sm.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST Controller is a brains of the FAST, it contains a [http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/41203B.pdf PIC16F688-I/P] Microcontroller. The PIC must be programmed with the FAST software. The FAST controller is connected to a clean and stable 5VDC input to power the microprocessor and the LEDs. The FAST controller output is connected to a FAST LED Segment PCB. 

===FAST LED Segment===
[[File:LEDSegmentProto.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST LED Segment board is an approximately 6" long modular board that contains 7 Piranha Style Superflux LEDs connected in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexed] fashion. The boards are designed to allow multiple boards to be daisy chained to allow various length tubes to be constructed. From 1 - 8 boards can be connected to each FAST controller creating a 6" to 48" long snowfall tube.

=== Using the FAST ===

The FAST is run on 5vdc. The operation of the FAST is quite simple. You apply power and the tube starts to run. When you want it to stop you remove power. If you want it to make a half fall. You simply remove power before it get's to the bottom of the tube. If you want it to fall twice you leave power applied long enough to get two falls. Length of time with depend on fall time that you set before you programmed the PIC.

=== Controlling the FAST ===

The FAST is driven by 5vdc and draws approximately 25ma. The unit can be directly connected to a 5vdc power supply and the tube will run continuously. The FAST can also be driven by a variety of controllers. Examples of these are the [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]], a [[Renard_64XC|Ren64XC]] with [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] and the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]]. Note that the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]] was designed specifically for the purpose of driving Super Strips. The Ren64XC/DCSSR combination will work as well but it's a more expensive, larger and more cumbersome configuration to use but if you are driving other higher current DC devices, it can work fine.

==BOM==
From Mouser: 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Qty
! Part Number
! Description
|-
| 1
|571-1-390261-3
|IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN
|-
| 1
|579-PIC16F688-I/P
|Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O
|-
| 8
|299-51-RC
|Carbon Film Resistors - Through Hole 51ohms
|-
|1
|80-C322C104K5R
|0.1uF Capacitor Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors
|}

In addition, you will need up to 56 White Piranha Style Super flux LEDs. Other colors could be used, but you may need to adjust the resistor values on the controller board. 

The FAST needs to be placed in a housing for display. A common fluorescent tube protector which is available from [http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100163152&langId=-1&catalogId=10053 Home Depot] or [http://www.lowes.com/pd_280611-337-LTG04T8_0__?productId=1208471 Lowes] works well. A similar tube is available in quantity from [http://www.mcmaster.com/#2044T47 McMaster Carr] 
During the 2011 Fall [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/ Group Buy] a [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24 Hanging End Cap] was available.

==PCBs==
The PCBs for the FAST were designed by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] and [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?9-P.-Short Phil Short]
===FAST Controller PCB===
[[File:FAST_Controller.png|300px]]
===FAST LED Segment PCB===
[[File:LED_Segment.png|300px]]
 

==Assembly Instructions==
'''This section is still being written , it is not final!''' 

Assembly of the FAST is done in three steps:
# Assembly of the FAST Controller.
# Assembly of the LED Segments.
# Connecting the two units together and installing them in a housing. 

Begin by inspecting the PCBs to look for any defects such as cracks or breaks. The holes on the board should be open on both sides. Then inspect and sort out the various parts for the boards. 

===FAST Controller Assembly===
1. Install the eight 51 ohm resistors in positions R1-R8. 
[[File:Build-01.jpg|300px]] 
2. Install the 14 pin IC socket so that the notch faces the top of the board like the silkscreen. 
[[File:Build-02.jpg|300px]] 
3. Install the 0.1uF capacitor in position C1. The capacitor is not polarized, so it can go in either way. 
4. Cut and solder eight 3" lengths of wire to J2 on the end of the board. The wires are numbered from 1-8. The #1 wire is near the bottom of the board in the square hole. 
5. Solder the input power wires to J1. The positive wire goes to the hole marked with the "+". 
6. Put the board to the side and do not install the PIC yet. 

===LED Segment Assembly===
Based on how long you are making the FAST, you will need to assemble 1-8 LED Segment boards. 
1. Solder the seven Superflux LEDs to the LED Segment PCB. The LEDs are polarized, there is one corner that is cut off and not square. The LED must be installed so that the orientation of the notched corner matches the silkscreen. '''WARNING, Some LEDs may have different orientations and they may need to be rotated 180 degrees from the silkscreen drawing. Please check to make sure know the correct orientation for your LEDs before soldering them to the PCB. Please check the group buy thread for the latest information before soldering the LEDS.''' 
2. Repeat Step #1 for each of your LED Segment PCBs. 
3. The LED Segment PCBs need to be interconnected to make them the desired length. This is done by aligning the Input holes of one PCB with the Output holes of the next board. To do this lay one board on top of the next and carefully align the Input and Output Holes. You need to solder eight jumpers through these holes to each of the PCBs. Short lengths or wire or cutoff leads from resistors or other components work great. 
[[File:Clips 1.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 2.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 3.jpg|300px]] 
4. Repeat Step #3 until you have the correct number of LED Segment PCBs connected. 

===Final Assembly===
1. Solder the wires from the FAST Controller to the Input of the top LED Segment PCB. The #1 wire on the controller side is near the bottom of the board and has a square hole. It is soldered to the #1 hole of the Input of the top LED Segment pcb, which is marked by the number 1. The holes on the LED Segment board are offset into two rows. The rows are odd and even. So the #2 wire from the FAST Controller goes into the first hole in second row slightly above and to the left of where you soldered in the first wire. The #3 wire goes in the hole directly above the #1 wire. The #4 wire goes above the #2 wire. Continue until you have soldered in all 8 wires. 
2. Inspect all of the PCBs to make sure that there are no issues with the soldering. 
3. Insert the PIC into the socket on the FAST Controller 
[[File:Build-05.jpg|300px]] 
4. Apply 5vdc to the power input of the FAST Controller and the LEDS should begin to light and fall. 
5. The FAST Controller should be placed behind the top LED Segment PCB with some cardboard between the board to prevent them from shorting out. This assembly can then slide into the plastic housing. 
[[File:Connection_Top.jpg|300px]] 
[[File:Connection_Side.jpg|300px]] 
6. Apply the end caps and seal the tube to prevent rain from entering. 

Congratulations, you have finished constructing your FAST. 

==Schematic==
===FAST Controller===
[[File:FAST_Controller_SCH.jpg|300px]] 
===FAST LED Segment===
TBD 

==Firmware==
The firmware is under development. If you are interested in helping add features, please contact [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth chelmuth] The current version is available here.
[[File:FAST With Tail (Modular Wiring) 20110804.asm]]

==FAST Discussion Threads==
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?15589-Finally-Affortable-Snowfall-Tubes-(FAST) Original Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16137-Interest-FAST-LEDancer Interest Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16456-FAST-Ren48LSD-Ren4Flood-DIYC-Flood-Offsite-Group-Buy Group Buy Thread] 

==Video==
[http://vimeo.com/27348185 18" Prototype] 
[http://vimeo.com/23734734 Full 56 LED Proof of Concept Design]

[[Category:LED Projects]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]
[[Category:Display_Items]]

FAST Finally Affordable Snowfall Tube

2011-08-12T19:44:08Z

Chelmuth: /* Video */

== F.A.S.T ('''F'''inally '''A'''ffordable '''S'''nowfall '''T'''ube) ==

* NOTE - THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN-PROGRESS - IT IS NOT COMPLETE YET *

===What is FAST===
FAST was created by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] as a inexpensive substitute for commercial snowfall (meteor) tubes. Snowfall tubes are long clear plastic tubes that have a group of LEDs arranged in a linear fashion and the LEDs light in a sequential manner from the top to the bottom. The visual effect looks like a bright snowflake falling down. The FAST consists of a [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/f/f9/FAST_Controller.png FAST Controller PCB] that drives 1-8 [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/a/a3/LED_Segment.png LED Segment PCBs] each with 7 LED's per segment for a total of 7-56 SuperFlux LED's. Based on the numbr of LED Segment Boards used, the snowfall tubes can be between 6" to 48" in length.

The FAST is designed using a concept called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexing] Charlieplexing, in its simplest form, works using a matrix of complementary pairs of LEDs. This allows a large number of LEDs to be driven by a small number of I/O pins from a PIC microcontroller. In the FAST, 56 LEDs are controlled using just 8 connections! 

===FAST Controller===
[[File:FASTProto sm.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST Controller is a brains of the FAST, it contains a [http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/41203B.pdf PIC16F688-I/P] Microcontroller. The PIC must be programmed with the FAST software. The FAST controller is connected to a clean and stable 5VDC input to power the microprocessor and the LEDs. The FAST controller output is connected to a FAST LED Segment PCB. 

===FAST LED Segment===
[[File:LEDSegmentProto.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST LED Segment board is an approximately 6" long modular board that contains 7 Piranha Style Superflux LEDs connected in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexed] fashion. The boards are designed to allow multiple boards to be daisy chained to allow various length tubes to be constructed. From 1 - 8 boards can be connected to each FAST controller creating a 6" to 48" long snowfall tube.

=== Using the FAST ===

The FAST is run on 5vdc. The operation of the FAST is quite simple. You apply power and the tube starts to run. When you want it to stop you remove power. If you want it to make a half fall. You simply remove power before it get's to the bottom of the tube. If you want it to fall twice you leave power applied long enough to get two falls. Length of time with depend on fall time that you set before you programmed the PIC.

=== Controlling the FAST ===

The FAST is driven by 5vdc and draws approximately 25ma. The unit can be directly connected to a 5vdc power supply and the tube will run continuously. The FAST can also be driven by a variety of controllers. Examples of these are the [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]], a [[Renard_64XC|Ren64XC]] with [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] and the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]]. Note that the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]] was designed specifically for the purpose of driving Super Strips. The Ren64XC/DCSSR combination will work as well but it's a more expensive, larger and more cumbersome configuration to use but if you are driving other higher current DC devices, it can work fine.

==BOM==
From Mouser: 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Qty
! Part Number
! Description
|-
| 1
|571-1-390261-3
|IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN
|-
| 1
|579-PIC16F688-I/P
|Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O
|-
| 8
|299-51-RC
|Carbon Film Resistors - Through Hole 51ohms
|-
|1
|80-C322C104K5R
|0.1uF Capacitor Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors
|}

In addition, you will need up to 56 White Piranha Style Super flux LEDs. Other colors could be used, but you may need to adjust the resistor values on the controller board. 

The FAST needs to be placed in a housing for display. A common fluorescent tube protector which is available from [http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100163152&langId=-1&catalogId=10053 Home Depot] or [http://www.lowes.com/pd_280611-337-LTG04T8_0__?productId=1208471 Lowes] works well. A similar tube is available in quantity from [http://www.mcmaster.com/#2044T47 McMaster Carr] 
During the 2011 Fall [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/ Group Buy] a [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24 Hanging End Cap] was available.

==PCBs==
The PCBs for the FAST were designed by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] and [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?9-P.-Short Phil Short]
===FAST Controller PCB===
[[File:FAST_Controller.png|300px]]
===FAST LED Segment PCB===
[[File:LED_Segment.png|300px]]
 

==Assembly Instructions==
'''This section is still being written , it is not final!''' 

Assembly of the FAST is done in three steps:
# Assembly of the FAST Controller.
# Assembly of the LED Segments.
# Connecting the two units together and installing them in a housing. 

Begin by inspecting the PCBs to look for any defects such as cracks or breaks. The holes on the board should be open on both sides. Then inspect and sort out the various parts for the boards. 

===FAST Controller Assembly===
1. Install the eight 51 ohm resistors in positions R1-R8. 
[[File:Build-01.jpg|300px]] 
2. Install the 14 pin IC socket so that the notch faces the top of the board like the silkscreen. 
[[File:Build-02.jpg|300px]] 
3. Install the 0.1uF capacitor in position C1. The capacitor is not polarized, so it can go in either way. 
4. Cut and solder eight 3" lengths of wire to J2 on the end of the board. The wires are numbered from 1-8. The #1 wire is near the bottom of the board in the square hole. 
5. Solder the input power wires to J1. The positive wire goes to the hole marked with the "+". 
6. Put the board to the side and do not install the PIC yet. 

===LED Segment Assembly===
Based on how long you are making the FAST, you will need to assemble 1-8 LED Segment boards. 
1. Solder the seven Superflux LEDs to the LED Segment PCB. The LEDs are polarized, there is one corner that is cut off and not square. The LED must be installed so that the orientation of the notched corner matches the silkscreen. '''WARNING, Some LEDs may have different orientations and they may need to be rotated 180 degrees from the silkscreen drawing. Please check to make sure know the correct orientation for your LEDs before soldering them to the PCB. Please check the group buy thread for the latest information before soldering the LEDS.''' 
2. Repeat Step #1 for each of your LED Segment PCBs. 
3. The LED Segment PCBs need to be interconnected to make them the desired length. This is done by aligning the Input holes of one PCB with the Output holes of the next board. To do this lay one board on top of the next and carefully align the Input and Output Holes. You need to solder eight jumpers through these holes to each of the PCBs. Short lengths or wire or cutoff leads from resistors or other components work great. 
[[File:Clips 1.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 2.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 3.jpg|300px]] 
4. Repeat Step #3 until you have the correct number of LED Segment PCBs connected. 

===Final Assembly===
1. Solder the wires from the FAST Controller to the Input of the top LED Segment PCB. The #1 wire on the controller side is near the bottom of the board and has a square hole. It is soldered to the #1 hole of the Input of the top LED Segment pcb, which is marked by the number 1. The holes on the LED Segment board are offset into two rows. The rows are odd and even. So the #2 wire from the FAST Controller goes into the first hole in second row slightly above and to the left of where you soldered in the first wire. The #3 wire goes in the hole directly above the #1 wire. The #4 wire goes above the #2 wire. Continue until you have soldered in all 8 wires. 
2. Inspect all of the PCBs to make sure that there are no issues with the soldering. 
3. Insert the PIC into the socket on the FAST Controller 
[[File:Build-05.jpg|300px]] 
4. Apply 5vdc to the power input of the FAST Controller and the LEDS should begin to light and fall. 
5. The FAST Controller should be placed behind the top LED Segment PCB with some cardboard between the board to prevent them from shorting out. This assembly can then slide into the plastic housing. 
[[File:Connection_Top.jpg|300px]] 
[[File:Connection_Side.jpg|300px]] 
6. Apply the end caps and seal the tube to prevent rain from entering. 

Congratulations, you have finished constructing your FAST. 

==Schematic==
===FAST Controller===
[[File:FAST_Controller_SCH.jpg|300px]] 
===FAST LED Segment===
TBD 

==Firmware==
The firmware is under development. If you are interested in helping add features, please contact [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth chelmuth] The current version is available here.
[[File:FAST With Tail (Modular Wiring) 20110804.asm]]

==FAST Discussion Threads==
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?15589-Finally-Affortable-Snowfall-Tubes-(FAST) Original Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16137-Interest-FAST-LEDancer Interest Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16456-FAST-Ren48LSD-Ren4Flood-DIYC-Flood-Offsite-Group-Buy Group Buy Thread] 

==Video==
[http://vimeo.com/27348185 18" Prototype] 
[http://vimeo.com/23734734 Full 56 LED Proof of Concept Design]

[[Category:LED Projects]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]
[[Category:Display_Items]]

File:FAST Controller.png

2011-08-12T19:41:40Z

Chelmuth: uploaded a new version of "File:FAST Controller.png": Fixed Pads

FAST Controller Board Design

File:FAST Controller SCH.jpg

2011-08-05T22:31:26Z

Chelmuth: uploaded a new version of "File:FAST Controller SCH.jpg"

Fast Controller Schematic

File:FAST Controller SCH.jpg

2011-08-05T22:30:38Z

Chelmuth: uploaded a new version of "File:FAST Controller SCH.jpg"

Fast Controller Schematic

File:FAST Controller SCH.jpg

2011-08-05T22:18:35Z

Chelmuth: Fast Controller Schematic

Fast Controller Schematic

File:Connection Top.jpg

2011-08-05T21:32:24Z

Chelmuth: Controller To Segment Connection Top View

Controller To Segment Connection Top View

File:Connection Side.jpg

2011-08-05T21:32:02Z

Chelmuth: Controller To Segment Connection Side View

Controller To Segment Connection Side View

FAST Finally Affordable Snowfall Tube

2011-08-05T21:09:54Z

Chelmuth: /* LED Segment Assembly */

== F.A.S.T (Finally Affordable Snowfall Tubes) ==

* NOTE - THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN-PROGRESS - IT IS NOT COMPLETE YET *

===What is FAST===
FAST was created by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] as a inexpensive substitute for commercial snowfall (meteor) tubes. Snowfall tubes are long clear plastic tubes that have a group of LEDs arranged in a linear fashion and the LEDs light in a sequential manner from the top to the bottom. The visual effect looks like a bright snowflake falling down. The FAST consists of a [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/f/f9/FAST_Controller.png FAST Controller PCB] that drives 1-8 [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/a/a3/LED_Segment.png LED Segment PCBs] each with 7 LED's per segment for a total of 7-56 SuperFlux LED's. Based on the numbr of LED Segment Boards used, the snowfall tubes can be between 6" to 48" in length.

The FAST is designed using a concept called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexing] Charlieplexing, in its simplest form, works using a matrix of complementary pairs of LEDs. This allows a large number of LEDs to be driven by a small number of I/O pins from a PIC microcontroller. In the FAST, 56 LEDs are controlled using just 8 connections! 

===FAST Controller===
[[File:FASTProto sm.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST Controller is a brains of the FAST, it contains a [http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/41203B.pdf PIC16F688-I/P] Microcontroller. The PIC must be programmed with the FAST software. The FAST controller is connected to a clean and stable 5VDC input to power the microprocessor and the LEDs. The FAST controller output is connected to a FAST LED Segment PCB. 

===FAST LED Segment===
[[File:LEDSegmentProto.jpg|300px]] 
The FAST LED Segment board is an approximately 6" long modular board that contains 7 Piranha Style Superflux LEDs connected in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlieplexing Charlieplexed] fashion. The boards are designed to allow multiple boards to be daisy chained to allow various length tubes to be constructed. From 1 - 8 boards can be connected to each FAST controller creating a 6" to 48" long snowfall tube.

=== Using the FAST ===

The FAST is run on 5vdc. The operation of the FAST is quite simple. You apply power and the tube starts to run. When you want it to stop you remove power. If you want it to make a half fall. You simply remove power before it get's to the bottom of the tube. If you want it to fall twice you leave power applied long enough to get two falls. Length of time with depend on fall time that you set before you programmed the PIC.

=== Controlling the FAST ===

The FAST is driven by 5vdc and draws approximately 25ma. The unit can be directly connected to a 5vdc power supply and the tube will run continuously. The FAST can also be driven by a variety of controllers. Examples of these are the [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]], a [[Renard_64XC|Ren64XC]] with [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] and the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]]. Note that the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]] was designed specifically for the purpose of driving Super Strips. The Ren64XC/DCSSR combination will work as well but it's a more expensive, larger and more cumbersome configuration to use but if you are driving other higher current DC devices, it can work fine.

==BOM==
From Mouser: 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Qty
! Part Number
! Description
|-
| 1
|571-1-390261-3
|IC & Component Sockets 14P ECONOMY TIN
|-
| 1
|579-PIC16F688-I/P
|Microcontrollers (MCU) 7KB 256 RAM 12 I/O
|-
| 8
|299-51-RC
|Carbon Film Resistors - Through Hole 51ohms
|-
|1
|80-C322C104K5R
|0.1uF Capacitor Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors
|}

In addition, you will need up to 56 White Piranha Style Super flux LEDs. Other colors could be used, but you may need to adjust the resistor values on the controller board. 

The FAST needs to be placed in a housing for display. A common fluorescent tube protector which is available from [http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100163152&langId=-1&catalogId=10053 Home Depot] or [http://www.lowes.com/pd_280611-337-LTG04T8_0__?productId=1208471 Lowes] works well. A similar tube is available in quantity from [http://www.mcmaster.com/#2044T47 McMaster Carr] 
During the 2011 Fall [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/ Group Buy] a [http://www.crazychristmaslights.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24 Hanging End Cap] was available.

==PCBs==
The PCBs for the FAST were designed by [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth Cory Helmuth] and [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?9-P.-Short Phil Short]
===FAST Controller PCB===
[[File:FAST_Controller.png|300px]]
===FAST LED Segment PCB===
[[File:LED_Segment.png|300px]]
 

==Assembly Instructions==
'''This section is still being written , it is not final!''' 

Assembly of the FAST is done in three steps.
# Assembly of the FAST Controller
# Assembly of the LED Segments
# Connecting the two units together 

Begin by inspecting the PCBs to look for any defects such as cracks or breaks. The holes on the board should be open on both sides. Then inspect and sort out the various parts for the boards. 

===FAST Controller Assembly===
1. Install the eight 51 ohm resistors in positions R1-R8. 
[[File:Build-01.jpg|300px]] 
2. Install the 14 pin IC socket so that the notch faces the top of the board like the silkscreen. 
[[File:Build-02.jpg|300px]] 
3. Install the 0.1uF capacitor in position C1. The capacitor is not polarized, so it can go in either way. 
4. Cut and solder eight 2" lengths of wire to J2 on the end of the board. The wires are numbered from 1-8. The #1 wire is near the bottom of the board in the square hole. 
5. Solder the input power wires to J1. The positive wire goes to the hole marked with the "+". 
6. Put the board to the side and do not install the PIC yet. 

===LED Segment Assembly===
Based on how long you are making the FAST, you will need to assemble 1-8 LED Segment boards. 
1. Solder the seven Superflux LEDs to the LED Segment PCB. The LEDs are polarized, there is one corner that is cut off and not square. The LED must be installed so that the orientation of the notched corner matches the silkscreen. '''WARNING, Some LEDS may have different orientations and they may need to be rotated 180 degrees from the silkscreen drawing. Please check to make sure know the correct orientation for your LEDs before soldering them to the PCB. Please check the group buy thread for the latest information before soldering the LEDS.''' 
2. Repeat Step #1 for each of your LED Segment PCBs. 
3. The LED Segment PCBs need to be interconnected to make them the desired length. This is done by aligning the Input holes of one PCB with the Output holes of the next board. To do this lay one board on top of the next and carefully align the Input and Output Holes. You need to solder eight jumpers through these holes to each of the PCBs. Short lengths or wire or cutoff leads from resistors or other components work great. 
[[File:Clips 1.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 2.jpg|300px]] 

[[File:Clips 3.jpg|300px]] 
4. Repeat Step #3 until you have the correct number of LED Segment PCBs connected. 

===Final Assembly===
1. Solder the wires from the FAST Controller to the Input of the top LED Segment PCB. The #1 wire on the controller side is near the bottom of the board and has a square hole. It is soldered to the #1 hole of the Input of the top LED Segment pcb, which is marked by the number 1. The holes on the LED Segment board are offset into two rows. The rows are odd and even. So the #2 wire from the FAST Controller goes into the first hole in second row slightly above and to the left of where you soldered in the first wire. The #3 wire goes in the hole directly above the #1 wire. The #4 wire goes above the #2 wire. Continue until you have soldered in all 8 wires. 
2. Inspect all of the PCBs to make sure that there are no issues with the soldering. 
3. Insert the PIC into the socket on the FAST Controller 
[[File:Build-05.jpg|300px]] 
4. Apply 5vdc to the power input of the FAST Controller and the LEDS should begin to light and fall. 
5. The FAST Controller should be placed behind the top LED Segment PCB with some cardboard between the board to prevent them from shorting out. This assembly can then slide into the plastic housing. 
6. Apply the end caps and seal the tube to prevent rain from entering. 

Congratulations, you have finished constructing your FAST. 

==Schematic==
TBD

==Firmware==
The firmware is under development. If you are interested in helping add features, please contact [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/member.php?7268-chelmuth chelmuth] The current version is available here.
[[File:FAST With Tail (Modular Wiring) 20110804.asm]]

==FAST Discussion Threads==
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?15589-Finally-Affortable-Snowfall-Tubes-(FAST) Original Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16137-Interest-FAST-LEDancer Interest Thread] 
[http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?16456-FAST-Ren48LSD-Ren4Flood-DIYC-Flood-Offsite-Group-Buy Group Buy Thread] 

==Video==
[http://vimeo.com/27348185 18" Prototype] 
[http://vimeo.com/23734734 48" Proof of Concept Design]

[[Category:LED Projects]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

File:Clips 3.jpg

2011-08-05T00:52:26Z

Chelmuth: Connecting Segments Together With Resistors Lead Clippings Step 3

Connecting Segments Together With Resistors Lead Clippings Step 3

File:Clips 2.jpg

2011-08-05T00:52:04Z

Chelmuth: Connecting Segments Together With Resistors Lead Clippings Step 2

Connecting Segments Together With Resistors Lead Clippings Step 2

File:Clips 1.jpg

2011-08-05T00:51:50Z

Chelmuth: Connecting Segments Together With Resistors Lead Clippings Step 1

Connecting Segments Together With Resistors Lead Clippings Step 1

File:Build-05.jpg

2011-08-05T00:51:07Z

Chelmuth: Controller Connected to Segment

Controller Connected to Segment

File:Build-02.jpg

2011-08-05T00:50:37Z

Chelmuth: Socket Soldered

Socket Soldered

File:Build-01.jpg

2011-08-05T00:50:10Z

Chelmuth: Resistors Soldered

Resistors Soldered

File:LEDSegmentProto.jpg

2011-08-05T00:24:02Z

Chelmuth:

File:LEDSegmenProto.jpg

2011-08-05T00:23:29Z

Chelmuth:

File:FASTProto sm.jpg

2011-08-05T00:22:35Z

Chelmuth:

File:FASTProto.jpg

2011-08-05T00:19:00Z

Chelmuth: uploaded a new version of "File:FASTProto.jpg": Fast Controller Prototype Board

Fast Controller Prototype Board

File:FASTProto.jpg

2011-08-05T00:16:06Z

Chelmuth: Fast Controller Prototype Board

Fast Controller Prototype Board

File:FAST With Tail (Modular Wiring) 20110804.asm

2011-08-05T00:02:15Z

Chelmuth:

Main Page

2011-08-04T23:53:09Z

Chelmuth: /* Other areas of DoItYourselfChristmas */

<big>'''ChristmasWiki'''</big>

[[Image:avatar.gif|right]]

'''Welcome to the ChristmasWiki! This is the official wiki for the DIY Christmas display community.''' 
Here you will find all sorts of information - from how to hang Christmas lights, to PCB designs for special hardware to flash those lights, to software that makes it all work together.

Everything you read here is a contribution from the members of DoItYourselfChristmas.com. If you would like to make a contribution, please do as we all have ideas to share. The more content we have, the better we become.

Contributions do not have to be specific to Christmas. Information here can include anything that can or is used for any holiday display like Halloween or the 4th of July. It can be a simple trick to make your display easier to put up and take down, or a detailed set of instructions for building an amazing prop. If we get a small contribution from every member then we will have the largest collection of How-Tos and Tips of any display-oriented site on the Internet. So let's all write up an article or two.

<big>[[Disclaimers]]</big>

=='''Categories'''==

<table border="1">

<tr><td>[[Image:diyc.jpg]]</td><td>'''[[DIYC Beginners Info]]'''</td><td>Starting point for beginners to get familiar with DIYC.</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Image:Mp_software.GIF]]</td><td>'''[[Software]]'''</td><td>[[Vixen]] and other forms of software to control lights or for other lights-related purposes.</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Image:Mp_generalinfo.GIF]]</td><td>'''[[General Information and Tips]]'''</td><td>General information and tips, from quick tips, to conceptual-level documents, to detailed wiring descriptions.</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Image:Mp_displayconstruction.GIF]]</td><td>'''[[Display Construction]]'''</td><td>How to construct items for your display.</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Image:Mp_electronicshardware.GIF]]</td><td>'''[[Electronics Hardware]]'''</td><td>Electronics hardware you can build to control lights or other items. Includes general overviews and documentation for various designs.</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Image:Mp_protocols.GIF]]</td><td>'''[[Protocols]]'''</td><td>An in-depth look at how light controllers, computers, and other devices communicate in a light show setup.</td></tr>

</table>

== ''Other areas of DoItYourselfChristmas'' ==
*[http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com Home Page]
*[http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/index.php Forum]
*[http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/addonchat.php Chatroom]

==''Navigating the ChristmasWiki''==
The '''ChristmasWiki''' has been organized through the use of wiki categories.
Categories can be accessed via the links at the bottom of each wiki page. Each page also has a link to the '''''DIYC Index''''' category which lists all the pages and categories contained in the wiki.

The '''ChristmasWiki''' is basically organized in the following manner:

[[Image:ChristmasWiki_Organization.jpg | 1000px]]

== ''Editing the ChristmasWiki''==
If you do decide to make a contribution, please follow the format that is currently being utilized. Your article should have its own page and be linked to from the most appropriate category page. 

When uploading images, please try to keep them sized at 200px x 150px, or smaller/larger depending on how it will be used. 

Please use Section Headers (with equals signs) to divide the content on your pages. This allows a Table of Contents to be generated and also makes the article easier to read. 

''The below links do not point to any content on this site. They point to the MediaWiki support pages.''

* Consult the [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents User's Guide] for information on using the wiki software.
* [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:FAQ MediaWiki FAQ]

[[Category:DIYC Home]]
[[Category:DIYC Index]]

Main Page

2011-08-04T23:52:41Z

Chelmuth: /* Other areas of DoItYourselfChristmas */

<big>'''ChristmasWiki'''</big>

[[Image:avatar.gif|right]]

'''Welcome to the ChristmasWiki! This is the official wiki for the DIY Christmas display community.''' 
Here you will find all sorts of information - from how to hang Christmas lights, to PCB designs for special hardware to flash those lights, to software that makes it all work together.

Everything you read here is a contribution from the members of DoItYourselfChristmas.com. If you would like to make a contribution, please do as we all have ideas to share. The more content we have, the better we become.

Contributions do not have to be specific to Christmas. Information here can include anything that can or is used for any holiday display like Halloween or the 4th of July. It can be a simple trick to make your display easier to put up and take down, or a detailed set of instructions for building an amazing prop. If we get a small contribution from every member then we will have the largest collection of How-Tos and Tips of any display-oriented site on the Internet. So let's all write up an article or two.

<big>[[Disclaimers]]</big>

=='''Categories'''==

<table border="1">

<tr><td>[[Image:diyc.jpg]]</td><td>'''[[DIYC Beginners Info]]'''</td><td>Starting point for beginners to get familiar with DIYC.</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Image:Mp_software.GIF]]</td><td>'''[[Software]]'''</td><td>[[Vixen]] and other forms of software to control lights or for other lights-related purposes.</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Image:Mp_generalinfo.GIF]]</td><td>'''[[General Information and Tips]]'''</td><td>General information and tips, from quick tips, to conceptual-level documents, to detailed wiring descriptions.</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Image:Mp_displayconstruction.GIF]]</td><td>'''[[Display Construction]]'''</td><td>How to construct items for your display.</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Image:Mp_electronicshardware.GIF]]</td><td>'''[[Electronics Hardware]]'''</td><td>Electronics hardware you can build to control lights or other items. Includes general overviews and documentation for various designs.</td></tr>

<tr><td>[[Image:Mp_protocols.GIF]]</td><td>'''[[Protocols]]'''</td><td>An in-depth look at how light controllers, computers, and other devices communicate in a light show setup.</td></tr>

</table>

== ''Other areas of DoItYourselfChristmas'' ==
*[http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com Home Page]
*[http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/index.php Forum]
*[www.doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/addonchat.php Chatroom]

==''Navigating the ChristmasWiki''==
The '''ChristmasWiki''' has been organized through the use of wiki categories.
Categories can be accessed via the links at the bottom of each wiki page. Each page also has a link to the '''''DIYC Index''''' category which lists all the pages and categories contained in the wiki.

The '''ChristmasWiki''' is basically organized in the following manner:

[[Image:ChristmasWiki_Organization.jpg | 1000px]]

== ''Editing the ChristmasWiki''==
If you do decide to make a contribution, please follow the format that is currently being utilized. Your article should have its own page and be linked to from the most appropriate category page. 

When uploading images, please try to keep them sized at 200px x 150px, or smaller/larger depending on how it will be used. 

Please use Section Headers (with equals signs) to divide the content on your pages. This allows a Table of Contents to be generated and also makes the article easier to read. 

''The below links do not point to any content on this site. They point to the MediaWiki support pages.''

* Consult the [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents User's Guide] for information on using the wiki software.
* [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:FAQ MediaWiki FAQ]

[[Category:DIYC Home]]
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FAST Finally Affordable Snowfall Tube

2011-08-04T22:11:50Z

Chelmuth:

== F.A.S.T (Finally Affordable Snowfall Tubes) ==

* NOTE - THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN-PROGRESS - IT IS NOT COMPLETE YET *

===What is FAST===
Fast was created by Cory Helmuth as a inexpensive substitute for commercial snowfall tubes. It consists of a [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/f/f9/FAST_Controller.png FAST Controller PCB] that drives 1-8 [http://doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/images/a/a3/LED_Segment.png LED Segment PCBs] each with 7 LED's per segment for a total of 7-56 SuperFlux LED's and 6" to 48" in length.

[[File:FAST_Controller.png|thumb|center]][[File:LED_Segment.png|thumb|center]]

=== Using the FAST ===

The FAST is run on 5vdc. The operation of the FAST is quite simple. You apply power and the tube starts to run. When you want it to stop you remove power. If you want it to make a half fall. You simply remove power before it get's to the bottom of the tube. If you want it to fall twice you leave power applied long enough to get two falls. Length of time with depend on fall time that you set before you programmed the PIC.

=== Controlling the FAST ===

There are a variety of controllers that can be used to drive the FAST. Examples of these are the [[Renard 24LV|Frank's Ren24LV]], a [[Renard_64XC|Ren64XC]] with [[DCSSR|DCSSRs]] and the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]]. Note that the [[Ren48LSDv3c|Ren48LSD]] was designed specifically for the purpose of driving Super Strips. The Ren64XC/DCSSR combination will work as well but it's a more expensive, larger and more cumbersome configuration to use but if you are driving other higher current DC devices, it can work fine.

Electronics Hardware

2011-08-04T22:07:11Z

Chelmuth: Added FAST Controller Links

This page contains links to ChristmasWiki entries relating to electronics hardware. It also has an overview of various types of DIY hardware that works with [[Vixen]] software.

==Links==

[[Hardware Design Guidelines]]- The DIYC community standard for hardware design. It is recommended that you check your electronic device and PCB designs against this standard.

[[Co-Op Boards and Assembly Instructions]]- Assembly instructions and documentation on boards that can be obtained through a DIYC COOP.

[[Comparison of DIY Boards]]- Charts that compare statistics on various COOP boards, including their channel count, cost, and COOP status.

[[Renard Main Page]]- Renard is a simple PIC-Based Light Dimmer Controller for use with Vixen.

[[Solid State Relays]]- Solid State Relays (SSRs) are used for switching of mains-voltage lights in a computerized display.

[[DMX to Grinch/595 convertor]]- How to make your Grinch speak DMX.

[[Olsen 595]]- How to make an Olsen 595 controller at home.

[[DMX ROBO Spot Light]]- How to build a Robotic Full Color Spotlight.

[[Control boards and Contacts]]- list of board designs found on DIYC and contact sources for them.

[[Compatible Serial Adapters]]- list of known serial port adapters that will work with our displays.

==Overview of DIY Hardware Approaches That Work With Vixen==

This section provides information about Do-It-Yourself (DIY) hardware that works with the [[Vixen]] software program. Vixen is a Windows (.NET Framework 2) program that runs on a PC, and is used to create and run light shows that may be synchronized to music. Here is a brief list of the DIY approaches that you can take that will work with Vixen.

===Non-Dimmable Light Controllers===

====SSR Direct Attach====

* Controlled through: Parallel Port
* Documentation: [[Solid State Relays]]

If you need 12 or fewer channels, you can just buy or build SSRs and connect them to the parallel port on your PC, and use them to turn 110VAC light strings (or just plain lamps) on and off (no dimming). These ssrs must be sourced or positive switched. From time to time there are coop buys of SSR boards,but these are usually sinked, and/or parts, to reduce your expense. You could place a couple ULN2803s and use the coop sinked ssrs. For more information on this come over to the forum and/or ask on the LiveChat.

====Kit74====
*Controlled through: Parallel Port

This is a kit with mechanical relays that can be purchased from various places. It is similar to the SSR Direct Attach, although the mechanical relays are noisy and have a limited lifespan. There are probably other similar kits available as well.

====Hill320====
* Controlled through: Parallel Port
* Documentation: http://computerchristmas.com/christmas/link-how_to/HowToId-4/How_To_Build_A_Parallel_Port_Controller_Box

This is a controller originally designed by Hill Robertson http://computerchristmas.com to allow up to 320 channels to be controlled by a PC, and requires an external power supply and SSRs. There isn't any coop board for this design at the moment. It is a more complicated design, and it is not currently recommended for newbies.

====Olsen 595/Grinch====
*Controlled through: Parallel Port
*Documentation: [[The GRINCH Controller]], [[GRINCH Controller Assembly Instructions]]
*Documentation: [[Olsen 595]]

This is a popular controller based on an approach first popularized on the http://computerchristmas.com and/or http://planetchristmas.com forums by Peter Olsen. In its first incarnation it used 8-bit 74HC595 logic chips, often with external buffers, while a later design (Grinch), popularized by Robert Jordan, uses 16-bit chips specialized for this use. There are coop boards available for both of these designs. These coop boards need external power supplies, and work with external (coop) SSR boards to control AC lighting.

There are some variations of this approach that support dimming, but they are not as popular and there aren't any coop boards available. However, using a [[Ren-C]] board can add dimming capability to a 595 or Grinch, which causes the board to operate as a Renard board. There is also an option available to run a Grinch or 595 controller from DMX with full dimming capability [[DMX_to_Grinch/595_convertor | HERE]].

The Grinch board is a good choice if you need more than 12 channels but want a board that is simple to build. It doesn't use very many parts, and is easy to assemble.

===Dimmable Light Controllers===
====Firegod====
*Controlled through : Serial Port
*Documentation: [[Firegod]]

This is a modular system that supports 32 to 128 channels per serial port, in increments of 32 channels, with 100 levels of dimming (using pulse width modulation - PWM). It consists of a host controller module and one to four field modules. The SSRs are not included on these boards, and must be provided separately. The interface to this system is RS-232. This system is available on a coop basis from time to time, with the kits including the boards, the parts, and pre-programmed microcontroller chips (PICs). This board is intermediate in complexity to build.

====Renard====
*Controlled through: Serial Port
*Documentation: [[Renard]] (general info) and info on [[Renard Main Page | Renard Boards]]

This is another modular system that supports a varying number of channels, depending on baud rate selection. It supports 256 levels of dimming, and can be configured with or without PWM, or for use in DC applications. There are several coop boards available for this system with varying capabilities. It can be a fairly complex system because there are so many options. More information is available at the link listed above.

====Lynx====
*Controlled through: [[DMX]]
*Manual [[LYNX_Controller_Manual]]
The Lynx is a DIY dimmer design that uses [[DMX]] as its protocol but uses standard Cat5 cable for interconnections. It's designed to be similar to the layout of commercially available dimmers (LOR, AL, etc). It is an all in one unit that has its own power supply and SSR's built into it. You connect your DMX Cat5 and plug it in. Lights plug into female cord connections that exit from the board. It allows for a full 256 levels of dimming. The starting address is programmed via vixen. Since it uses the DMX protocol you can run 512 channels of Lynx on one DMX universe at 25ms timming.

In an effort to prevent variations in the design (leading to complications for the newer builders), insure that troubleshooting help can be provided, and keep the total cost as low as possible it is done as a modified coop. All the parts including the PCB and an enclosure are included. The necessary PIC microprocessor will come with the program preloaded so that the builder will not need a PIC programmer. A detailed instruction manual with pictures is included and should allow anyone with basic soldering skills to successfully build the controller.

====Helix====
*Controlled through: Standalone
*Documentation: [[Helix]]

The Helix is a standalone, networkable, modular system that supports a virtually unlimited number of channels. It supports 256 levels of PWM dimming. A Helix system consists of a Helix Main board and up to three Helix Daughter boards. Each Main board and Daughter board can control up to 32 channels. The Main board and basic Daughter board uses the standard four channel SSR boards. There is a 32ch SSR Daughter board that has the SSRs integrated with a basic Daughter board. If more than 128 channels are needed another Helix system can be added to form a Helix Network. These systems stay sync’d via a wireless XBee link. Up to 251 additional Helix systems can be added to the Helix Network as long as they are within radio range of the first Helix system. This allows up to 32,128 channels in a pure Helix system.

Since it is a standalone system, the Helix is a fairly complex system to build and operate. In an effort to minimize the complexity, the design and firmware are configuration controlled by the original system designer, Gregory Bartlett (gmbartlett). The PCBs and preprogrammed EEPROMs are available from him. All PCBs are bare except for the Helix Main Board. Since it requires a surface mount microSD card socket, this part comes presoldered.

===Other Controllers (Signs, Servos, etc.)===
====LedTriks====
*Controlled through: Parallel Port
*Documentation: [[LedTriks Controller Assembly Instructions]] [http://www.christmasinshirley.com/wiki/images/8/8e/LEDTriks_Wiring_Schematic.pdf LedTriks Wiring Diagram]

This board controls low-voltage LED panel and was designed by Robert Jordan. These panels are typically 16 LEDs high by 48 LEDs wide, for a total of 768 LEDs. Vixen can control up to four panels through one parallel port, and can even display text.

One of the problems with the original LedTriks design was the load placed on the PC to chunk the data out the parallel port. The Triks-C and the PIX-C controllers were created to address these shortcomings.

=====Triks-C=====
*Controlled through: Serial port or USB/serial adapter.
*Documentation: [[TRIKSC]], [http://www.christmasinshirley.com/wiki/index.php?title=Image:TRIKSC_CONTROLLER_v.0.1_manual.pdf Manual in PDF format]

This is a an add-on controller/processor for the LedTriks. The TRIKS-C uses an ATMEL processor to take a LedTriks file and send it out to the LedTriks Controller, via the serial port.

=====PIX-C=====
*Controlled through: Serial port or USB/serial adapter.
*Documentation: [[PIX-C]]

This is an add-on controller/processor for the LedTriks. It is backward compatible with the TRIKS-C, and is based on the Microchip 16F688 processor.

====JEC Pixel Displays====
*Controlled through: [[DMX]]

Pixels are a stand-alone lighting fixture controlled by DMX-512. Each pixel has banks of red, green and blue wide-angle LEDs, currently six of each. Firmware is available in two versions: 3 and 4 channel. 3 channel requires a dmx channel for red, green and blue intensity. Four channel adds master intensity control to the original three.

Pixels require a stiff +12v switching power supply. Each circuit board draws ~ 130 mA at full brightness. Pixels chain together using standard CAT5 networking cable. Per the DMX spec, no more than 32 pixels should be connected together without using an optosplitter / signal buffer.

LED refresh rate is nearly 100 Hz.

More details can be found at http://www.response-box.com/rgblights

Currently in progress is a version of the firmware which will allow the DMX address to be changed in the field. Currently the address is hard-coded.

====rgbLED====
* Controlled through: Serial Port

The RGB LED's will have the ability to make hundreds of colors with a single led. They can be controlled individually, series, or parallel with each other. These are not able to be addressable individually as they have no control onboard. You will have to use DCSSR's, Franks Ren24LV, or a Grinch to turn each channel on and off to get the desired color. Each RGB LED will use 3 channels, 1 for each color. These would give you the ability to make strings out of these to have any color you want. It will also use less power compared to standard mini lights.

More information to follow as I start my testing.

====Color Stick====
* Controlled through: [[DMX]]
* Documentation: [[Color Stick]]

The color stick is an 8-channel RGB display that uses 16 RGB 5050-sized LEDs, two per channel. The color sticks can be connected end-to-end as they pass DMX.

====Kostyun RGB+W Super Strip Flood====
* Documentation: [[Super Strip]]

====RS485 Splitter====
* Documentation: [[RS485 Splitter]]

The RS485 splitter is a 4-port non-isolated splitter, designed for driving the color stick, but useful for driving any RS485 devices, including DMX or Renard.

====F.A.S.T. Finally Affordable Snowfall Tube====
* Documentation: [[FAST Finally Affordable Snowfall Tube]]

=='''Solid State Relays (SSRs)'''==

*Documentation: [[Solid_State_Relays]]
Solid State Relays are stand alone devices that work between a lighting controller and strands of lights or other devices. There are both AC and DC versions.

=='''FM Transmitters & Antennas''' ==

*Documentation: ''this section is under construction''

Almost everyone that builds a system to synchronize their lights to music broadcasts that music on a local FM frequency. This section covers the DIY aspects of FM Transmitters and Antennas.

==Pictures of Various Coop Boards (mostly assembled)==
<gallery caption="Coop Boards (mostly assembled)" widths="150px" heights="150px" perrow="4">

Image:SSROZ 2.5a (small).jpg|[[4_Channel_SSROZ_Assembly_Instructions | SSR (solid state relay)]]
Image:SSRez.jpg|[[SSRez | SSR (solid state relay ez)]]
Image: coop595.jpg|[[64_Channel_Olsen_595_Controller_Assembly_Instructions | 595 Coop Board]]
Image: Coopgrinch.jpg|[[GRINCH_Controller_Assembly_Instructions | Grinch]]
Image: Ren24.jpg|[[24 Channel Renard with SSR Assembly Instructions | Renard by FKostyun: 24 ports with on-board power supply and SSRs]]
Image:Wiki_-_Renard_SS8_Complete.jpg|Renard SS 8
Image:Wiki_-_Renard_SS16_Completed_Board.jpg|Renard SS 16
Image:Wiki_-_Renard_SS24_Completed_Board.jpg|Renard SS 24
Image:xmus.jpg|[[16_Channel_Renard_with_SSRs | Ren16 (xmus)]]
Image:USBtoDMX.jpg|RPM USB to DMX Adapter
Image:DMX4SSR.jpg|RPM DMX4 SSR
Image:DMX16SSR_PCBOARD.JPG|RPM DMX16 SSR
Image:DMX8-DCSSR-Board.jpg|RPM DMX8 DC SSR
Image:Grinch_DMX_Dimmer_V2.jpg|[[DMX_to_Grinch/595_convertor |RPM Grinch DMX Dimming Adapter]]
Image:DMX16SSR_Completed.JPG|RPM DMX16 DC SSR
Image:Ren48LSD-v3c-Construction-0.png|[[Ren48LSDv3c | Ren48LSD v3c]]
Image:Ren-w-2009.jpg|[[Renard Wireless Converter | Renard Wireless Converter]]

</gallery>

==Commercial Products Supported By Vixen==

===Digital Input/Output Cards===

*[[PCI-DIO-96]] by National Instruments
*[http://www.elexol.com/IO_Modules/USB_IO_24.php Elexol USB I/O 24] - ([http://lights.onthefive.com/vixen-plugins Plugin] by Jonathon Reinhart)
*[http://www.elexol.com/IO_Modules/Ether_IO_24.php Elexol Ether I/O 24] - ([http://lights.onthefive.com/vixen-plugins Plugin] by Jonathon Reinhart)

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