Remote Controlled Model Lighting

[Thomas E. Johnson]

I would like to set up my current 1/350 Enterprise model display so the light functions can be turned on and off via remote control so I can control it from across the room. It would need to be a 4 control function set up, and be connectable to the wires that will be run down into the eventual custom base that I will make. Anyone have any suggestions as to what I should buy to set this up? I've never tried this before.

Thanks,

Tom

[Underlord]

I'm actually in the planning phases of doing exactly this!

I've written blink routines for an arduino http://arduino.cc processor to cnotrol warp engines, deflector glow green/blue changes, photon warm-up;fire;cool-down, and the various blinking lights.

I've found a bluetooth module that allows remote serial communications to the board. I've made my arduino code respond to serial commands and tested them.

The next phase is to write an Android TMP LCARS app that sends the serial commands to the arduino.

It's an ambitious project to be sure. You can forgoe the fancy Android interface for an IR reciever, potentially mounted in the park, and use a simple IR remote to control the functions. It would require some different arduino programming for control, but evil-bay has some really inexpensive small IR remotes and IR receievers are pretty cheap! The key is using a programable microprocessor to control the lighting inside the ship.

Right now I'm busy trying to complete my Millennium Falcon for the group build. I'll probably work on something simple before tackeling the LCARS Federation blinker, but I plan on documenting the process with links to where I bought my parts and full source code, gratis. It won't be easy like other lighting solutions, but think how cool it would be to control warp and photon torpedoes from a touch-screen LCARS interface!

[Rondie]

I'm sure there are helpfull modelers on this forum willing to program an arduino to help others out. That would mean any 'technically inclined' modelers would only need to purchase LEDs and solder them themselves to the arduino. I think that should not be too much to ask of anyone willing to light their model.

I for one am looking forward to seeing your completed code

[Underlord]

I'm sure there are helpfull modelers on this forum willing to program an arduino to help others out. That would mean any 'technically inclined' modelers would only need to purchase LEDs and solder them themselves to the arduino. I think that should not be too much to ask of anyone willing to light their model.

I for one am looking forward to seeing your completed code

what is this "completed code" you speak of!? LOL I'm making sure I wire in a way to update the code on the arduino so if I come up with a better version, I can update it! I recently realized that I have to negate my logic in order to use LED drivers to run more than one LED per pin. I haven't made that code change yet! I do have the code working with single LED per output pin on my project board.

[ChrisQ]

Here is a 12v 4 channel battery operated remote transmitter and receiver that is sold by tech and computer hardware sites all over the internet:

http://www.elogisys.com/viewsku.asp?SKU ... DID=REMOTE

I was looking at this for my setup but opted against it. It says it controls 12V appliances, however if it's simply acting as a switch I don't see why it couldn't switch circuits running less than 12v. Maybe someone with more knowledge can explain if it will work or not for 6 or 9V.

[Underlord]

ChrisQ: That's AWESOME! A couple of searches shows that units like this are available with 2 or 8 channels also!

In other news... I headed down to Radio Shack to pick up some 1 watt resisters for a project and noticed that they are now carying Arduino hardware along with some beginner to intermediate kits! The Shack is returning to it's roots.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Here is a 12v 4 channel battery operated remote transmitter and receiver that is sold by tech and computer hardware sites all over the internet:

http://www.elogisys.com/viewsku.asp?SKU ... DID=REMOTE

I was looking at this for my setup but opted against it. It says it controls 12V appliances, however if it's simply acting as a switch I don't see why it couldn't switch circuits running less than 12v. Maybe someone with more knowledge can explain if it will work or not for 6 or 9V.

Who can these be ordered from?????

[tetsujin]

Sparkfun has lots of stuff that would be helpful for this type of project.

If I were to do this (and wanted wireless control) I'd probably go for infrared, because it's a dirt-cheap way to control something. All you really need is an infrared sensor and a microcontroller programmed to listen for remote codes.

For instance:
this sensor plus any IR remote that uses a 38kHz carrier frequency (say, this one). Sparkfun provides source code on their website that you can use to monitor the remote... You could load this code onto one of Sparkfun's lovely Arduino Pro Mini boards to save space, or use one of the full-size Arduino boards if you have room to spare or need the USB connection built-in...

A bit of explanation about infrared remote controls:
Most of them work like Morse Code. The remote sends a series of (relatively slow) pulses on top of a carrier frequency (so any time the LED is pulsed "on" it's actually blinking quickly at some higher frequency):

So a signal might be something like, "blink at carrier frequency for 50ms, off for 50ms, blink at carrier frequency for 25ms, off for 10ms, blink at carrier frequency for 10ms," etc.

The receiver usually includes some hardware filtering that prevents the receiver end from even seeing an IR signal that isn't pulsing at or near the carrier frequency. (The sensor I linked is such a device) The output of that filter is a lot easier to read: all that "blink at carrier frequency" is essentially turned to "on", while a lot of other stuff (remotes at another frequency, changes in room lighting, etc.) are simply blocked by the filter. So the filter output looks more like this:

"on for 50ms, off for 50ms, on for 25ms, off for 10ms, on for 10ms", etc.

So the software doesn't have to listen for the carrier frequency or do anything to eliminate other signals - it can just look at the output of that filter and read the relatively slow signal that's riding on top of the carrier. It becomes very easy to process the incoming signals.

Also, if you're not the type who's prepared to try and figure out what a remote's codes are, what frequency they're on, etc., or even to write the code to listen for the remote signals yourself, be aware that this is a very well-explored problem. People have been doing it for years, whether to control things or create their own remotes or whatever. So if, for instance, you wanted to just grab one of your own remotes and use that instead of buying another one, chances are you could look online and find out what codes it uses, maybe even find Arduino code to decode it.

Of course, the various RF wireless solutions would be awesome (esp. Bluetooth modules, so you could maybe talk to your model via your phone or PC or something) - but they cost more, and they introduce issues like pairing in the case of Bluetooth. Personally I'd just stick to the basics unless (for some reason) I felt very strongly that the project needed RF.

The more difficult part of the problem, from my perspective at least, is controlling the lighting system from the Arduino. Microcontrollers like the ATMega on the Arduino can only source or sink a few hundred mA through their ports - that wouldn't really be enough for a large starship model, so you'd want an intermediate driver circuit like the Madman Delux board. But that board, as far as I know, can't be switched on and off or varied in intensity via an I/O signal from a connected microcontroller. (I guess I shouldn't hazard too many guesses about what John's boards can and can't do... I know he has some boards that incorporate software for producing different effects - but in general I don't know of a good driver IC to be controlled by an Arduino or similar that would let you drive large numbers of bright LEDs and control their intensity.)

A relatively simple way to attack that problem would be to use simple transistors to boost the output of the micro's I/O pins - but that doesn't provide current regulation for the LEDs... I know you can buy current regulators as discrete 3-pin components (transistor-style) so that might be an option - it just frustrates me that none of them seem to include an input pin to switch the LED driver on and off - so you'd need the transistor and the LED driver component... <sigh>

[ChrisQ]

Who can these be ordered from?????

I stumbled across it while googling.

Since there were quite a few places that seem to carry it I posted the manufacturer's link as to not be biased. Here are a couple that list it currently in stock:

http://www.amazon.com/Logisys-RM04-4-Ch ... B001RMP7UI

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/SKUSearch.as ... %20Control

I have ordered from MWave in the past and had no problems. A couple of the other places that have it currently in stock I cannot vouch for.

[Madman Lighting]

I forget where but someone posted complete code for decoding a Phillips IR command set with a PIC micro a while back.

One day I want to add this feature to my controller cards but the timing is tricky, esp since I'd be porting it to a different micro than the one the author used. Still, it would be awesome to have it.