The universal trigger interface (The little box)

that's the ATmega328p 28pin DIP

no postage on RS for sure
I think there's no postage on Farnell either
the only way I can tell is after they get my credit card!

you'll still need the BootLoader though as raw chips come without
 
mmcp42 said:
that's the ATmega328p 28pin DIP

no postage on RS for sure
I think there's no postage on Farnell either
the only way I can tell is after they get my credit card!

you'll still need the BootLoader though as raw chips come without
Click to expand...

Can I not just put the raw chip into a standard board and use the arduino software to upload it all? There is an option "Burn bootloader"
 
right on the threshhold of my knowledge here
but as I understand it
you need a bootloader before you can upload your sketch

that's why peeps charge +/- £1 more for a 328 "with UNO bootloader" for example

have a search on the Arduino forum - loads of info there on burning bootloaders

this looks useful

and this even more so
 
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You just need an AVR programmer, which are about £10-15 and you can bootload chips from the Arduino software.
 
The portable one's menu system with the servo pot is really rather slick :) basically you turn a normal pot and as you do the top line changes to that menu option. The 2nd line shows the value which you can adjust with the servo pot. Every time an option changes the value is written to EEPROM so it remembers them even when the battery is removed. I am replacing the servo pot with an encoder which will do the same.
 
So when you gonna get some prototype demo vids up? :)
 
That's not the latest Uno Optiboot bootloader. Make sure to research to check it works for the Uno (there are differences because they switched to a new chip in the Uno).
 
remarkable stuff :clap:

I guess you have a Diecimila rather than a UNO?

I wonder how you'd do the same with a SeeedUino?
 
Mine says Duemilanove 328p board (for the portable version).

If I have to buy a programmer then I will, they are not expensive.
 
I already have an EPROM programmer......... I bought it for 27xxx EPROMs for the BBC/CPC etc. It is a Wellon VP-180, not sure if it will do ATMEL chips. If it doesn't I'll get one.
 
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If you hook up pin 6 of that with a 0.1uF cap along the way to pin 1 on the Arduino before R1, using an FTDI breakout board or FTDI cable, it should automatically reset it so you don't have to fiddle around manually holding the button down.

But, you still need to buy the FTDI cable (and it means purchasers will be unlikely to update firmware themselves via USB).
 
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This is my PCB at the mo (still tweaking it - but it works), I've got both FTDI (for uploading sketches) and ISP (to plug in an AVR programmer) headers on it, so I can bootload fresh chips, or just upload sketches.

intervalometerpcbv003.gif


Has 8 pins free at the mo. So figuring out how to best get my shift registers and multiplexers on there most easily for a bunch of sensors.

This is just a single sided PCB using Eagle's max 4"x3.2" size.
 
When this thread goes technical, it just flies right over my head. Make me wonder if some of the lots here work for NASA and have ITAR clearance :p

I'll stick with the cosmetics, if that OK! :)
 
mmcp42 said:
how to do it with a UNO...

http://www.marengo-ltd.com/blog/?p=188
Click to expand...

I was just having another read of that one, and I'll have to give that a go. Shouldn't be too difficult to whip up a shield with the required caps n' whatnot, and a ZIF socket for mass bootloading a bunch of chips and an FTDI breakout (or just header pins for an FTDI cable) to upload sketches.
 
You can buy a ZIF from China for £2 inc postage. Make a simple board piggy backed to pin legs and you can replace the arduino's socket with the ZIF. Then use the 4 wires method and it should be easy.
 
You can get 'em for 2 quid each from Proto-Pic too. I've got some here already.

What he's essentially doing in his stripboard version is the 4 wire method, except he's making his own board to hold the chip instead of using a second Arduino.

Etching a PCB is dead easy. Lot less hassle to just build a shield than to modify a second arduino (or even use a stripboard version) and deal with a mess of jumper wires. :)
 
Just back from a visit to the mad professors lab and wow!! what a leap Darren has made in the workings of the trigger/s. It's certainly far more advanced for even my wildest dreams and I can't wait to get to the fun part of testing them out with Darren over the next few weeks. We have chatted about some of the uses for the device and it seems that this is only limited by our own imaginations, within reason of course.

Darren showed me a number of different options and cases that COULD be available in the finished products and I'm sure that he has designed this to ensure it will be available for people with both a limited budget and with different levels of competency or requirements regarding the multitude of options available. I do also think that for what it will achieve it will be very reasonably priced. Having said this I would also think a premium all singing and dancing version would be very popular too.

When I turned up I mentioned the sound trigger option and Darren had one up and running before my very eyes. I nodded agreement often pretending to understand his technical talk of resistors, capacitors and amplifiers mostly this explanation was whooshing over my head though :lol: I'm certainly looking forward to sneaking back tomorrow afternoon to see what Darren has added in my absence.

Watch this space as I hear whispers of a few photos going up, any interest in this? ;)
 
nah
why would we want photos in a photo forum!?!?! :naughty:
 
Photos already taken, just need re-sizing and uploading etc......
 
Ok...

Version 1

We started with the analogue trigger which is shown here built onto breadboard. This circuit did not include any circuitry for operating the flashes.

UT_V1.JPG



Version 2

Then it was time to transfer the individual parts of the circuit to strip board and each part of the circuit was then plugged into the V1 board to test it. It was effectively the same circuit.


UT_V2.JPG



Version 3

I then switched from analogue to digital and version 3 came next. This was used to start the software. You can see the arduino board off to the right but in this photo the LCD display etc have been removed to use in V4

UT_V3.JPG
 
Now for the high power board. This is a simple board designed to switch two relays. The cost of making this board in parts alone came to just £1 less than buying the 2nd version (below) from a company in China. The 2nd board actually includes the opto couples which in my version were on the main board. Rather than removing the optocouples from the main board I decided to leave them there and redirect the connections to the main port giving 4 low power outputs. You will also notice that the bought in board even comes with 4 relays so in fact for £1 we gain 4 outputs!!

Remember that my boards are still prototype boards but WILL be full quality professionally produced boards (in blue because I like blue circuit boards :))

My high power board

HP_V1.JPG



Chinese high power board

HP_V2.JPG
 
Sensors

This is a picture of the V2 light trigger module, you can see the V1 module on the left of the picture of the V3 main board.


SENSOR_LIGHT_V2.JPG


The latest version ie today has replaced the parts from the box onwards. So now the 5 pin DIN plug goes to 2 separate leads which each go to tiny 2x4x6cm boxes. One of these boxes contains the light detector whilst the other contains a LASER. Yes I've switched to a laser simply because of it's range BUT both options can still be used because the 5 pin DIN socket supplies GND, LED output and 5V plus 2 pins for the receiver.
 
Version 4

Right now we get onto version 4 which is the current WORKING version. Version 5 is in design but the PCB is yet to be born.....

I like using spot contact PCB boards with point to point wiring. Here is the bottom of version 4's main board....


UT_V4_BOTTOM.JPG



and the display:

UT_V4_DISPLAY.JPG



from the bottom and out of the box (without the separate HP board):

UT_V4_INCARD.JPG



and naked:

UT_V4_NAKED.JPG


UT_V4_NAKED2.JPG
 
Version 4 in it's case but with the lid off:


UT_V4_INSIDE.JPG



and outside (with sneak preview of the case for the mobile version which may be in black):


universal_trigger_proto2.JPG


universal_trigger_proto3.JPG
 
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Upcoming:

Version 5

Version 5 will have a PCB which is currently in the final stages of design. The main board will include the main 25 way D connector, PS2 socket, 2 x low power and 2 x camera ports actually on the board with the high power sockets wired to the HP board.

I will post an image of the main board later but it is downstairs and on a machine dedicated to electronics and it is switched off so I can't access it from here. (I have something already planned to remove this problem but at the moment I can't !)

Mobile V1

This is on bread board NOW and has a running menu system but no output yet. The output will be to one camera and one LP port which is all a lot of people would want. I don't have to worry about these bits because they are the same as the normal version. I have some digital encoders now so just need to modify the menu system which was running off a continuous servo pot.
 
crikey you have been a busy chap
also pleased to see your breadboards are as "well structured" as mine!

can't wait to see the final PCB and product

is that an upside down Arduino mega in the pictures?
hard to tell when it's being so coy!
 
mmcp42 said:
crikey you have been a busy chap
also pleased to see your breadboards are as "well structured" as mine!

can't wait to see the final PCB and product

is that an upside down Arduino mega in the pictures?
hard to tell when it's being so coy!
Click to expand...

Thanks.

YES the larger version, the universal trigger. Will be using a standard 1280 arduino mega board piggy backed onto the main board for production version 1. If this sells well I could incorporate the Atmel chip onto my main board but there is no actual advantage to this on cost.

The mobile version is using the 328p simply because it contains more than enough IO pins and because once built and tested there will be no need to re-program it so the chip can go on the board and it is quite simple.
 
cowasaki said:
The mobile version is using the 328p simply because it contains more than enough IO pins and because once built and tested there will be no need to re-program it so the chip can go on the board and it is quite simple.
Click to expand...

If the larger version is using the Mega purely because of the number of I/O pins, you're really best off just using a 328P with Multiplexers, it'll be a LOT cheaper. 2-3 quid for a 328P, and 50p each for multiplexers is a lot cheaper than 50 quid for a mega.
 
Kaouthia said:
If the larger version is using the Mega purely because of the number of I/O pins, you're really best off just using a 328P with Multiplexers, it'll be a LOT cheaper. 2-3 quid for a 328P, and 50p each for multiplexers is a lot cheaper than 50 quid for a mega.
Click to expand...

It's not the only reason and I had considered the alternatives. The actual cost of a 328p plus caps, crystal, USB port, USB lead, USB to serial IC etc is closer to £7-8 whilst I pay less than the figure you quoted for the mega1280 WITH the LCD, header, buzzer, IR receiver, IC transmitter, remote control, USB lead and lots of other bits (some of which I will be selling on to reduce the cost further). I am also negotiating with them for a discount and to get the HP board lobbed in instead of a couple of the bits I don't need! Like I've said before motors, motor controllers, RTC bits etc are also on offer soon :)
 
I still haven't worked out how to print each side of the PCB yet so have not used my MEGA PCB kit so far. Once I do I will be one step closer.
 
Ok, even if you can get the Mega for less than £50 (most places have it for £40-45), it's still a lot cheaper to integrate the uC into your own device than it is to actually put an Arduino Mega in there.

Most people aren't going to care about updating their own firmware as long as it works (those that do, are probably capable of building their own anyway), so having a Max232, USB socket & USB cable aren't really all that essential.
 
Kaouthia said:
Ok, even if you can get the Mega for less than £50 (most places have it for £40-45), it's still a lot cheaper to integrate the uC into your own device than it is to actually put an Arduino Mega in there.

Most people aren't going to care about updating their own firmware as long as it works (those that do, are probably capable of building their own anyway), so having a Max232, USB socket & USB cable aren't really all that essential.
Click to expand...

For the universal trigger I want users to be able to upgrade the software themselves it is very simple and I can probably write a graphical front end for AVRDUDE specific to the universal trigger. I have already bought several 1280 kits including the parts I need at the price i've said. It could possibly be about £12 cheaper using 328s but I feel that that is a small price to pay for the advantages of using the standard board. It will be a better product for having the 1280. There are a number of additional things that may well happen in the future too! :schtum:
 
care to share where you can get mega so cheaply?
I can't even find kits anywhere:bang:
 
mmcp42 said:
care to share where you can get mega so cheaply?
I can't even find kits anywhere:bang:
Click to expand...

The Chinese/HK sellers on ebay are a good start. If you are buying 10+ you can negotiate better prices and change the contents. This was one of my starting points:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Arduino-Kit-M...ltDomain_0&hash=item4156c4d59a#ht_2462wt_1138

£38 for a Mega (KIT) which includes:

GLCD - Which I would have had to pay maybe £10 for
USB lead, Pot, resistors, Infrared receiver/transmitter - £3
Buzzer - £1
Remote - £4

Sell off the breadboards with hook up wires for maybe £8 each

Leaves the cost of a mega 1280 at way under £20.

Import VAT is claimed back and then charged VAT to seller as normal.

BUT that is just a starting point, email them with an order for 25, tell them you don't want the breadboard, buttons, hook up wires or LEDs but you do want a 4 relay board and hey presto :)
 
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