1103 replies to this topic

[htamas]

I just need the accelerometer functionality.

 

I guess you're just looking for a way to have analog nudging... if so, take a look at this thread.

[MisterCoffee]

Hello everyone,

Hello MJR,

 

@MJR you really helped me out ordering my chime board at elecrow. It works fine. Thank you.

 

I want to build on the positive experiences and now order a pinscape main board and power board.
Unfortunately, there is a question from elecrow and I really don't know much about the topic.
Can you please help me again?

They ask:
- FQP13N06L is out of stock now and do you have any replacement?

 

 

I am not sure if the stock will be filled up and how long it will take.

Thank you.
Please let me know if you need further information.

Greetings
Mr. Coffee

Edited by MisterCoffee, 14 September 2023 - 11:15 AM.

[MisterCoffee]

Hi Mike,

 

meanwhile the FQP13N06L is back in stock again.

But now elecrow has two more questions. I guess I can only answer one of them myself.

1. Pinscape Expansion Board R37 to R67: 47 ohm resistor (5mm lead spacing)

The mouser part you suggest is 1/4w. This one is not available. They offer me 1/8w.

I guess, this would be fine as well, because you did not mention a specific wattage. Am I right?

 

2. This one is difficult for me.

Main Board:

In the Main Board Gerbers, C2 spacing is 2.6mm while the 581-SR595E154MARTR1 pitch is 5.08mm.

Elecrow is simply asking what they should do, without any suggestion.

 

Sorry to bother you but it doesn't work without you :-)
Thanks so much.

 

Mr.Coffee

[mjr]

Mr.Coffee - I'm guessing you're talking about the power board for the first question about the resistors R37-R67.  Right, 1/8 W is fine for that one. 

 

For the main board C2 leading spacing, I'm not sure. I don't recall it being a problem fitting the part, but the part does show 5mm lead spacing in the data sheet.  You might want to substitute SR29xxxxx (fill in the rest with the same numbers), which is the same part with 2.54mm lead spacing. (Or just any other 150nF ceramic disc capacitor that'll fit the footprint.)

Edited by mjr, 11 October 2023 - 06:15 PM.

[MisterCoffee]

Thank you mjr.

 

Yes, I was talking about the power board and I will take the 1/8w.

 

Concerning the C2... there is no SR29 with the same numbers. That would be SR295E154MARTR1. But there is only a SR295E224MARTR1 with 0.22uf. I guess this wont fit.

But nevermind. If I can take any 150nf ceramic disc capacitor I will recommend 81-RDER71H154K1P1H3B to elecrow.

 

regards

[KillerQ]

Delete.

Edited by KillerQ, 18 October 2023 - 07:56 AM.

[Tesla]

 

Would you happen to have a high-resolution pic of how the Standalone-KL25Z should look after the headers are installed? 

Not off-hand.  Just use reasonable care to keep the headers pressed flat against the board while you solder the first couple of pins.  Once the first couple of pins are soldered it will be effectively immovable, so soldering the rest is pretty much trivial.

 

 

 

MJR,

 

I hate to bother you again ... but I'm still a little confused.

 

Looks like I might be able to mostly-gut my ALP and go fully Windows/Pinscape/VPX after-all ... but then I realized I never actually soldered-in the header into my KL25z .

 

So, the proper header (the one an Expansion Board is expecting) is "just pins" 

 

https://www.mouser.c...855-M20-9760846

 

But which way are the longer header-pins suppose to point (up or down) ? Surely I'm just missing the proper documentation.

Edited by Tesla, 26 October 2023 - 02:01 AM.

[fhjui]

Im think MJR has that part very well documented in his Build guide: http://mjrnet.org/pi...5zHardwareSetup

When used with expension boards, the pin headers must sit on the bottom side of the KL25z , of cause the shorter part of the pins must solder in the KL25-PCB, the longer ones fit in the approriate sockets of the expension-board-pcb

[Tesla]

Im think MJR has that part very well documented in his Build guide: http://mjrnet.org/pi...5zHardwareSetup

When used with expansion boards, the pin headers must sit on the bottom side of the KL25z , of cause the shorter part of the pins must solder in the KL25-PCB, the longer ones fit in the appropriate sockets of the expansion-board-pcb

 

Perfect, thanks. I knew I had to just be missing it. 

 

I'm reminded that when considering my final "header direction choice" ... I should probably also consider how it will be re-mounted. Like now, it's just mounted (right-side up) inside a plastic project box, which is in-turn mounted to the underneath of the ALP cabinet toward the front. Pretty sure that needs to change ... and get the KL25z finally more permanently mounted inside. 

Edited by Tesla, 26 October 2023 - 07:10 PM.

[Tesla]

So after all that and me bothering everyone ... I've come to the conclusion that I really should install the KL25z pin-headers in the Standalone configuration (pins facing upward) after-all. I suppose that makes sense as that is how it's being used.

 

Since I had hoped to now mount the KL25z to the inside floorboard with common 0.5-inch stand-offs ... I think it will be easier to connect and service the custom-wiring-hardness from pins on the top of the KL25z instead. 

 

To solve the problem of possibly needing a KL25z (suitable for installation into an expansion board) sometime in the future ... I just ordered a spare-one.

 

Pretty sure I had some 2.54mm headers in my Arduino stuff, but this looked like an good assortment. I'll be using old-school 60/40 Rosin Core Leaded Solder.

 

Looks like it is time to fire-up the soldering-station. I hope it's solder-sucker gun is still operational. It was always a bit finicky, but way-cool when it worked.

Edited by Tesla, 27 October 2023 - 03:15 AM.

[Tesla]

Im think MJR has that part very well documented in his Build guide: http://mjrnet.org/pi...5zHardwareSetup

When used with expension boards, the pin headers must sit on the bottom side of the KL25z , of cause the shorter part of the pins must solder in the KL25-PCB, the longer ones fit in the approriate sockets of the expension-board-pcb

 

Thanks again everyone.

 

I got the 4-headers soldered into my (NXP) KL25z board ... in "Standalone" config. I used common thin 60/40 rosin-core solder. Fine-tip soldering-tip element with soldering station set to 360c. Plenty of light helps. I did most of the actual pin-soldering through a low-power bench-top magnifying glass. 

 

After I get it mounted inside the cabinet's floor-board, I plan to start working on my initial wiring-harness (for the basic switches and flippers).

Edited by Tesla, 10 November 2023 - 12:50 AM.

[Tesla]

In case anyone was wondering ... I got my first buttons working with no major-problems.

 

https://www.vpforums...=52387&p=529327

 

A big thanks to all who had a hand in this little Pinscape-controller and supporting software.

Edited by Tesla, 11 November 2023 - 05:59 AM.

[roar]

It's been a hot minute since I've posted in this thread . After many years away I'm working on another vpin build with another set of pinscape boards that I had originally ordered back in 2016 when I first posted to this thread for support... question for mjr if he still checks in on this thread or others who may know... I've got a question about the powering of control/power/chime boards, I've got my main PC Power Supply and I have a separate 12V power supply for my solenoids and a separate 24V power supply for my chimes... for the connector to the main/power/chime board that requires both a 12V and 5V connection, can I use my 12V power supply for the 12V and my PC power supply for the 5V? Or should I just run the 12V and 5V from my PC power supply to all 3 boards and just power the solenoids with my dedicated 12V power supply? Understanding I have to tie the grounds together for all 3 power supplies regardless.

[mjr]

The boards were all designed around the assumption that you're going to have two ATX power supplies - one for the main PC, and one for miscellaneous feedback toys.  So the 5V/GND/12V input headers are all labeled "2ND PSU" to refer to that secondary supply.  But ultimately they just need 5V/GND/12V, so they really can come from any source. 

 

In the case of the 12V input, the function of that on all three boards is to drive the MOSFET gates, so it draws very little power and thus won't place a significant load on whatever power supply you connect it to.  MOSFET gates are driven purely by voltage, so the only time they draw any current at all is for a brief instant when they're switching on.  They don't draw any steady-state power at all.  But that little bit of current during switching can feed back some switching noise into the power supply, so the main reason to prefer something other than the PC PSU here is to help isolate the PC from that switching noise.

 

The 5V input is on the header on all three boards, but it's only connected internally on the main board, where it controls the TV-ON power-sensing circuit, and also provides the 5V power out to the flasher LED header.  If you're using the TV-ON circuit, it actually is important to use a secondary power supply that's switched on and off with the main cabinet power, so that the TV-ON circuit can properly sense when the main cabinet power comes on.  In addition, the flasher LEDs represent a significant load if you're using those (up to about 5A max), so it's best to keep those off of the main PC power supply.

 

So to give you a more concrete answer, I'd definitely go with your standalone 12V supply for all of the "2ND PSU" 12V inputs - those won't add any real power load to it, and you'll keep any MOSFET switching noise isolated from your PC PSU.  To be really thorough I'd add a small standalone 5V PSU to go with your standalone 12V and 24V units - if you're not using it for anything else besides the flashers, around 30W should be plenty, which looks like it can be had for about $10 on Amazon.   In a pinch, you can use the PC PSU, but I'd probably avoid that if you're using flashers, plus the TV-ON circuit might not behave correctly.

[roar]

The boards were all designed around the assumption that you're going to have two ATX power supplies - one for the main PC, and one for miscellaneous feedback toys.  So the 5V/GND/12V input headers are all labeled "2ND PSU" to refer to that secondary supply.  But ultimately they just need 5V/GND/12V, so they really can come from any source. 
 
In the case of the 12V input, the function of that on all three boards is to drive the MOSFET gates, so it draws very little power and thus won't place a significant load on whatever power supply you connect it to.  MOSFET gates are driven purely by voltage, so the only time they draw any current at all is for a brief instant when they're switching on.  They don't draw any steady-state power at all.  But that little bit of current during switching can feed back some switching noise into the power supply, so the main reason to prefer something other than the PC PSU here is to help isolate the PC from that switching noise.
 
The 5V input is on the header on all three boards, but it's only connected internally on the main board, where it controls the TV-ON power-sensing circuit, and also provides the 5V power out to the flasher LED header.  If you're using the TV-ON circuit, it actually is important to use a secondary power supply that's switched on and off with the main cabinet power, so that the TV-ON circuit can properly sense when the main cabinet power comes on.  In addition, the flasher LEDs represent a significant load if you're using those (up to about 5A max), so it's best to keep those off of the main PC power supply.
 
So to give you a more concrete answer, I'd definitely go with your standalone 12V supply for all of the "2ND PSU" 12V inputs - those won't add any real power load to it, and you'll keep any MOSFET switching noise isolated from your PC PSU.  To be really thorough I'd add a small standalone 5V PSU to go with your standalone 12V and 24V units - if you're not using it for anything else besides the flashers, around 30W should be plenty, which looks like it can be had for about $10 on Amazon.   In a pinch, you can use the PC PSU, but I'd probably avoid that if you're using flashers, plus the TV-ON circuit might not behave correctly.

Your continued dedication to timely and thorough replies to this thread for this long amazes me, thank you. No plans for any led’s or flashers on this build. I do plan to use the TV relay though and the 12V and 24V PSU’s were going to plug into the controlled outlets on the smart power bar. I was thinking about adding a buck converter to the 12V power supply to add a 5V line from it but as the PSU is 15A and any buck converters I have or find online all say 3A-5A that didn’t seem like a good ideas… I’ll source a 5V PSU!

[mjr]

> I was thinking about adding a buck converter to the 12V power supply to add a 5V line from

> it but as the PSU is 15A and any buck converters I have or find online all say 3A-5A that didn’t

> seem like a good ideas…

 

I don't think that would be a problem, actually - the amperage rating on the step-down converter is just a limit on how big a load you can place on its output.  It's perfectly fine (better, in fact) if the source supply feeding the converter has more capacity available than the converter is going to use, because the converter is just another load on the source supply.

 

But even so, the small 5V supplies are cheap enough that I'd just go that route.  Keeps things simpler and cleaner, and you have a nice 5V source available if you do end up needing it later for LEDs or anything else.

[sirwoogie]

Back after a long hiatus (checks calendar.... ooof 3.5 years). I'm here for board debug help. We had a back and forth on pages #43 - #45. I couldn't really get myself working on the chime board again, but will take another run at it.

 

But, I wanted to focus on the power board. I never really got that fully working either. Half of the board works, right side (pinscape logo at top, controlled by IC1 / 5940ONT) pins 1-16. All pins 17-32 do not work. I have all IC's and needed resistor/capacitor (R3 C2) on left side populated, and four MOSFET completed (pins 17-20). I thought I could use this board instead of the chime for my chimes, but I also have a bunch of toys. I can sacrifice some to get it all on 1-16 but I'd rather just get this working.

Validated steps:
 

• Continuity on data cable
• LED tested 1-16 good, 17-20 nothing.
• Swapped all ICs between "sides". no change
  • Validated no bent pins in IC sockets.
• Continuity test from all four pins (17-20) traced to the ONT via the debug steps are good.
• 3.3v seen on VCC pin for IC2

 

From there I'm not sure how to continue.

One observation I can make. On the output pins with MOSFET, in the controller testing: when off, voltage is about ~320mV. When on, it drops to low to mid 100's. If I do that same test on working pins, I get the higher voltage when off, but get 0v when on (which is what I would expect). Clearly the output test is affecting on/off state for voltage on the board , I don't know how to parlay that into additional troubleshooting.

Edited by sirwoogie, 21 November 2024 - 02:33 AM.

[sirwoogie]

Went back to my Chime board see if I could get a fresh approach.. Still no output (but did rerun the debug and found it all checked out this time). So, I hadn't tried the timer bypass by shorting the opto pins. Low and behold, it works! Must have a bad solder job somewhere in each of the circuits. Alas, doesn't matter now... was double testing the short to verify working, I slipped ever so slightly and activated self destruct. Small snap, whiff of smoke followed by visual confirmation of smoke and she's dead Jim. Burned the 12v trace right off the board.

[DDH69]

mjr, This may be a "how does this work" question.

 

I have just built (yet another) Pinscape for a new arcade cabinet.  It has a custom expansion with 115 outputs using 6 x TLC5940 and onboard outputs, plus button inputs.  For the first time ever I have setup and "learnt" an IR code using your instructions - all good.  This code is now loaded in the IR Command list and using the "Test" button correctly sets my amplifiers to line in mode.  I am trying to trigger this at startup.  I have it set as "TV ON" in the IR Commands setup however I do not get this to "fire" at startup.  I am unsure if I must have the TV ON item enabled to get it to fire on startup.  If so, I can't set the TV ON outputs to not connected and have no free ports for dummy a dummy output.

 

How do I get this IR Command to fire at startup correctly?

[mjr]

>  I am unsure if I must have the TV ON item enabled to get it to fire on startup.

 

You do need the TV ON feature enabled, with the power sensing circuit connected and configured.  It's the power sensing circuit that's key here, since that's what triggers it.  You don't need a relay connected, though; you can have IR alone, relay alone, or both.

 

> If so, I can't set the TV ON outputs to not connected and have no free ports for dummy a dummy output.

 

If you're talking about the relay, you can leave that port Not Connected - no GPIO required there.  But you do need the two GPIO ports for the TV ON power sensing circuit.

 

If you don't have enough ports for the power-sensing circuit, you might be able to make it work by manually sending the IR commands through the command-line tool, triggering it from a Windows startup script or something along those lines.  That should work as long as it's okay for the TV to turn on after Windows finishes booting.