Blaster electronics: FX-BlasterOS goes open-source

[RankAndFileTrooper]

Hi,

 

First off, you do not need this charger circuit. I also cannot tell you if it's going to work with it. But with 5V your neopixel stripes will draw a lot of current, what you do not want. Stay with the 3.7V of the Li-Ion, you do not need more.

 

OLED you can pick one of them. With multiple circuits both could be enabled for sure.

 

A magnetic switch is actually nothing else than two pieces of magnets, one connected to a GND signal, the other to a digital input on the board. If you short these two magnets with a ferromagnetic material (i.e. piece of iron/steel for instance), it acts like a normal switch plus the magnets will hold the part which is attached to the ferromagnetic material in place (provided it's not too heavy and/or the magnets are strong enough). That's it.

 

And the neopixel stick is just an option, you can take any stripe or even leave it. Actually you should at least have one pixel, even a single one at the front of the nozzle, all the rest is up to you. You can configure the split between the barrel-nozzle and status bar in the menu. Both of them can be set to 0, in which case that segment will not be illuminated.

[Swornhill]

1 hour ago, RankAndFileTrooper said:

Hi,

 

First off, you do not need this charger circuit. I also cannot tell you if it's going to work with it. But with 5V your neopixel stripes will draw a lot of current, what you do not want. Stay with the 3.7V of the Li-Ion, you do not need more.

 

OLED you can pick one of them. With multiple circuits both could be enabled for sure.

 

A magnetic switch is actually nothing else than two pieces of magnets, one connected to a GND signal, the other to a digital input on the board. If you short these two magnets with a ferromagnetic material (i.e. piece of iron/steel for instance), it acts like a normal switch plus the magnets will hold the part which is attached to the ferromagnetic material in place (provided it's not too heavy and/or the magnets are strong enough). That's it.

 

And the neopixel stick is just an option, you can take any stripe or even leave it. Actually you should at least have one pixel, even a single one at the front of the nozzle, all the rest is up to you. You can configure the split between the barrel-nozzle and status bar in the menu. Both of them can be set to 0, in which case that segment will not be illuminated.

I'm gonna stick with the 3.7v out of the charger then, not step-up.

I'm still unsure whether i'll install the magnetic switch or not, it depends on how much i will be able to do in terms of coding.

My blaster will gave a neopixel flora on the front and double led strip on the barrel. 

My question was regarding the "Neopixel Stick (for PLI/Status bar)". I want to understand the point of it and if it's a "must have" part.

 

[Swornhill]

On 2/3/2020 at 10:03 PM, Hesikaya said:

Just started wiring stuff up and testing. Is there a way to use two screens; one for Hengstler and the other in the scope?

Sent from my sorrosuub C1 comm link device using Tapatalk
 

Hello! I'm almost at this point with my build. I have almost everything to star testing, but i have some doubts. Im using the same components as you are in this picture, do you need to solder any resistors? If yes, which one and where?
Thanks

[RankAndFileTrooper]

Doubts you shall not have. Resistor you will need not!

[Swornhill]

On 2/26/2021 at 8:20 PM, RankAndFileTrooper said:

Doubts you shall not have. Resistor you will need not!

Happy with your reply, I am, hmm.

So, no resistors? not even between arduino and switches? Because I see pcb boards (aka carriers?) with resistors pre-soldered.
Thanks!

[Naviis]

Hi Andras !

i'm a mandalorian in build and i'd like to use your open source work on the mandalorian forum to help people create their luminate blaster ! 

I also watch what Skyone made but your seems more simple to build.

If you disagree, just tell me, i'll remove my topic on the MMCC forum board.
 

[RankAndFileTrooper]

Hi Naviis,

 

No issue, as long as you give credit and link to this thread as source.

 

Have fun with the builds and thanks fir spreading the word to Mandalore

[Naviis]

Hey Andras ! Thanks i'll do give credit and link right now.

[Tam Koowan Props]

Bonjour, je voudrais savoir s'il existe une option dans le soft pour mettre un bargraphe LED à la place de l'écran OLED pour le décompte des coups ?

Merci à vous 

 

[Tam Koowan Props]

Hello, à tous je voudrais savoir quel code utiliser pour programmer le Scope avec le Arduino Leonardo svp 

[kmwilson343]

First off NICE JOB!!!  Im so new to electronics and coding that i am lost, so here i am asking for help , lol, however i want to learn this stuff because it is fascinating.  Do you happen to have the wiring schematic for the Arduino Uno with the DFPlayer Mini and the code?  Trying to make something similar where I push a button, lights up an LED and plays a sound from the MP3 player, nothing fancy, yet, lol.

[RankAndFileTrooper]

On 1/30/2022 at 5:53 AM, kmwilson343 said:

First off NICE JOB!!!  Im so new to electronics and coding that i am lost, so here i am asking for help , lol, however i want to learn this stuff because it is fascinating.  Do you happen to have the wiring schematic for the Arduino Uno with the DFPlayer Mini and the code?  Trying to make something similar where I push a button, lights up an LED and plays a sound from the MP3 player, nothing fancy, yet, lol.

Hi Kevin,

 

Everything you need is already there in the different links. In the post I linked in above you can find the wiring diagram for Arduino Nano, the most commonly available Arduino board.

The full code you can find here: https://github.com/Protonerd/FX-BlasterOS

If you want to build your own code, you can still have a look to get some inspiration.

If you are looking for sound files, you can look here: https://github.com/Protonerd/FX-BlasterOS/tree/master/Sounds

 

Have fun!

Andras

Edited February 9, 2023 by RankAndFileTrooper

[CCHobbyFun1]

I'm on the Github site and looking at the Wiki.  I see lots of headings but I don't see any detail pages. Am I missing something?

[RankAndFileTrooper]

3 hours ago, CCHobbyFun1 said:

I'm on the Github site and looking at the Wiki.  I see lots of headings but I don't see any detail pages. Am I missing something?

 

Due to information available elsewhere I never fully updated the Wiki, but there is a large amount of overlap with FXSaberOS (same for lightsabers):

https://github.com/Protonerd/FX-SaberOS/wiki/Wiring

 

Apart from that the code corresponds to the MK-X variant, you can have a look at the User Manual here:

https://cdn.website-editor.net/s/0fa18f3248554d3c9afb7e969924abba/files/uploaded/MK-X_User_Manual_v1.pdf?Expires=1646230822&Signature=bn7zQ~ifh5DsgwOLa7D7I6K4lePzHk0z-~I~gdwFPTIhj8Cu072s767JmV7zJCzD9x-v30YO~Y6LKwdS7TxPpk1WZ3IcwQqi3i88DAU~evSAplujASuq8B9BHQJZ9i~6~FHaaM81jH83ve~FHbLHJC5~ZwSm-7M0mgwMf605zx0ZYwQmnLFx6Edo1hO94ku8JWUhST-y9H5sZHFTsQumiRi7Rx7oyWsRoK9CHAj6OWq590J9yCy084k1YjhaQ2nzL7dpfpBIyjlbiIk1uBc1JuZEh0EXLLtbUZXYbUzK9MCDksn2kxFShl6mjn49Fj0stxsYysNbqWQ-tX6x3aOo0g__&Key-Pair-Id=K2NXBXLF010TJW

or from https://www.protowerkstatt.com/imperial-armoury just press on the button "Download MK-X User Manual"

[CCHobbyFun1]

6 minutes ago, RankAndFileTrooper said:

 

Due to information available elsewhere I never fully updated the Wiki, but there is a large amount of overlap with FXSaberOS (same for lightsabers):

https://github.com/Protonerd/FX-SaberOS/wiki/Wiring

 

Apart from that the code corresponds to the MK-X variant, you can have a look at the User Manual here:

https://cdn.website-editor.net/s/0fa18f3248554d3c9afb7e969924abba/files/uploaded/MK-X_User_Manual_v1.pdf?Expires=1646230822&Signature=bn7zQ~ifh5DsgwOLa7D7I6K4lePzHk0z-~I~gdwFPTIhj8Cu072s767JmV7zJCzD9x-v30YO~Y6LKwdS7TxPpk1WZ3IcwQqi3i88DAU~evSAplujASuq8B9BHQJZ9i~6~FHaaM81jH83ve~FHbLHJC5~ZwSm-7M0mgwMf605zx0ZYwQmnLFx6Edo1hO94ku8JWUhST-y9H5sZHFTsQumiRi7Rx7oyWsRoK9CHAj6OWq590J9yCy084k1YjhaQ2nzL7dpfpBIyjlbiIk1uBc1JuZEh0EXLLtbUZXYbUzK9MCDksn2kxFShl6mjn49Fj0stxsYysNbqWQ-tX6x3aOo0g__&Key-Pair-Id=K2NXBXLF010TJW

or from https://www.protowerkstatt.com/imperial-armoury just press on the button "Download MK-X User Manual"

Thanks. Are you still selling the MK-X? If so, where and how much?

[RankAndFileTrooper]

12 minutes ago, CCHobbyFun1 said:

Thanks. Are you still selling the MK-X? If so, where and how much?

Not any more. It's fully open source now for everyone to enjoy.

[MrDTS]

Hi, how to connect oled for the binocular sight ? is it in the software yet.

Regards

Timo

[RankAndFileTrooper]

9 hours ago, MrDTS said:

Hi, how to connect oled for the binocular sight ? is it in the software yet.

Regards

Timo

Connection is the same as for the other OLED depicted on the wiring diagram. Only the size is different, for the scope you need 64x44 dot OLED.

The software is prepared for it, see: FX-BlasterOS/Variants.h at master · Protonerd/FX-BlasterOS (github.com)

#define OLED_DISPLAY
	#if defined OLED_DISPLAY
	//#define OLED_STD
	#define OLED_SCOPE
	#endif

[MrDTS]

21 hours ago, RankAndFileTrooper said:

Connection is the same as for the other OLED depicted on the wiring diagram. Only the size is different, for the scope you need 64x44 dot OLED.

The software is prepared for it, see: FX-BlasterOS/Variants.h at master · Protonerd/FX-BlasterOS (github.com)

#define OLED_DISPLAY
	#if defined OLED_DISPLAY
	//#define OLED_STD
	#define OLED_SCOPE
	#endif

Hi, thanks for the answer, I have home an oled display 64x32 dot and have searched on amazon find only 64x48 dot ?

Timo

[MrDTS]

Hi, what do you use to hide the holes in the barrel so that the led strip is not visible but shines through and how do you attach the led strip to the barrel, I dont not find a good picture or film on it.

 

Regards

Timo

[MrDTS]

hi, is there two led strips or one in the barrel ? tested a strip of 24 LEDs but it only lights up constantly?

Regards

Timo

Edited March 5, 2022 by MrDTS

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

4 hours ago, MrDTS said:

hi, is there two led strips or one in the barrel ? tested a strip of 24 LEDs but it only lights up constantly?

Regards

Timo

Initial design I believe was one strip but reading the previous page looks like you can have 2

 

 - Can i run 2 LED strips on the barrel? My model has a inner barrel and i wanted to glue one strip on each side. Can the arduino run both strips?

 

Sure, this is how all lightsaber props work with neopixel. You simply connect the BAT+, the GND and the data line to both strips in parallel.

Good luck!

[MrDTS]

ok, then I know that can use 2 leds, do not know what is wrong but it looks like in the picture does not seem to work properly ? when I press the button, it becomes as in the picture and the led is on all the time ?

[RankAndFileTrooper]

You can have multiple strips in the barell, connecting them in parallel. I.e. both of them are connected to the same DI (digital input) line coming from Arduino. In this case both strips will play the same sequence.

 

If you switch it on and some LEDs constanly light up, it can mean 2 things:

- battery is running low, and the PWM registers of the LEDs are filled with random values

- you have not yet configured the lenght of the barell, which you can do in the config menu, read the MK-X manual, you can find the link in one of the earlier posts

[Mivay]

im curious, what speakers did people use in their builds ? I'm finding the smaller ones arent the best for replicating the lower frequencies and so the sound of the fire doesnt have the sort of ommppff i'd like.

 

With a bit of clever enclosure design, i might be able to fix this a bit,but still curious with how others are faring.