Aliens Pulse Rifle Counter - How should it work?

Quick question. On the GL, when the trigger is pulled would you be able to progam the board to get a full power flash and then a fade out on that LED as opposed to just an ON/OFF flash? I wish I had done a video of mine before I sold it...

Here is a short video showing the GL effect above.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfRx4-qLzHg
 
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Yes. The two high power open collector LED pins are PWM controlled. On my test board the PR rounds already fade rapidly instead of just on/off. The GL will do the same, but slower.
 
Right, I have ordered another batch of test boards. I think I have just managed to get in before the new year deadline, so I may well have them soon. If they work right (which they should this time) I will see about making a couple for other people.
 
OK, how does this sound to you?

4 buttons - PR trigger, GL trigger, GL pump, Magazine.

Insert magazine (press), SFX of magazine insert, ammo counts down to 95.
Remove magazine (release), SFX of magazine remove, ammo set to 0, display EE.

Pull PR trigger (ammo > 0), fire rounds, count ammo down to 00, short flashes on white LED, SFX of PR firing.
Pull PR trigger (ammo == 0), SFX of dry fire.

Pull GL pump (press), display GL ammo, un-prime GL, SFX of pump pull (or empty pump pull if no ammo).
Push GL pump (release), reduce GL ammo, prime GL, SFX of pump push (or empty pump push and no prime if no ammo).

Pull GL trigger (if primed), Display GL ammo, SFX of grenade launch, delayed SFX of explode, long flash on orange LED, un-prime GL.
Pull GL trigger (if not primed), Display GL ammo, SFX of dry fire.

If GL is primed, light middle decimal point of display to show GL has grenade loaded.

Does that make sense?
 
I have just been told I missed the pre new year deadline for my new boards, so I won't be getting them for a few weeks now. Ah well.
 
It has been years since I read about it, but I think that some of the LED drivers for Star Wars lightsabers a few years ago overdrived the voltage fed to the LEDs, but in a pulsed way. Apparently, this would not have worn the LEDs more than a steady current would have at lower voltage, but would have looked brighter to the human eye.

majenko said:
Besides, who wants a 1/6th scale pulse rifle? Nerf don't make guns that small ;) If people are making something at 1/6th scale that requires some bells and whistles, I am more than willing to help them out with ideas and electronics.
Click to expand...
This summer, at a flea market, I bought a small foam-dart shooting plastic toy gun that looks a lot like a pulse rifle. I plan to accurize it a little bit and paint it up when I get the time.
I hadn't been thinking of putting electronics in it, but if I was going to, I would want a 1/6th counter also. Are there LED digits that size?
Even if there are, I don't think that me would be a big enough market.
 
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Darth Lars said:
It has been years since I read about it, but I think that some of the LED drivers for Star Wars lightsabers a few years ago overdrived the voltage fed to the LEDs, but in a pulsed way. Apparently, this would not have worn the LEDs more than a steady current would have at lower voltage, but would have looked brighter to the human eye.
Click to expand...
This is quite common, especially when you remember that LEDs are current driven devices, not voltage driven, so it's the current that matters. And LEDs have two current ratings, a constant current and a pulsed current at a specific duty cycle. The pulsed current is always considerably higher, and yes results in a brighter illumination.
This summer, at a flea market, I bought a small foam-dart shooting plastic toy gun that looks a lot like a pulse rifle. I plan to accurize it a little bit and paint it up when I get the time.
I hadn't been thinking of putting electronics in it, but if I was going to, I would want a 1/6th counter also. Are there LED digits that size?
Even if there are, I don't think that me would be a big enough market.
Click to expand...
The smallest LED displays I can find have a character dimension of 5.08mm x 3.2mm, and a module outside dimension of 10mm x 14.1mm. That's quite small - would it be small enough? (or even too small?)

http://uk.farnell.com/kingbright/kcdc02-105/disp-smd-0-2-cmn-cathode-red/dp/2079949

Given the complexity and size of the electronics with it for the audio and power side of things it might be preferable to split the display system into two boards - a display board and a controller board - if the available space in the display area is too cramped.

And making one of something makes it unique to you - and what price do you put on uniqueness? With the price of small PCB etching these days being pretty low, making a one-off device for someone is perfectly possible. And many of the components I use are common across many of my products, so I am buying in bulk anyway. A market of 1 is still better than a market of 0 ;)
 
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The grenade launcher should work when the pump action is used that would be epic with a separate muzzle flash for the machine gun barrel and grenade barrel how much would these run at I'd be interested to update the counter in my snow wolf pr dependant on price of course
 
Just bought two counter units from Majenko :) man they are awesome and I can't wait to install one on my pulse rifle build. I have a question. Can the board be runt off the Airsoft battery? I like to use 11.1lipos so that's max 12.6v I am not sure on the current. I could have sworn I saw somewhere that these new compact units can run off a source up to 14ish volts? Last question. I can hook the trigger leads off the Airsoft to the board correct?
 
I always meant to see these counters with soundboards....but never got a chance....I had a counter on my first build from Hyperdyne Labs....but this was years before Majenko , showed up and started doing some amazing things :D.....Majenko any new counters and soundboards these day ???
 
CrazyHorse said:
Just bought two counter units from Majenko :) man they are awesome and I can't wait to install one on my pulse rifle build. I have a question. Can the board be runt off the Airsoft battery? I like to use 11.1lipos so that's max 12.6v I am not sure on the current. I could have sworn I saw somewhere that these new compact units can run off a source up to 14ish volts? Last question. I can hook the trigger leads off the Airsoft to the board correct?
Click to expand...

Check out my build thread here, using Majenko's board. I think it's the 6th post on the second page.
http://forum.alienslegacy.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12917

Also, here is a full pic schematic showing the wiring. This is from Majenko's own site.

e9t5c1.jpg
 
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Robiwon said:
Check out my build thread here, using Majenko's board. I think it's the 6th post on the second page.
http://forum.alienslegacy.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12917

Also, here is a full pic schematic showing the wiring. This is from Majenko's own site.

http://i66.tinypic.com/e9t5c1.jpg
Click to expand...

Hey thanks for taking the time to help out. Very nice schematic sir :) Yeah, I have a nice FCU so for the trigger I should be able to splice into each lead and directly hook that to the trigger inputs on the board. Also I would like to run the board off my airsoft battery, which would be at the upper extreme with an 11.1 lipo at 12.6v fully charged....majenko's manual states it is rated for 12v :( Not sure how I will approach this. Especially since I like the super responsive trigger an 11.1 gives you...and I don't want to burn out any components in the board.
 
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