Cauldron Skeleton

[youngti]

At your request I have started a new topic to deal just with the Cauldron Skeleton prop.  This will use an HC-8+ and the AP-16+ to control 4 servos, and two LED lights.  There will be two shows, one that is playing while the prop is at rest and the other plays after activation from a PIR.

Planned operation;
Prop at rest, LED eyes light, prop mutters and moves head around while stirring cauldron (cauldron motor is not hooked up to prop controller)

After activation;
Prop looks up then right, starts speaking to the TOT's and head moves back and forth "looking around".  Once done speaking a short 2 to 4 second delay and then it starts the first at rest show.

How I plan to hook devices up to HC-8+;

Pin setup
   TTL out0 = Left/Right servo
   TTL out1 = Jaw servo
   TTL out2 = Nod servo
   TTL out3 = Head Tilt servo

   TTL out4 = LED eyes, state is either on or off.
   TTL input0 = PIR

DMX set to 1,2,4,8 on for 180 degree servos
Use the EFX-TEK uSD adapter and code
    vixen00.bin &  vixen01.bin on card and set for programed movements using the VEX.

Use AP-16= for sound connected to the serial pins
  SFX00.wav and SFX01.wav the only files on the card.

Everything works for recording now patiently waiting for code.

Thank you.

[youngti]

I am not trying to hurry you.  I know you have a lot going on.  Just wanted to make sure you are not waiting on me for something.

[JonnyMac]

Haven't forgotten -- just been buried. Almost to the surface (like a vampire re-birth....)

[youngti]

Like the Kraken coming up from the great depths to crush the Black Pearl.  I understand I was just concered that you were waiting for an input from me. 

[youngti]

I hate to bug you and I know how busy you are but do you think you might have something in the next day or 2?

[youngti]

Okay so I am slowly sinking into the spin pit.  I was trying to figure things out using your examples and trying to build my own code but I am losing focus on this.

In one of your previous comments in the other post you talked about using some high level code to interpret the data on the SD card.  For the life of me I can't see what that is.  I have been reading and I can do some simple things like blink the LED eyes but I am getting lost.

I am also unclear on how to address the audio files and sync them with the data.  At this point I am so frustrated right now.  I was up until about 2am last night with this and don't feel I am any closer.  Maybe I am over thinking this, I felt pretty confident with pbasic but this is just not jelling in my brain.

I know that Halloween is just around the corner and I am not the only customer, but any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[JonnyMac]

Hopefully, the chat we had yesterday helps with prepping your files and the attached program does what it intends. As ever, this was "harder than it looks" so re-wrote it a couple times. I trust the comments will make the code as clear.

[youngti]

As always thank you so much.  I will try this out tomorrow and let you know how it goes.  Then I just need to take the vixen files and import them into vixen to modify for the eyes.

And yes the talk was very helpful.  Still need to sit down and go over my notes (yes I take notes) and then see if I can implement some of the stuff.  As you always say start small and build.

[youngti]

Okay so I have been running around trying to get things done.  Everything is taking twice as long because of my knee so tonight I was just able to test it out. I set the AP16 to 38,400 and I have the servos connected to out-0 to 3, LED eyes connected to out-4,AP 16 connected to the TTL serial and the PIR connected to In-0.

I turn on the AP-16 and then the hC-8.  Servos have power and sfx00 starts.  The head tilts to one side but mouth isn't moving and the pir will not interupt HC-8and play sfx01.  It plays all the way through once and then stops, will not repeat.  It will not stat again even when I turn off the HC-8 and then back on.  It will only start again when I turn off both the HC-8 and AP-16.

The four servos have their own separate power supply. AS well as the HC-8 and AP-16.  It works with the VEX code to record but not working here.  Any ideas?

[youngti]

Just tried the VEX again and it worked fine for a while.  But about 30 seconds into it everything stops.  I have the servos on a separate power supply that is 5v, and I think 8 amps.  But it worked before.  I even recorded 5 or six shows.

[JonnyMac]

When things are wonky like that I have always found it to be the uSD card -- I suffered for several hours through this while working on the VEX rececorder code.  After I sorted that I was able to record and playback shows over 5m long (my target length).   This is a very tricky prop.  Can you ZIP and send your files to me so I can try to duplicate here?

[youngti]

Here are the files.  I am using a SanDisk 4GB micro SD card.

[livinlowe]

Here are the files.  I am using a SanDisk 4GB micro SD card.

What class card is it? I think they have to be at least class4 or 6? Not sure

[youngti]

So in regards to the SD card.  It is almost impossible to find 4GB cards locally.  I was able to find the ones I got at Fry's.  But they are about 30 minutes away.  If you put a larger one in will it still work?  Can it read it?  I am more than willing to go down to Best Buy and get a better quality one. What brand do you recommend?

[JonnyMac]

The key to look for is a speed rating which is a number in a C on the card. If this number is missing it means the card vendor may not in fact be a part of the SD card association and the card may not quite be up to specs.  Again, I've seen this in my own experiments. Kingston is good, so is ScanDisk.