HELP!! Audio XY scanner

[FokoF]

Can anyone please help me or give some advice or a better schematic?
I built the schematic show on boomdog's site for controlling the galvos via a audio input, but its not working, the galvo's just stay in one position and the weirdest thing is i can hear the music coming from the galvo's, it's faint but they seem to be acting as speaker. Or i just happen to have huanted galvo's.
Any advice?????????????????

 

[SenKat]

Post some pics of your setup, and post the link that you used to get help - to post the link, either send me a PM, and I will addit to your post (since you are below 20 posts) or like this : wwwDOTboomdogscoolsiteDOTcom/info/buildingneatstuff/scanner

And I can go back in and edit it for you - sound cool ?

 

[FokoF]

Heres the schematic.
And the link www.skyfirelasersDOTcom/boomdog/byoshow.php
Im using the same parts and a set of mini stepper motors, they are slightly larger, but run on 5V
Im trying to get the set-up to run off my ipod, so im not using any resistors for R3 and R4, because im guessing the ipod gives off less then 10watt of power.

 

[Tallaxo]

I am no electronics expert and I am sure someone will correct me if I am way off the mark , but are not the 2 diodes indicated near R1 and R2 facing the wrong way, therefore blocking the signal from the amplifier reaching the stepper motors?

Jase

 

[FokoF]

R1 and R2 are potentiometer(some one please tell me how to spell it ) also called varible resistors, they have 3 connecters, the ones used are 100 Ohm so they can range from 0 Ohm to 100 Ohm. Think dimmer switch used in homes.
Thanks

 

[Tallaxo]

I understand that. maybe because I live in the UK our symbols are a little different. I was refering to the 2 blue filled triangles facing left. to me they represent diodes.

Jase

 

[Things]

the weirdest thing is i can hear the music coming from the galvo's, it's faint but they seem to be acting as speaker. Or i just happen to have huanted galvo's.
that happened to me too! i was playing with some little dc motors, when i decided to plug them into my soundcard and see if i can get them to spin to the music, but instead they played music. The music sounded better than my headphones ;D

 

[Kenom]

Well, essentially a speaker is an electromagnet that when AC voltage is applied moves a magnet forward and back. A motor is also an electromagnet that moves a Permenant magnet around in a circle off DC voltage. By applying AC to something that is going to normally take DC it could work as a speaker. theoretically speaking.

 

[Gazoo]

I understand that. maybe because I live in the UK our symbols are a little different. I was refering to the 2 blue filled triangles facing left. to me they represent diodes.

Jase

On a schematic diagram, if there are diodes present they would be labeled...D and then a number. The symbols of popular components can be found by viewing the following link:

http://www.ziplink.net/~teachcte/symb1.html

 

[FokoF]

Does anyone know of a better schematic to use an audio input, to get the galvo's to scan?
Thanks guys

 

[vic20owner]

Wow cool, I just happened across this forum and saw you guys discussing audio XY scanners. It's been awhile since I played with lasers, but I did write a small program a few years ago to generate lissajous patterns (spirograph) from your computer via sound card.

It's available for download on my website at lasers.cbmhacker.com.

I haven't worked on it for about 7 years, but I do still have the source code so additions could still be made.

Green laser pointers were still over $100 back then. I guess it's time I start playing with lasers again. I just picked up an old Amiga 1200 which would be fun for running Pangolins LSD1000 laser show software (also free). I've been thinking about building a better set of galvos and an amp... the schematic above looks interesting.

 

[SenKat]

Nice work with that software ! I think once we get teh shows/displays section built out, we will add that as a sticky, if you do not mind ?

 

[vic20owner]

Nice work with that software ! I think once we get teh shows/displays section built out, we will add that as a sticky, if you do not mind ?

No problem... I hadn't seen a simple pattern generator (which didn't require parallel port adapter, dacs, etc) so I just wrote something simple to use the sound card.

 

[SenKat]

You wouldn't happen to want to share the source code, and give some tips for others to proggy in their own ideas ? If not, that is totally okay...I am just curious, that is all....my daughter is a VERY creative young lady, and owuld have a blast making some new designs for laser shows !

 

[FokoF]

Cool, gonna try it out and see what happens.
We deffinately need a laser Tech/Show section, common guys you can do it ;D

 

[Things]

are we still planning on having the scanner section?