Singing Skeletons

[youngti]

I have been reading the HC-8+ section and I am really excited about this.  I may even order another HC-8+ and AP-16 to convert my singing skeleton quartet to the HC-8+.  Right now it is all on VSA and controlled by a laptop.  Actually I have to VSA routine's that are controlled by VSA and the computer.  One is the singing quartet and the other are two skeletons triggered by a break beam that greet the tots before they get to me.  It looks like you can use VSA to  export a show and run from the SD card.  Super cool!  I am more familiar with VSA than vixen and seeing that I already have the routine's completed can you explain how I might move them over?  Could IO use one HC-8+/AP-16+ combo to run both shows independently?

[JonnyMac]

Easy-peezy -- but, as Tom Cruise famously said as Jerry Maguire: "Help me help you."

What I need to know to write an HC-8+ program for you:

A) Number of channels in show
B) Frame rate show was designed for

Tidbit: The VSA Export facility works well, but does not provide these two key pieces of information.  When we asked KC to provide an export facility for Vixen (which is free), we added a header than includes the channels, the event timing (ms), and the number of frames in the file.

C) What are you controlling? Don't tell me props, tell me the hard-core hardware.  Direct output?  Direct servos?  Serial servo controller? 

If you want to give Vixen a try you can send me your VSA files and I will use the Propeller to convert from VSA to Vixen format. Send the .vsa files, not the exported data.

If you want to stick with VSA, no worries, just give me the details I need and how you want to start the shows.  We have eight inputs that can be used as triggers.

[youngti]

Okay great, I will get that information to you.  Another question is can I use one set of HC-8+/AP-16+ to run the quartet and the greeting skeletons or do I need two sets?

[JackMan]

I believe you can run both props from one set but only if your props don't exceed the number of outputs on the HC-8+ and only if one prop will be operating at any given time. I could be wrong but I don't think the HC-8+ can play more than one file at a time from the MicroSD, the same is true for the AP-16+.

[JonnyMac]

To Jack's point, we can only play one file at a time on the HC-8+ and the AP-16+.  So long as the IO can be handled for both props and you don't need the shows to run simultaneously, you can use one set.

Details matter. This is why I asked about the actual IO before giving a definitive answer.

[youngti]

Yeah, that is what I was afraid of.  Have to dig a little deeper and get antoher one.  It will pprobably be worth it.

[youngti]

What I need to know to write an HC-8+ program for you:

A) Number of channels in show (do you mean the number of servos?)

Do you mean the number of servos?

What I need to know to write an HC-8+ program for you:

B) Frame rate show was designed for

I am not sure where to get this information.  Is this somthing I can get ouT of the VSA program?

[JonnyMac]

Do you mean the number of servos?

Yes, and what hardware are they connected to? How is VSA "talking" to those servos now?

I am not sure where to get this information.  Is this somthing I can get ouT of the VSA program?

Yes. Why don't you just send me (or post in reply) your .VSA file so I can have a look.

[youngti]

Yes I built it and I guess I didn't understand what you ment by channels.

It consists of two Parallax micro servo controller boards connected together, controling 17 servos.  Skull 1 has 5, three other have 4 each.  The VSA computer is hooked to the Servo board via a 20' USB cable.

When I get home I can get the VSA file for you and post.

[youngti]

Okay here is the VSA routine for the singing skeletons.  I had to zip it because it was too big.  I should have named this post different, sorry.  A little more information about the setup.  There are 4 skeletons, skull one has five servos, one each for jaw, nod, tilt, swivel and eye.  The other three have four servos, one each for jaw, nod, tilt and swivel.  All servos are connected to two paralax servo boards.  They are connected togher as main and slave.  The main board is connected to a computer via a 20' USB cable.

Thank you for your help and let me know if you need more information.

[youngti]

While I have been waiting I have been reading as much as I can about this and the AP-16+.  My setup for the singing skulls currently uses two parallax servo controller boards.  With 17 servos to control I needed two boards.  And it looks like the HC-8+ will only have 8 TTL's.  How will these servo boards interface with the HC-8+?  Will I just need to connect them in serial (the parallax boards are already connected that way).  Or will I not need these with the HC-8+. (I then would need at least two HC-8+'s)  The setup I am planning is either HC-8+ and an AP-16+ or HC-8+, AP-16+, and two parallax servo control boards. 

Also I would like to drive two red LED's per skull.  Something I forgot about and can work out another way if I need to.

[bsnut]

How will these servo boards interface with the HC-8+?

You will connect your Parallax Servo Control board serially using TTL serial and servo cables to your HC-8+. This is going to be simular to Jack's project and the only thing different is, you are using the Parallax Servo Control board.

[youngti]

I just read about half of that post.  Didn't look at it until you suggested it because it was titled Roboware.  There is a huge amount of good information in that so thank you.  I usually use VSA but I just may take a stab at Vixen.  Like JonnyMac I am not bothered to re-do the work, there is always something I can tweak.

[JonnyMac]

That's the direction we'll be going: we'll use P0 TTL out to send serial to the PSCs, the SERIAL header to communicate with the AP-16, and that leaves 6 or 7 (depending on how the PSCs work out) HC-8+ outputs for dimming. 

This is a little tricky, and what I may want to do is go in stages. The first would be converting the raw show data to play just the way VSA does it.  Once we verify that the PSCs are playing nicely with the HC-8+, then I'll finish the conversion process to create a data file you can import into Vixen for modification. This would allow you to add local dimmer channels.

The messy bit is the channel assignments but as Jack did, we can work through that.

[youngti]

Jonny,

I am going to let you off the hook on this one.  I would rather have you concentrate on other more important items then waist your time on this. 

I am thinking that I may revamp this one anyway and add another song to it as well as another skull (Vincent Price in the Thriller part).  I was also thinking it would work better if I used only HC-8+'s and an AP-16+ instead of using the servo controllers.  Thinking that 3 HC-8+ for a total of 24 TTL's and one AP-16+, then doing the whole thing in Vixen instead of VSA.  I don't know with a total of 21 servos (including the 5th skull) and five sets of LED eyes I may need 4 HC-8+'s.  One more and I would qualify for the discount.

Maybe something that the TOT's could push a button and choose which song they wanted to hear?  But that would have to be for next year.  I am finding as I get older (I am 52 now) it gets harder to do this all my self.

Anyway I hope you have not invested too much time in this.  If so and you feel like you need to finish then fine, but I want to make sure that you have do not feel obligated to finish this.  I honestly am not sure if I will have the time to work on this.  Had some health issues and I am trying to get ready to ride a 100Mile ride on the 20th.