Product Preview: EZ-8 Touch Controller

[JonnyMac]

Okay, we were going to keep this under wraps until Transwold but as that's a vendor show and vendors don't spend a lot of time in these forums we decided to let this cat out of the bag: we built a bit-banger/key-banger -- we call it a Touch Controller^TM.

Our new baby is the EZ-8 Touch Controller^TM, part of our EZ family of products -- because prop control should be easy. Right?



EZ-8 Features:
* 8 channels
* 64K show memory (36 minutes at 30 frames per second)
* Start inputs:
    -- N.O. dry contract switch
    -- 12-24 VDC (optically isolated)
    -- PIR (header compatible with Parallax PIR module)

Programming:
1) Turn the mode switch to the desired channel (1 - 8); multi-mode LED will turn red
2) Press START button; multi-mode LED will flash red to indicate record cycle
3) "Bit-bang" the channel data into the controller using the RECORD button
4) Press START button to stop programming; multi-mode LED will stop flashing
5) Repeat steps 1-4 for other channels.

Playback:
1) Turn the mode switch to playback (position 0); multi-mode LED will turn green
2) Press START button (or get input from other start sources); multi-mode LED will flash green during playback

Erase Program (all channels)
1) Turn the mode switch to position 0; multi-mode LED will turn green
2) Turn off power
3) Press and hold START and RECORD
4) Apply power
5) Multi-mode LED will be yellow to warn of erasure
6) After two second warning multi-mode LED will flash yellow to indicate erasure of program
    -- you may release START and RECORD once erasure starts
    -- multi-mode LED will stop flashing at end of erase cycle

Erase individual channel:
1) Turn the mode switch to desired channel (1 - 8); multi-mode LED will turn red
2) Turn off power
3) Press and hold START and RECORD
4) Apply power
5) Multi-mode LED will be yellow to warn of erasure
6) After two second warning multi-mode LED will flash yellow to indicate erasure of channel
    -- you may release START and RECORD once erasure starts
    -- multi-mode LED will stop flashing at end of erase cycle


Q: How much does it cost?
A: $100 each, with normal discounts at 5 and 10 units.

Q: When I'm recording a new channel do the others play?
A: Yes.

Q: Do I have to program a "guide channel" for the length of my show before programming other channels?
A: Nope, the EZ-8 automatically adjusts the show length to the longest channel.

Q: What if I erase the longest channel?
A: The EZ-8 will use the next longest channel to set show length.

Q: Okay, what if I erase that channel?
A: No problem; the EZ-8 keeps track of the length of every channel and dynamically adjusts after any change.

Q: How do I connect a PIR?
A: If you're using a Parallax PIR you can plug it right into the PIR header

Q: What about a mat switch?
A: Connect that to the N.O. switch input.

Q: Can I use a PIR and mat switch at the same time.
A: Absolutely.

Q: Can I make it auto-start (on power-up) and loop?
A: Yes, just put a jumper into the N.O. switch input terminal block.

Q: Can I program it with a PC?
A: Yes, you can use Vixen.

Q: Do I have to pay extra for Vixen programming?
A: No, it's absolutely free.

Q: What if my PC only has USB?
A: No problem -- get the Parallax USB-to-Serial adapter and cable (about $22).

Q: Could I use the EZ-8 as an output device for Vixen?
A: Yes. Position 9 of the mode switch is for PC control and allows the PC to change the outputs.

Q: Will using the EZ-8 as an output device for Vixen erase the show data I recorded earlier?
A: No, it's safe and sound.

Q: Why'd you guys do it?
A: Because so many of our friends asked us to!

See you in St. Louis!  If not there, perhaps HAuNTcon or MHC.

[deanhunt]

This is so cool. You guys have been busy haven't you.
Can't wait to see it in action.
See you at MHC.

[gadget-evilusions]

Looks awesome Jon. I will be ordering a few in St. Louis.

[bpenman]

This is fantastic news. This would just be fun to play with, let alone actually use for prop control. It will bring a new era of creativity to haunters who want to break into automation, but don't have a very good grasp on basic stamp language. I look forward to purchasing one of these in the near future!

[JonnyMac]

Bet you can't buy just one!  ;D

Sorry... I'm a cheesy guy who lives in Hollywood, is an actor, and will from time-to-time quote iconic commercials.

[JonnyMac]

Product pages are up:
  EZ-8
  EZ-8 Starter Kit

We'll start taking orders in April.

[JonnyMac]

Vixen programming is complete (thanks KC, just in time for TransWorld).  With Vixen you can upload and download your EZ-8 show, and when you download it you can set a code protect switch that prevents others from uploading it and "borrowing" your cool techniques.   And with Vixen 2.5 (we have an early version) you can do "real time" programming where you tap keys (that you assigned) on the keyboard while playing a show; the key data will be recorded and it will play through the EZ-8 at the same time and in real time.  Very cool, and no up-charge for the capability!

[gadget-evilusions]

That is amazing and so cool. I am going to take full advantage of all those features. I especially like the write-protect for us OEMS.

[JonnyMac]

We had a GREAT TransWorld show and I think it's safe to say that the EZ-8 was a big hit -- especially from those who had not used EFX-TEK products before because they thought we only made "hard to program" controllers.

[EricTheMannn]

This look's like a Great device, as i was looking at it an idea came upon me.

What if there was an adapter like the EZ-8 that you could connect to the prop-1 , -2, and SX, and program them with a touch of a finger.

it would also be able to upload The program to a PC.

i am diffidently going to check this one out this year, and hope that this comment sparks more ideas for everyone at efx-tek.

-Eric

[JonnyMac]

While the EZ-8 is very easy to use, under the hood it's quite a little beast -- I know because I designed the circuit and coded it.  There's a lot of horsepower (that you don't see) required to maintain absolute accuracy with frame timing (30 fps), to control the LED (yellow requires tricky modulation of two pins), and -- this is the biggy -- the EZ-8 has a boatload of memory just for the sequence that the other controllers don't have.

You can use Vixen to program the Prop-1 and Prop-2 like "bit-banger", but to create a bit-banger add-on for these controllers would not be viable -- trust me, we thought about that before designing an brand new controller.  The other up-side of the EZ-8 is that our external team (all professional prop builders) asked us to make it easy to start with any kind of signal, hence we have dry-contact, wet (dc voltage), and PIR inputs; you can't get much easier than that.

[Edit] About 3 years ago I wrote a single channel bit-banger on the Prop-1 -- you can see that code here: http://www.efx-tek.com/php/smf/index.php?topic=1037.0

[EricTheMannn]

i was looking at the vixen support forums and came across this post

http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6736

it looks like its similar to my idea only using you're controller (EZ-8) to program vixen and output the data to another controller via prop-1, -2 and so fourth.

I thought you might get a kick out of this, if you haven't come across it already.

-Eric

[JonnyMac]

Vixen 2.5 is what we're using to upload and download sequences from/to the EZ-8, and as we wanted "real time programming" there is a live driver that operates the EZ-8 outputs in slave mode (even as you're banging away on the PC keyboard); this means that you can use the EZ-8 as an output device for a Vixen show (e.g., complex animatronic).  Since there is a serial connection on the board (duh!) there is a message in the protocol that allows Vixen to read the state of the start input (which could be a mat switch, PIR, etc.) -- this would allow you to trigger the show using the EZ-8 hardware.

I've been so busy I haven't chatted with KC since TransWorld but will be in the next few days because of other work we're doing using Vixen and the EZ-8 -- hope to have it ready to show at HAuNTcon.

[tgkraus]

John, I am looking at putting a 3 axis skull program together with about a 1-1.5 min story. Will the ez 8 work for this setup?

[JonnyMac]

Not with the digital ("bit-banger") program it comes with -- unless your skull is run by pneumatics.  If it's a servo-based skull then the EZ-8 will have to be loaded with a new program (possible as the core processor is the SX28 -- same as on the Prop-SX) that can download (from Vixen) and run servo outputs.