The street signs and shop Windows, and used all sorts of discos "running lights". The construction of such devices are many ham radio operators. A simple design of a programmable light settings can implement, using its management by a personal computer. About how to make, is told in the published article here.
Described is a light fixture allows to realize various lighting effects by means of control programs in a common personal computer (PC) "ZX Spectrum". The author used is compatible with the "ZX Spectrum" PC "Quorum", which already has a built-in parallel port address is 251. It is used to connect the printer. The port uses 8 conclusions corresponding to 8 bits information. If you have such a port, it is collected according to the description in [1] or other literature.
With OUT A V in the port forward one byte (8 bits), where A is the address port, V - the value passed in. Each bit controls the turning on of one lamp or more connected in parallel. At some point include any of eight lamps. This requires that on the relevant conclusions of the port was the level of logical units (approximately 3.5 V). Consistently changing software the contents of the port, arrange for the inclusion of some and off with other lamps certain speed. Thus create the required lighting effects.
In the device used available items, and it can be assembled without special labour (see diagram).
Let the output 0 of port a logical zero (voltage of about 0.5 V or less). It is not enough to open the transistor VT1, so SCR VS1 is closed and the lamp HL1 off. When writing to the port number, e.g. 128 (in binary system 10000000) at the output 0 will appear logical unit. Transistor VT1 opens and opens SCR VS1, which includes the lamp HL1.
For light installation will require a supply voltage of 5 V and a current of not less than 0.1 A.
During installation and adjustment should be extremely careful, as the device is electrically connected to the network. Before turning, you must make sure the correctness of the installation. A mistake could damage not only the collected installation, but the PC. This is the main drawback of the light installation.
The device is allowed to use transistors KT315 with any letter index. Diode VD1 replace other power, for example D. You can apply triacs, suitable for direct current 5…10 A and a voltage of at least 300V, COOK-KUN etc. Maximum total power of the lamps shall not exceed 3 kW [2], wherein the VD1 diode mounted on heatsink area of at least 100 cm2 and triacs - on heat sinks area of 50 cm2. It is better to use the lamp "Mignon" with a capacity of 10 or 15 watts. They are disposed in the housing with a transparent front wall. Lamps are divided by partitions. The resulting cell paste over the inside foil. The cartridges of lamps fixed to the walls.
The control program written in the BASIC language. In table. 1 shows only DEMO-version, which can be used as a basis for writing a program with great potential. In the DEMO program implemented nine light effects. But this is not the limit. It all depends on the imagination of the programmer.
(click to enlarge)
The sequence numbers of packets transmitted on the port, let us examine the following example. Consider the effect of expanding routes and shrinking back line. Corresponding to this effect the sequence of numbers written in binary and decimal the calculus is presented in table. 2. The number can be written in the operator program BIN, but it is better to translate them into decimal expansion in powers of 2, for example: 10011100=1.27+0.26+ 0.25+1.24+ 1.23+1.22+ 0.21+0.20= 128+0.64+0.32+16+8+4+0.2+0.1= 128+16+8+4=156
The program should provide a delay before the next transmission when the number help the operator PAUSE N, where N is the delay in the fiftieth of a second, i.e. equal to 0.02 N.
Lighting installation in author's version, as described in the article should be seen as an interesting idea. During its implementation it is necessary to make following: to the network device should be connected through the separation the transformer capacity of not less than the total wattage. If you use step-down transformer, the lamp should be replaced by low voltage. For galvanic isolation of governors and power circuits may be possible to apply optocouplers, for example, the series AO (see Fig. 27 in article A. Yushin "New optoelectronic devices" in "Radio", 1997, No. 10, p. 64) or AOV, the unit can be supplied directly from the mains. The anodes emitting diodes of the optocouplers should be connected to the emitters of the transistors and the cathodes connect to the common wire, and about three times to reduce the resistance of all the resistors installed. When use series devices AOW's possible to connect the lamp power up to 20 W to photoemitter optocoupler.
Literature
Author: S. Grave, Pervouralsk, Sverdlovsk region.