Push button Ezypoints

A few months ago I produced a batch of Ezypoint kits for our local members to overcome a shortage in the Kitlocker.

At that time the kit was produced on stripboard which some members find problematic. An additional PCB board normally available from MERG was not available either.

Alan Turner ( the PCB designer) had only a few boards available but graciously provided me with the gerber files to allow me to order PCBs directly from China . Having sourced all necessary components, the kits were duly made up.

I find this simple kit is really useful for automation projects.

A toggle switch provides either a HIGH or LOW on the PIC input pin to determine which of the two servo positions is selected.

For a particular application, I wanted to use a push button to toggle the position on alternate presses of the button.

This involved a rewrite of some of the code in the PIC.

I initially developed the program using an Arduino as a means of testing the logic.

When this was successfully working, I then wrote an on / off LED program in JAL (Just Another Language) and compiled and tested for correct operation.

Finally, I looked at Davy Dick's original program and replaced his looping check for change of switch state function and replaced it with the modified version.

As the only thing that needs to change is the data on the PIC, I have produced another set of the Ezypoint PCB kits in both the original and modified form.

Let me know if you would like any of either version. They are both available to members of our Groups at a lower price than currently offered in the Kit Locker.

Comments

3D Printing Presentation

Sunday's Zoom meeting had our largest audience so far with 19 members attending from various parts of the country. Alan Geekie gave us an excellent and well received presentation on 3D printing that included FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) and SLA (Stereolithography apparatus) types He first showed how we can source "things to print" using sites like Thingiverse. His own filament printer was the Prusa i3 Mk 3S which is available either as a kit (£699) or pre-assembled (£899) and features a self leveling bed. It also benefited from an additional multi material upgrade kit and he demonstrated the start up sequence of leveling, homing, clearing remaining filament from the hot end and then beginning the print. The process of slicing where a 3d object drawing file (.stl) is broken up into the x,y,z drawing coordinates for each individual layer was also explained. Alan then moved on to resin printers using another Prusa model, the SL1 and its associated curing and washing mach

Arduino Book Recommendation

Welcome to the site which has been set up for all members of the Scottish Borders Group of MERG. As you know, I have been working on various Arduino projects recently including the station and cafe displays. There are many resources available online when you come across a problem but a good reference book which explains how things work is essential. I have tried a few and found the following book the best so far. It is well written and laid out logically for the beginner to be able to develop new skills. The structure of the Chapters makes it easy to find the relevant section. By clicking on the link below you will be able to look inside and see for yourself. https://amzn.to /38HfrWW If you decide to purchase through this link you should be aware that I will receive a small commission on any sales generated which will help to finance further projects Andy R

Train sequence / timetable using Arduino

Following discussions in a MERG Zoom meeting about potential projects for the Cumbria virtual area group I have started this blog to share my ideas for building a train sequence / timetable system based on an Arduino UNO. The trigger for this project was Andy Robb's article in the MERG journal (June 2020 edition). In it Andy describes using an UNO with a OLED display to produce an electronic station display board. Having tried out Andy's version I started thinking about expanding the idea and have come up the following list of possibilities: 1. Replace my card index train sequence with an electronic version. 2. Have the train sequence synchronised with the on platform displays. 3. Display an analogue clock on the station display and have it display the train times. 4. Store the position reached in the sequence so that it starts where it left off on power up. To make the project of greater potential interest to other modellers the following

Welcome to the Cumbria & Scottish Borders Area Group Forum

Search This Blog