Using the Open Laser Show DAC (OLSD) with LSX laser show software

http://www.fab-favreau.com/wiki/uplo...UINO_SMALL.jpg

Not everyone may realize, a little over a year ago cfavreau released his open source projector controller DAC, called OLSD. This is a neat little DAC built on an arduino duemilanove, which can be had for $20-25, plus a 'shield PCB' that performs the DAC function and can be purchased or built from the open plans. This little device works with all OSes and has good performance - MUCH better than an iShow DAC.

It can be used with a lot of community software, including
LSX
ILD SOS
LaserCam
Spaghetti
Mamba Black (through the MLD Interface)
HE_Laserscan (through MLD)
and probably others.

Now, it's not a 24-bit true color DAC like an EtherDream and most others (iShow is only 3-bit color) it's 9-bit or 15-bit color for 512 or 32,768 colors, depending on the version you buy/build.



If you are building or buying one and want to use it as-is with LSX, with shows that you create, just drop the OLSD.dll into the LSX install folder. Simple!

However if you want to play protected shows from LSX, do not change OLSD.dll as above. Some PCB modifications will be required to turn your OLSD V3 into an OLSD-LSX device. There are a few benefits to doing so:

-Max point rate increases to 50kpps from 30kpps
-Point output smoothness improves
-Can play protected shows from LSX

You will need:
Soldering iron
Drill with thin bits
OLSD-LSX Arduino chip (PM for details)
Thin wire


Here are the instructions for doing the mod

1) download FTProg
http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Utilities.htm
With your device plugged in, Run it, and click 'scan and parse' under 'USB String Descriptors' change product description to "OLSD_LSX_V1.0_F" (without quotes) then under 'Hardware specific, IO controls' change C2, C3, C4 to CLK24
Finally, click 'Program Devices' at the top.


2) apply the thick red wire Duemilanove modification as shown in the photos. The thin wire mod was factory-installed already. Note that on
the underside, the trace leading to the wired pin is cut right next to the socket pin.

http://innolasers.com/laser/OLSD/mod_front.jpg
http://innolasers.com/laser/OLSD/mod_back.jpg

That's it, install the OLSD/LSX chip and you should be good to go. Note, these instructions are for the V3 variant of OLSD.

That is an excellent tutorial! Thanks for taking the time to put it up here.

Hi,
How to change the product description, if i want to use several OLSD`s simultaneously?
Will it work with v4 DAC variant?

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Originally Posted by Bbe

Hi,
How to change the product description, if i want to use several OLSD`s simultaneously?
Will it work with v4 DAC variant?

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You do not have to change the description. The OLSD driver should open more than 1 at a time with no modifications.

Yes it will work with the V4 DAC variant... however you have to copy/install the correct OLSD.DLL to work with the V4 or V3.

I thought that if i was assigning a different ID to boards, it will make it easier to configure the show in LSX.
For example,
OLSD DAC#L,
OLSD DAC#R,
OLSD DAC#Center, etc...

That is an interesting thought. They do not currently do that. I am not sure of the order that they get chosen in. They might be loaded in the order that they are plugged in. It would not be difficult to change it so that they definitely are opened in the order they are plugged in.

Assigning a specific number to them will be difficult considering how they work currently.

I wonder how to implemented the identification process in EtherDream?
About OLSD:
If I understand correctly, instead of using 16MHz internal oscillator we use signal from the FTDI chip. Is a specific signal, or it can be replaced, for example, an external oscillator? I also see that the pin GPIO2 GPIO3 shorted. Is it normal?

Not sure how EtherDream works...

OLSD detects all of the OLSD boards that are attached... it just doesn't bother to identify them to its host. They are simply presented as DAC 0 to (count - 1).

About OLSD->
Yes OLSD is using the stock 16 MHz crystal. You could put in a faster one however you would need to modify the firmware so that the baud rate and timers were setup correctly for the new clock. That is how DrLava's modification works... however he uses the 24MHz clock output from the FTDI chip + he has some really nice firmware mods.

GPIO2 and GPIO3 are not shorted.... they are part of a R2R DAC on V3 and they are switch and LED on V4. Yes what ever you see in the schematic is "normal". It has all been tested.

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GPIO2 and GPIO3 are not shorted....

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Oh, sorry, i meant CBUS2+CBUS3 shorted

I dream of to control the OLSD through rs232 directly, without FTDI bridge, in this case would be possible to use the ethernet-rs232 bridge and virtual COM ports on PC...:rolleyes:

The CBUS2 and CBUS3 that belogn to the FTDI chip on the Arduino? I am not sure what planet you are getting your schematics from... but those pins (pin 13 and 14 on the FT232R) are not connected to anything.


You can dream... but why not just make it a reality get yourself a simple Arduino like the Boarduino or what not that just has TTL serial... or just find a micro controller with ethernet built in (even better) and hookup the OLSD shield. You would be much better off just doing that so you don't have the Serial interface middle man.

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are not connected to anything

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I mean it
Attachment 35437

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or just find a microcontroller with ethernet built in

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I plan to use atmega328 with the W5100 chip. It works well together, but I'm not sure that it bundle will work with LSX. Can LSX see a virtual COM port, etc...

Oh... ha! I see ... that planet ;) Yeah I see now. You are talking about DrLava's version. He has those configured as 24 MHz clock out. The CBUS pins can be configured as a few different things using the FTDI configuration utility, MPROG. He uses those to clock the 328 at 24 Mhz instead of having to install a new crystal. The open source version of OLSD doesn't do this. You still need to run a line from the CTS to one of the IO on the Arduino/ATMega328.

So you plan to use essentially an "Ethernet Shield". You might need to reconfigure the SPI slave select line for the W5100 chip. Also you may want to do some reading of the source code to make sure you can make it work like you think it will work. My experience with networks and virtual serial ports (USB and Network) leads me to believe you will want to rewrite the OLSD firmware and OLSD driver to work with the strengths of the network instead of just trying to piggy back the serial on the network. I do not think you will achieve what you want without a bit of firmware and software. The LSX driver will not work as it expects to communicate to a FTDI chip and not a "COM" port. This can be changed with a little bit of code. If you want to know some details I can point you to what needs to be changed... or at least give you a good idea.... as I am sure there are some hurdles to get over.

We should start a new thread to put this in since it goes a bit beyond just using LSX with the OLSD.

so, just to sum it up, is any sort of hardware available that works with lsx without the end user having to do any modding?

if yes, who sells it and how much would he ask for his trouble making it?

:)

pangolin's qm2000/qm.net works fine with LSX as does j4cbo's etherdream DAC.

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Originally Posted by LaNeK779

so, just to sum it up, is any sort of hardware available that works with lsx without the end user having to do any modding?

if yes, who sells it and how much would he ask for his trouble making it?

:)

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fair enough sir swami, I wasn't specific enough :)
I meant a version of OLSD that is ready to work with LSX out of the box

one day i will get myself an etherdream for sure. at the moment i am just looking for something to act as a double to the tiny riya lite

no worries. i should have read for context. ;)

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Originally Posted by LaNeK779

fair enough sir swami, I wasn't specific enough :)
I meant a version of OLSD that is ready to work with LSX out of the box

one day i will get myself an etherdream for sure. at the moment i am just looking for something to act as a double to the tiny riya lite

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Yes... the standard version works with LSX out of the box (you do have to copy 1 file... is that modding?) You cannot play protected shows with it though because it is Open Source. It has no licensing mechanism built in.

How much? $75 ... where can you get them? I am sold out. Anyone else can make them too. If you are handy with soldering I will give you a board and you can make one for yourself. I have 8 bare boards left.

I am making a new all in 1 board version that should be plentiful sometime around the new year.

great!!

one board for me please and put me in the list for next year, too :)

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Originally Posted by cfavreau

So you plan to use essentially an "Ethernet Shield". You might need to reconfigure the SPI slave select line for the W5100 chip.

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I forgot to say that this manufacturer has boards with 2x and 4x serial ports, so I think there is no need to reconfigure the spi bus, because it will not be involved in the communication with the ethernet chip

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The LSX driver will not work as it expects to communicate to a FTDI chip and not a "COM" port.

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It was one of the main issues that I was afraid. The need to rewrite the driver LSX on PC side now obvious.

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If you want to know some details I can point you to what needs to be changed...

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This will be my first experience to "tinker" with drivers, i do not shure about the result. :D

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We should start a new thread to put this in since it goes a bit beyond just using LSX with the OLSD.

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This will not help us, when will DrLava be back :cool:

Why not use a real USB AVR? Teensy, for example. There's even an ATmega32U4-based Arduino now. That way you could get all the data rate you like, without having to dick around with FTDIs and similar awful, awful hacks.

Shooo ... go away.

I meant ... thanks for your suggestion.

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Originally Posted by cfavreau

Shooo ... go away.

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Originally Posted by cfavreau

I meant ... thanks for your suggestion.

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...........lmao

Serious suggestion. No data rate limit and all your code should port directly.

What teensy? would this one work, http://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy.html

Yes, though the driver side on the PC would need to change a little. You'd port the firmware by choosing a suitable driver model with Teensyduino (the 'serial' mode has a maximum data rate of 12 Mbit/sec and doesn't care about the baud rate settings).