RIYA DAC and testing RGB output

[WolfMax]

If you are by-passing the show cards laser output, you can't be using the show cards built in patterns. In which case, why are you using it at all? Does the card drive the scanners directly or does it send signals to the scanner amps? if the later, you can simply wire the ILDA connector to the amps instead and remove the show card completely

[Datsurb]

I have used some different showcards in my builds. All of them are using TTL for the build in function, like the shows in the ROM, playing content from SD cards. BUT, all of them pass through the signal from the DB25 ILDA cable ASIS. Using FB3 the output is always analog with all the colors and modulation. There might be other cards out there, but i really can`t see any reason to put extra components on the showcard to convert the modulatinsignal from analog to TTL.

[paulckruger]

If you are by-passing the show cards laser output, you can't be using the show cards built in patterns. In which case, why are you using it at all? Does the card drive the scanners directly or does it send signals to the scanner amps? if the later, you can simply wire the ILDA connector to the amps instead and remove the show card completely

That is exactly my thinking.

The show card has 3-pin headers that output to two driver boards which then drive the scanners. Now that I have IDL dongle I really could care less about the built in patters.

I am not sure which pin is what so have to do some investigation to figure out how to go from the dongle direct to the driver boards for scanners. Those driver boards are powered by their own +/- 12 DC supply.

Any hints to make this easy and safe for both dongle and driver boards are most welcome.

Thanks everyone for your excellent help and feedback. I get ideas all the time...it is good to have more eyes on the problem to either validate what I think or to warn me away from a mistake.

Only down side is I will have to make a new back panel because of all the extra stuff poking through like DIP switch, knobs and DMX connector I won't need without the show card. I like to keep things clean !

[WolfMax]

Any chance of a picture of the show card?
It might help with determining what the pin outs are and might generate recognition of its workings in somebody.

[neneneko]

I was wondering if this was ever worked out since I'm having a similar problem: the laser modules and TTL are all functioning properly, but the colors are all messed up. Here is what it outputs for WRGBY M(agenta) and C(yan) and I can't explain it with polarity/mixed signals etc.
I do not own a DAC, but I'm handy with arduino and would love to gain a backdoor. TTL is easy, but it doesn't do me any good unless I can sync it with the galvos. I mostly want aerial effects so not being able to use .ild's until I get a good DAC is perfectly acceptable. Would I treat the galvos like servos in the code (is the driver what handles the 'safety' limits?) and is the signal only altered by the showcard to scale X/Y and can I just use potentiometers for that?