I can't identify that board from the pictures. Anyone else have any luck?
I agree with James; It's quite likely that the memory card needs a small block of code to tell the board how to access the files that are on the card. Without a working card to copy from (or the original software they used to set up the cards), we're pretty much stuck.
Adam
If you are willing to do some basic wiring and a little troubleshooting, you could follow the path James suggested: remove the existing board entirely and wire in a new controller.
There are many different controllers to choose from. Regardless of which one you select, however, you would need to locate the scanner amplifier board (which is where you connect the X+/X- and Y+/Y- signals), as well as the red, green, and blue laser diode drivers (which is where you connect the R+/R-, G+/G-, and B+/B- signals). Once you locate these parts inside your projector, you would need to remove the existing wires from the broken DMX board and connect new wires from your new controller to these components inside your projector.
If you use an external controller, you'll want to mount a male DB-25 connector on the projector so you can connect the projector to your controller with a standard ILDA cable. (An ILDA cable is the same as a parallel-port extension cable; it is a 25 conductor cable that has a male DB-25 on one end that connects to your controller, and a female DB-25 on the other end that plugs into the male DB-25 port on the projector.) The ILDA cable carries analog signals from the output of your controller to the internal components of your laser projector.
Note that almost all laser controllers use single-ended output signals for color modulation, meaning that the negative color signals (the R-, G-, and B- lines) are all connected to ground at the controller. So you would do the same thing at the projector. ILDA Pin 25 is ground, and should be connected to a common DC ground inside your projector.
It's unlikely that your projector has a shutter, so you can ignore those signals coming from the controller.
If you projector has an E-stop circuit, you'd want to connect pins 4 and 17 in series somewhere in that loop. (Pins 4 and 17 are connected together at the controller, completing the circuit. If you disconnect the controller from the projector, this will open the circuit between pins 4 and 17 at the projector, which will trigger the E-stop just as if you had hit the big red button.)
Assuming you accomplish these connections, you would be able to any controller you want to run the projector.
Adam
The tricky part of all that is figuring out how to use the standard color control signals of zero to positive five volts to properly turn your lasers on and off. I would guess that this projector does not have analog modulation of the lasers' output power. They are just off or on.
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All software has a learning curve usually proportional to its capabilities and unique features. Pointing with a mouse is in no way easier than tapping a key.
Always good to start with RTFM & "A little help from our friends...", right Adam?
Hope the link is helpful for @thiswayup.
BR
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