Found this on Hackaday = ILDAWaveX16

[cfavreau]

ILDAWaveX16 Link: StanleyProjects https://stanleyprojects.com/projects/ildawavex16

Quoting the project site:

ILDAWaveX16 is an open-source, high-resolution, wireless laser DAC with SD-card playback, network control, and ILDA output.
Traditional laser DACs are often expensive, proprietary, or limited in flexibility, especially for those who want to experiment with laser systems, build custom projectors, or interface with low-cost driver kits.
The goal of this project is to create the "Arduino of laser DACs" - a flexible, hackable platform for makers and enthusiasts that can serve as a foundation for any DIY laser project, capable of real show control, yet simple enough for beginners and hobbyists to learn from.

[TheHermit]

Quoting the project site:

The goal of this project is to create the "Arduino of laser DACs" - a flexible, hackable platform for makers and enthusiasts that can serve as a foundation for any DIY laser project, capable of real show control, yet simple enough for beginners and hobbyists to learn from.

I've watched this project on YT, from X/Y stepper motors 🙄 to this point.
Very impressive recent progress from ground level up, with lots of potential.
The PCB appears to be very similar to Hanklloydright's ESP32 ILDAC-WAV file player and atomic14's open source ESP32 ILD laser projector project, mentioned within his video.
TBC, I have no problem with any of this. Just wanted to give creds where due to the wizard behind the scene.

JS
Roj

[StanleyProjects]

Thanks so much for sharing my project and for the kind words. I really appreciate it!

Just to clarify a bit of the background. It's no secret that I watched atomic14's videos, and I've openly mentioned that I used his ILDA parser function as a starting point. He's been a huge inspiration, and I'm grateful for everything he's put out there.

That said, the ILDAWaveX16 hardware isn't a copy of his design. While the op-amp output stage is naturally similar, the rest of the PCB is completely different - the MCU, 16-bit DAC, the single-supply USB-C power input with a step-up and bipolar conversion, SD-card interface, and so on, were developed specifically for this project. And just to be clear, I'm not saying that to brag - only to explain why I don't consider it a direct schematic copy unlike for example this (very cool) project: https://github.com/RealCorebb/bbLaser

Regarding HankLloydRight's ESP32 ILDA player you mentioned, I actually haven't seen that schematic before. If you have a link or source, I'd genuinely love to take a look for future reference.

Thanks again for the discussion and support!

[TheHermit]

Thank you for the clarification.
Here's the link to:Announcing ILDAC-32 - an ESP-32 based DAC for ILDA projectors

Hanklloydright's thread announcing the 2022 launch of his ILDAC-32 wave player. Hank is a highly respected active member of this community, who has generously contributed to the development of my own laser synth project's development, yet to be revealed.
FYI, this is Hank's product page.
Out of curiosity, what are your future plans for your ILDA player?
Best of luck.
Roj

[StanleyProjects]

Thank you for sharing the links. I'll check it out.


As for future plans, at the moment I don't have a lot of time to dedicate to the project, but the next step will be to focus more on the firmware side. In particular, I'd like to work further on the IDN protocol support (most likely using OpenIDN framework), and general improvements and bug fixes.
Longer term, I'm also planning a separate project focused on DMX fixtures, with wide protocol support and a standalone player.

Best of luck with your laser synth project!

[TheHermit]

Thank you for sharing the links. I'll check it out.
As for future plans, at the moment I don't have a lot of time to dedicate to the project, but the next step will be to focus more on the firmware side.
...and general improvements and bug fixes.

Yeah, I've found that firmware is a never ending path of new ideas and upgrades. One simply leads to the next, while making new trails, aka 'feature creep'. Perfection is a journey for a creative mind to savor the ride, instead of an achievable final goal, IMO.

In particular, I'd like to work further on the IDN protocol support (most likely using OpenIDN framework), ...
Longer term, I'm also planning a separate project focused on DMX fixtures, with wide protocol support and a standalone player.

I see that you're a new member to this community.
Welcome!
Laser entertainment is over 50 years old. Many EEs and show pros here have been actively developing hardware and apps over that period. Many are willing to help guide young enthusiasts, like yourself. Shoutout to cfavreau ✌ 😎
I'm sure that you're already aware of Pangolin's leading line of products. There's also X-Laser's Mercury, MadMapper, and others that queue canned ILD content and utilize DMX to interface with lighting control desks, like GrandMA for integrating lasers as special effects into stage productions. But, a licensed laser safety officer must be a crew member to deal with the regulatory red tape. Someone also needs to program the ILDA file content, during pre-production.
It's a big step from enthusiast to having a marketable product. Many have already been there and many are already done. Not sure whether you're developing an app controlled ILDA DAC/file player, a device with firmware to create laser show content, or both
JS

Best of luck with your laser synth project!

Thanks! While having been an old school abstract laser artist, without a formal EE education, the past 6 years has been a challenging learning curve of watching hundreds of YT videos.
Yet, the T4 Laser Synth has already proven itself to be a viable project, exploiting audio technology, as a visual music instrument, a similar concept as Neon Captain's Radiator laser synth. We're all about the art of laser abstracts, over technical exploitation.
"Everybody's somewhere. Wherever I go, there I am."
Only one remaining PCB error to correct on ver 7, PCB #3, prior to it's reveal.
BR
Roj
😎

[StanleyProjects]

I see that you're a new member to this community. Welcome!
Laser entertainment is over 50 years old. Many EEs and show pros here have been actively developing hardware and apps over that period. Many are willing to help guide young enthusiasts, like yourself.
I'm sure that you're already aware of Pangolin's leading line of products. There's also X-Laser, MadMapper, and others that queue canned ILD content and utilize DMX to interface with lighting control desks, like GrandMA for integrating lasers as special effects into stage productions. But, a licensed laser safety officer must be a crew member to deal with the regulatory red tape. Someone also needs to program the ILDA file content, during pre-production.
It's a big step from enthusiast to having a marketable product. Many have already been there and many are already done. Not sure whether you're developing an app controlled ILDA DAC/file player, a device with firmware to create laser show content, or both
JS

Thank you for the warm welcome and for sharing your perspective! Yes, I've been looking a bit into what's happening in the industry. My aim isn't to make a fully marketable product that can be sold in thousands. Rather, I'm focusing on creating a platform for enthusiasts and beginners. The entry barrier for working with lasers can be steep and intimidating, and I wanted to make something accessible. Of course, safety must always be followed.
The DMX project I'm working on will be able to take Art-Net and sACN, drive DMX fixtures, and even run WLED to sync with ambient lights at home, all over Wi-Fi, though I might also make a wired Ethernet version. There are, of course, many products on the market that do parts or even all of this, but I haven't found a single, affordable, miniature, and open-source solution that could do all of it. So my goal is to support the open-source community, making it hackable so people can explore it at a low level. Turning it into a commercial product is secondary. Basically the same that happened in the addressable LED community once the WLED project made it more accessible.

Thanks! While having been an old school abstract laser artist, without a formal EE education, the past 6 years has been a challenging learning curve of watching hundreds of YT videos.
Yet, the T4 Laser Synth has already proven itself to be a viable project, exploiting audio technology, as a visual music instrument, a similar concept as Neon Captain's Radiator laser synth. We're all about the art of laser abstracts, over technical exploitation.
"Everybody's somewhere. Wherever I go, there I am."
Only one remaining PCB error to correct on ver 7, PCB #3, prior to it's reveal.

I remember seeing a video of the Radiator when it came out! It will be exciting to see what you've created, and I hope to see a video or blog post when you share it.

[TheHermit]

Rather, I'm focusing on creating a platform for enthusiasts and beginners. The entry barrier for working with lasers can be steep and intimidating, and I wanted to make something accessible.
...
So my goal is to support the open-source community, making it hackable so people can explore it at a low level. Turning it into a commercial product is secondary.

Likewise. 😎

I remember seeing a video of the Radiator when it came out!

It was YT videos by the most ILDA awarded Abstract laser artist Christopher Short, aka swamidog, (top dog guru) that made me aware of inexpensive modern RGB diode laser projectors and LSX software 6 years ago after having learned about Arduino upon retirement a decade ago. My ion laser show systems back in the day were $50k+ for a fraction of the power and performance.
Now, a personal laser system can be built for as little as the price of a decent home entertainment system.

It will be exciting to see what you've created, and I hope to see a video or blog post when you share it.

'Please stay tuned"
Once my 3rd PCB has been fully tested, I'll start a "Hermit's T4 Laser Synth" thread with YT videos, tutorials, and a github repo to share open source with everyone... shooting for ASAP after New Year's Day.
But, it's more of a labor of love to get it right than a race against an arbitrary deadline.
Roj