DB-25 ILDA breakout board

[dsli_jon]

Hey Dave -

Ok folks, I'm completely sold out now...If there's enough interest, I'll have a second batch of boards printed up!

I'll sign up for 2, for the next run.. - just PM-me when I need to send PayPal, and PP-address, etc...

Thanks, pal!
peace..
J

PS:

Loopee, by the way, I just check out your projector build link in your sig line. Very, very nice work!

Yeah, Loopee - really Pro-style work, dude!! loved all the little nuances (...beam-positioner, ported-heat exhaust, HD cabinet hinges for access...just brilliant!) and great wiring job! You available for freelance work?

[mliptack]

I made and sell something similar already, but my design was pretty clumbsy I'll admit.

http://diylasershow.com/ildabok.htm

but it works perfectly for my projector. Also the reason for the high cost is because I hand fabricated each one using the toner transfer method of etching.

[mliptack]

Yeah also let me know when you do another production run. Is it possible to get it printed for molex connectors?

[DZ]

Hey mliptack, for a DIY, that looks like a very well made board. I had done some etching before, and found it to be quite difficult. As a hobbiest, being able to download some software and have a semi-pro board made up for so cheap, is really killing the DIY business I think! I'll have to look into molex connectors, maybe, if I do another run, I can add an additional hole under the screw terminal that would allow you to install either the screw terminal or a molex header. Good idea, thanks!

Speaking of making more, I'm really holding off until I get some feedback on the ones that are out there now. I just checked some of the tracking numbers and it seems alot of them have reach their destinations and should be delivered today. I wanted to put together a little manual for them with pics to show how it is designed to work and just haven't had the time. So I'll write up a little bit of info here for now.


Screw Terminals

• DB-25M.. This is painfully obvious, the cable from your DAC goes here.
• +X +Y.. X or Y axis scanner, +side
• -X -Y.. This is not GND or common, this is the -X/-Y in differential
• +RGB.. Color lines
• -RGB.. This is not GND or common, this is the -RGB in differential
• +i.. This is intensity and should be used if you have single color
• -i.. This is not GND or common, this is the -i in differential
• SHTR.. Shutter singal from your DAC
• GND.. Pin 25 on the ILDA cable
• Loop.. This is where you want to apply voltage for your interlock loop, ideally, you will want to send the loop signal thru all items in your projector (cover interlock, etc.) then attach it to "loop" on the breakout board. I recommend the loop to be either +5 or +12VDC and is not suppose to exceed 160mA. With an ILDA cable attached to your DAC, the loop signal should return on "Loop Rtrn". If this is true, the LED will be lit. Note, the LED will draw about 12mA of current on the Loop. The LED itself, isn't meant to be used as an emission indicator. All it does is tell you that the loop signal has returned to the ILDA Breakout board.
• Loop Rtrn.. Described above

The pin header is used to pass the signals thru to a second projector.

Switch Block

• XY.. These affect the -X and -Y outputs, turning these on connects -X and -Y to GND. Most scanners now have differential, so you really shouldn't need this. Also note, that some DAC's may not survive having their -X and -Y outputs grounded! It will not hurt the QM2K to have -X and -Y grounded. Use caution when using #1 and #2 on the switch block.
• RGB.. This connects -RGB to GND for single ended lasers. On the QM2K, this also increases the output of +RGB from 2.5V to 5V
• i.. This connects the -i (intensity) to GND for single color projectors
• L1 & L2.. This sets up how the Loop works, IF, the breakout board is connected only to a DAC and you have no secondary projector attached to the pin header, you will want to have L1 set to ON. IF, you are passing the signal thru to another projector, AND you want the interlock loop to be fed to the secondary projector, set L1 to OFF and L2 to ON. With L1 OFF and L2 ON, the loop signal gets sent thru the pin header to a secondary projector, then returns to the ILDA breakout board and gets send to the DAC, then returns from the DAC to the "Loop Rtrn" line.

Ok folks, I hope this helps!

[thesk8nmidget]

awesome thanks for the quick writeup!!!

[mliptack]

Hey mliptack, for a DIY, that looks like a very well made board. I had done some etching before, and found it to be quite difficult. As a hobbiest, being able to download some software and have a semi-pro board made up for so cheap, is really killing the DIY business I think! I'll have to look into molex connectors, maybe, if I do another run, I can add an additional hole under the screw terminal that would allow you to install either the screw terminal or a molex header. Good idea, thanks!

Yeah I hope to see it coming out soon. I'll admit the board I built was for a much larger space. It only has traces on one side, hence the Critter looking layout. I have designed a few others in my time... just not recently... and I might even have a few Pad2Pad files laying around somewhere.

The final size of my board was only about the size of a credit card.

Have you ever tried the Toner Transfer method of etching? Maybe its something I should write up a tutorial about....

[thesk8nmidget]

i got mine in the mail today! they look great! good size! and nice solder joints! i also got my 4 open can reds in the mail so i may have some motivation to try this thing out this weekend

[Stuka]

Received mine today, too!!

VERY cool - look forward to putting these into use!!

Thanks, DZ !!

[Displaser]

David,

WOW - the boards arrived today. I was expecting a pcb and parts, not fully assembled. Really nice, clearly a non-profit for the benefit of the PL members.

THANK YOU!

Greg

[platinum]

Just got home to find that my property finally put in a badass new mailbox and what did I find inside? I found the two ILDA boards and somehow they look even better than I thought they would!

I just want to run around showing them off, but my fiancee and my sister (who's staying here for a bit) will probably do the whole "Yeaaahh.. Thats.. umm, cool..."-thing.

Oh well, I'll just leave it on my desk and periodically glance at it for now.

Thanks again Dave. These things really rock! Next run you should have 100 made. I bet they'd all find homes.

-Jonathan