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jcook1023
02-19-2013, 08:07 PM
i'm having a sort of issue. i just wired up my saber (i picked up a saberforge hilt on ebay and wired it up using a nano biscotte, an av switch and a new led) but something's not right. when i connect the batteries, i get the bootup sound and lights around the av switch, but no sound and no led. i've no idea where something went wrong, i followed the wiring diagram and nothing. any thoughts?

Forgetful Jedi Knight
02-19-2013, 08:37 PM
i'm having a sort of issue. i just wired up my saber (i picked up a saberforge hilt on ebay and wired it up using a nano biscotte, an av switch and a new led) but something's not right. when i connect the batteries, i get the bootup sound and lights around the av switch, but no sound and no led. i've no idea where something went wrong, i followed the wiring diagram and nothing. any thoughts?

1. Are you using a momentary switch?
2. Are your batteries(????) charged? You should only really need 1 LI-ion battery.

jcook1023
02-19-2013, 09:46 PM
1- I've got a momentary in there, but going to try a new one tomorrow.
2- the saber came with a 3xAAA setup...

Silver Serpent
02-20-2013, 06:15 AM
3 fresh AAA alkalines should be sufficient to power the saber, for a little while anyhow. It sounds like you don't have everything hooked up correctly. Take a pic of your wiring, or at least show us your wiring diagram.

jcook1023
02-20-2013, 08:30 AM
Ill post a picture of my wiring but this is what I followed. I had sound for a minute, and it gives me the boot up sound when I pop batteries in, but hit the switch and no led or sound (though the blue ring around the switch is lit...$
8322

Silver Serpent
02-20-2013, 09:08 AM
From what you're describing, you have power hooked up fine, speaker is good, and the accent LED in the switch is hooked up. You might want to verify that the switch itself is hooked up properly. Remember that the switch LED and the switch itself have two separate hookups. It sounds like the board isn't registering the switch action, for whatever reason. I'll be able to tell you more when I see pics.

Be sure you're using a fresh set of batteries. AAA alkalines don't last long at all.

jcook1023
02-20-2013, 09:31 AM
Here's my wiring...8323

jcook1023
02-20-2013, 09:33 AM
Ahhh I didn't take that into account! I have the wires run to the +/- on the switch but that's probably for the led!! How should I wire that then? Switch to switch but splice power to switch led?

Silver Serpent
02-20-2013, 11:03 AM
Check out page 10 of the Nano Biscotte manual for directions on wiring up a power indicator LED to the 3.3v pad onboard.

It would appear that the switch pads have enough current running through them to power an accent LED, though that is not their purpose.

The +/- poles on the switch are indeed for the LED inside. You'll want to connect the other two poles on the switch (assuming it has 4 poles) to the green wires in your pic.

jcook1023
02-20-2013, 11:12 AM
Got it all figured out!83258325

Sound and led works, clash is good, though I notice my movement sounds require a harder swing, which is neither here nor there and probably because I have a ton of wire in there (yeah haven't gotten good at knowing how much I need so there's just a ton crammed in)...but it works!! Switched from 3xAAA to same size NiMH rechargeable that I had at home

Silver Serpent
02-20-2013, 11:43 AM
Switching to NiMH from alkaline drops your battery pack voltage from 4.5v to 3.6v. I highly recommend getting a 4xAAA or 4xAA holder, and using 4 NiMH for a 4.8v pack. You're very close to the cutoff point for the NB, and it'll exhibit odd behavior as your batteries run down.

You can also tweak the settings on the SD card to adjust swing and clash sensitivity.

Ari-Jaq Xulden
02-20-2013, 04:05 PM
Here's my wiring...8323

Tape = Bad. You should use heatshrink on the wires and remove the tape from the board. Its needs to breath cause it gets hot. This has been known to cause failure.

jcook1023
02-22-2013, 01:42 AM
Really? Weird...I was advised by my brother in law, who does electronic wiring for a living, to avoid heat shrink tubing saying the same thing!

Related by unrelated - one of my assistant instructors at the dojo asked me to make him a saber using a Luke skywalker soundboard, but when I bought it I'm confused by something; the switch has 4 or 5 wires running to it, and is a slide switch. Have any of you encountered that before? I haven't opened up the asking yet to examine it further and see if its like the mace windu soundboard I used before, but figured before I do I'd see if anyone else has encountered that (for what it's worth I'll be using the push on/off switch that came with the Seoul p4 kit...)

jcook1023
02-22-2013, 11:34 AM
83318332 this is what i'm working with here...

Silver Serpent
02-22-2013, 01:20 PM
Lightsabers tend to get warm inside, from the LEDs and soundboards and battery packs. That heat tends to cause electrical tape to come loose, especially considering you're swinging it around and banging it on things. Heat shrink is a much better solution. A properly heatshrunk connection isn't going to come loose on its own.

Electrical tape has its uses, but inside a lightsaber isn't one of them.

As for your Luke sound board, I don't recognize that one. Is it one of the old EL wire sabers?

Darth Glondrin
02-22-2013, 02:09 PM
I am having a similar issue , I have wired mine as the diagram showed , and there is no boot sound or anything when I press the switch, help?

jcook1023
02-22-2013, 05:30 PM
I am having a similar issue , I have wired mine as the diagram showed , and there is no boot sound or anything when I press the switch, help?

i have no idea if its an old EL one or what...