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Thread: PC for LED saberstaff -- options/experiences?

  1. #1

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    Default PC for LED saberstaff -- options/experiences?

    Hello all --

    I'm in the drawing-board phase for a potential LED saberstaff project, and I've been reviewing my options. I'd like to incorporate the Petit Crouton soundboard/driver, but there seem to be a few limitations when it comes to driving two LED systems -- in particular the 1.5A limit of the PC. While this is over the minimum current required for two 700mA Luxeons, for instance, it seems from these forums that most successful builders have at least experimented with overdriving at least in the 1A range, and I'd like to have the option to do so.

    So far, I've seen a few different options for how to proceed, and would appreciate feedback and input from more experienced builders -- I'm decent with electronics, but high-powered LEDs are new territory for me. I've searched and browsed the forums, but I haven't run across anyone else trying to drive a double-bladed saber from a PC.

    The first option I mentioned above is just driving both ends of the saberstaff at ~700mA each. This would keep the two ends synchronized in terms of shimmer and flicker effects, and might be the simplest overall, but puts a pretty low limit on output.

    Second, which seems to be the most common general approach for saberstaff builders, is to treat each side as a separate saber with separate electronics. Only one side would have a PC (due to both cost & complexity concerns), though, which would limit the use of PC features (power up/down, shimmer and flicker, etc.), since only one would be driven by the PC. I'd likely use a single DP power switch for both sides, but the setup would otherwise be the same as the electronics for two sabers running off a shared battery pack (with the necessary calculations for current availability from the pack, etc.)

    Third, from FenderBender's thread here about using the Power Xtender with the LEDengin, it looks like one could use a Power Xtender to drive a second LED in the 1A range alongside the main 1A LED by wiring the two as if they were the two "halves" of an LEDengin set up for "Full Powah" operation. If I'm reading the PC manual and the related threads here correctly, this would let the two blades flicker/shimmer in unison as controlled by the PC. I hope that I'm right about this -- this would be my preferred setup. I suspect, though, that I'd need to experiment with the resistor on the secondary blade and the current regulation settings for the main blade to get them to match in brightness; as far as I can see, using a regulated driver for the second blade would remove the shimmer and flicker effects.

    Would someone with more experience with the Petit Crouton and LED sabers let me know if I'm on the right track here? Thanks in advance.

  2. #2

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    Sharing one board to power both halves of a saber staff may be more economical, but I don't think it would be less complex, or as responsive as using a separate board for each end. The swing/clash sensors come to mind. You could consider de-soldering the clash sensor and placing it/them remotely, closer to each blade. I have never experimented with multiple clash sensors on a PC, so I don't know if that would be feasible, but if so, you would get better response. You would really have to experiment with the best placement of the board for swing sense response.

    2 cents

  3. #3

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    I agree with shef. Most people want a reactive blade. That alone will direct you to have two PC's. Yes what you suggest can be accomplished, but to what sacrifice are you willing to go for the economics of it? You will have a lot of unused space that could be used for batteries for longer run times of individually run sabers.Also If I understand what your trying to do, you will eliminate other capabilities such as Flash on Clash by using part of that ability to drive separate leds. You can forget about pulling them apart and having both working.In fact it would be more work to make one be able to work by pulling it apart. It wont sound like duel blades when you spin it, unless you make a font for it to do so.All sounds like a lot of work for nickel.In the long run I think you would be very disappointed.
    Last edited by Ari-Jaq Xulden; 12-29-2011 at 08:01 PM.

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  4. #4
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    Rhyen Skytracker's Avatar
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    I am in the works of making a saber staff using a single PC too. To me a "Saber Staff" is not meant to come apart to make 2 sabers. The only reason Darth maul had half of one was that it got cut in half. I am using the PC to drive one LED and a power xtender to drive the other one. You will not lose any of the shimmer or other blade effects doing it this way. If you search on youtube you will find a video by Erv that shows you how to do it. I am also thinking about using 2 clash sensors and mounting them close to each blade holder and wiring them in parallel so that either one will make it clash. I am also thinking about having the secondary blade on a seperate switch too. That way you can have only the primary blade on. (I will wire the secondary clash sensor on the same DPDT latching switch as the blade so that it will be disabled when the second blade is off. (wired normally open) This will be a very complex build and not for the faint of heart. Now if it will work as planned I will be very pleased. LOL

    Live long and...I mean May the force be with you. http://saberconcepts.50.forumer.com/index.php

  5. #5

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    A bit of a follow-up:

    Thanks for the input, everyone. I'm going to tentatively plan on basically designing the saberstaff as two separate units, but I'll start with a single one and fool around until I have an arrangement I like. It's cheaper than sinking the cash into two PCs right off the bat, and once I have the first side laid out I can just copy it. I'll also be breadboarding the project at first; if I decide that the one-soundboard approach looks/sounds right, I can take that route fairly early.

    I'm not even looking at hilt-building yet, though I'll probably go a bit wild there; given some of the stories of cram-fu headaches, I think I'll put together the innards first, do a few mockups to see what kind of space I'll need, and then build a hilt to fit.

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