EARmitter IR Device

By Loru, 19 July, 2018

Hi everyone!

I open this thread to talk and definitely find a final product, a final EARmitter. Lots of questions, sort of controllers and devices but I would like to create the ultimate one.

WHAT?

Our own EARmitter (v1.0).

  • Fully assembly.
  • Large range (up to 30-40 ft, even more).
  • Zone selector (using a 4-DIP switch, up to 15 different zones).
  • Power supply cable and connector.
  • Able to be connected in serial or parallel configuration (wired).
  • Wireless.
  • Microcontroller can be reprogrammed/updated/upgraded using another connector (RX/TX/GND?).

WHAT FOR?

  • Shows.
  • Interactive applications (like interactive props and decorations).

HOW?

That's the reason of this thread.

Any ideas?

Jorge has an emitter controlled by an Arduino Mini that receives codes from other devices. It includes a dip switch so he can select the zone and the program excludes codes not written for the selected zone. I have two pictures for you.

Notice the muOSC/IR controller (blue device) which has three connections (Serial -RX/TX/GND, USB and ETHERNET). It has been designed by Raven Systems for Disney. It seems like a ARTNET/sACN (E1.31) device. But...

What is this for? Receiving DMX data and transforming to HEX codes to send them to the EARmitter?

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jorge09

6 years 7 months ago

 

The idea of ​​receiving DMX data and transforming them into HEX codes, I do not think that this happens since the codes have many variables and for the same effect there can be different ways of making it, so I think that the MWM products are not controlled via DMX.

Mousie

6 years 3 months ago

Those are some nice pictures of the slides, I haven't seen them yet!

Are you thinking of standalone devices or endpoint transmitters that are connected to a central controller? If you're going the wireless route, then ESPs are probably your cheapest bet for wireless but I've had issues here and there with good consistency with IR modulation on them. Forward correction would help with that. They can be easily reprogrammed wirelessly for updates and fixes. If wired, anything with a communication port should be fine and we've been bitbanging the signal anyways so no need for a UART specifically. Honestly even an ATTiny15 would be enough. I think TI chips would be cheaper but I think most of us are more familiar with the Atmel brand.

The range shouldn't be an issue, an array of LEDs and capacitors. My friend got a picture of some of the transmitters they have at the parks and the capacitors are massive. Everything else seems simple enough, just coming to a consensus. 

I haven't looked closely at the pictures. I'm very conscientious about what people see me do in public and opening Disney stuff isn't quite in there, I'll look tonight when I'm at home. About Raven Systems, the photo my friend got of the transmitters, made by them as well. I honestly don't know how they Disney systems communicate but from what I've heard, larger systems use ethernet to connect DMX signals. I'd assume the other two are for system updates. As far as I know, DMX could be used to control the transmitters. It would take 18 channels for the data plus however many more for zones. I believe it takes 2 bytes for zone ID, the first for the area within the resort, the second for more refined zone control. Probably another 2 bytes for timecodes? In total that's 22 bytes/channels. For Disney, using 22 out of 512 channels in a universe isn't much when probably a universe powers just a slice of the Fun Wheel.