SkullTroniX (tm) Support

T2 · Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 3

I currently have a yard haunt with numerous pneumatic props controlled by a number of different microprocessors. Would like to pull this all under a central control system and it looks like the combination of VSA and Exorcist may work. Hoping someone can confirm my assumptions and answer my questions.

Yard haunt has 6 animated props spread around the yard. Furthest one is approximately 150 feet away. Here's my assumptions/questions:

1. Triggering - If the prop is manually triggered at the computer, assuming that I just use a button with the wires connected to a jack and the button shorts the wires. If I am using a motion sensor at the prop, I would have to have the motion sensor drive a relay and have the relay output short the two wires so that no current travels to the Exorcist. Correct? Also is there a distance limitation on the trigger wire?

2. Prop Control - I am assuming that at each prop I will have to have a servo/relay control board to trigger the solenoid valves. What communication standards are used for control? What are my distance limitations? And I am assuming I don't run 6 control cables from the computer to each prop and the devices are daisy chained. However, looking at the ssc manufacturer's websites, I don't see how this is done. Finally, do I really need a ssc board, or can I use my current microprocessor setup and just have VSA send a triggering pulse to the microprocessor?

3. Sound - I am assuming I run a sound cable from the Exorcist to each prop's powered speakers. What are the distance limitations here?

4. Multiple Triggers - Can 3 or 4 or 5 of the props be running their routines simultaneously? Any recommended system requirements above those listed in this instance?

Appreciate any help to the above questions. The VSA/Exorcist combination is getting some play on the haunt forum's and no one knows the answers to these type questions.

T2

Phoenix · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 248 Location: Chester, UK

1) triggering had multiple options, you can trigger via a button on the IO box, by a sensor in the haunt (which does the same as the IO Box button, by infrared remote control or by a software method in Exorcist.

2) yup you will need some kind of output board compatible with VSA, yes you could use your own board and trigger from VSA using a VSA compatible output medium.... ie the parallel port or DMX relay on the computer.

3) the sound runs from the PC not Exorcist, if you use a 7.1 sound card and my sound mixing software then you can have 8 separate sound channels playing simultaneously over 8 separate speakers or combination of..... all sound limitations are the same as regular sound and can be compensated for using regular amplifier systems.

4) Exorcist has 8 input channels and can play 8 VSA routines PLUS 8 sounds PLUS a video file simultaneously.... however, be aware that the largest limiting factor is going to be your own PC
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Bryan Davis
Phoenix Animatronix

T2 · Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 3

Thanks for the response. A couple of other questions, if you can help me:

1. If triggered remotely from a PIR or other sensor that puts out a 5V signal, do you have to hook the sensor to a relay and attach the Exorcist trigger wires to the relay output to short them?

2. Do you know the distance limitations for the trigger wires, sound cables and control cables carrying the VSA signals?

3. Can you tell me how I would run the VSA signal wire to the 6 different props or scenes and what hardware is necessary?

Appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks.

Terry

Phoenix · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 248 Location: Chester, UK

1) Exorcist trigger inputs are made by 'shorting to ground', ie when the two wire of the input cable/plug make dry contact. Because of this it is best to interface a relay between anything that sends a signal ie 5V and the exorcist box

2) DMX has a limit of 1000', standard USB 15' between hubs and a max of 4 hubs in a chain, there are USB communication cables that can handle 150'

Input cables.... not sure of the limit, but I ran 3 100' input cables this year without issue, I do know they are susceptible to inducted noise, input cables should never be run anywhere near an AC cable, generally speaking when building the haunt I run AC cables down one side of corridors and the input cables down the other. KEEP INPUT CABLES AWAY FROM AC!!!!!

Audio Cables..... far too Dependant on quality of amplifiers, cables and configuration to comment.

3) ugh.... where do I begin, there are so many ways of doing this its hard to answer in less than 2 or 3 books the favorite means of communication are DMX, Kit74 and USB, you really have to look closely at the options VSA give you to come up with a best solution.

There is one critical limitation that we will be working on circumventing this year, and this is whilst a computer can run multiple instances of VSA, and indeed those instances can all point to the same output hardware, you must ensure that at no time does more than one instance of VSA try and write to an output board.

This means that if you have 6 separate DMX sets then it would be possible to connect them all on the same DMX chain, and have one control cable control all 6 sets and.....however....you may need 6 separate DMX output devices if its potentially possible for more than one set to be in action at the same time when each set has its own instance of VSA controlling it, this is because when one instance of VSA is writing to the DMX chain it prevents any further instances of VSA writing to the same chain.
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Bryan Davis
Phoenix Animatronix

T2 · Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 3

Thanks for the quick help and the explanations. I'm pretty sure I also understand #3 now.

Terry

Phoenix · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 248 Location: Chester, UK