SkullTroniX (tm) Support

Tonguesandwich · Joined: 03 Feb 2008 Posts: 1 Location: Las Vegas

1. What makes this board a better value than the other popular boards?
2. How many servos can I hook up to a single board?
3. Can multiple boards run on a single computer.

Thanks

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

1.1 Its a DMX board and where USB cables are limited to 15' lengths, DMX cables can be 1000', also DMX cables are easy to make in just about any length, as opposed to USB cables which have to be bought ready made and only come in a limited number of lengths (up to 15')

1.2 It can be programmed with limits that will prevent your servos crashing into the prop and burning out, this is a common and painful problem, and the savings in burnt out servos alone justifies the cost.

1.3 It has an auto power off function which will cut power to servos when not in use, power being left on to servos not in use is also a huge cause of burnt out servos, and often a hidden expense of other boards.

1.4 It comes with 2 RGB LEDs such that you can make colour changing eyes exactly like the SkullTroniX Skull

In short the BoC is specifically designed to address the needs of theatrical animatronics, and incorporates all the electronics technology that has been developed over the years for the SkullTroniX skull.

2 16

3 Virtually unlimited, you could control up to 500 separate/unique servos on a single DMX chain, if you want more then you can have multiple servos operating off the same address, or use multiple DMX chains.
_________________
Bryan Davis
Phoenix Animatronix

crazybob · Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Posts: 20

Assuming you were to use the BOC for (4) homemade skulls that use (4) servos each, how would you run the wires to each skull? As far as I have seen the servo wires are short, and buying extentions to go all around the room could prove to be quite expensive. Is there another option?

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

Firstly we would recommended using 1 board per skull, that way you would get colour changing eyes with each skull, and we normally only supply 2 RGB LEDs per BoC, also the DMX protocol is ideally suited for simplifying such potentially complicated wiring issues.

But, alternatively I would suggest you make up 4 extension cables using CAT5 network cable.

Cat 5 has 8 cores so you would use 4 cores for the 4 separate signal channels, then 2 cores of 0V and 2 cores for +5V

If you wanted to route the RGB eyes to the 4 skulls then I'm afraid you are going to have to get a little creative and create an interface circuit that can power 8 RGB LEDs as opposed to the normal 2.

_________________
Bryan Davis
Phoenix Animatronix