This is an overview of our new design circuit and the issues that we have encountered using it. Our prototype board consists of a micro-controller on a breadboard, 6 resistors (10 Ohm's) and 6 transistors. However,there are multiple issues with this current design. The biggest issue right away is that the strings themselves are not resonating at the same volume as they were if there was just one. One main reason is that this is occuring is because we programed the circuit to release pulses for the strings. So, instead of resonating constantly, they are going down from the low E to the high E string resonating for about one second each. The sound is very faint because we do not have the power to accomodate all the six magnets. The height of the magnets also affects the resonance of the strings. We are running on a 19 amp power supply for the moment and working with such a small circuit with the amount of resistance we have is difficult. Not only this, but our circuit must be able to both power and control the stepper motor and the magnets at the same time.
With these revelations, an integrated circuit is our best bet to fix some of these issues. Using six microcontrollers for the strings and one extra to control the ticks of the stepper motor are the main portions of the circuit. The circuit will need two separate power sources which will require being plugged into a wall and a power supply.
Figure #1: Integrated Circuit Design (Final Product)
There are multiple issues with the circuit at the moment and the way to get around these issues is to test many portions of the circuit using an oscilliscope or multimeter. Another big problem is that many of the microcontrollers, transistors, and capacitors need to be constantly be soldered for repair. This essentially makes the programming of the microcontrollers difficult which can cause damage to the board and the the embedded chips.
No comments:
Post a Comment