Wireless DMX :0

[J_Dunavin]

You should also place a heat sink on the voltage reg. Some thing like this:
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Wa ... t9WZk9k%3d

There are a lot of options out there for heat sinks.

I Like Digikey and newark as well. Though with newark you have to be careful that your not ordering something from the UK and they charge you $20 shipping for this $2 part.

I should add that the indestructible does a good job explaining how to connect the Arduino.

[Bikewrench]

Wow. Thanks for all the info. I'll get back to the research.

[Bikewrench]

Got a chance to process your response.

So with the the regulators, looks like the major differences are the ones you picked out are much higher current. Seems I know about a quarter of what the info is on the data sheet. What did you look at to tell you the voltage dropped off? Also, yours are LDO regulators and mine were linear. The YouTube tutorials I watched all said linear regulator. I'll have to research the difference.

After I posted I realized I forgot caps and resistors. I got overwhelmed when looking at all the resistors. I'll just go with the ones you suggested. For capacitors, I have some various sizes of these capacitors. I've also been recapping a soundcraft 200B console. These are what the guys on the gearslutz recommend. I assumed they work for this.

https://www.mouser.com/Search/m_Search. ... ichicon+pw

Saw in the instuctable that the second universe was optional, but figured the parts are cheap, might as well do two. Keep future possibilities open.

Was planning on building on a breadboard to begin with. Then once it's working, I was planning on deciding on a board, power supply, and enclosure once it was working. I like that protoboard you posted. Is that the size board you used? And as for the sockets, the one you posted is 16 pins. The max chip and optoisolators are 8 pins. You put two chips in each socket?

Your not the first person to suggest the arduino started kit. I guess I'll do that. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos, doesn't seem to hard. The coding part is what I'll struggle with, but it looks like you can find stuff that people have already written.

I've seen the videos you posted plus watched a couple more on programming the ESP. Pretty sure I'll be able to fumble through it. Other wise I'll pick up one of those USB to serial guys you posted.

Was wondering about heatsinks, do use them on both regulators?

Never ordered from digikey or Newark. Just ordered all the caps for the soundcraft from mouser, that's why I was shopping there. Any of them any better than the other?

[J_Dunavin]

LDOs are linear regulators, they are just newer in design and are more efficient.
If you have trouble sleeping tonight have a read through this:
https://www.digikey.com/en/articles/tec ... regulators

When i look for a regulator there are a few things i look for in the data sheet.
These data sheets may cover a whole family of chipsets so 1st make sure you are looking at the right chart or numbers, for your specific model.
1st look for the VI or voltage in. I like to look for ones that cover a range like 6 to 20. Then i know my 12v source will work ok. The one you originally selected only specs out 35vdc. It may work just fine, but i also get a little fuzzy on the details when looking over the charts and graphs.
2nd look for the current capability and keep your power source in consideration. The higher capacity regulators will provide a little more stability for this project.
I have not used heat sinks in the past, and the regulators work fine, but they should have one. These are cheaper:
https://www.newark.com/wakefield-soluti ... S%2Fsearch

use with these:
https://www.newark.com/multicomp/mk3306 ... S%2Fsearch

and
https://www.newark.com/multicomp/mk3311 ... S%2Fsearch

When it comes to resistors pretty much anything on the breadboard or for similar projects will be just fine with 1/8 W or 1/4 W resistors.
Carbon film is most popular and just fine for all these projects.
Metal film is good for audio projects and biasing op amps.

Yes those electrolytic caps are what we are looking for when it comes to power supplies and to smooth out DC power.
Ceramic capacitors are good for smoothing out signals and switching noise. The MIDI project has a few of these type to smooth out the signal for the potentiometers. They go on the signal line to gnd.


As far as where to shop for components.... I like digikeys search filter better, but Mouser and or Newark have some items that the other doesn't.
I just have a shopping cart open in my account for all three, when i know i am looking for something specific i look for sales or whatnot.
Sometimes you find something you need and you can enter the base part number in Ebay and find something similar for cheap too.

OH word of caution.
Any project you start, test for voltage and ground and use the data sheet for reference, before you plug in your components. Don't want any magic smoke coming out

[Bikewrench]

Just ordered some parts.

I'll report back in about a week.

Thanks for the guidance.

[Bikewrench]

One other question, the wiring diagram in the instructable doesn't have the Opto isolators. Can you explain how those are wired into the circuit?

[J_Dunavin]

go to his Github page and look at the V2 isolated schematic:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mtong ... ted_v2.jpg
I did not isolate DIR_A, nor did i hook up anything on the RX line except on the breadboard, when i loaded the code.
Also note pin 7 output on 0K1A, it is "held up" to 5vdc. I used a 10K ohm resistor here, of course the 4.7K would work as well. ( This keeps the output from doing weird things. Lots of inputs or outputs get held up or held down, it's very common.) (you will also notice the output of the MAX485 is being held up and down)

Here is another handy link that shows some isolation:
https://www.instructables.com/id/FTDI-U ... th-Isolat/

[Bikewrench]

Watched some YouTube videos on opto isolators and checked out the links you posted. I think I've got a handle on it. The last link you posted uses these dc-dc converters also.

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Mu ... SYQAvD_BwE

Are these just a different type of isolation? Overkill? Not needed for our project?

[J_Dunavin]

Overkill, in my opinion.

When I built my 1st usb to DMX converter I used one, but that was because I was powering the FTDI converter and max485 all from usb. I wanted to protect the usb line and so I used the dc to dc isolator.

[Bikewrench]

Got my amazon order a couple of days ago, esp8266, antennas, and arduino starter kit. Never realized how small this little guy is. Started piecing things together on the breadboard, using the node_dmx_and_pix_v2.png schematic and adding the optoisolators. Glad I got the starter kit as it comes with leds, buttons, and resisters. I used the leds and resisters from my arduino kit, the resisters were about 100 ohm lower than the schematic, but I assume that won't be a big deal?

FullSizeRender.jpg (24 KiB) Viewed 1553 times

Hopefully my mouser order will be there when I get home today, then I can get it finished up and start learning the programming side of things

[J_Dunavin]

Hey, looking really nice!
Seriously, keeping things nice and tidy will help.

The resistor thing... ah it depends, which resistors are we looking at? The hold up ones for the switches? Ya a few hundred off is ok.
The ones on the output of the max485, those need to be closer.

[Bikewrench]

IMG_1694.JPG (61.64 KiB) Viewed 1528 times

got everything assembled on the breadboard except for the optoisolators, I ran out of room on the breadboard. So its exactly like the node_dmx_and_pix_v2.png schematic. I powered it up, and no magic smoke also got a little red light on the esp. So I think I'm ready to try to flash the code. Ive got the tx and rx connected to the arduino. Ive got the reset on the arduino shorted to ground so the program will be sent to the esp and not the arduino. I'm powering the breadboard with a 12v power supply and the arduino with usb, should I connect the grounds of the arduino and the breadboard?


I found this online:

Manual reset and manual program

This only applies to boards without an on-board USB-to-Serial converter.

If you don't have a USB-to-Serial converter with DTR and RTS lines, you could also just use the reset and program buttons we added in the hardware chapter. To get the ESP in program mode, GPIO0 must be low while booting:
press and hold the reset button
press and hold the program button
release the reset button, the ESP will boot in program mode
release the program button
upload the sketch
If you want to get out of program mode without uploading, just press reset (without pressing the program button).

Does this sound like the right button procedure? what is the button labeled button one on the schematic?

[J_Dunavin]

Disregard button one.

Yes you can do this while powerful as well.
Press and hold program, press reset once and release, then you can either release program or leave grounded.

That’s so awesome you got a light!
It feels so good when things don’t go poof

Now you’ll have to read up a little on the Arduino IDE program settings. Since I use an adapter I set my board to generic esp8266, but it may be different for you I’m not sure on that.

Oh!
When it does get all loaded and you got spot into this thing for the settings the password is:
byMtongnz2017
It took me a while to find that in his write up, which happens to be on another instructsble of his