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electronic switch

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NicholasSpiteri

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Hi,

I'm trying to create an automatic electronic switch that when it receives an electric pulse, it switches off a section and switches on another section at the same time. Basically, I am using a data switch with four centronic 36 outputs and one centronic 36 input. **broken link removed**

This data switch box (as can be seen from above pic) is currently manually operated, but I am willing to to convert it into an automatic switch. Thus, when an electric pulse is placed on point 36 of part A, the switch automatically activates part B whilst switching off A and keeping C&D off too. Again, when point 36 of part B is reached, it activates part C with A, B&D off. The same for part D.

The pulse that i'm sending into the gadget is 24V 5A dc. I do not know what sort of circuitry should I use - maybe logic, maybe relays...

any guidance?

Thanks
Nick
 
I see what you are after now. You are looking for a 1 to 4 Centronics electronic switcher. That is a lot of wiring? You might want to look on Ebay first.
 
I have that switch already... i need to exclude the manual knob & use an electronic switch that changes from A to B to C to D when a pulse is sent on cue 36.
 
hmm, the first thing that springs to mind is "WHY???"

you could get a bunch of analog switches and wire it up but, as mramos1 says, that's a LOT of wires (at least 100). If you really want to build one of those I'd start from scratch using PCB mount connectors and a make a PCB. Either way, by the time you get done you will wish you'd just bought a 4 printer sharing device.

before you do anything else, check this out: **broken link removed**
 
Thanks for your reply. I need to customise this switch or something similar not for any printer/computer network but I am willing to utilise it with my firing system. I'm using a digital system to let off my fireworks displays and if I manage to get this sort of dataswitch flipping automatically, than I will end up in extending my equipment with few expenses.

In a nutshell, the system works in this manner:

An electric pulse is sent from the module containing a capacative discharge capacity of 24V 5 A to the rail attached to it from a centronic 36pin cable. In theory, one module only supports one rail but I am willing to maximise the module output by adding more rails with the same module. Once there is only one rail per module there is no problem at all, but I am willing to construct a gadget that gives me the possibility to attach the module to the electronic data switch & this switch just swaps from one rail to the other once a pulse is sent to a particular cue number of the active rail.

BTW... thanks for the link above.... it's interesting.
Thanks for your time.
 
If this is for a fireworks launcher, there was a big thread here this month on a unit you might want to read. Click search (on the blue bar at the top of this page) and type firework and hit ENTER. It might be more of what you are looking for.

If you want to use that box, I would try hooking a servo to it or something, but not to wire one..
 
Can the 8-Port Parallel Printer Sharing Device Switch mentioned in be adjusted to suit my purposes? I need to have the input always the same - this will be the connection from the module to this device switch, whilst the output should first start with 'Rail1' & once an electronic pulse of approximately 24V 5 A DC is sent on the last cue i.e. cue 36, it will automatically switch to 'Rail2'. Again, once an electronic pulse is sent on cue 36, it will automatically switch to 'Rail3'... so on & so forth.

It is true that this is going to be used for fireworks. I understand the concern of the other colleauges in former threads about setting up a digital firing system. I my case, I bought a professional firing system but I'm doing this project in order to try and expand the module capacity of firing without having the need to buy more expensive modules. Therefore, I am not concerned in dealing with any safety issues, or placement of transistors/relays or things of this sort because all this has been catered for by my supplier. I only need to expand the module capacity. :)
 
The word rail and cue (queue?) confuse me when it comes to fireworks. Does the product that ties into the main port on the switch box have a name or part number that we can look up? Then we can see what it does and get a better idea as to what you are tring to do.

We are talking fireworks and looking at a manual 1 to 4 switch box (or 1 to 8) for a computer line printer, so I am lost.

Do I have this right? The unit has 8 I/O lines and you are switching it between 4 other units by turning a knob? And when you do, the fireworks go off? And the power going through the unit is 24V (AC or DC?) at 5amps?
 
I think what is going on here is that he has a controller that can drive some number of ignitors (36? I suspect less than that). He wants to expand the number of ignitors he can drive by switching the controller's outputs. My guess is that the controller uses a 36 pin centronics connector. Is that right, nicholas?

I don't think any computer switch (other than manual) will work because they are not designed to carry any significant load.

The printer sharing switch I pointed out work work for the above reason as well as the fact that it shares 1 printer among 8 computers.

I think by the time you build a switching device capable of handling the current (5A) you might as well have built a complete controller.
 
Philba: Yea, I think you are right.. I was starting to think that as well.. I was going, manual printer switch and fireworks.....

He needs to build it himself.

The old 74154 (4 to 16 line decoders) still around? Sure there is something out there like that. Get a few of them and a microcontroller to drive them. He can use one pin for serial input to the microcontroller and run it from a laptop as well. Some drivers on the outputs of the 154's to pump the current to light them..

But he will still have to write some code. He did say automatic. That would be sort of neat. July 4th is coming soon.
 
yeah, some sort of decoder but I'd drive mosfets. You can get dual or quad packages.

I think I'd build a 16 ignniter unit with an addressable comm interface so you can add as many units as you want.

Phil
 
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