Timing lights . . .

[mart_earle02]

Dear all,

Does anyone have any idea how I might be able to create a circuit that performed the following sequence (the appliances are connected to the mains supply):

19 mins
Light 1 ON
Light 2 OFF
Electric motor 1 ON (for 1 second during the 19 mins)
Electric motor 2 ON (for 1 second during the 19 mins)

1 min
Light 1 OFF
Light 2 ON
Electric motor 1 OFF
Electric motor 2 OFF

Thank you all so much!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Use a PIC and program it accordingly - although you could also do it with a simple digital timer and some extra electronics (to give the 1 second motor timing).

 

[stevez]

I think the PIC experts would suggest a PIC or similar microcontroller. Since this is a timing issue, another approach might be to employ one or more 555 timers and possibly some counters (7490 maybe). Without knowing much about you it's hard to offer much on what is best. I would say that the PIC approach might require some investment in learning but it would seem that you'd recover this investment over time for other applications.

 

[mart_earle02]

hmmm

Thank you for your advice. I'm afraid I'm not very profficient at electronic, this timing is part of an art project for a stop frame animation. Could you describe a bit more what a PIC is? Does it require a PC to run?

Thanks again

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Thank you for your advice. I'm afraid I'm not very profficient at electronic, this timing is part of an art project for a stop frame animation. Could you describe a bit more what a PIC is? Does it require a PC to run?

A PIC is a computer inside a single IC, optimised for hardware control, by programming it you can effectively make your own custom IC's.

 

[mart_earle02]

Oh . . . but, I'm very sorry, what is an IC . . . what practical steps to I need to take in order to create this sequence? Sorry for being so illiterate!!

 

[mister_e]

IC : Integrated Circuit

Yeah those rectangle/square black pinned box.

To create something with a PIC, you must first learn how they work, write your program in your PC, then program the Microcontroller with a PIC programmer.

Have a look to Nigel website, there's some great tutorials.

HTH

 

[mart_earle02]

Thank you. After reading the PIC tutorials I started to think it would be easier to buy a 'simple digital timer' but haven't been able to find a product that could perform the above function. I think PIC is a but beyond my electronic capability. The process will have to go on for one month and I don't want to have to have a computer on continously for all this time which is another problem. Thanks!