Microprocesor Based VIC/PWM Controller

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It is in the works.

Tell me what you want it to do.   I have my ideas  but  I also want yours.

So far a 4 x 20 Back lit LCD Display that can display Frequency, Current, Duty Cycle and Gating.  I could go
with a graphic display,  but that adds about  $20 to the cost plus programming time.   The graphic display would
allow display of actual waveforms.

The user controls can do whatever I program them to do.   The turn knobs are rotary encoders as well
as momentary push button switches.   Pushing a knob in can toggle various modes and programming options. 

So tell me the features that you think will be most beneficial and  practical.   Don't worry I won't laugh at anyone.

Please don't ask for a USB interface  for a PC because I cannot afford the time to write a Windows App.

If there is enough interest and I can keep the cost reasonable,  I will consider building and selling a few  of these. 
Otherwise I will have the only one. 

Goeytex

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A way to control the voltage by external input, for example, if one of us ever put this thing in a car, it would be nice to be able to vary the voltage with the gas pedal, so you would need an input to your circuit for external control of the input voltage and/or the duty cycle and/or gating... since each can control gas production, depending on the set up. You can't really play with the dials when you are trying to drive. This might be complicated or beyond the scope of this device, but I'm just throwing it out there

If you have a sweeper and pll, then there is no use for a frequency dial, but i guess you would want dials to play with gating, duty, and input voltage from 0-12 volts.

It might be interesting if you could have a memory in it, (like an SD Card) that would log the action of the device for several aspects, like frequencies that resonance was found at, and then use this to find effective sweep ranges.

If you wanted to get extremely fancy, for the sake of throwing out ideas, if you could come across an electronic gas flow gauge and pressure gauge, and have these as inputs to your circuit, then have the readings from these gauges matched up with the voltage/duty/gate/frequency and such, and then logged in your memory stick, for analysis.

A few thoughts for now, there are lots of possibilities, I guess it just depends on how far you want to go

Do you have a rough estimate on the price range of this device? And time-frame of completion?

(graphical display would be cool)

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It is in the works.

Tell me what you want it to do.   I have my ideas  but  I also want yours.

So far a 4 x 20 Back lit LCD Display that can display Frequency, Current, Duty Cycle and Gating.  I could go
with a graphic display,  but that adds about  $20 to the cost plus programming time.   The graphic display would
allow display of actual waveforms.

The user controls can do whatever I program them to do.   The turn knobs are rotary encoders as well
as momentary push button switches.   Pushing a knob in can toggle various modes and programming options. 

So tell me the features that you think will be most beneficial and  practical.   Don't worry I won't laugh at anyone.

Please don't ask for a USB interface  for a PC because I cannot afford the time to write a Windows App.

If there is enough interest and I can keep the cost reasonable,  I will consider building and selling a few  of these. 
Otherwise I will have the only one. 

Goeytex

Right now I am working with the attiny2313 and Nokia LCD. I have also considered the serial LCD from all electronics to be benifentual. The problem i am facing right now is there really isn't a good way to program the attiny's, We use to use the fun card programmer which was a small chip you could make in about 10 min's that only required 3 resistors and a parallel port connector. And a zif socket to release the avr. What I do not know about the attiny2313 is it must be programmed serially unless you use pony prog, and i do not like pony prog. The programming hardware alone runs about 20 bucks but you still have to have your target avr clocked externally.

This is why i've been spending time writing new user friendly software in visual basic. I don't like avr dude. I have currently been working with mscomm in vb. It does not look easy at all, its very time consuming. Perhaps i will give in and use pony prog, but i am unsure of how the fuses work. I dont want locked out because that would cost 10 bucks a mistake.

As of right now, I'm still learning how to activate the avr's internal clock to delete the use of the externall one, since the internal clock comes from the factory working if you know how to turn it on.

What microcontroller are you using, the pic?

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A way to control the voltage by external input, for example, if one of us ever put this thing in a car, it would be nice to be able to vary the voltage with the gas pedal, so you would need an input to your circuit for external control of the input voltage and/or the duty cycle and/or gating... since each can control gas production, depending on the set up. You can't really play with the dials when you are trying to drive. This might be complicated or beyond the scope of this device, but I'm just throwing it out there

This will be for Lab/Experimentation purposes and not intended  to control a cell in a moving vehicle.   A  System designed for a
vehicle will be much different and would also need to include  oxygen sensor compensation.    Let's lean how make gas in a lab using the Meyer process before we start launching rocket ships to the moon ( or Porches down the Autobahn.)  

If you have a sweeper and pll, then there is no use for a frequency dial, but i guess you would want dials to play with gating, duty, and input voltage from 0-12 volts.  

I have found manual control to be quite useful for:  

1. Directly pulsing a cell with no transformer.  ( Collecting baseline data)
2. Testing Coil various combinations where the resonant  frequency or coil performance is unknown.
3. Most experimenters are control freaks and want to be able to do manual  adjustments (like dialing
in a specific frequency)   

It might be interesting if you could have a memory in it, (like an SD Card) that would log the action of the device for several aspects, like frequencies that resonance was found at, and then use this to find effective sweep ranges.

Add $150 minimum for the SD card Interface.  

If you wanted to get extremely fancy, for the sake of throwing out ideas, if you could come across an electronic gas flow gauge and pressure gauge, and have these as inputs to your circuit, then have the readings from these gauges matched up with the voltage/duty/gate/frequency and such, and then logged in your memory stick, for analysis.

An A/D input can be reserved for gas pressure and flow  transducers.  Industry Standard Instrumentation specs for these devices is 4 -20 ma output full range.  Drop this across a 250 ohm resistor and you have  a 1 - 5 volt input that can be fed to a multiplexed  A/D input.  We probably only need to sample  these inputs  10 times per second or maybe even less.    That would  only take  a few extra components and a few lines of code.   The  gas pressure sensor could trigger a fault condition ( too high)  or control the gating and/or  voltage  level
to the cell. 

Do you have a rough estimate on the price range of this device? And time-frame of completion?

At least  3 weeks to get a breadboard prototype up and running.   Have no clue on the cost.  It  probably won't  be cheap.  How much are
you  willing to pay ?      

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What microcontroller are you using, the pic?

Good question.   

I have not selected the micro yet.   It be be selected based upon how many I/O's and  ADC's
we will need  need,   and how well the micro can handle the multiple PWM outputs at 40 - 50Khz. 
Also I want to select a micro that  that has room for expansion (extra I/Os,  ADC's, comparators, etc
 so I don't have  to spin a new board  when something is changed or upgraded.   Ideally we will design
it so that one basic board can be used for several different applications depending upon the code and
user interface.   

I have development systems for PIC  Atmel,  and ST.  So it will be one of these. 

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Lol

This person is copying everything I do . Dont you have a job that pays good money already ?

I have it all built already , you can do WHATEVER YOU EVER WANTED TO DO  , updating my pcb now , Im waiting for my friends video cam .

Tomorro or after that , theres these holidays here now .

Oh really ?    

 I can assure you that I have not even looked at anything you have posted in regards to circuits.  But now that I have looked,  I don't see where you have ever posted an original circuit.....   Have you ?      

What microprocessor are you using?   How many ADC's ? Are the PWM's internal to the processor or are you generating them with interrupt routines?   What clock speed does your processor run.   If  you come up with a firmware upgrade to improve functionality  or add features will you do a processor chip exchange ?

 Let's see some drawings or photos of the user interface and display.  Is yours a graphic or character display?   Does your system have a built in self-test  and diagnostics routine ? 
 
Certainly,  if you have already perfected the ultimate Microprocessor VIC Controller that  cannot  possibly be improved,  then the  rest of us should just stop what we are doing and wait for you.    

Heck,  I'm  thinking about  killing myself now.   All this  wasted effort you know ......

Sorry  folks,    all plans are canceled!     I'm getting a rope !    

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Lol

This person is copying everything I do . Dont you have a job that pays good money already ?

I have it all built already , you can do WHATEVER YOU EVER WANTED TO DO  , updating my pcb now , Im waiting for my friends video cam .

Tomorro or after that , theres these holidays here now .

Oh really ?    

 I can assure you that I have not even looked at anything you have posted in regards to circuits.  But now that I have looked,  I don't see where you have ever posted an original circuit.....   Have you ?      

What microprocessor are you using?   How many ADC's ? Are the PWM's internal to the processor or are you generating them with interrupt routines?   What clock speed does your processor run.   If  you come up with a firmware upgrade to improve functionality  or add features will you do a processor chip exchange ?

 Let's see some drawings or photos of the user interface and display.  Is yours a graphic or character display?   Does your system have a built in self-test  and diagnostics routine ?  
  
Certainly,  if you have already perfected the ultimate Microprocessor VIC Controller that  cannot  possibly be improved,  then the  rest of us should just stop what we are doing and wait for you.    

Heck,  I'm  thinking about  killing myself now.   All this  wasted effort you know ......

Sorry  folks,    all plans are canceled!     I'm getting a rope !    

Its as good as it gets for manual pulsing  .

All these improvements are pointless untill we get gas , my product will have what it takes to make it work , thats IF it can work ...

Theres no market for this anyways , FE might be important but ppl are just TOO POOR . I am HEAVILY DISSAPOINTED BY THE SALES SO FAR .

You are the engineer who makes big $ , I am the bum with no job .

I made this circuit WITH A PASSION , you are making your to go into competion with me .

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Geoytex,

I just have one thing to say... WOW, now that is a nice PWM circuit.

I'm sorry Dankie, but I have seen some of Goeytex work, and he sure knows what he is doing, don't get me wrong, your circuit is pretty good for someone that never did one before, I do give you credit for that, but it does not compare with Goeytex knowledge.

And Competition is allways good for the consumer.

Jolt