# Octo banger



## Guest (Jan 9, 2019)

Can the octo banger do pwm ( servos )?


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## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

The octobanger is really just a precision on/off switcher. If you're looking for a controller specifically for servos, look at Pololu's maestro controllers. They do not include audio but here's a page explaining how to use an mp3 with their software/hardware.

https://forum.pololu.com/t/mini-maestro-and-sound/4556

I didn't use audio, but I did use a mini Maestro controller last halloween to control the head of a skull, the interface worked pretty well.


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## Bugman1400 (Jul 4, 2018)

I am trying to find software that will show the waveform for a 2 hour long mp3 and allow me to pick spots to trigger another mp3 player and a relay contact. For example, I want to play haunting background music and then trigger a lightning mp3 and rapidly pulse a relay contact at various points in my 2 hours of music.
I do not need an external input trigger. Will the Pololu mini let me do that?


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## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

I don't think the Pololu Maestro Mini will do what you want. I'd look at using Vixen Lights with an arduino. You can see the waveform and select your outputs. 

I haven't yet used Vixen lights so I don't know what the max mp3 length is. Maybe you could use a shorter mp3 if it has a max length. I'm also not sure if it can strobe lights as fast as lightning, but I suspect you could program the arduino to do the sequence based on an input from the software. The same arduino could trigger the MP3 player. I'd recommend not using a relay to make lightning effects. I'd probably use DC LEDs and run them through a transistor for "lightning" fast switching.


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Vixen is certainly one possibility - along the same style of software, xLights is another FOSS program which can control lights, LEDs, relays, etc - provided you have the proper hardware on the output side.

http://www.xlights.org/

If you need to actually edit the MP3, audacity is a good program for that.

https://www.audacityteam.org/

You can even mix tracks, so your lightning/thunder would be right in the background track.


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## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

Good point. There shouldn't need to be a second MP3 player unless we're missing something. Maybe they want the audio to come out of a different speaker, but then you could just split the audio into left and right channels...


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## MBrennan (Sep 22, 2008)

Another OctoBanger Question:

Has anyone ever tried to trigger a BrightSign video player using an output from the Banger?

I am thinking of a way to incorporate video into my Frankensteins Lab sequence and am trying to determine the possibilities.

What I'm trying to do: Ambient track playing until triggered. Once triggered, video (and audio) starts - and octobanger opens and closes relays for lights-props, etc.

I'm not sure since the banger is configured to play a "scare track" if I would be able to match the video playback to the audio playback.

I know there are other ways to accomplish this, i'm just weighing the options.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated !


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## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

When a brightsign is triggered there is a slight delay. I would suggest playing the ambient track, then using the brightsign to play video and audio, that way they WILL be synced. Using a relay to trigger the brightsign should work perfectly as a brightsign is made to use a button, it just needs a path to ground which you can wire through the relay.


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## MBrennan (Sep 22, 2008)

DarkOne said:


> When a brightsign is triggered there is a slight delay. I would suggest playing the ambient track, then using the brightsign to play video and audio, that way they WILL be synced. Using a relay to trigger the brightsign should work perfectly as a brightsign is made to use a button, it just needs a path to ground which you can wire through the relay.


DarkOne-
Thank you very much-That is EXACTLY the kind of info I was looking for! I actually had not considered having the brightsign play both audio AND video - but that makes total sense. I would just have a MUTED (ie. silent) "scare track" from the octobanger MP3 player. I can match the other relay actions to the brightsign playback.

Thanks again!


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## MBrennan (Sep 22, 2008)

This may be a Masters Level question - but would it be possible to trigger the brightsign from the pin that tells the MP3 player to play the "scare track?" I'm not sure whether that command can be used to trigger the brightsign instead of the MP3, or if a complete rewrite of the code/app would be required.

My thought was since I don't really need an ambient track for this effect, and the MP3 player would be playing a silent track, why not just eliminate the MP3 player and substitute in the brightsign instead.

The only benefit in doing it this way would be to free up ONE relay for more blinky-flashy.

More food for thought...Always good to have options


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## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

I haven't looked at a Catalex MP3 player for a while, but it does require a hex code to play a track, so you won't be able to directly hook up to that output of the Arduino, but maybe if there is an led that lights when playing a track, you could hack into that to trigger the Brightsign.


Why not just use the trigger for the octobanger to also trigger the brightsign? You may need to play with delays before your video and audio plays out of the brightsign. I have a post somewhere on here about hooking up a PIR to trigger a Brightsign as well. Depending on which Brightsign player and relay board you are using you may not need an octobanger at all. ( I haven't tested this or looked at the Brightsign software to figure out if it can be easily programmed this way.) That being said, if the Brightsign player has GPIOs, the internet says you can hook up buttons and LEDs to a Brightsign. So I assume that if you can hook up LEDs and make them do something, you can hook up a relay board, or at least a transistor to trigger a relay. This may take some more research...


Thanks for reading my ramblings.


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## MBrennan (Sep 22, 2008)

DarkOne said:


> I haven't looked at a Catalex MP3 player for a while, but it does require a hex code to play a track, so you won't be able to directly hook up to that output of the Arduino, but maybe if there is an led that lights when playing a track, you could hack into that to trigger the Brightsign.
> 
> Why not just use the trigger for the octobanger to also trigger the brightsign? You may need to play with delays before your video and audio plays out of the brightsign. I have a post somewhere on here about hooking up a PIR to trigger a Brightsign as well. Depending on which Brightsign player and relay board you are using you may not need an octobanger at all. ( I haven't tested this or looked at the Brightsign software to figure out if it can be easily programmed this way.) That being said, if the Brightsign player has GPIOs, the internet says you can hook up buttons and LEDs to a Brightsign. So I assume that if you can hook up LEDs and make them do something, you can hook up a relay board, or at least a transistor to trigger a relay. This may take some more research...
> 
> Thanks for reading my ramblings.


Ha! No-this is GREAT!

I have an extra BrightSign HD912. Looking at the documentation, it says that it can be triggered via a serial command (as well as by a switch to ground).

Mikkojays website talks a bit about the HD912 and triggering to ground via a switch (which I use in a different portrait wall prop), but not via a serial command. And I think the Catalex uses a serial command (but I'm not sure- I'm not code savvy).

It may be possible to trigger both the Brightsign and Octo via the same switch (i'm just using a push-button trigger - nothing fancy). And I'll be using the octo to switch all 8 channels of 120vac SSRs on two separate circuits (I can only run 2 Jacob's Ladder on one circuit, and I have 4, plus lights, etc. ), and this year I wanted to add some video (hence the BrightSign).


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## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

I think you're on the right track. I'd like to see what you're working on when you get it all figured out. Please make a post when you're done.


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## MBrennan (Sep 22, 2008)

DarkOne said:


> I think you're on the right track. I'd like to see what you're working on when you get it all figured out. Please make a post when you're done.


I certainly will.

And I like your optimism - "WHEN you get it all figured out."


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## Batbuddy (Sep 3, 2014)

Yes it is absolutely possible to use the same switch/PIR to trigger both the bright sign and Octobanger. That would be the easiest. The hex code for triggering MP3 vs Bright sign will be different.


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## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

I would probably use an DPDT switch to isolate the two paths. And I like that your working on this in March!


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## MBrennan (Sep 22, 2008)

Batbuddy said:


> Yes it is absolutely possible to use the same switch/PIR to trigger both the bright sign and Octobanger. The would be the easiest. The hex code for triggering MP3 vs Bright sign will be different.


That's what I thought. And changing the code is above my current experience level.



DarkOne said:


> I would probably use an DPDT switch to isolate the two paths. And I like that your working on this in March!


I agree - I'm going to try a DPDT push-button for exactly the reason you stated. Hopefully if there is a delay after triggering, it will be consistent. That way I can time the octo to the delay, and will be accurate every time. If it isn't consistent, then I think I will HAVE to explore triggering via serial command - which I will be asking for assistance.

HAHA- Thats why I'm starting in March!

Plus - I still have to build the Octo-Banger with the SSRs!


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## MBrennan (Sep 22, 2008)

The controller is finally finished.


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## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

Looks great! Glad to see it finished. Have you programmed any sequences yet?


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## Batbuddy (Sep 3, 2014)

Wow! That is pretty sweet looking! As Hannibal Smith would say, "I love it when a plan comes together!"


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## MBrennan (Sep 22, 2008)

Thanks guys!

I programmed my sequence for this year and it came in over the 500 frame mark and wouldn't upload, so I had to dial it back a bit. 499 frames and it loaded fine.

So far the SSRs look like they're triggering fine (with nothing hooked up), but i still have to do some fine tuning and hook everything up. (fingers crossed)

Now to tackle the Brightsign portion...


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## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

Good luck!


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## Batbuddy (Sep 3, 2014)

That's a lot of Frames!


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## MBrennan (Sep 22, 2008)

DarkOne said:


> Good luck!


Thanks I need it!

Yeah 499 frames = lots of blinky-flashy!

How familiar is anyone with BrightSign and Bright Author?

I got my video loaded into the HD912, and it triggers properly, but the video lags behind the audio a half second or so, which is strange because its normal on everything else I view it on.

Maybe this should be its own thread...


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