The Aliens Legacy
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Motion Tracker
http://forum.alienslegacy.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16426		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  majenko [ Mon Sep 12, 2016 12:17 am ]
Post subject:  Motion Tracker
Hey guys. Long time no speakie :)

I have been busy recently playing with making an active display for motion trackers. It's starting to come together nicely now, and working quite well. I'd value your comments and input.

https://youtu.be/Y3pLkZDHgLg

It took me a while but I finally found what I hope is a suitable display. It's amazing how many of them nowadays have the FPC connector on the short edge, making the display module long and thin. I finally found a 2.3" one though that has the FPC on the long edge making it much squarer and fit in a resin cast of the viewer nicely. It's still a bit on the small side though (I don't think you'll ever get one that fits exactly) so it relies on the magnifier being in place to fill the screen.

Yes, it has a compass and accelerometer in there (not active in the demo, I'm still working on the stabilizing software for that right now) so the display rotates as you rotate.

It's quite a powerful little board that actually, and like all my inventions, it's completely programmable by you if you feel adventurous. It even includes an SD card for you to store more graphics and sounds on if you know how ;)

Oh, and I'm even thinking about making a 44mm x 32mm capacitive touch sensor keyboard (4x4 keys) that would sit behind the keypad on the side of the unit, so those button actually do things.
Author:  SulacoBoy [ Mon Sep 12, 2016 12:36 am ]
Post subject: 
Ooooo want D: awesome work
Author:  retrogarde [ Mon Sep 12, 2016 1:33 am ]
Post subject: 
Wow, using the keypad is an awesome idea!

(But please be kind to those of us using the ever so slightly wider keypad)
Author:  majenko [ Mon Sep 12, 2016 1:46 am ]
Post subject: 
I had experimented with making an actual working keypad using card and copper foil tape. It kinda worked, but not too well. The other option is to get real membrane keypads manufactured, but that gets somewhat expensive. Once I have the keypad design working making other sizes and even shapes will be simple enough. Maybe even make sensors for other decals too...
Author:  Trigger happy [ Mon Sep 12, 2016 1:48 am ]
Post subject: 
Awesome mate. Nice set up. If its anything like your Pulse Rifle counters it will be great.
Author:  majenko [ Mon Sep 12, 2016 1:50 am ]
Post subject: 
A large chunk of this systems design is going to make is way (finally) into the redesign of my big pulse rifle boards. Especially the sound subsystem.
Author:  martinr1000 [ Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Motion Tracker
Good work. Good luck with the keypad, sounds awesome.
Author:  Moosh89 [ Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:38 pm ]
Post subject: 
Nice!!

Between this and martinr1000's efforts, we are sure to have great real working motion trackers real soon!
Author:  Noble [ Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Motion Tracker
Agreed!

I have all the real parts ready for a build.


I just got another sl-85 calculator, and was going to ask my buddy in china to make me some since he owes me
a favor.

With the Drill trigger and the bottom rotary switch, is there a need for another input point?

A working keypad, drill trigger, and rotary switch would be bad-ass!


My advice:
1.Keep the cabling between the hama viewer and the drill housing minimal
2.Compass feature on screen is a must
3.Having different interaction senarios is cool. (rotary switch??)
4.Have a USCM Delta start up screen. WY B-B-W is for colony building, not alien tracking.
5.Accommodate the real hama + resin hama viewers
Author:  majenko [ Mon Sep 12, 2016 9:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Motion Tracker
Quote:
1.Keep the cabling between the hama viewer and the drill housing minimal

You have:

  • 4 wires for speakers (could be 2 if you want just one speaker - I have the "pop" coming out of one speaker and the "wipwop" coming out of another. so you can have them coming from where sounds most realistic),
  • 2 to 6 pins for direct button or switch connections - that's 5 signals, plus one common ground for all switches)
  • For the more complex things there is an I2C interface, which is just 4 wires (including power) to connect all sorts of fancy widgets up to - that includes the keypad - just 4 wires for the whole lot.
So not a huge number of wires. Oh, and two for the battery of course.
Quote:
2.Compass feature on screen is a must

Absolutely. Still working on the code for that. It's fine until you hit the 359°->0° crossover point at the moment.
Quote:
3.Having different interaction senarios is cool. (rotary switch??)

Not all will have working rotary switches, but those that do could certainly make use of it, sure.
Quote:
4.Have a USCM Delta start up screen. WY B-B-W is for colony building, not alien tracking.

Good call on that. I shall google up a suitable splash animation (unless someone here feels creative and fancies putting one together? At the moment it's three static images that are faded in and out in software).
Quote:
5.Accommodate the real hama + resin hama viewers

I am not (at the moment) dictating any mounting or installation requirements. The position within the viewer will need to be adjusted by you to get the best viewing experience. I only have a resin cast viewer body and separate loose (no frame :( ) resin lens to play with at the moment, so I can only really guestimate how it will work in other builds.
Author:  veektohr [ Mon Sep 12, 2016 10:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
Personally, I would love just a text scroll boot-up kinda like how the computers come to life when the Nostromo receives the distress call. I'm super stoked on all this MT action lately :)

Keypad would be AMAZING.
Author:  retrogarde [ Tue Sep 13, 2016 12:17 am ]
Post subject: 
Yes, the text boot up from the Nostromo would be an excellent nod too.
Author:  majenko [ Tue Sep 13, 2016 12:21 am ]
Post subject: 
What about the mother boot animation?
Author:  Moosh89 [ Tue Sep 13, 2016 1:00 am ]
Post subject: 
or the system coming online the same way the Sulaco roster does?
Author:  stimpy [ Wed Mar 08, 2017 5:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
Any updates on this? Gonna start a real part motion tracker build soon and to have something like this in it would be amazing!
Author:  majenko [ Wed Mar 08, 2017 5:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
As it happens, yes there is an update.

I am testing my latest prototypes at the moment - and they look good.

Here's a 3D model of what I am working with right now: https://sketchfab.com/models/445c9d145d ... 58fb114869

I'll just take a photo of the board as well so you can better get a feel for the size.
Author:  majenko [ Wed Mar 08, 2017 5:38 pm ]
Post subject: 
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The 5 main chips on that board:

  • Top left: 2.8W stereo class D amplifier
  • Top middle: 16 bit stereo DAC
  • Middle left: 3-axis compass
  • Bottom left (just under the compass): 3-axis accelerometer
  • Bottom Middle: 200MHz 32-bit MCU with FPU, 2MB Flash, 512KB SRAM
Author:  stimpy [ Wed Mar 08, 2017 7:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
It looks very impressive, although im not really sure what im looking at! :lol:
Author:  Big Stew [ Wed Mar 08, 2017 8:55 pm ]
Post subject: 
:like:
Author:  Trigger happy [ Wed Mar 08, 2017 9:50 pm ]
Post subject: 
Looks great. ill be in for a few
Author:  Noble [ Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Motion Tracker
I'm in!
Author:  Moosh89 [ Thu Mar 09, 2017 2:51 am ]
Post subject: 
I know it will be great but I'm curious to see it in action!

:delta:
Author:  577_ops [ Thu Mar 09, 2017 11:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Motion Tracker
Count me in!
Author:  majenko [ Thu Mar 09, 2017 11:53 am ]
Post subject: 
Sounds like it's going to be popular... I'd best get my skates on and finish the damn thing ;)
Author:  stimpy [ Thu Mar 09, 2017 12:15 pm ]
Post subject: 
How easy would it be to install and set up? Im not the best with electronics!
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