Problems with TV-B-Gone

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Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.
LostTime
 
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:14 am

Post by LostTime »

I've always known that school must be useful for something :P
And additionally I've watched all the MythBusters episodes in English 8)

LostTime
 
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:14 am

Post by LostTime »

I've made a layout for 2 IR-LEDs based on oPossum's single-sided Layout.
It measures 1.05" x 1.5", which should fit into my housing.
I'll etch the PCB these days but unfortunately my laser printer doesn't work and I have to print the layout with an inkjet, so the quality isn't that good.

Image

Image

EAGLE-Files


I'll keep you up-to-date!

Sebastian

Probedude
 
Posts: 87
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 3:16 am

Post by Probedude »

Just a comment.
Fatten up the V+ and GND lines as much as you can. A decent amount of current is flowing through the IR LED's and they're fast transistions.

See if you can move the power input pins to where your electrolytic is at the top of the IC. This will shorten your power traces to the IR led's AND the IC and also minimize the power droop at the MCU since the IR LED's won't be in the same leg of the trace from the power connector.

LostTime
 
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:14 am

Post by LostTime »

Probedude wrote:Just a comment.
Fatten up the V+ and GND lines as much as you can. A decent amount of current is flowing through the IR LED's and they're fast transistions.

See if you can move the power input pins to where your electrolytic is at the top of the IC. This will shorten your power traces to the IR led's AND the IC and also minimize the power droop at the MCU since the IR LED's won't be in the same leg of the trace from the power connector.
Thank you for you tips!

This is the second version with some shorter and fatter lines and for a external pushbutton.
Maybe they're some other improvements but I think now it's ok

Image

LostTime
 
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:14 am

Post by LostTime »

Good morning! (11.50am local time)
I've etched the PCB now:

Image

Image

Image

Image

I'm very pleased with this board and I'll build it in in the afternoon.

Sebastian

LostTime
 
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:14 am

Post by LostTime »

It's not working :cry:
The green LED is blinking but the IR-LEDs aren't.

Now I haven't any idea where the mistake could be..

shadow
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:59 pm

Post by shadow »

Shyza! the only thing i can think that would be wrong is the leds reversed, but I know you must have put them in right after all the problems. maybe test thing with voltage meter/detector thing. see if any power at all is goin to the leds. good luck!

LostTime
 
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:14 am

Post by LostTime »

As mentoined.. The LEDs are working when I put the Transistors to +, what the MCU normally should do. Tomorrow (21.21pm local time) I'll test everything I'm able to test..
It just could be a teeny-weeny (what a funny word for a German) problem and I'm overlooking it.

But I'm confident.. as sure as the rivers reach the sea (Yep, that's a great simile I think) my TV-B-Gone will work!

shadow
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:59 pm

Post by shadow »

i agree, i think hell or high water your tv b gone is gonna work. good luck!

LostTime
 
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:14 am

Post by LostTime »

shadow wrote:i agree, i think hell or high water your tv b gone is gonna work. good luck!
Thank you!

But just a short question:
What do you mean with "hell or high water"?
I've never heard this phrase before and can't catch the meaning of it :wink:

shadow
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:59 pm

Post by shadow »

o ya srry forgot u dont get that cause ur english us so good. its a saying that basically means omkthings is going to happen no matter what, in your case your tv b gone is going to work no matter what.

User avatar
darus67
 
Posts: 246
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:25 pm

Post by darus67 »

It is an American expression that means, essentially,

"We will succeed, no matter what evil or disaster may impede us"

LostTime
 
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:14 am

Post by LostTime »

Aha!
Now I've got it :D

"cause ur english us so good" - I only learn BANNED-English in school, so sometimes it's a problem for me to understand American expressions :wink:
And I don't want to swank about my English-abilities, but I'm not that good in
American English

Okay guys, I'll inform you when something has happenend

magician13134
 
Posts: 1119
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:17 am

Post by magician13134 »

A little bird told me it's raining cats and dogs, but the details were a lick and a promise. If your TV-B-Gone doesn't work, I'll eat my hat!

Heh, our language is wwweeeiiiirrrrdddd.

If you're ever bored ad nauseam, check out some other idioms here:
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms

(back on topic) Good luck getting that working

Probedude
 
Posts: 87
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 3:16 am

Post by Probedude »

Boy I'm confused as to what could be the problem. You mentioned you have an oscilloscope.

- what does th signal look like coming out of the Atmel when it is hooked up to the 47 ohm resistor to the base of your NPN transistor?
- what is the part number of your NPN transistors?

Thanks,
Dave

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