Animatronics

We offer a range of Animatronic show controllers incorporating R/C drive, digital outputs and audio recording facilities

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Servo Driver Boards, R/C Servos, Servo Controllers, Wizard Cards, Flexinol Wire

Serial Servo Driver Boards

R/C type servos are popular in robotics, automation and special effects because they are rugged, reliable, low cost and accurate. Standard servos will readily move 250gmf through 90 degrees with 0.36 degree accuracy- all at a cost of £9.00 or less. Servos are controlled by sending them a pulse every 50ms or so. The length of the pulse varies between 1ms and 2ms and determines the angle of the lever arm (or "horn"). To keep a servo in a constant position you need to send it a continuous stream of fixed length pulses.

Our Serial Servo Driver boards automatically generate these streams of pulses from a standard RS232 serial source such as a PC or BASIC Stamp.

Servo 8 Driver Board

Control up to 8 servos per board Control from either D-9 serial socket or optional onboard BS2-IC Ready assembled and tested 6-12vDC input at up to 1Amp (all servos working hard) Several boards may share the same serial input line Serial input at either 2400 or 9600 baud 0-90 or 0-180 degree selectable rotation range Simple 3-byte command string required, eg <255>,<3>,<127>, would move servo 3 to position 127 (mid-way) and hold it there until an update is received- <255> is a syncronization byte and proceeds every message string. Drive from PC/MAC/Stamp- anything that can send a 3-byte RS232 string Supplied with Windows (3.1 and '95) freeware software. (Full feature software, Part number 1- 927, also available) Click here for the data sheet Click here for the windows freeware Servo Board, Part # 1-904 @ £29.00 each (does not include servos)

Servo Experiment Pack

A value starter pack for controlling R/C servos from your PC: Servo 8 Driver board (1-904) Two 3kgcm servos (1-930) 9V at 1Amp power supply 9-pin serial cable Servo Experiment Pack, Part # 1-909 @ £52.50 each

Micro Serial Servo Driver Chip

Single 8-pin chip with the following features:

• Control up to 3 standard servos
• Incorporates speed control as per the Servo-12 board
• Ability to switch individual servos OFF
• Reports the current servo position
• RS232 @ 9600 baud interface
• +5v Supply

Click here for the hook-up configuration and sample Stamp2 driver code

Micro Servo Driver, Part # 1-984 @ £10.00 each

Parallax Servo Driver Boards

Controls up to 16 servos from an RS232 (serial ) connection. Full details including code samples from the parallax web site: www.parallax.com

Parallax Serial Servo Driver Board, Part # 1-131 at £29.00 each

USB version of the above, Part # 1-132 at £29.00 each

Servo Controllers

Servo-Check

This small board will be found invaluable for projects/models using R/C type servos.

In Automatic mode, Servo-Check produces a pulse stream that makes the servo traverse smoothly through 90° at a speed determined by the potentiometer setting (approx 0.5 to 5 secs / 90° ). Advanced users can add 2 standard 10k linear potentiometers to adjust the end stops for a simple, stand-alone animatronic controller

In Manual mode, the servo position is fully adjustable from 0 to 90° by using the thumbwheel. The LED lights at 15° intervals to allow accurate alignment of servos and linkages during construction.

Works from standard 6v supply and includes 3-pin header for all standard servos.

Supplied built and tested.

Download the data sheet here

Servo-Check, Part Number 1-935 @ £12.73

Puppet

This small servo controller board is great for simple animation projects and supports the following features:

Single channel servo control Up to 4 minutes recording time Full 180 degree rotation pulse train (for servos that can physically rotate 180 deg) Looping play with adjustable time delay between loops Record edit facility Synchronisation pulse for multiple unit operation 4.8 to 6V DC operation

Click here for the full operating instructions

Puppet Control Board, Part # 1-919 @ £29.00

Puppet +

All the features of the standard Puppet board but with an additional digital channel with a 1A /24vDC rated relay. Record your servo channel first and then superimpose the digital channel whilst the servo is playing. Click here for the instruction sheet Puppet+ Control Board, Part # 1-918 at £35.00 each

Programmable Relay

A single channel programmable relay. Record your actions in real time then playback. Also supports loop play. Recording time up to 4.5 hours Click here for the data sheet Programmable relay, Part # 1-966 at £25.00 each

Animate Card

The Animate card is a 4-channel servo and digital output controller with the ability to record and playback up to 40 seconds of movement and up to 20 seconds of speech /music.

4 Channel recording for the 4 servos- up to 40 seconds of recording time 4 Digital Channels (0/5V at up to 10mA) Up to 20 second sound chip with electret microphone Ready built and tested Play, Next channel and Record keys LED status lights indicate remaining time Potentiometer controls servo position on selected channel Loop facility with random delay between loops Auto play on power-up facility Drives directly into 8-16 ohm speaker Remote Play feature for connection to PIR etc

Operation

• Connect the servos to the 4 headers and power up.
• Select the sound chip and record your audio track (max recording duration 20 seconds)
• Select servo 1 and hit record- the card will record the movements of servo1 whilst re-playing the audio track (to allow synchronisation of the lips etc)
• Select servo 2 and hit record. Track 2 will be recorded whilst playing both the audio track and servo1
• Record servo tracks 3 and 4
• Press Play to re-play the whole display- need to edit a track? Simply select that track and re-record.

Click here for the instruction sheet

Animate Card, Part # 1-917 at £59.00 each

Wizard Control Cards

Wizard

Similar facilities to the Animate Card but without the sound recording chip and with up to 4 minutes servo/digital output recording facility.

Click here for the instruction sheet

Wizard Control Board, Part # 1-960 at £49.00 each

Wizard 2

Animatronic display controller- user selectable to either 8 digital relay output option (up to 20 minutes recording time) or 4 digital relays and 4 servos (up to 5 minutes recording time. Loop play with variable delay facility and multi-board syncronisation pulse facility.

Download the full data sheet here

Wizard 2 Control Board, Part # 1-963 at £99.00 each

Wizard 3

Animatronic display controller- 8 Servos and 8 digital outputs (2 with relays). Up to 13 minutes recording time. Loop play with variable delay facility and multi-board syncronisation pulse facility.

Download the full data sheet here

Wizard 3 Control Board, Part # 1-964 at £99.00 each

Wizard 4

The Wizard 4 Card will record and playback up to 25 minutes of action for up to 4 digital outputs. The card also incorporates features such as looping action with variable delay between loops, auto start-up on power up and a connection interface for a PIR, remote switch or pressure pad to initiate playback. Recording sessions are built up on a track-by-track basis- no programming is required. During recording, all previously recorded tracks are re-played to aid synchronisation

Download the data sheet here

Wizard 4 Control Board, Part # 1-965 @ £59.00

Wizard 5

The Wizard 5 Card will record and playback up to 5 minutes of action for up to 2 servos and 2 digital outputs. It also incorporates a 2-minute audio recording/playback chip and AutoTalk facility with the ability to control one servo channel either from recorded moves or from an audio signal. The card includes features such as looping action with variable delay between loops, auto start-up on power up and a connection interface for a PIR, remote switch or pressure pad to initiate playback. Recording sessions are built up on a track-by-track basis- no programming is required. During recording, all previously recorded tracks are re-played to aid synchronisation.

Download the data sheet here

Wizard 5 Control Board, Part # 1-967 at £99.00 each

Wizard 6

Bring your creation to life with the Wizard 6 board. Random movements for up to 3 servos. Servos 1 and 2 give random, interlaced motion in 2 axes- ie eyes left-right and up-down. The speed of movement and the time between moves may be set using on-board presets. The 3rd servo acts independantly, it always moves a pre-defined stroke but the time between movements and speed of movement may be set by preset- eg for eyelid movements. The board includes a range-select jumper for either 90 or 180 degree roration pulse trains and the maximum and minimum stroke positions may be set (and stored in eeprom) for each servo.

Wizard 6 data sheet

Wizard 6 Control Board, Part # 1-968 at £39.00 each

Wizard 8

The Wizard 8 board provides a single channel, digital output combined with a 4 minutes duration sound chip.

• · 1 Digital channel- either 0/4V @ 10mA outputs or changeover relay rated 30V @ 2A .
• · 240 seconds high quality sound chip- digital recording from the line input (ie from a sound card and .wav files).
• · Potentiometer to adjust the time delay between loops in loop-play.
• · Digital ON-OFF and GO buttons · AUTO-PLAY, PLAY-RECORD and SOUND-RELAY switches
• · Sync output for multi-card operation
• · REMote start option- for interfacing to pressure pads/PIRs etc
• · Loop play facility

Data sheet

Wizard 8 Control Board, Part # 1-971 at £65.00 each

Wizard 9

The Wizard 9 Card will record and playback up to 25 minutes of action for up to 2 digital outputs. The card also incorporates features such as looping action with variable delay between loops, auto start-up on power up and a connection interface for a PIR, remote switch or pressure pad to initiate playback.

• 2 Digital channels- either 0/5V @ 100mA outputs or changeover relay rated 30V @ 2Amps .
• Potentiometer to determine the time delay between play loops during automatic loop play- adjustable between 0 and 65 seconds.
• Digital 1, Digital 2 on-off, NEXT, PLAY and RECORD buttons Record enable/disable jumper AUTO-PLAY and LOOP-PLAY switches
• Sync output for multicard operation
• REMote start option- for interfacing to pressure pads/PIRs etc
• REM polarity select jumper- start on either +5v or 0V condition The Wizard 9 board provides dual channel, digital output combined .

Data sheet

Wizard 9 Control Board, Part # 1-977 at £49.00 each

Wizard 11

The Wizard 11 Card will record and playback up to 6 minutes of action for up to 6 servos and 2 digital outputs. It also incorporates a 4-minute audio recording/playback chip and the ability to control one servo channel either from recorded moves or from an audio signal. The card includes features such as looping action with variable delay between loops, auto start-up on power up and a connection interface for a PIR, remote switch or pressure pad to initiate playback. Recording sessions are built up on a track-by-track basis- no programming is required. During recording, all previously recorded tracks are re-played to aid synchronisation.

• · 2 Digital channels- either 0/5V @ 10mA outputs or changeover relay rated 30V @ 2A . ·
• 6 Servo channels - one channel may be automatically controlled from an audio signal either from the line input or from the on-board sound chip. ·
• 240 seconds high quality sound chip- digital recording from the line input (ie from a sound card and .wav files). ·
• Potentiometer to adjust the servo position and the time delay between loops in loop-play. ·
• Digital ON-OFF, NEXT, PLAY and RECORD buttons · Record enable/disable jumper · Eeprom protect jumper
• · AUTO-PLAY and LOOP-PLAY switches · Sync output for multi-card operation ·
• REMote start option- for interfacing to pressure pads/PIRs etc · REM polarity select jumper- start on either +5v or 0V condition.
• · Action reversing option to the audio channel servo · Maximum and minimum set points to the audio servo channel.

Data Sheet

Wizard 11 Control Board, Part # 1-974 at £99.00 each

Wizard 12

Handy board for controlling a single R/C type servo.

Single servo control software adjustable end stops 7.5V-9V DC operation

Download the data sheet here

Wizard 12, Part number 1-975 at £19.50 each

Servo-Analog Converter

Add lighting control to your show- This small board converts 2 channels of servo signals to 0-10V analog voltages suitable for driving standard lighting dimmers.

2 channel operation 0-10V DC outputs 1-2msec input pulse range No separate power supply required No set-up required Let there be light!

Click here to download the data sheet

Servo-Analog Converter, Part number 1-905 at £35.00 each

AutoTalk

This small board will move a standard servo in time to an audio input. Features

adjustable gain software adjustable end stops reverse action 4.8-6V DC operation jack socket audio input

Click here for the instruction sheet

AutoTalk, Part number 1-961 at £25.00 each

RomCopy

For multiple installations, RomCopy will duplicate the data stored in the eeproms used in the Puppet, Puppet+, Animate Card and Wizard Card. Very simple to use- load the recorded eeprom into the Master socket, load a blank eeprom into the Slave socket and press Go.

Click here for the instructions

RomCopy, Part # 1-962 at £49.00 each

R/C Servos

Servos

These standard hobby servos are easy to use, give precise control and lots of torque. They will interface with all our servo driver products.

Running from 4.8 to 6v DC they are controlled by a single pulse every 50 times/second (see our Servo Contoller Board- part number 1-904).

They will give a full 90 degree rotation with excellent repeatability and accuracy.

Servo 1-930 may be easily modified (no soldering or complicated set-up required) to make a variable speed reversing motor.

Servo, Part # 1-957 (0.9kgcm torque, 22x11x20mm, 9gm) at £20.00 each

Servo, Part # 1-930 (3 kgcm torque,40x20x36mm, 42gm) at £9.50 each

Servo, Part # 1-944 (6 kgcm torgue,41x20x43mm, 48gm) at £13.50 each

Servo, Part # 1-941 ( Hitec HS755- 11 kgcm torque) at £20.00

Servo, Part # 1-947 ( Hitec HS805- 20 kgcm torque) at £25.00 each

Servo, Part # 1-959 ( Hitec HS5955TG ) at £69.00 each

Flexinol Wire

What are Flexinol Wires?

Flexinol wires are highly processed strands of nickle-titanium alloy called nitinol- a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) that assumes a radically different crystaline structure at differing temperatures.

At room temperatures, Flexinol wires are easily stretched by a small force. However, when heated to above their transition temperature either by a source of heat or by a small electric current, they change to a much "harder" form and the wire returns to its un-stretched length:- the wire shortens with a useable amount of force.

So What?

Using Flexinol wires it is possible to devise very lightweight, flexible mechanisms;-

• Industry- New light-weight actuators with significant advantages in power to weight ratio over existing solenoids. Low current consumption and voltages allow easy interface to standard electronics. Ideal for Point-of-Sale dispalys.
• Hobby- Tiny, light-weight actuators for model cars, aeroplanes and trains.
• Schools- A valuable source material for DT studies. Encourages students to investigate the wire properties and gives practise in Mechanical Advantage, Velocity Ratio and Ohms law concepts. Readily used in conjunction with the Parallax BASIC Stamp.

Practical Aspects

• Flexinol wires contract by 3-5% irrespective of gauge size
• Flexinol Wires is rated at >1,000,000 cycles when used as per manufacturer's instructions
• Flexinol Wires contract very rapidly- as fast as you can heat them.
• Wires relax more slowly- it is dependent on ambient cooling conditions
• Wires must be pulled back to their original, relaxed condition by external means (eg sping, gravity, rubber band!)
• Flexinol wire is available in 2 transition temperature ranges- 70 deg C and 90 deg C
• The higher the transition temperature, the faster the relaxation and the more power is required to heat them.
• Flexinol Wires are available in 5 gauges: 50µm, 100µm, 150µm, 250µm, and 375µm.
• Contraction forces are typically: 35gmf, 150 gmf, 330gmf, 930gmf and 2000gmf
• Relaxation forces required: 8gmf, 28gmf, 62gmf, 172gmf, and 380gmf
• Cycle rates are typically 9-40 cycles/minute( for the 50um wire) 70 dec C wire (LT grade) and 13-65 cycles/min for the 90 deg C wire (HT grade)
• Typical Operating Currents; 50mA, 180mA, 400mA, 1000mA and 2500mA
• All wires require typically 0.3V/cm length.
• If you just want a length to experiment with- we suggest either the 100 or150µm size

Pricing and order codes

50µm, Part # 3-070 at £8.00/m

100µm, Part # 3-071 at £8.00/m

150µm, Part # 3-072 at £8.00/m

250µm, Part # 3-073 at £8.00/m

375µm, Part # 3-074 at £10.00/m

Flexinol Based Products

Space Wings Kit

Sleek silvery mylar wings flap silently using only 50mm of Flexinol wire. Space Wings stands 150mm tall and flaps up to 36 times per minute. Kit includes pcb, components, hardware and detailed instructions.

Space Wings Kit, Part # 3-001 at £12.50 each

Project Book

To help you get the most from your Flexinol Wires we recommend the definative guide- Muscle Wires by Mondotronics. This 128 page book provides the essential Do's and Don'ts of working with Flexinol wire and includes 13 practical projects including Boris the six-legged insect.

Project Book, part number 3-133 at £14.95

Project Book and Wire Kit, part number 3-168 at £40.00

(Includes the Project book and 1 metre lengths of 50,100,150 and 250µm wire - sufficient for the projects covered in the book)

Flexinol Flow Valve

Normally closed flow control valve using Flexinol wire- extremely small (approx 6mm dia by 50mm long) and lightweight. Will work up to 75psi and requires 650mA at between 0.5 and 1V.

Closing time between 0.1-2 seconds, Opening time 0.25-3 seconds.

Electrical contact is to the two ends of the body (the end pieces are separated by an insulating section)

Flexinol Valve, Part # 3-200 at £10.00 each

Flexinol Power Switch

Simple switch cover converts a standard micro-switch to a lightweight, high power switch. Kit includes standard switch.

Connect 1VDC across the actuator contacts to operate the micro-switch.

Flexinol Power Switch, Part # 3-201 at £5.00 each