PRACTICE WITH ERICH BERGER AND SIMON STEGGELL AT ATELIER NORD, OSLO
SUBJECT: SENSORS/SOLENOIDS FOR THE EMOTION ORGAN
JANUARY 19th - FEBRUARY 10TH 2006

(Simon is my 17 year-old son and is studying electronics at Elevebakken school in Oslo. As part of this course is spending a week at Atelier Nord under the leadership of Erich to get practical work experience!)

TASK 1: AMANDA WORKS ON DISTANCE DETECTING SENSORS
1. Tested the distance detecting sensors (1) with the 8 analog/8 digital interface from Interface-z.


img: interface: 8 analog and 8 discreet inputs

2. Soldered wires together appropriate wires to allow for the installation of these sensors at the back of the stops bar on the organ.


img: distance detecting senosr and signal amplifier

3. Tested all eight sensors with the 8 analog/8digital Interface-z interface, and max adjusting the exampale patch from the Interface-z website.
4. Attempted to callibrate each sensor by adjusting the gain (sensitivity) and Zero point (scale controller) of each sensor on the signal amplifier (provided by IZ) that are placed between the sensor and the interface.


img: instructions from Francis and Zandrine at Interface-z

DISCOVERY
The distance detecting sensors produce different data results according to the refelctivity of the material used to activate the sensors. Skin works well for my purposes, but a non-shiney orange surface works best. The sensors cannot be callibrated properly until installed in the organ.

TASK 2: ERICH/SIMON WORK ON CUSTOM MADE BOX FOR CONTROLLING 8 PUSH TYPE MAGNET SOLENOIDS VIA LANBOX.

The solenoids for pushing down on the valves of the airbrush guns to release aromas will be contorolled via the 8 digital outputs on the Lanbox. Erich has designed a custom-made circuit board that will feed the signals via the Lanbox to the solenoids.

1. Order materials for building the special box that will make the Black Knights (push-type magnet solenoids) work with the digital output of the lanbox.
2. Construct the circuit board.
3. Buy the mateirals for the case.
4. Cut holes in the box for the power/37 pin connector.
6. Solder all cables/connections.
5. Test all connections.


img: Erich checks connections with Simon

TASK 3: ERICH/SIMON/AMANDA TEST THE SOLENOID BOX WITH LANBOX AND MAX.


img: Erich tests the digital outputs with a diode on the 37 pin connector on the Lanbox

Several tests and adjustments were needed before we got any results from the solenoids. Unsure of what data the digital outputs could receive, I emailed out to several email lists and was informed that the max patch example (2) I had previously used in Ikon to control lights could also be used for the digital outputs. We adjusted the max patch example (usb) found on the Lanbox website to test the solenoids. After a couple of rounds of re-soldering bad/incorrect connections, 7 of the solenoids worked perfectly:-) However, the 8th digital output of the Lanbox does not work:-(

TASK 4: AMANDA TESTS ACCELERATOR SENSORS FROM INTERFACE Z

These sensors are to be installed under the foot pedals of the pump organ to provide data about the relationship between speed and angle (slope) of the movement of the footpumps as the organ is played.


img: accelerometer from Interface z website (3)

The cost for these sensors is 100 euros each. They are constructed of four potentiometers and provide data about horizontal and vertical tilting. (Actually, I only need one axis for the organ, but received the two axis version as result of French/English translation problems.) They have a range of -45 degrees to + 45 degrees. Francis from Interface z provided me with the following information about the sensors:

On the sensor, you have four potentiometers :
two for each axe:

- one for zero (zero in french)
- one for sensitivity (gain or sensibilité in french)
the one that is between the two connectors is a zero one. The two next are for the sensitivityof each axe,
the last one is the second zero.

Be carefull they don t turn the same side to increase or decrease.

A good way to adjust a first time is to put the accelerometer on the ground.

Then adjust the two zero so that signal is a the middle (value 64), and move the accelerometer in its maximum position and adjust gain to get the maximum of response . Do the same thing for the other side.

I tested the sensors by trying to simulate the movement of the foot pumps, and the results seemed okay. I am also thinking about getting two more for use on the knees levers. The problem with this method is that they will be exposed to the outside world rather than being built into the organ itself. While I have been trying to avoid this type of installation, having inspected the internal mechanics of the organ I can see no other option. The main reason for this is that the function of the knee levers (to open up vents that allow more air to flow over the reads and create greater volume) is also shared by a couple of the stops. If I install another type of sensor on the moving parts inside the organ the data derived will not be exclusively due to the movement of the knee levers. Conceptually Ithinik this is a big problem, but will spend a bit more time thinking about it before I make a final decision.

 

LINKS AND REFERENCES

(1) Testing the distance detecting sensor at Making Sense 6, May 2005

(2) MAX example patches for use with the lanbox can be downloaded here:
http://www.lanbox.com/downloads/downloads.html#other

(3)