Toy switches on for 30 seconds, shuts down, how do I auto switch back on for more cycles

Thread Starter

hack historian cat

Joined Apr 16, 2016
7
I have the dancing gopher from caddy shack, which I'm using in a music video for a prop, but it shuts down after 30 seconds. It has an on off toggle push button. The device has a circuit board with microcontrollers for two 3 volt (I'm assuming) battery powered electric motors, which make it dance, I disconnected the speaker that sing I'm Alright.
I just want it to dance. I need the toy to dance for 4 to 5 minutes, or for as long as I want.

Please give me a steer to which forum or which specific question I should be asking, which electronics gear I will need, or any ideas on how to control the dancing gopher for longer than its programmed. My idea is to send a new turn on signal every 31 seconds or so, to keep it going.

This gopher will be a supporting actor in a music video I'm making, if I can get it to keep going. Thanks
 

Dodgydave

Joined Jun 22, 2012
11,285
What happens if you keep the button pressed for longer than the time, will it keep working or does it have to be pulsed, sounds like a job for a 555 timer...
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
What happens if you press the button before the 30 seconds has expired?

Once the gopher stops dancing and you press the button again, what is the length of the pause while the gopher doesn't dance?

I'm assuming that once you press the button for the first time, it runs for 30 seconds. Can you loop that in post-production to make is last as long as you like?
 

Thread Starter

hack historian cat

Joined Apr 16, 2016
7
What happens if you keep the button pressed for longer than the time, will it keep working or does it have to be pulsed, sounds like a job for a 555 timer...
I'm at work, but what happens if I push the button before the cycle is over is: it stops. For instance, I push it on, and it starts and runs for 30 seconds, then stops on its own. If before the 30 seconds is over I push the button again, it stops.

I don't know what happens if I continuously push down the button, I'll do that tonight and report back.
 

Thread Starter

hack historian cat

Joined Apr 16, 2016
7
What happens if you keep the button pressed for longer than the time, will it keep working or does it have to be pulsed, sounds like a job for a 555 timer...
Is that the expected behavior, or is it failing?
The expected behavior is to push on the button briefly and release, then the toy dances for 30 seconds, and turns off automatically. if you want it to dance again, you would push the button again. If, before the 30 second cycle is over, you push the button again, the toy stops.
What happens if you press the button before the 30 seconds has expired?

Once the gopher stops dancing and you press the button again, what is the length of the pause while the gopher doesn't dance?

I'm assuming that once you press the button for the first time, it runs for 30 seconds. Can you loop that in post-production to make is last as long as you like?
Yes, but during production, I will be playing the shit out of a ukulele or a banjo or something, so I won't be able to stop that and reach over inside this stage, where at least 2 gophers will be dancing simultaneously, and keep pushing the buttons. So, I need an automatic microcontrolled or timer switch device to automatically push the button or generate a signal every 31 seconds, to start the toy dancing for another 30 second cycle. Please advise, Thanks
 

Thread Starter

hack historian cat

Joined Apr 16, 2016
7
Jesus, I just realized that I haven't tried just clamping down the button, to see if this would keep the toy dancing, thanks for that idea. I will try that after work and report back. Its maddening, cause this simple electronic glitch is keeping me from youtube fame and glory.
 

Thread Starter

hack historian cat

Joined Apr 16, 2016
7
Let me ask this. I see two solutions to the problem, short of reprogramming the timing chip on the circuit board inside the toy, which would require melting hot glue and disassembly which is not worth the time and effort, and reprogramming a chip is beyond my pay grade at this point.

Solution one: A servo/motor device that physically pushes the button every 30 seconds when the cycle ends, thus restarting a new cycle.

Solution two: Bypassing the existing button on off switch and replacing it with an electrically controlled switch from a timer device that sends an electric current every 30 seconds and acts as the switch.

Which should I be looking to build, or have built. I'll pay a reasonable amount of money to anyone who builds some device for me that works. Or, if this is something I can do without taking a degree in electrical engineering, I'll do it myself. I'd rather pay someone, but I don't have a clue where you can get this done.
 

Thread Starter

hack historian cat

Joined Apr 16, 2016
7
anybody who can solve this problem, I'll ship to you a gopher (somewhere around ohio, in the US) , and pay you to complete the electronic work. If it works upon shipping it back to me, I'll ship you 3 more gophers.



Mod edit: Please do not post email addresses in threads. It brings spammers to you and the forum. Thanks.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Dodgydave

Joined Jun 22, 2012
11,285
A 555 timer or other astable clocking chip can do this using a transistor switch,

Question is what happens if you keep the button pressed continually?
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
anybody who can solve this problem, I'll ship to you a gopher (somewhere around ohio, in the US) , and pay you to complete the electronic work. If it works upon shipping it back to me, I'll ship you 3 more gophers.



Mod edit: Please do not post email addresses in threads. It brings spammers to you and the forum. Thanks.
Did you say "gopher?"

I'll give it a try.
 

Thread Starter

hack historian cat

Joined Apr 16, 2016
7
Did you say "gopher?"

I'll give it a try.
Ok, y'all. I tried to continuously press the button through the cycle, and it still automatically stops at the end of of its cycle, even with the button still pressed. If I want another cycle after that, I have to release the button and push it again.

Here's the situation, and Newbies, listen up: I put this situation on local craigslist, and damned if the president of mid ohio robotics, in Columbus just emailed me and said A. he'd do the job for 20-30 bucks per gopher, B. he'd pick up the gophers, and C. Would be done in 2-3 days.

Gentlemen, that's your competition. Good luck, this guy knows how to do business.

Thanks for your time and suggestions. PS. GopherT: about 3 seconds after I emailed you, the robotics guy emailed me. Thanks for offer. Emmet
 
Top