Ok, so I want to replicate a Cylon "EYE" scanner from Battlestar Galactica. I know I can do it with a 4017/555 circuit, or a microcontroller, but I would like a circuit that is RELATIVELY faithful to the original design, and made with components available in the 70s when the series debuted. There is very little info on this as most of the original helmets were trashed, but here is what Google tells me :

The original Cylon eye circuit from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica was an analog scanner built using discrete components. Instead of LEDs, it utilized 32 tightly spaced miniature incandescent bulbs that sequentially lit up and faded to create an animated, sweeping trail. [1, 2, 3, 4]

How the Original Circuit Worked
The scanner used a split-voltage power supply to manage the bright bulbs—driving 16.8V to the lamps while supplying 8.4V to the circuit, which was regulated on-board. The bulbs were wired so that as a new bulb powered up, the previous bulb faded out, giving it a persistence-of-vision sweep. The entire apparatus was mounted in a black resin holder behind the helmet's visor. [1]
Because the original design used traditional incandescent bulbs, these scanners generated significant heat and required a cumbersome camera battery belt, which made the Centurion suits notoriously uncomfortable for the actors. [1]

The reason why I want a original circuit because I can get my hands on an original helmet, and I would like an original circuit to go with it (the original circuit and bulbs are long gone.

Thanks in advance for any help

 

The 555 and 4017 were both available in the early 70s.

 

The only thing I do know for certain is that they did not use the 555/4017 combination for their circuits

 

If it were my project, I'd use a string of WS2812 or 2813 addressible LEDs and a small CPU. Simulating the sequence, color, and soft on/off incandescent effect is trivial in firmware.

 

The only thing I do know for certain is that they did not use the 555/4017 combination for their circuits

What bulbs will you be using?

 

What bulbs will you be using?

I will find bulbs that match a circuit. As small as possible

 

Will need to know the voltage and current.

 

If it were my project, I'd use a string of WS2812 or 2813 addressible LEDs and a small CPU. Simulating the sequence, color, and soft on/off incandescent effect is trivial in firmware.

Thank you for the response that you have given. I may well have to go this route, but I would really like a circuit that is as close to the original as possible

 

Will need to know the voltage and current.

Voltage and current will be specific to the circuit designed. I can build a power supply to match the circuits power requirements

 

I am not familiar with the " Cylon eye ", but from the limited description it seems that it may have been driven by a "shift register" built from discrete components, or possibly very early IC devices. I did find a circuit in an older "Guidebook of Electronic Circuits". Originally published in "Popular Electronics", Feb 1968 issue: a low-cost counting unit.
The circuit uses RTL logic ICs, MC751P and MC790P and MPS2923 transistors. That version required 6 VDC and 3.6 VDC.
There are a lot of "ring counter" circuits that could also be utilized, and ring counters were more frequently used in the time preceding that movie.

 

Voltage and current will be specific to the circuit designed. I can build a power supply to match the circuits power requirements

These might be ideal.
Bulbs

 

I am not familiar with the " Cylon eye ", but from the limited description it seems that it may have been driven by a "shift register" built from discrete components, or possibly very early IC devices. I did find a circuit in an older "Guidebook of Electronic Circuits". Originally published in "Popular Electronics", Feb 1968 issue: a low-cost counting unit.
The circuit uses RTL logic ICs, MC751P and MC790P and MPS2923 transistors. That version required 6 VDC and 3.6 VDC.
There are a lot of "ring counter" circuits that could also be utilized, and ring counters were more frequently used in the time preceding that movie.

https://deramp.com/swtpc.com/PopularElectronics/Feb1968/PE_Feb1968.htm
If it helps anyone, here is a shortcut

 

You need to carefully study the lamp's speed during a sweep - if (analog) sine-wave is used, speed is highest in the middle, slowest at the ends. Triangle wave is constant speed in the middle and ends, like a digital counter (4017) it is linear increments the clock steps. I'll have to watch some old episodes to see if I notice.
The "Larson Scanner" props got recycled so it could have reappeared in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (Twiki) 1979, Kitt etc. in a different place.
A helmet would need batteries, I wonder how they powered it.
The LM3914 announced 1979, TL490C/TL491C but they failed to catch on.

 

You need to carefully study the lamp's speed during a sweep - if (analog) sine-wave is used, speed is highest in the middle, slowest at the ends. Triangle wave is constant speed in the middle and ends, like a digital counter (4017) it is linear increments the clock steps. I'll have to watch some old episodes to see if I notice.
The "Larson Scanner" props got recycled so it could have reappeared in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (Twiki) 1979, Kitt etc. in a different place.
A helmet would need batteries, I wonder how they powered it.
The LM3914 announced 1979, TL490C/TL491C but they failed to catch on.

 

Hello,

Search this site for a night rider circuit.
That looks simelar to what you want.
Here is an example:
https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/night-rider-effect-with-15-segments.26443/

Bertus

 

way too many parts. no point in recreating it today using old tech

 

Hello,

Search this site for a night rider circuit.
That looks simelar to what you want.
Here is an example:
https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/night-rider-effect-with-15-segments.26443/

Bertus

So you think that this would be relatively close to the original circuit?
should I use 2n2222 transistors to drive the Incandescent bulbs?
Should I use a different supply to drive the incandescent bulbs??

 

way too many parts. no point in recreating it today using old tech

Yah yah yah...I know that I can make this easily, but I have a helmet from the original show, i would like it to be as close as possible to it

 

So you think that this would be relatively close to the original circuit?
should I use 2n2222 transistors to drive the Incandescent bulbs?
Should I use a different supply to drive the incandescent bulbs??

Oh,and thank you for your informative reply

 

Yah yah yah...I know that I can make this easily, but I have a helmet from the original show, i would like it to be as close as possible to it

i doubt it... original helmets should already have the circuitry built in.

So you think that this would be relatively close to the original circuit?
should I use 2n2222 transistors to drive the Incandescent bulbs?
Should I use a different supply to drive the incandescent bulbs??

where does the idea of incandescent light bulbs come from? the lights are clearly 5mm diffused red LEDs. so much for "authenticity"
lightbulbs take more space, power and would be too hot for wearer.