Need Help on Building Airport Runway...

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asantos3412

Joined Feb 26, 2010
49
As I remember the behaviour of the pylons when I viewed them from my hotel window just across the highway, these pylons slowly shift their color through a palette of several different hues. They sequence around the circle in a seemingly unlimited variety of patterns. The effect at night is visually striking.

Are you looking to reproduce the color changes as well?

hgmjr

well da professor didnt really specify if they needed to change color...
just look like them...and since he knows we were only supplied a limited amount he just said to make it work and do what you want it to...and the easiest thing i thought of was to make them light up and turn off at the same time...but if there is a cool and simpler way to make the color change i am willing to give it a try...

any help on this would really be appreciated...

thanks
 

Thread Starter

asantos3412

Joined Feb 26, 2010
49
have a question for all of you guys...

i am currently attending ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE...

this is where i am currently learning all of this...lol

and omg is there a lot to learn..i do like the fact that we have lots of hands on and lots of projects..and thats what i love doing..using my hands and building stuff practically..

dont get me wrong i love that school..but idk if it was actually all worth it...

i know this has nothing to do with my project...lol

but any suggestions would be great...lol

does anyone have experiences on what they studied that they felt they could have done better somewhere else..

im just curious...

i mean...i do work hard in class..try to learn as much as possible..

i actually do think im one of the few in my class that sort of gets things and knows how to build a circuit...and yet i still feel like im having lots of trouble...i really feel like i suck at putting things together..i try to understand and build schematics..but it seems like impossible...i just really understand how to build them...and kinda troubleshoot them...

but yea...idk if im wasting my time there..

i know im a noob and still getting the things cleared up since it is my first year..and hoping become a technician..but not sure if it was all worth it..
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
A simple option is 3 faders, something like this...


......................A Single Fader

You can switch the polarity of the transistors to accommodate RGB diodes that have a different orientation. The transistors must be two discrete transistors, a single package Darlington has an unwanted resistor in the package.

I've shown a 555, but this can be done with several other chips, such as a 40109 (hex schmitt trigger). The idea is to create a slow pulse rate, each at it's own frequency, that when combined with the other two LED colors create a unique color.
 
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SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
I don't think Frys carries RGB LEDs; I could not find them on their website.

RGB LEDs have a common cathode or common anode lead, and then one each for red, green and blue, for a total of four leads (terminal wires). They are usually clear in color.

However, you could get a similar effect using individual red, green, and blue LEDs.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
What part of the country are you in asantos3412?

We have several Fry's in the Dallas area, their website does not match the stores. It is always worth a look see.

If you are in the Dallas area I can recommend much better outlets.

This why the old hands put their location as part of the profile and have it displayed on our threads.

***********************

Matter of fact, I'm heading there now, the Dallas location.

This particular circuit is pretty fun to breadboard. The transistor will get a little warm, this is normal.
 
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SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
Audioguru,
While it is possible to abuse 4000-series CMOS (and 74Hxx series as well) by pushing them to their maximum limits, I just don't feel that it's a good idea to do so.

The ULN2x04 drivers I'd mentioned previously are definitely overkill for this project, but I feel that the high level of integration and additional functionality provided (press to test LEDs) justifies the small additional expense. The parts I've suggested are all applied well within typical specifications, so if it's properly assembled, it should work just fine.

We've had problems in the past with another member (Oxbo_Rene) trying to use a 4017 to light up LEDs in sequence like this member is; the outputs of the 4017 were also driving NAND gates to keep the previous LEDs on. It took a good bit of extra work and fiddling around to get the 4017 circuit operating properly.

The 4015 circuit I posted will be much easier to get running quickly.
 

Thread Starter

asantos3412

Joined Feb 26, 2010
49
This particular circuit is pretty fun to breadboard. The transistor will get a little warm, this is normal.
which circuit are you talkin about the small one that you sent me..the one for the pylons???

it does seem easy and fun..but im just going out to frys and hoping i can find most of the parts...

but thanks for your help...

ill post up a pic of how it turns out or it i got any concerns....
 

Thread Starter

asantos3412

Joined Feb 26, 2010
49
hey you guys..im in a load of trouble now...

i just got back from fryes and they didnt have neither of the components...
they didnt have a 4015 or the 2oo4 driver...

would there be any other solution with the chips that i already have...

i will send u the specifications of the chips that i already have..
or would anyone know of a website that i may buy the chips from..

i really need help right now...need any kind of solution...
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
OK, so what do you have on hand, or can lay your hands on? Just enter a list of part numbers that you have in the first post. Then post again what you can get ahold of pretty quickly. If you have to have this thing by Tuesday, you don't have time to order anything.
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
Darn, I'll bet they had them in NTE part numbers. Didn't even think of that beforehand.

Of course, you'd pay about 3 to 10 times as much for the NTE parts as you would the original parts. :rolleyes:
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
When I order parts from Digikey or Newark (in a different country to mine) before 8:00PM then they are delivered to me the next morning.
They have everything.
 

Thread Starter

asantos3412

Joined Feb 26, 2010
49
the are the only ic chips that i have...
DAC0806LC/08/1408
GAL16V8
2112/2114
4069
4071
4081
7400
7402
7404
7408/74LS08
7410
7432
7442A
7447A/74LS47
7474
7476/74LS76
7483
7485
7486
7490
7493A
74121
74125
74LS138
74LS139A
74151A
74LS153
74189
74191
74195

LM131
LM318
LM3900

and i have Red LEDS, Yellow LEDS, and Green LEDS,
of course a 555 and thats about it as far as i can see...

would any of these work...let me know please
 

Thread Starter

asantos3412

Joined Feb 26, 2010
49
omg i think you probably just saved my life..lol

that address is just a block away or so from my school...lol

my school is on vermont and before del amo...how much of a miracle can that be...

imma try to stop by tomorrow to check it out..hopefully they have some things there or the things that i may need
 

Thread Starter

asantos3412

Joined Feb 26, 2010
49
Darn, I'll bet they had them in NTE part numbers. Didn't even think of that beforehand.

Of course, you'd pay about 3 to 10 times as much for the NTE parts as you would the original parts. :rolleyes:
yea they were all in NTE parts...and they had a book were i could convert the parts i needed to NTE parts..but they didnt even have those either..they didnt even have clear white LED lights...it was a small aisle for components..hard to find things and not much of a selection...:(

i spend 1 hour there searching and searching...but couldnt find anything...hopefully i have better luck tomorrow at Torrance...
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Fry's can be fustrating. They have a decent stock of resistors, but can't be convinced to sort them in any kind of order. They have the same problem as Radio Shack, only worse. You barely get literacy with minimum wage, let alone common sense.
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
A 74195 is a 4-bit parallel access shift register. If you had two of those, they would substitute for the 4015. Look up the datasheet for it so you can figure out how to wire it up.

You could use discrete resistors and transistors to drive the LEDs.

You will have to use a 5v supply for the 74195. The tolerance for Vcc is 4.5v to 5.5v.
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
Fry's can be fustrating. They have a decent stock of resistors, but can't be convinced to sort them in any kind of order. They have the same problem as Radio Shack, only worse. You barely get literacy with minimum wage, let alone common sense.
They had a really big Fry's Electronics store in Manhattan Beach, CA when I was there some 15 years ago. They had lots of components at that time. Plenty of engineers from Hughes Aircraft, TRW, Rockwell, and a number of other local manufacturers would head over there to pick up stuff. But, good electronics stores are pretty much a thing of the past nowadays.

There used to be a really good electronics store in Torrance, CA called Cash Electronics. Those guys had everything. Unfortunately, they moved to a larger store (used to be a grocery store) and I think the higher overhead costs along with the change in location did them in.
 
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