Building A Professional Grade Shutter Tester

[ic-racer]

I got the Nano flashed with the software and started making the PC boards. Preliminary test shows all is OK.

 

[ic-racer]

Assembling the light unit:

 

[ic-racer]

It works!! Now to get it in the enclosure.

 

[snusmumriken]

It works!! Now to get it in the enclosure.

View attachment 336429 View attachment 336431 View attachment 336430

Excellent, congrats!

What was the issue in flashing the Nano using a Mac? I’m bound to encounter this at some point.

 

[ic-racer]

Excellent, congrats!

What was the issue in flashing the Nano using a Mac? I’m bound to encounter this at some point.

Over on the Github Wiki, the owner of the project (who is helpful) shows these commands, neither of which worked with my computer configuration:

 

[ic-racer]

These are the commands that actually worked, that I figured out by trial and error. I documented the whole flashing process here (https://github.com/srozum/film_camera_tester/discussions/23#discussioncomment-5691120 ) in case I ever need to do it again.

 

[snusmumriken]

These are the commands that actually worked, that I figured out by trial and error. I documented the whole flashing process here (https://github.com/srozum/film_camera_tester/discussions/23#discussioncomment-5691120 ) in case I ever need to do it again.

View attachment 336454

I’ve skimmed through your documentation on GitHub. Phew, what a palaver for the Mac! Your persistence paid off though, you must be feeling good.

 

[ic-racer]

Light unit complete and test-fitting in the enclosure:

 

[ic-racer]

I mounted the Mean Well 12v 3A power supply on the back panel:

 

[ic-racer]

I wasn't sure how well screws would hold in the resin so I tapped them for M2.5 machine screws. They held well, none stripped during construction:

 

[ic-racer]

 

[Xylo]

I’ve skimmed through your documentation on GitHub. Phew, what a palaver for the Mac! Your persistence paid off though, you must be feeling good.

Geez, what a workaround!
I probably would have ended-up either installing some version of Windows on a VirtualBox machine or trying to flash it using some WINE variant...

 

[Tangara]

Looks like it is coming along nicely! Have you built the FP shutter probe yet?

I can't tell from you pictures, but I'm not seeing any provision for forced air cooling. With that light source and power supply inside the enclosure, you might want a small muffin fan blowing some air around, particularly if you're going to leave the light source turned on for any length of time. Since the bottom plate has no vent holes, I assume the top is the same. It looks like there are a few vents on the side panels. A small fan running off the 12V or 24V would increase reliability long-term, and it might make the light source more stable and accurate, as well.

Good work!

 

[ic-racer]

Geez, what a workaround!
I probably would have ended-up either installing some version of Windows on a VirtualBox machine or trying to flash it using some WINE variant...

Actually, now I have those long strings for the avrdude parameters, re-flashing the Nano was easy. I needed to re-flash because my photodiodes are the original style, not the reversed output ones.
I just plugged my programmer into the six prong header on the nano which was already installed in the box; didn't have to disassemble anything.

 

[ic-racer]

I made Sensor #2 so far. I connected it to a JST connector for now, as I don't have the front panel connectors yet.

 

[ic-racer]

Looks like it is coming along nicely! Have you built the FP shutter probe yet?

I can't tell from you pictures, but I'm not seeing any provision for forced air cooling. With that light source and power supply inside the enclosure, you might want a small muffin fan blowing some air around, particularly if you're going to leave the light source turned on for any length of time. Since the bottom plate has no vent holes, I assume the top is the same. It looks like there are a few vents on the side panels. A small fan running off the 12V or 24V would increase reliability long-term, and it might make the light source more stable and accurate, as well.

Good work!

There is a fan circled in the picture.

 

[ic-racer]

I assembled the photodoide sensor "Sensor 2" but it would not respond to light appropriately. I took it apart and found the photodiode needs to be shifted slightly based on the printout on the PCB board to align the lens on the photodiode to the hole one makes in the assembly. The PCB printing assumed the lens of the photodiode was in the center, but it is not, it is off-center.

 

[rcksdty]

thank you for all the documentation on the build. Ive stopped doing mine right now since my Kyoristsu is still working (I wanted to compare before it dies). The programming of the Arduino has done my head in a bit. Im not a software guy and the way these have to be programmed is bit ... well I'm not going to say it!.
So far managed to destry at least 2 nano's and I've just built the ISP programmer (twice now, since I could not get it to work using a uno as a IS programmer). Using another nano as ISP and it seems to work to put other hex files on it, but I cannot get the shutter tester hex files on it without erroring out.... I think I need to find time, but for now I have paused it!

 

[ic-racer]

What computer are you using?

 

[Tangara]

There is a fan circled in the picture.

I did say "blowing some air around", but what I should have said was removing warm air from the cabinet. I don't know what the current draw from the LED lightsource is, but if it's more than a few watts, you will eventually have some heat building up within the enclosure, since convection won't do much with vents only along the centerline of the side panels.

LED's, unlike incandescent lights, do not emit much in the infrared spectrum, so almost all of the power dissipation is as heat. That's why the light source has it's own fan, but I'd still consider a small fan to push air in or out of the cabinet.

I don't mean to belabor the issue- I think you're doing a great job on the build-- much nicer than my version!

 

[ic-racer]

I did say "blowing some air around", but what I should have said was removing warm air from the cabinet. I don't know what the current draw from the LED lightsource is, but if it's more than a few watts, you will eventually have some heat building up within the enclosure, since convection won't do much with vents only along the centerline of the side panels.

LED's, unlike incandescent lights, do not emit much in the infrared spectrum, so almost all of the power dissipation is as heat. That's why the light source has it's own fan, but I'd still consider a small fan to push air in or out of the cabinet.

I don't mean to belabor the issue- I think you're doing a great job on the build-- much nicer than my version!

Those are good points. The enclosure does have cooling holes on the sides. The lamp only goes to EV17 which is quite a bit dimmer than maximum intensity. So, the LED does not get very hot.

 

[rcksdty]

What computer are you using?

I was using a PC but decided to take a look at your post and checnged to my Mac. It worked!! I had built a programmer from a Arduino UNO, but decided to change to a Nano as the ISP programmer and it worked. I have some Nano boards her that I cannot seem to program due to the the main IC being a 328PB and not a 328P (not really sure what to do with those). Ill probably just go and buy some other nanos and make sure they are 328P units.

 

[ic-racer]

I can also report the Nano ISP programmer I made (Post #50 above) works on a Nano that is soldered to the Shield. I had to re-flash Nano from Firmware 2.9.1 to 2.9.0 and it worked fine. The buzzer makes a lot of noise but the flash progresses without issue.

I'm going to leave that Nano ISP programmer in a little box in the main enclosure so I can easily update the firmware if ever needed.

My first sensor was built with some CAT5 wire and a JST connector as I'm still waiting for better (more flexible) wire and the front panel connectors.

I'm not a fan of most cheap Chinese components, so I ordered some 'name brand' push-pull connectors from Mouser. I also ordered a real CREE XLamp® XHP70.2 from Mouser to see how that performs. There are so many fake CREE that I have no idea mine is the same as the fake one specified in the BOM.
BTW, a search for "XHP70.2" returns nothing in Mouser's search. You need to search for "XHP70B"

Same for the rotary encoder. I have had cheap Chinese electrical devices with wonky rotary encoders. I ordered a Burns rotary encoder from Mouser also to see if that is better quality for long-lasting use. I ordered Omicron tactile switches also.

So, after complaining for the need to order 5 of each PCB, I'm taking advantage of the multiples by testing higher quality components on the extra boards.

 

[ic-racer]

I also had my main power wiring a little backwards. To correct it, I put the screw connectors for 14G wire right on the Light Unit PCB as the light unit takes more current than the Nano Shiled board.
I think I'll leave my M3 threaded rods long on the ends like that. Because I need to grab the rod to tighten the nuts. Otherwise the rod turns and there would be no way to grab it if the ends were cut flush with the nuts.

 

[ic-racer]

My push-pull connectors came today: