Illuminator 5.0: Light where it's needed

[Andreas Thaler]

I was thinking about how I can put light where I need it during camera and lens checks. And free a hand that has better things to do than hold a flashlight.

So I was looking for a convenient and powerful solution, especially for checking and cleaning the battery compartments of my Canon T90s and motor drives.

Because at the bottom of these dark and narrow shafts are the battery terminals that supply camera resp. motor drive with voltage. These contact are often dirty or oxidized. Then the device may not power on and a check and clean is due.

This requires light and two free hands.

The idea for the Illuminator was born to support these activities.


Characteristics of Illuminator 5.0

• Two glare-free matt white LEDs for illuminating battery compartments.
• Two super bright white LED controlled by timer for candling through lenses/illuminating aperture blades. Start via push button, running time approx. 30 seconds bright, automatic dimming or manual switch-off via second push button (only by optional operation with switching power supply).
• Light guidance via connection wires enables flexible positioning of the LEDs.
• Power control of the battery bay LEDs automatically depending on the ambient light or manually.
• Operation with 9 volt block battery or 9 volt switching power supply.
• Automatic switching from battery to mains operation when plugging in the switching power supply plug.
• Two control LEDs for displaying the currently active power supply.
• One control LED for indicating power on battery bay LEDs circuit.
• Stabilized input voltage enables uniform brightness with battery and mains operation.
• Battery voltage tested down to 7 volts.
• Analog circuit, assembly on circuit board without housing, basic version.
• Idea, concept, development and implementation by author

Disclaimer

All information is of course without guarantee. What worked in my case may not work in others. Or there are certainly more suitable procedures. Reproduction and operation at your own risk. Circuit design errors cannot be ruled out. Devices to be tested must be voltage-free, observe safety regulations when handling electronic devices. Avoid short circuits. Operation only under supervision, set main switch to OFF when not in use. Remove the battery/disconnect the switched-mode power supply if the vehicle is left standing for a longer period of time. Components can be overloaded when operating at higher ambient temperatures - risk of burns and fire. LED light can dazzle. No liability is assumed for the proper and safe function of the circuit and its application. Not a commercial/professional/certified and tested device/circuit, hobbyist project.

 

[koraks]

Rube Golderg

Wouldn't it have been a little simpler, quicker and more compact to have one or two white LEDs each with their own series resistor soldered directly to a cut-off USB cable? That's 5 components including the USB thing and some bits of wire. Plug it into any desktop computer or a USB wall charger. Yes, the LEDs will be on all the time the thing is plugged in, but who cares about the few milliwatts of power consumed? Just clip it onto whatever you're inspecting with some mini clamps, clothespins, a bit of tape etc.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Rube Golderg

Wouldn't it have been a little simpler, quicker and more compact to have one or two white LEDs each with their own series resistor soldered directly to a cut-off USB cable? That's 5 components including the USB thing and some bits of wire. Plug it into any desktop computer or a USB wall charger. Yes, the LEDs will be on all the time the thing is plugged in, but who cares about the few milliwatts of power consumed? Just clip it onto whatever you're inspecting with some mini clamps, clothespins, a bit of tape Sure do it and present your work here. You are welcome

Sure do it and present your work in this thread you are welcome.

I assume that Amazon offers a wealth of solutions - smaller, smarter, simpler.

The challenge to me was to realize it pure analog following my ideas.

And to have fun when realizing it up from the scratch

 

[koraks]

It sure is fun indeed!
The setup I proposed is also pure analog, if it helps

I've done a number of LED projects, often far more complicated than they technically needed to be, so I've been in your shoes - several times! It's easy to get carried away

 

[Andreas Thaler]

It sure is fun indeed!
The setup I proposed is also pure analog, if it helps

I've done a number of LED projects, often far more complicated than they technically needed to be, so I've been in your shoes - several times! It's easy to get carried away

As said you are welcome to present your work in this thread.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

I am always glad to get feedback and critique as long as it helps to improve things.

„Rube Goldberg“ and the message „I can do it better, smarter, simpler“ do not contribute in this way.

So this was the fourth and last presentation of a project of mine at Photrio.

 

[koraks]

I am always glad to get feedback and critique

Well, I think we'll have to take this with a grain of salt. I suggested a simpler alternative to approach the same goal. If you look at virtually all threads on a forum like this one, you'll see that's a common response. I'm sorry you took this the wrong way.

 

[koraks]

As said you are welcome to present your work in this thread.

Alright, the little gizmo that triggered my response is for a slightly different application, but has some commonalities and could easily be adapted to the same application as yours. It's a small switch that plugs into a USB port (computer, phone charger) and that turns on or off a load connected to the other micro-USB end. This micro-USB plug could be replaced with an LED and series resistor. The device itself also has a white LED on it as a status indicator, but it can be used for illumination in its own right.

This is the schematic:

I laid out a simple single-layer PCB for it:

Here's the assembled device:

It measures ca. 1x5cm or roughly 0.5"x2".

The microswitch in the center acts as a toggle switch: press it to turn the load on, press again for off, etc.

Here's the thing plugged into a wall charger:

Of course, the same functionality could be achieved with a simple mechanical toggle or slide switch. This implementation has the advantage of being very compact and it's nice to use. I mostly use it in combination with a LED panel/sketch pad that I use as a simple light box when enlarging negatives. It's convenient to have something that easily turns the panel on or off; it doesn't have its own switch and this is much more convenient than pulling and reinserting the plug all the time.

As said, the micro-USB plug at the bottom the final photo could be replaced by an LED at the end of a piece of cable to create a similar functionality as your device.

While I used SMD parts for compactness here, the same could be done with through-hole parts and still retain a compact form factor. Since I always end up having a lot of junk lying all over the place when I'm working, I prefer compact gizmos so I can stack even more junk in my workspace - yay!

So in a sense, this is the same Goldberg kind of thing as yours: it gets the job done, but there are even simpler ways to achieve the same. What gives! Such little projects are fun from time to time.

 

[albada]

Projects like this are fun.
I see what appears to be a CdS cell on your perf board. Does that automatically dim the LEDs based on ambient light?

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Well, I think we'll have to take this with a grain of salt. I suggested a simpler alternative to approach the same goal. If you look at virtually all threads on a forum like this one, you'll see that's a common response. I'm sorry you took this the wrong way.

OT

I have been participating in online discussions since the days of usenet in the 1990ies. Mostly photo and tec groups. There is no common response but degrees of behavior you like or dislike at least at my experience.

To respect the work of others, asking questions, giving balanced feedback is behavior I like

OT OVER

 

[Andreas Thaler]

The circuit diagram to Illuminator 5.0:

This is not intended to be a professional, commercial, cost-saving, efficient circuit, but one that makes it possible to study the behavior of analog electronic components and at the same time to fulfill the task at hand.

It was my own final exercise after completing a course on analogue electronics to see what I understood and could apply.

So you will not see it on Amazon

I am a PR specialist by training and worked for an international company for a long time.

Due to health reasons, I switched to private life and now deal exclusively with camera repairs, photography and electronics.

 

[koraks]

Thanks for posting the schematic Andreas, I was curious about that one.

I hope your health improves so that you can enjoy life to the fullest. When life gives you lemons, as they say - sounds like you found a pleasant diversion!

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Thanks for posting the schematic Andreas, I was curious about that one.

I hope your health improves so that you can enjoy life to the fullest. When life gives you lemons, as they say - sounds like you found a pleasant diversion!

Thanks

The transition from professional to private life was not easy as not foreseen but I could manage it. I am well again and have the freedom to do what I want.

This should not be the worst outcome

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Illuminator 5.0 works and is my daily companion in my workshop.

I like handmade things.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Anyway I confess that your solution needs less room on the table than mine

Apart from dissipation heat, which only pleases the electricity provider here in Vienna

 

[koraks]

I'm happy to hear that you're well again!

I like handmade things.

So do I. Your project is nice, really. I like how it's engineered; there are nice details to it, such as the protection of the switch and the electrolytic cap in the bottom right corner (the bit that manages the delay/fade out of the inspection light) so that neither the switch nor the cap suffer from a rapid discharge. The attention to such details is really pleasing.

Anyway I confess that your solution needs less room on the table than mine

But it doesn't exactly match your specific requirements, of course!

Have you considered making your own PCB's, or having them made? I started doing this when I had to transition to SMD components, and it turns out to be really satisfying, at least to me.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Thanks!

I did the circuit diagram with EveryCircuit

EveryCircuit: Animated interactive circuit simulator

Interactive real-time circuit simulation and animated visualization inspired students and engineers to design 2.6 million circuits online and in mobile app.

everycircuit.com

which unfortunately does not allow to export the diagram to let have a PCB printed.

As I switched to MultiSim this might be an option.

After completing a course in digital electronics I am focussing on the electronic in cameras (1980ies) to understand and repair.

Electronics is a vast field challenging one by every action taken. So one has to spezialise.

Anyway the beauty of ingenious solutions by Japanese engineers is wonderful:

Trigger unit of the Canon T90 with the famous rotary wheel that then became standard with EOS. The arrow points to the rotating contact plate with contact wipers. On the leftside the contacts for the trigger.

Position of the backup battery in the Canon T90 surrounded by parts of the flexible circuit.

Eldorado at it‘s best

Highly integrated electronics built 1986.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

I want to apologize for the overreaction earlier in this thread.

Today is not my nicest day

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Which simulation software do you use for your projects?

 

[bernard_L]

Thanks!
I did the circuit diagram with EveryCircuit

EveryCircuit: Animated interactive circuit simulator

Interactive real-time circuit simulation and animated visualization inspired students and engineers to design 2.6 million circuits online and in mobile app.

everycircuit.com

which unfortunately does not allow to export the diagram to let have a PCB printed.
As I switched to MultiSim this might be an option.

I use KiCad. There is a learning curve. But several times I understood that the the complexity is inherent to the systematic creation of schematic, component database, and PCB layout, and is not a result of some programmer's sick mind.

 

[koraks]

I want to apologize for the overreaction earlier in this thread.

Today is not my nicest day

Hey, no worries, it's all good. Monday mornings are often not the best ones

Which simulation software do you use for your projects?

I generally use LTSpice for simulation, but if I want to take it to a PCB, I (re)draw the schematic in DesignSpark PCB. It's free for personal use, but requires registration with RS Components. A true open source and free to use alternative is KiCad, which @bernard_L also mentiones. Functionality of both packages is roughly similar in my experience, and which suits you better is a matter of taste. They both have their quirks. The commercial alternative (but a costly one) is Altium Designer. I've no experience with it, but do know it's considered more or less the industry standard at this point and it seems to have taken over this spot from Orcad.

I don't know to what extent any of the PCB packages also allow for circuit simulation - only that Orcad has included SPICE functionality for many years and apparently still does. I've only used LTSpice for this, and while it's a bit old-fashioned in terms of its user interface that requires a bit of a learning curve, it's a really remarkably functional piece of software. It's distributed by AnalogDevices (since they took over Linear Technology) and as such, there's a lot of LTxxx parts included in the libraries it comes with, but additional models can often be found online and included in simulations.

Btw, I've followed your work and posts on the T90 with great interest. I very much enjoy using mine from time to time, and while it has always worked flawlessly, at some point it will probably suffer some kind of defect. Your excellent documentation will then prove to be a vital resource.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Btw, I've followed your work and posts on the T90 with great interest. I very much enjoy using mine from time to time, and while it has always worked flawlessly, at some point it will probably suffer some kind of defect. Your excellent documentation will then prove to be a vital resource.

Great to read!

The T90 is a masterpiece and still ahead of its time.