Circuitbenders Forum

Circuitbenders Forum => Circuitbending discussion => Toys => Topic started by: jamiewoody on January 22, 2010, 10:21:43 PM

Title: electronic etch-a-sketch
Post by: jamiewoody on January 22, 2010, 10:21:43 PM
i got one of these for $2 i finally got it apart (i had to crack it open like a nut! the screws were so non-standard...some weird concave phillips hybrid!)....

once inside, i discovered some cool bleeps and bloops....but the crash was pretty frequent. i discovered a place for a reboot switch, which was convenient. again, the annoying startup song each time...

so, has anybody had much luck with these?
Title: Re: electronic etch-a-sketch
Post by: jamiewoody on January 23, 2010, 05:03:20 PM
another thing i discovered, is some cool re-animation  with the lcd screen, when probing for bends!

i dont know if i can really do much with this. the annoying startup song is one. and, it crashes so frequent, it would be kind of a pain to use.
Title: Re: electronic etch-a-sketch
Post by: Dylan on January 23, 2010, 07:19:33 PM
I haven't bent one of these, but if something's crashing a lot because of the bends, try putting diodes on the switches or whatever you're using to control the bends.
Title: Re: electronic etch-a-sketch
Post by: jamiewoody on January 23, 2010, 09:02:40 PM
diodes in series? before of after the switch? if a potentiometer, diode with the neg, variable or positive pin?

what about an LED, since it is a diode, and i have an abundance of these? lol!
Title: Re: electronic etch-a-sketch
Post by: Dylan on January 24, 2010, 02:25:56 AM
Yes in series. And LED, I highly doubt it. But if you need to get rid of those LED's you can always send them to me ;).
Title: Re: electronic etch-a-sketch
Post by: jamiewoody on January 24, 2010, 03:34:03 AM
nah, i still use them for lights!  :o

i have, however been told that leds are good as diodes in other functions than lamps. as a matter of fact, if my memory serves me correctly, i noticed an led inside the sk1. a friend told me the marshall govener pedal is powered by leds!

also, in my "buzz box" synth, (formetly known as the tiger quiz wiz), i was able to increase the output by wiring an led to the potentiometers. this was strictly by probing that i found this. other places in the circuit, it seemed to suck gain, which i did not want.
Title: Re: electronic etch-a-sketch
Post by: Gordonjcp on January 24, 2010, 01:16:11 PM
It's probably worth taking a bit of a look at how diodes work, before using LEDs like that.  You want to search for the term "forward voltage".
Title: Re: electronic etch-a-sketch
Post by: jamiewoody on January 25, 2010, 09:30:07 PM
i'm searching forward voltage right now.

funny thing about "anti-theory", it helps to understand what you are rebelling against! ;-)
Title: Re: electronic etch-a-sketch
Post by: jamiewoody on January 25, 2010, 09:41:34 PM
i read that a 1N4148 is a general purpose diode for low voltage circuits. http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/diode.htm (http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/diode.htm)

question, in reading that diodes are polarized, is the end with the ring the positive end?

also, if i find a bend, and i want to wire a potentiometer, for instance, i assume the diode with be closer to the board, then the pot?

thanks for your patience with my annoying questions.
Title: Re: electronic etch-a-sketch
Post by: Bogus Noise on January 26, 2010, 09:36:09 PM
The end with the ring is the negative end! Check the bit headed 'Connecting and soldering' in the link you posted. :)

Doesn't really matter which component the diode is closest to.
Title: Re: electronic etch-a-sketch
Post by: jamiewoody on January 27, 2010, 08:56:13 PM
thanks.