Breadboard Prototype Box

This is a breadboard prototype box David constructed recently. Built out of an audio switching unit found at a yard sale, this experimentation platform will have three breadboards (one shown installed), a full array of voltage supply options from an external supply and a battery option off the strip in center (+/-3,5,12, etc), slider pots, switches, leds, current meeter, oscillator signal source, and more.

Pressure Chamber

Further progress with the pressure chamber now with the bottom ring/plate installed plus the cable/connector bulkhead section seen at the bottom of the assembly. I'm on a search now for sealed connectors for the interior wall and through hull cable seals for the outside surface of the cable bulkhead. This space will also support pressure and temperature sensors.

I'm working to adapt the original ROV frame to host this unit (12"x6" electronics + 3"x6" for the bulkhead). I'm also adding a more powerful down propulsion motor design (two motors pushing up on either side of the pressure chamber and one more powerful motor pulling down directly beneath the chamber).

Pressure Chamber Dome

The 6'' acrylic dome mounted on a flange fabricated from flat 1/4" PVC with a heavy gauge red rubber gasket. I have doubled the number of screws holes as early tests show small deformation of the acyclic between screws leading to possible leaks. I have replaced the philips head screws with stainless allen bolts (8-32) with nylon lock nuts.

Control Circuit

David put this circuit together yesterday. It models a surface controller and components on the ROV using two independent sets of 555 timers, surface and craft, linked via fiber cable. When one set is selected, the frequency of the surface timer is fed into a comparator on the ROV and matched with corresponding timer on the craft to produce a true signal. We are working the problem of synchronizing the surface and craft timers as phase drift could cause the comparator to change state. We'll also prototype an alternative design with a frequency-to-voltage IC.

iPod ear phone cord wrap with LED light

Originally designed to provide a convenient way to keep your iPod ear phone cord neat and untangled, this version has batteries, switch, and a bright blue LED built in.

LCD Meter

David built this LCD meter from the ground up using a 40 pin controller IC driving a LCD panel. It works quite well as a DC voltmeter.

BANG!

Too much Ozzie....we were running fine at full volume until we decided to measure the supply current and managed to short something out....BANG!....spares are becoming a more important purchase consideration...

Power Supply for Audio Amp

David built this new supply over the weekend to power an audio amp based on the STM TDA7293 IC. With a peak output of 100 watts it's amazing what $5.78 can buy....I bet there is some profit margin left in consumer audio products...The supply provides +/- 30vdc for the amp plus other outputs.

Tri-Color Surface Mount LED

Located in the center of the green adapter board is a tiny surface mount LED; a red, green and blue device. David successfully soldered this by hand. No doubt his eyes are better than mine and his hand much steadier!

Toroidal Transformer Power Supply

A new power supply David built with regulated 12 vdc and 5 vdc outputs.