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Pyrotech Hardware Below, you find a compressed view on the electronic diagram of the Pyrotech hardware interface. At the left hand of the diagram you can see the data interface that receives the information from the computer and stores it into its own small memory cells (data latches). The data format is very simple since there only need to be 24 bit lines controlled. 2 bit of the data byte to send to this interface are meant to encode the bit group 1...4. The other 6 bits of the data byte are the actual bit settings that must be send to a certain group to control the devices.
The timing diagram shows the exact timing of the data interface. In particular the power up and power down points are very important in the design because any unwanted output signal during powering on or off might produce fire accidents. When the computer or the interface fails due to whatever reason during a show it must be turned off immediately, it also need to start up as fast as possible and directly continue with operation without any start initializing from the software that might be still running. You would think that this is reason enough to use a micro controller with extra intelligence but, then particular hardware problems show up which cannot be solved so easily without long test periods. At the top in the middle of the diagram, you can find the relay output drivers (only drawn for a single channel). Also shown is the receiver of this output driver (the relay that actually set the thing to fire). Between the output driver and the receiving driver can be some hundreds of meter cable. The problem of voltage loss over such a long cable is simply solved by using a 13v8 supply in combination with 12 Volt relays. In practice this always has worked perfectly. |
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. . . wiring setup The second illustration shows the wiring setup from the interface to the multiwire cable. This multicable is 100 meters long and overbridges the location from the operator (where the controlling machineries are) to the location where the flame throwers are. The multicable is fed into a splitbox from which individual cables are going to each flame Thrower. 
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View Pyrotech Software Main Menu screen. |
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This page and all contents: (C)1996 by Marc Marc Amsterdam |