USB Controlled Relay Board or general output

[2k1Toaster]

What about making a doughterboard-design?

You have one pcb with 1-2 rows of pins providing enough current for your average relay, and different doughterboards with different combinations of relays on them. You could make the board plug directly into the main pcb...

Joachim

I actually had thought about doing that. I looked into the price of connectors and everthing and it seems feasable. I am a fan of modular designs, and I was thinking I could have "the brain" on 1 PCB with all the connectors. Then the children boards would just connect to it.

I believe it would add greater functionality because you could have 4 relays in the trunk, and 4 in the dash, and 4 on the roof for who knows why.

I was actually leaning that way, and I am glad I have some support behind it!

[2k1Toaster]

Hey, 2K1, that chip looks great!
I like to know the PC program side: is it so easy just writing a byte to the virtual port, and your data bits are appearing on the pins of the chip (after a 'data received' flag, of course)?
Do I need any other driver or so, that I have to embed in my program?
In other words: may I use the 'OUT port, data' formula?

I am not a buyer-to-be (I have my own solution with PIC and parallel port) just interesting...like reducing the number of lines...
I have programming (MASM32) and electronics experience, but I do not know anything about that USB...but I am horrified reading those papers, standards and drivers about USB...

TIA

If you use the free drivers (open source and all) from FTDI (this is what Mitch's Sirius Connect Board does) then it is programmed as if it were just another com port. I am leaning towards parallel port emulation because it would greatly simplify the logic hardware side. The software side would need to be beefier, but I prefer to make all the complicated stuff done software side. hardware is hard to change when you find a boo-boo. Software updates are nice!

So once in, this chip will not need any USB specific drivers. You will not need to find the unit ID and map it to configure the device and send every signal like with a standard USB bus chip. This chip is awesome, and hence the price. Of course the price goes down when you buy over 100 of them... You want any?

[2k1Toaster]

It is already but the amp I have is a little on the old side (17+ years old) but it's still one of the good ones (A/D/S PH15). No matter how I switch it on I have a slight speaker turn on noise, only on the right side. It's not a pop, just a small turn on noise and the only way I can elimiate it is by switching the speakers on after everything else is powered on including the amp. I compete in SQ comps and I get docked points every time for turn on noise. I used to have 6 relays plus a few extra for the momentary to latched ouput wired up in my last car, but It was a mess. I want something cleaner looking. Something I haven't tried yet is a delayed remote turn-on ramp up circuit. If I could find something like that it might work too.

So what I need is either:
-Delayed turn-on ramp up/down circuit
-6 channel turn-on device that turns on after my amp is on, but turns off before my amp turns off

I really should upgrade my amp but to get something of the quality I am looking for it's going to cost me close to $1000+. So if this costs me $30, and I don't get docked points at my comps then I'm a happy man.

If you use the relays on the sound lines themselves, wont that produce noise as well when the contact is energized? A small pop?

Not completely understanding your need, but this won't be of the quality of a $1000+ machine! I can pretend though.

Although for the price, it couldn't hurt to try.

[greenman100]

It is already but the amp I have is a little on the old side (17+ years old) but it's still one of the good ones (A/D/S PH15). No matter how I switch it on I have a slight speaker turn on noise, only on the right side. It's not a pop, just a small turn on noise and the only way I can elimiate it is by switching the speakers on after everything else is powered on including the amp. I compete in SQ comps and I get docked points every time for turn on noise. I used to have 6 relays plus a few extra for the momentary to latched ouput wired up in my last car, but It was a mess. I want something cleaner looking. Something I haven't tried yet is a delayed remote turn-on ramp up circuit. If I could find something like that it might work too.

So what I need is either:
-Delayed turn-on ramp up/down circuit
-6 channel turn-on device that turns on after my amp is on, but turns off before my amp turns off

I really should upgrade my amp but to get something of the quality I am looking for it's going to cost me close to $1000+. So if this costs me $30, and I don't get docked points at my comps then I'm a happy man.

Why not just use 3 4PDT relays wired in parallel with a capacitor for delay?

PM me if you need help

[durwood]

Why not just use 3 4PDT relays wired in parallel with a capacitor for delay?

PM me if you need help

I need something that gives me enough delay for the computer to turn on. Then I need it to shut off before the computer turns off. My amps remote turn ons are controlled by a relay connected to the 12V output of my M1-atx.

[durwood]

If you use the relays on the sound lines themselves, wont that produce noise as well when the contact is energized? A small pop?

Not completely understanding your need, but this won't be of the quality of a $1000+ machine! I can pretend though.

Although for the price, it couldn't hurt to try.

hehehe. Well I was using standard bosch type automotive realys to switch them off before the amps before with no noise, so I don't see it being a problem.

Now I am trying to remember if I had them energized before the amps came on or not. I think the way it worked was they were one before the amps came on, but they turned off before the amps turned off. If you don't think your contraption can do this let me know. I really do need to find a solution to this.

[greenman100]

If you use the relays on the sound lines themselves, wont that produce noise as well when the contact is energized? A small pop?

Not completely understanding your need, but this won't be of the quality of a $1000+ machine! I can pretend though.

Although for the price, it couldn't hurt to try.

There shouldn't be a pop at all. Go unplug your home speakers from your home stereo, then reconnect them with the receiver on...is there a pop? (there shouldn't be)

[durwood]

There shouldn't be a pop at all. Go unplug your home speakers from your home stereo, then reconnect them with the receiver on...is there a pop? (there shouldn't be)

Careful not to short anything while doing it

[JC-S60]

Careful not to short anything while doing it

And be careful not to do it while playing audio at high volumes! Some amps burn the end stage if run without a load

[StealthRT]

Let me go ahead and put in my 2cents...

I've used to use an 8-Channel PC Controlled Relay Board to control my amps/neon’s/fog lights/subs/blah blah.... The BIG problem with using the relay board is that it used the Parallel port and as well all know (right?) that when you turn your PC on, it turns on the Parallel port for a sec or two at post so everything you had hooked up comes on when the computer starts up

Also, once it logs into windows it stays on until you turn it off.

Here’s the relay port: http://www.electronic-kits-and-projects.com/3074.htm

If you go there and read up on it you can see that I was using 250Vac/5Amps relays to switch all my stuff. 5amps... Granted once I pulled the board out about a year later it kinda melted some things but it still worked!

So what’s the point of my post you may ask? Just clarifying that 30 amps would work just fine for anything in the car that you may want to hook up now and in the future. And yes, those relays are 12v.

Now I’m not sure if I missed it in the post or not but did anyone say they could program his usb relay using Visual Basic?

Oh and BTW, i'd say just put all 30amp relays on it. They should be compatible with lower volts as well without having to seperate high and low on the board. It would just be nicer that way.

David