Wireless Intellifeed

[davej946]

Alright guys...
My latest project involves intellifeeding my iFrame and Revvy, without wires. However, I need some help, as I am no expert in electronics. Here is my thought, in a two part plan (Gun and Revvy)

Items Acquired:
The important parts are listed below, I'm sure this would require additional electronic components, but again, I am no electronics genius.

1x (each) Radioshack UHF Transmitter/Receiver
1x Roller Switch

1x CR2032 BAttery and PCB Mount

Associated Mounting screws etc...


Part 1 - The Transmitter (Grip Frame)
1. Mount the roller switch in the iFrame, as usual.
2. Wire up the rollerswitch between the CR2032 battery and the transmitter. (In the research I've done thus far, the transitter only broadcasts when a signal is present. The idea is to have the battery power be our "signal" causing the transmitter to send a message when the switch is closed)

Part 2 - The Receiver (Revvy)
1. Wire the receiver into the Revvy in such a way that when it receives a signal from the transmitter, it signals the Revvy to spin by applying a current to the circuit board. (Similar to the traditional Intellifeed system)

My idea is based entirely on theory, as I have no experience with electronics in this fashion. The transmitter is designed to run on a wide range of voltages, I chose the CR2032 for two reasons, the first of which being it's commonality, the second being it's relatively low voltage. Thus if a 3-man team all has wireless iFeed, when Player A fires his marker, he doesn't cause Player B's revvy to spin acroos the field

If anyone would be interested in helping with this project, I will provide some links I have found onthe net concerning the UHF Tx/Rx that Radi0shack sells.

Links:
Wireless Communication (Using this RX/TX pair)

RF Transmitter/Receiver
Wireless RF Link
433mhz Receiver Module

For more Info do a search at Google for "RX433" and "TX433" (Receiver and Transmitter respectively)

Accoring to various online sources that response time between the Tx and the Rx is short enough to make this a viable iFeed option.

I will be working on this extensively next week (Spring Break) so any help would be GREATLY appreciated. I'm just trying to give back to the loyal AO'ers that have been so helpful to me!

[EDIT] If this belongs in Tech, sorry. I thought it a wonderful Deep Blue topic. [/EDIT]

Later ~

[Thordic]

I'm not sure how it would work in a revvy, but I think you have a great idea here for a warp feed intellifeed. I may just have to give this a try for my warp

If this becomes a common thing, are people going to rig a transmitter up to a lantern battery and make everyone on the fields revvys go crazy all at once?

[sniper1rfa]

you could solve that problem super easy, just use different frequency crystals.

[Redkey]

seems like alot of work to me

For about 10 dollars worth of parts I put together a little circuit with a microphone. Everytime the gun goes pop the circuit kicks out 5v to the proper transistor on the loader control board.

The duration of the signal is controlled by resistors as is the sensitivity of the microphone.

I know little, if anything, about electronics... I just bought a voice activated circuit and assmebled it. It's small, about the size of a match book.

Only time it acts funny is if there is a guy right next to you firing.

I'm still working on the best way to put it *inside* the loader. The nice thing about it is that it is stand alone and can be moved from gun to gun.

I'm sure someone has done this before...

[DJSOLID]

Just a thought: how about using infared like a TV remote? This WOULD be a cool thing, radio waves or infared, whatever. I'll definently follow this thread - if you guys figure anything out - put up the info.

[davej946]

how about using infared like a TV remote

Good thought, but a little tougher to impliment. There is a relative line-of-sight issue with IR. If the IR transmitter on the gun got misaligned with the receiver on the loader (ie the Revvy rotates slightly, as they are known to do) then that whole thing is rendered useless.

Keep the ideas/comments coming...

[AGD]

I am interested in this thread, please do updates on your progress. Does the receiver have digital outputs?

AGD

[DJSOLID]

Most recievers that would be aimed at radio control hobbyists do not have digital outs. They are a nominal switching voltage out, i.e. to control servos and rheostats for speed control and the like. There would have to be an AD/DA (analog to digital/digital to analog) converter to make a digital signal, since the radio wave in and of itself is basically analog. All infared sensors and senders and their respective controlling chipsets are digital. I'm not sure if that's a setback or a boon, but they would certainly be lighter and smaller than radio gear. There would be line of sight problems to deal with, yes, but the problems would not be alot more difficult to overcome than the problems associated with radio transmission such as small motor interference and overlapping carrier frequencies between players.

[DiRTyBuNNy]

well..i don't want to get a little over everyone's head...but what about bluetooth...they can make bluetooth transmitters really really tiny..i don't think anyone here is a bluetooth engineer..but if anybody knows one we can really get this suckers started...

[Tufiremn]

I have been toying with this idea for a while too. I know RadioShack has small IR LEDs, and small IR recievers. I'll try to get by there on Monday and see what I can did up. should be able to do the whole thing for less than $20.

Something else to think of is to replace the roller switch with a hall effect sensor. Tom, there's an idea for a 2nd gen. intelliframe. Since you already have the parts, and I bet the CAD/CNC program for the emag frame could be tweaked just enough to make this doable.

[Vegeta]

NOOOOOO! I HAD IT ALL TYPED OUT! THEN I HIT HTE BACK BUTTON< THEN I HIT HTE FORWARD AND IT REFRESHED! man that was 15 minutes of work. anyways.. you dont need a 433mhz crytal to transmit 5 inches. i will draw a diagram using hte parts listed below to hsow you how to make all of htis for under 20$. tom, pay attention (lol)

-Old RC car from raioshack, the kind that has no steering servos, that steers to the right when you reverse (10$)
-Roller switch
-9v batter connectors
-relay (5v+/- will do)

ok i am really ticked off that i lost all that text so i will shorten my explanation. ask me to clarify if you dont understand.
Cut wires from the 'gas pedal' from the transmitter. take out board and attack old wires from switch to the roller swith on frame. run thsoe wires out your intelli onto your tank. place board under your neopreeme cover or soemting. attach the 9V to the board.

Now crack open the car. take out board and motor. if its the cheap kind liek i told u to get, it has no steerign server, so no need to worry about cuttign those wires. cut the wires off at the motor. connect these wires to your relay switch, and connect some small wires from the other side of relay to the correct spots on the revvy board. cennect hte receiver board to a battery. mount it all on your revvy, either by duct tape or buy usign a "Project Box" from radio shack.


Now i assume, you could try to fit the transmiter board IN the intelli and that would work too. depends on dimensions of it. The battery and board both wont fit in the grip though.

I applogize for the crappy pic. im poed about my text dissapearing. that mgiht give you a bit of reference.

[Vegeta]

OPh and thsoe old RC cars run off of two frequencies mainly. soem are 27 mhz and some 49. very common. If your paintball park is next to a R/C racetrack, i wouldn't use this beacue it would make paint salad out of your hopper full. lol.

The 27mhz and the 49mhz, with hte stock antenna.. get about 30 yards of good range on a full battery. and wiht it being 5 inches you would haev zero problems. i dont think it would matter, but an on/off switch coming off onw of hte battery leads on both batteries would make sure no amperage is being drawn when not in use. that probably wouldn't happen but extra switches make it look cooler lol.

[Kaiser Bob]

Just a side note, but can someone break out the NPPL rule book? Does it say ALL radio transmitting devices are illegal or radio devices used for the intent of communication?

[davej946]

Vegeta:
I am going for a self-contained style Wireless iFeed, trying to keep it within the iFrame, great idea though. Might have to retreat back to that kind of simplicity if I can't get it all to work out...

Bob:
To be honest, I'm not real worried about the NPPL. I have no Tourney experience (although I wouldn't mind getting some ) so the whole NPPL isn't a factor for me.

Everyone:
If there is anyone out there with electronics knowledge, I am having trouble getting this setup to work, as I'm not sure what pins to use, and which ones to ignore. (Multiple Vcc and GND's, as well as digital vs linear outputs on the receiver).

Thanks,

[meanelvis]

i know this is looking way into the future, but production models of this feature should have a randomized channels as in cordless phones. this way opposing teams cant use "ECM" and make "paint salad in your hopper full" (nice quote Vegeta )