Archive for the ‘Electronics’ category

DIY hub dynamo usb charger

June 10th, 2010

This is a step by step guide on creating your own USB compatible charger using your bicycle’s hub-dynamo as the power source.
It’s a work in progress and I will update this post along the way.
All images link to full resolution originals.

Requirements:

Tools:

  • Soldering iron + tin
  • (optional) Multimeter
  • (optional) Soldering clamp
  • (optional) wire stripper

Parts:

Note that these prices are ex FAT and I ordered them in larger volumes, ymmv.

components overview

Poor man’s (ms-paint) diagram

Step 1: saw a piece out of the veroboard, approximately 17 x 40 mm (the board below is too long, approx 65 in length)
Veroboard

Step 2: Solder the two tantalum bead capacitors on the voltage regulator. Be careful to not overheat the components, polarity is essential. Long leg is positive.
Place the 22uF Capacitor on the right,  the .47 uF on the left. Negative polarity combined in the middle.

Step 3: prepare capacitor C1 with the heat-shrink tubing, bend the pins (long leg = positive) as seen in the photo. Keep the legs as long as possible for flexible placement of this component inside the ABS case.
capacitor
Step 4: place the components on the veroboard:
Looking at the first picture below; the middle three parallel stripes on the board serve as the main electrical paths for the components. The stripe on the left corresponds with the positive side on the diagram.
- C1: the long leg (+) should be placed on the left of the three middle stripes. The short leg should go in the middle. (in reference to picture 1)
Picture 1:
step 4 picture 1

The bridge rectifier output legs should be placed as follows: The + (as indicated on the component) should go on the left of the three middle strips.
The – (negative) output should go in the middle. The AC input legs can be placed on the outer stripes of the board. (left and right in reference to picture 1)

step 4 picture 2

step 4 picture 3

And finally solder the voltage regulator as well.

step 4 picture 4

Before going any further, check to see if it’s working properly.
Prepare the cable that runs to the dynamo, and connect it on the input legs of the bridge rectifier. Polarity is of course of no concern as we are dealing with an alternating current. Connect the dynamo to this kit, swing the wheel and measure the output voltage on the + (Vout) and – leg of the output regulator.

test output 2

We should measure around 5 Volts

Test output

If it doesn’t work, carefully check the polarity of the capacitors and other components.

We can now safely cut the remaining component legs form the veroboard, and bend C1 to fit inside the ABS case.

I connected the heat-sink using a blind rivet this is ideal as it does not need any additional space (especially height).

Before connecting the cables, drill a small hole for the Cable Gland Locknut, connect the Cable Gland Locknut and route the wires through it.

Next, connect the USB A receptacle or if you like a mini or micro USB cable directly to the voltage regulator output legs. Connect the dynamo cable to the bridge rectifier.

In order for this whole package to fit inside the box, I had to saw one of the corners from the veroboard.

When using the same ABS case as listed in the requirements section, be sure to cut the two screw holes at the bottom of the case for more room.

That’s pretty much it. I will seal the case of with a polymer resin, to make it water proof. Be sure to only do this after you are absolutely sure everything works.

Revision 2 with grommets

That’s it! Let me know if you take on the challenge to build one yourself, or if I need to explain anything in more detail.

12 comments »

Posted in Bicycle, Electronics, GPS

Bicycle USB charger using a hub dynamo (update)

June 1st, 2010

This is an update on my previous post about a hub-dynamo driven (USB) charger.
A step by step guide is posted here: (still a work in progress)

The latest incarnation is a stripped down version of the original. I left out the input tuning C2, C3, R1 (see original post for the diagram) and replaced the 4 Schottky diodes with an integrated bridge rectifier. The Schottky diodes  are more efficient due to the lower forward voltage drop, but require more soldering and space.  This version now fits into a small ABS case. I hope to replace the fixed USB cable with a USB A receptacle (if it fits).

usb dynamo case

usb dynamo case layout

6 comments »

Posted in Bicycle, Electronics

MCE Remote with VLC

January 26th, 2010

(update July 18, 2010)

!  There is a known issue when running MCE (7), and mceRemote2VLC in the background.
In this scenario, the remote does not correctly communicate wit MCE. I hope to have a fix ready in August.

philips-mce-remote

philips-mce-remote

Background:

At home I use Windows Media Center available on Windows 7. It’s a great program but it doesn’t play all the video codecs and file types that I have in my library. Even advanced codec packs like sharks “Windows 7 codecs” do not always solve this problem. To the rescue comes VLC . A media player that can handle almost any media file you throw at it. When using VLC however, I’m no longer able to use my Media Center Remote Control.

Say hello to mceRemote2vlc:

I decided to try and build an application to handle this, without incorporating this functionality into VLC, but using VLC’s excellent RC interface. In short it allows you to control a running VLC instance by communicating with VLC’s built-in TCP-server.
If you want to give it a try be sure to:

  • Go to Tools-Preferences.
    Select Show All settings (bottom left corner)
    Click on Interface->Main interfaces
    Check “Remote control interface”
    Click on Interface->Main interfaces->RC
    Enter in the field “TCP command input”: 127.0.0.1:8765
    Check “Do not open a DOS command box interface”

vlc configuration page 1

vlc configuration page 2

  • Install the .NET Framework 3.5 (if not already available)
  • Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
  • A Windows MCE Remote , the following eHome compatible remote devices should be supported:
    • Microsoft/Philips 2005
    • Microsoft/Philips 2004
    • HP
    • FIC Spectra/Mycom Mediacenter
    • Toshiba/Hauppauge SMK MCE remote
    • Hauppauge OEM MCE remote
    • Mitsumi MCE remote
    • Fujitsu Scaleo-E
    • Pinnacle PCTV Remote
    • Shuttle MCE Remote
    • Centarea Master Remote II

Supported buttons and default mappings:

button vlc_command Description
None none
Power1 none
Left menu left navigate menu
Right menu right navigate menu
Pause pause pause
Power2 quit exit vlc
PowerTV none
Stop stop stop playback
Record record ?
Rewind key key-jump-short go 10 seconds back
Play play play
Forward key key-jump+short skip 10 seconds
Replay previous previous playlist item
Skip next next playlist item
Back previous previous playlist item
Up menu up navigate menu
Info key key-intf-show toggle display interface in fullscreen mode
Ok menu select menu select
VolumeUp key key-vol-up volume up
VolumeDown key key-vol-down volume down
Start none
ChannelUp chapter_n next chapter
ChannelDown chapter_p previous chapter
Mute key key-vol-mute mute sound
RecordedTV f toggle fullscreen
Guide none
LiveTV none
DVDMenu key key-disc-menu show dvd disc menu
NumPad1 none
NumPad2 none
NumPad3 none
NumPad4 none
NumPad5 none
NumPad6 none
NumPad7 none
NumPad8 none
NumPad9 none
NumPad0 none
Oem8 none
OemGate none
Clear none
Enter none
Teletext key key-aspect-ratio toggle aspect ratio
Red key key-aspect-ratio toggle aspect ratio
Green key key-deinterlace deinterlace
Yellow key key-subtitle-track toggle through all subtitles
Blue key key-audio-track toggle through all audio tracks
AspectRatio key key-aspect-ratio toggle aspect ratio
Print none
Down menu down navigate menu

Download:
Stable 1.0
www.arenddeboer.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Setupv1.0.10.zip

Beta

New version:
- Users can change the ip and port number
- More accurate device (ir remote) status
- SQLite db is stored in “users\AppData\mceRemote2VLC\” instead of the “Program Files\mceRemote2VLC”

This new version will not import your old custom mappings.

If you don’t need user defined ip/port settings, you probably don’t need to update.

http://www.arenddeboer.com/Setup.msi

A big “thank you” goes to the team of MediaPortal as most of the functionality is coming right out of this project

navigate menu

138 comments »

Posted in .NET, Electronics

Tags:

PDA / GPS bike mounted USB charger

December 27th, 2008

An update on this post is found here and a step by step guide is posted here: (still a work in progress)

I love to go on holiday by bike. And as a tech nerd I can’t be bothered by plain paper-maps!
Having a GPS-mapping application like OziExplorer on your bike makes navigation very easy.

The problem however is with the rapid draining of the battery-powered GPS / PDA.
Especially mobile phones / PDA’s have a very short (battery) lifespan, often no more then a couple of hours when the display is always on and a GPS-application running. Normally I just dragged a lot of AA aka penlite batteries with me and powered the phone with a simple battery holder like this one:
4_aa_battery_holder1

Of course this isn’t the best solution and I was looking for better alternatives.
Then I stumbled upon this genius, hub-dynamo driven “Bike mounted USB Charger” on an English bicycle forum.
The idea is quite simple. You take a HUB-Dynamo (Shimano DH-3R30) (I ordered one from ebay for less then 40 euro).
The hub-dynamo generates an alternating current that needs to be rectified and the voltage output should be regulated to 5 volts for USB powered devices.

The hub-dynamo:
dscf2834

These are the parts you need, available at any electronic (parts) store.
D1 – D4     1N5818
C1             2200uF   16v
C2, C3       470uF     63v   Low ESR
C4             .47uF      Tantalum bead
C5             22uF       Tantalum bead
R1             47K         .25W

Solder the parts according to this schematic:
dynamo1sbp

And there you go, you have the best energy- efficient charger, all done with green energy!

This is my effort. It still needs some good housing and connectors but it works perfectly:
dscf28291

For more detailed information visit the bike forum at http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php
Many thanks go to Simon Galgut for providing the electronic schematic.

16 comments »

Posted in Bicycle, Electronics, GPS

Tags: