CBrNoMore

Has any one of you electronic gurus out there modded their VisionX Tantrum controller? The reason I ask is that I just bought a set and notice that to turn it on, I have to use the momentary push button on the control unit or use the remote. I know what you're probably thinking? So?? Well, what I want is the controller unit to be turned on or off by using a simple rocker switch.

I've briefly looked at the controller and it appears that the on/off button is a momentary switch that drops a pin on the controller chip to ground. I have a very rudimentary knowledge of electronics and so that's what it appears to me. I could be wrong.

Here's what I'm thinking... In order for the unit to activate after being powered up via my rocker switch, I would also need to somehow drop the microchip's pin to ground momentarily at the same time or just shortly after. This workaround would have to be a oneshot, so the controller unit can function normally until I power it down using my rocker switch.

Any ideas for this? A 555 timer? Or is there something much easier and elegant that I'm missing?

LakesofJK

I'd like to know too...anyone?

JK-Ford

Why not just buy a momentary rocker switch?

jeepersjeep

I'm the same way. I don't care for the strobe or any other effects, just want the on/off switch, no remote, would be nice.

CBrNoMore

You know what they say? You want something done, then do it yourself.

Well in my spare time I've been working on the solution. As I said when I started this thread, I have just a basic knowledge of electronics so it has taken some time.

Here is a schematic for a circuit that I came up with to convert a static rocker switch into a momentary switch. The program I used doesn't understand optocouplers so the 4N35 is displayed as a relay. The idea is the same though.



What I wanted is that the rocker switch simply controls 12v on or off (13.8v to be specific). That rocker is then used as a control input into the circuit.

As mentioned when I started this thread, the VisionX lights use a micro-controller chip and one of its pins needs to be set to ground in order to turn the lights on. It's a toggle so it needs to be set to ground again to turn the lights off. Hence the momentary push button switch on the VisionX control box.

So using some logic in the circuit, we can create a pulse when the rocker is switched on and create another pulse when the rocker is turned off. These pulses mimic someone pushing the on/off button on the VisionX control box.

Here is the real circuit while being tested. It's working great. Or at least I should say it does what I want it to. I turn on the rocker switch and the LEDs turn on, I turn off the rocker and the LEDs turn off. What more could I ask for.





I still need to build the final circuit board etc before I can say done. But it's getting close.

Disclaimer: take what you read here with caution. I did this accepting full responsibility if things go wrong with my stuff. However I take no responsibility for your stuff. I am not an engineer, and chances are, if you are going to attempt something like this because of this post and haven't already come up with a solution, then neither are you. Be careful.

I'll post more as I get closer to completion.

CBrNoMore

I forgot to show how the circuit is used.



This schematic shows the application of the circuit. Note that the led in the diagram is used for simulation and is not part of the actual circuit. The outputs of the switch (4N35 optocoupler) is simply connected between ground and the on/off pin on the VisionX microcontroller.

CBrNoMore

Getting closer. Here's the circuit ready to be soldered together.

CBrNoMore

Ok. All done. I'm pretty proud of this project. It took a while (started thinking about it back in April), but its finally installed.

Here is the back of the VisionX controller, with my custom switch circuit "hacked" on to it. Since the controller already has a 12v and ground line (from the cigarette lighter adapter), I decided to leach off it to power my circuit. The blue wire is the pulse control coming from my circuit and will ground the VisionX's microcontroller pin whenever the rocker switch is turned on or off.




Here's a couple of pictures with my switch circuit attached.






And finally, I can still use the remote to set up what light pattern I want, but I can also turn it on and off in the cab using the rocker.





Phew! What a job!