Next project...need a little electronics help

[X NetJag X]

Well, here it is, my next project. I am getting a Silverstone TJ04 and being black, I dont want to paint it. SO....what's black, fun, and different?

SIMON!

Here's my plan, 4" CCFL's w/ electrical tape to make the light go where I want it, and only where I want it. The back of the case is made for an 80/92/120 mm fan, and I'm planning to get a 120mm radiator w/ fan, so there would be a 120 on the back...with this fan grill:

The fan grill will be black, with LED's built in, shining the light where it needs to go.

Here's the tricky part. I want to have a Simon (the vintage edition, not the new ones) in a holder up on top. You can take it down, and play the game (there would be a wire attached to the case) using the lights from the window. That's where I need the electronics help. I don't know how to hack into the Simon and go from it, to the cold cathodes and say "ON" or "OFF"

I do not currently own a Simon, unfortunately, so I can't open it up and figure it out. I'm going to be buying one on ebay soon (their cheeeeeeeap) so I might just buy 2.

If anyone has any suggestions, comments, or improvements to my idea, don't hesitate to voice them. I will be starting a worklog once I get the case, and start cutting it.

(and for anyone who is curious, yes, I am still working on my Contra case as well.)

 

[SquallRealm]

wait are u asking if its possible to have on off button for leds and cathodes?? cause if u are it is possible i've done in in my case.. just have a switched connected to female/male molex and connected all to 1 powerline..

 

[X NetJag X]

no, the game Simon (assuming you've played it) makes the 4 buttons light up. I want it to light up the cold cathodes instead (or both)

 

[ashmedai]

Just solder the pinouts from the lights on the Simon to the power for the case lights I guess...don't know how playable it'd be without alot of trouble, and maybe more trouble if the voltage isn't right in which case you'd have to rig it up as some kind of signalling mechanism for the actual switch...

 

[Rakinos]

i think this would be easier w. white leds or cathodes and just colored pexi

 

[X NetJag X]

i think this would be easier w. white leds or cathodes and just colored pexi

i like that a lot! i'll have to look for those colors of plexi...cause yellow cold cathodes (4") are not the easiest things to find.

As far as the electronics are concerned, i'm thinking that i cant go straight from the LED inside the simon to the cold cathodes because of voltages and such (the simon takes a 9v battery to run, but i have no idea how much of that gets to the LED)

 

[SquallRealm]

i don't think that back fan will be possible.. there is no way u can blend the colors to stay away from that green part of the plexi

 

[X NetJag X]

not sure what u mean...the back fan is going to be done w/ LEDs...no plexi

the side window is going to be done w/ white CCFLs and colored plexi

 

[SquallRealm]

ok i see what u mean now. i thought this was all going to be done with colored plexis and i was trying to mention that the LED light would get in the way or the top left corner Cathodes

 

[Friendlypirate80]

maybe you can incorporate the simon buttons into the side of the case so that you can play simon on the side of the case

 

[X NetJag X]

thought about that, too....but some people play "harder" than others, and i dont want my case falling over.

we'll see tho.

cant wait to get the case and start workin on this!

 

[Rombus]

it actually shouldnet be too hard, you could use relays or transistors to isolate the simon from the case. Hit up the electronics forum and you might get some more help in this subject

 

[X NetJag X]

yea, ive got a friend who's pretty electronics savvy, and once i get the simon and open it up, i'll post pics and such so people can help me out with it.

does anyone know of any tutorials/pictures for unwrapping (taking off the plastic casing) for cold cathodes? mashie has an after pic on his Hell Inside thread, but dont know how to do this, without breaking anything.

white cold cathodes (4") seem to be about twice the price, if not more, than colored ones...but I know they all start out white...which is driving me crazy!

 

[New Oddity]

One idea I just had for the side window is to have 4 seperate peices of plexi, put the acosiated color LED in the plexi, then use relays to switch on and off of the simon. Should be able to hack a simon and fit it's PCB somewhere discrete. Also, I think there would be too much bleed to use CCFLs, LEDs can be focused and blocked off better, and have better response for going on and off.