Sequenced Mains Switch (DMX Controlled)

Thanks David

Last question I think - does the 240v input require active and neutral in a particular way or will either way be fine? I seem to recall you saying you were only going to switch the active line but am a right in saying you are switching both?

(another general question - do power supplies care if you get active and neutral swapped - I am thinking that with ac it doesn't matter but I always hook them up based on the labels to be sure)
 
The mains input is just for the transformer. Active and neutral can be either way around.

Each pair of relay terminals is just the (uncommitted) contacts - much like a bare switch. You will need to wire each pair in series with the circuit you want to control. I did it this way so the board could control loads that were fed from different power circuits.

Every power supply I have seen has had a symmetrical power input. That is, the active and neutral are interchangeable. About the only difference is that the fuse is nominally in the active line. Convention dictates that you should make the effort to keep active and neutral the "right way" around though.
 
Finally got around to hooking one of these up. All works as it should (after I realised I'd taken the Option A jumper off, when I should have left it on)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o5spgkzvcrfhh2l/2012-08-16%2022.29.14.jpg

I've stuck it into a box for a bit of extra safety - it will be kept inside, but I've used the glands just for strain relief.. Will be switching 2 power supplies with each relay.
 
On this topic - the two I have are working very well here.

Only issue I have is that I've found a bug in LSP that it doesn't support running a sequence as a "finale" - only a music file (even though you can choose an .asq or .msq file).. This means that I can't run my "turn 240v off" sequence at the end of the show from LSP... Instead, I've had to create a quick program that sends the off signals over e1.31, and set it up via task scheduler to run after the show finishes.. oh well, not the end of the world!
 
I was actually thinking of wiring a small E1.31 app that can reside in the system tray. It was going to have the scheduling inbuilt.
 
David_AVD said:
I was actually thinking of wiring a small E1.31 app that can reside in the system tray. It was going to have the scheduling inbuilt.
Click to expand...
I was going to do a standalone app like that too (I have exactly the same thing for my phidgets relay controls which I use to control my pool filter pump - which has different running times for summer & winter).. But I wanted to throw something together very quickly - so just updated my e131 test application to handle a command line parameter "off=240" being passed in, which sends the "off" signals and then quits.. Good for a quick hack..
 
I might have a play on the weekend with a scheduler program.

Might have to wait until I create some animations for my Christmas lights - nothing like the last minute! :D
 
I don't have any more bare boards left to make the 4 way units, but could order them if demand was there. I sold the initial ones for $95 I think. Would have to work out what more would cost to do.
 
I'll have to check. Might be ordering some more prototype boards this week, but they will take a little over a week to arrive.
 
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