The Nightsword project

[ez78]

Well, it's almost a tie but if I am not thinking development work then I'd like to see the OLED version researached further. It does allow little bit extra features with text and meters. So I guess I change my mind and vote for the OLED.

EDIT: Would be nice to know if the OLED version is likely to be almost as realiable as the physical version? The burn seems to be one issue but can maybe be avoided but was there any other negatives with OLED? Of course anything with electronics is more prone to fail. Difficult decision between these two..

 

[get-lit]

Although OLED has a limited screen life compared to LCD, OLED is still much more reliable, especially with extreme temperatures. This version of the display addresses a screen failure event by remaining functional without the screen working.

This display version also eliminates the concern of OLED screen burn and limited life because the OLED is only "on" when navigating the function menu. Meters would be an accessible function, not something always displayed. As an option, I could include meters to be displayed all the time, but dimly lit.

Improper use of an OLED, with stationary solid colors, and always on full brightness has been reported to burn the screens within a day. Properly implemented, an OLED will last tens of thousands of hours. Since the method used in this display only uses the OLED during menu functions, it will last indefinitely.

 

[get-lit]

I have responses from two touch panel manufacturers that would do a custom-manufactured size with a minimum quantity of 1000. I'm considering this once I get an actual price. We could then go with dimensions of the same height but more "width" to accommodate the largest OLED display for easier readability and more graphical meter capability, still in conjunction with the three "physical" LED back-lit touch buttons. The vertical demarcation would have to be eliminated to fit the large OLED and it's electronics board. The cost difference between the smallest and largest OLED displays is only $20. The largest display is the best bang for the buck, and would get the most visual impact out of the same programming effort.

EDIT - The larger text with the largest OLED makes the functions easier to select. The smallest OLED (post #907) could be a bit tricky.

 

[BVH]

That looks great!!

 

[London Lad]

^ Agreed

 

[get-lit]

So far the touch panel manufacturers are quoting $3000 just for tooling, in addition to minimum or orders of 1000 units. I'm not going to do that. I'm waiting to hear back from two other manufacturers.

Here's the worst case scenario if I have to use the only stocked small touch panel. It's smaller, so I'd have to go with the 2nd largest OLED to fit within the touch panel viewing area with the three buttons. These touch panels cost more since they're made in the US, but at least I wouldn't be forking out around five grand. One thing I do like about these smaller touch panels is it's stronger with a smaller glass surface area. Plus these panels also have strength-treated glass, which the others typically don't.

Beam Adjust Mode

(I tried rotating the last icon to make an "M" for Menu)


Menu

(SYS = system settings, DISP = display settings)
Separating out the settings pages allows the main menu page to be dedicated to the more frequent operational functions.


System Settings

SET TIMERS opens a separate page of functions...

Timers

Display Settings

"METERS ALWAYS ON" toggles to "METERS MINIMAL" and "METERS OFF"

Meters minimal just shows the meters during special conditions like powerup, probably the best setting for some visual display while preserving OLED life.

 

[get-lit]

with housing..

 

[BVH]

The above still looks good to me. Is the above screen $10 - $25 - $50 each? I have no idea what they cost. But if I do the math on the larger custom developed screen - $3000 tooling, 1000 screens and you don't want "spend the Five Grand" - does that mean the after the tooling expense, the screens are only $2? That doesn't sound remotely possible?

 

[get-lit]

Yes, after tooling, touch panels made in China are around $2 each, but that's after a $3,000 tooling investment and orders of more than 1000. They actually prefer orders of 10k or more. $1 each @ 10k units, but will do as low as 1K for me @$2 each. Still, too much. US made stock units $15 each, but have slightly better clarity, transparency, and strength.

EDIT - this is the cost for just touch panel, this size OLED with display controller board is $55.

 

[BVH]

Ahhhh....touch panel vrs OLED screen. I just thought "touch panel" was what we were calling the screen. Got it now.

 

[BVH]

This thread was getting too low on the HID thread listing

 

[get-lit]

LOL.. The pause doesn't mean nothing is happening. I've discovered something called T-Splines. It's a CAD modeling process that walks all over NURBS. It unleashes unfettered creativity for CAD. I don't know where to begin to explain what this is doing for the project except to say just wait and see what I've come up with. It blows everything I've posted so far completely out of the water. I can hardly contain my excitement. I'm halfway through the process and will be posting an interactive 3D CAD model.

EDIT - In the meantime, I've waiting to hear back from the US manufacturer of touch panels. They show 200 in stock and he's having a count done in the warehouse. It's enough that I don't have to pay for a production run nor tooling.

 

[Patriot]

Looking forward to what you've got cooking Get-lit! :)

 

[get-lit]

Ok I'm very reluctant to post this as of yet because there's much to be done. The entire upper "handle" section is incomplete and there's many final touches, as well as surface transitions to be done, but this is the direction I'm going with it so far with T-Spline CAD, not shown with bezel...

Front/Side Perspective (entire handle section to be cleaned up and handle/display controls created)

Rear/Side Perspective (entire handle section to be cleaned up and handle/display controls created)

Top/Side Perspective (entire handle section to be cleaned up and handle/display controls created)

Bottom/Side Perspective

EDIT - This is only a glimpse, the overall look will come together once the handle section is done. When done, all surfaces will be perfect "CLASS A" automotive grade blends. The learning process has been really fun. Transitioning from NURBS to T-Splines makes fluid/organic design easy to do instead of nearly impossible. I've taken in 15 hours of recorded webinars over a few days and pretty much got it down.

A primary objective of the entire structure is to reinforce the strength and rigidity of the optics housing. This is done primarily with large wrapping deep sweeps along the housing, and no flat surfaces nor straight lines. The curvy lines might seem to be randomly formed, but they are based entirely off mathematic relationships of the sections they connect.

In the final version, the sides of the bottom lip will also include a curve for this purpose. However, the bottom and back panels will remain flat for sitting and tail-standing positions. The handle will create the 4th and final reinforcement point at the top of the optics housing. The top and bottom optics housing reinforcements (longitudinals) can not include the deep reinforcement recesses like the sides because that would prevent a simple 2-part mold, as the parts would not be extractable from the mold. This enhanced reinforcement structure is not at all required when going with a woven matte composite layup process, but does allow for thinner walls and lighter weight with increased strength and rigidity. This will be one solid piece of kit.

 

[BVH]

That looks pretty "wild" so far and looks really strong! Can't wait to see the addition of the handle, graphics and other goodies!

 

[TEEJ]

Your labor of love looks like its growing into its final form, and, it looks like you are growing even as you nuture your creation.

It reminds me of the way a parent starts the process of raising a child, and the process causes them to grow in ways they had not anticipated.

 

[get-lit]

The ironic thing is the light would have been completed in its initial crude stages if I had the money to do it all at once.

 

[get-lit]

Hey BVH... on the SX-16, can you tell what the thread size is for the gimbal mount on the housing?

 

[BVH]

It's 5/16-24 Nat. Fine.

 

[get-lit]

Below is the link to the full render. It's a 22MB interactive CAD application. Double click the app to see a list of controls. You can zoom/pan/tilt at different angles to get a feel for the design. You can even zoom inside, not that there's much to see in there. All internal components are removed to reduce file size.

Some things to take note of...

1. The back of the optics housing is not yet merged with the OD. I'll do this later, but for now you'll see a sharp edge there.

2. The front exhaust is just a surface for reference, not a complete object.

3. I've added extra grip surface to the bottom side of the handle.

4. I've had to locate the ignitor and DC converter all the way to the back. This slightly lengthens the housing but is necessary to gain more rearward weight for balance. This also allows for better contours in the mid-section of the housing, instead of large squared off surfaces. This also gives room to include an angled rear bottom to match the inclination to the bottom of the optics housing when in the resting position.

5. The electronics are no longer removable through a bottom access panel. The bottom access panel no longer exists. For overall strength, there is only one opening in the entire housing... the front lens. The reflector and electronics slide out through the front once the lens bezel is removed.

6. I have not yet rendered the bezel screws.

7. The housing is a single T-Splines object. Typically, multiple sections of T-Splines objects and NURBS are created and joined together to reduce the workload of creating one T-Splines object that would have to be mathematically coherent as a single object. Creating one object is difficult but I couldn't resist the purist nature of this workflow.

8. I'm open to feedback regarding the flow of the lines in the mid-section. I'm happy with it, but it will likely have to change in order to accommodate the side gimbal mounts.

9. A carbon fiber weave will not flow visually well with the large contours that are needed for strength. I've also been reluctanct to include carbon fiber because it's highly conductive of electricity and I prefer to keep 50Kv as isolated as possible. So I've been considering a gloss black finish. Inside would still be a kevlar fiber/S-Glass fiber layup.

10. Decals are not shown. This verions is a major change and I have yet to reconsider decal placement.

I think that's it for now, here ya go