Has anyone multiplexed controllers for more channels?

[motorcycle jack]

I was sitting here thinking about how to increase the channels cheaply. So I turned to an old trick, multiplexing outputs. The way I envisioned this is using two 16 channel boards which would give 16 X 16 channels (256). You use channel 1-1 to feed the multiplexed SSR board which has 16 SSR's tied to each of controller one's channels. This channel and all other channels and each of those SSR's is fed by 2-1,2-2,2-3,etc. So what you have done is used two controllers to activate 256 SSR's - don't need them all then don't use them all. I hope I've explained it well enough for you to understand what I mean. So the outputs in sequencial order are:

Channel Controller Channel Controller SSR output
1 1 1 2 1
1 1 2 2 2
1 1 3 2 3
. . . . .
1 1 16 2 16
2 1 1 2 17
2 1 1 2 18

Would it work and how could one go about doing it?

[rstately]

I'm sorry I can't answer the question. But I have one.
How much is a SSR?
The ones I found were 20.00+
so 256X20.00=5120.00
16-LOR 1602 =5140.00
So were can I buy cheap SSR's?

[Ponddude]

You may want to take a look at this post on PC.

http://talk.planetchristmas.com/showthread.php?t=16398&highlight=double

He didn't use SSR's though, he used regular relays and had some fairly decent results with fades.

[motorcycle jack]

Greg -

Hey thanks for the links. Yea, that's very similar to what I was thinking and will have to do some experiments this next year to see if I can make it work.

rstately-

Didn't know they were that much, will have to look into it much closer, thanks.


Still an idea, will have to work on it.


Jack

[jimswinder]

I did what Greg suggested...bought four relays and doubled my channels. Works great...but I am the type not to use all my lights on every song. So it was not a problem switching from "A" channels to "B" channels on different songs (Or even in the same song).

For the cost (under $40) and a little bit of time, it is a fantastic idea.

Here is the videos on Youtube:

Explanation:

Demonstration:

[Ponddude]

Jeff Millard wrote:

rstately wrote:

So were can I buy cheap SSR's?

DoItYourselfChristmas.com. wJohn has a stock of DIY SSRs which are 4 channel printed circuit boards, and I can't recall for sure but I think you can build them for under $10 each.

Jeff

Hmmm, I am not sure if that will work Jeff. I think, and I could be wrong, the SSR's that wJohn offers are DC triggered. That actually could be a fun project; create a board that is triggered via the DC board. I will add that to the list of off season projects.

[rstately]

Thanks Guy's,
The DC card is not on backorder anymore, so that could work for me.
sorry, I know this thread is not about this.

Ron

[rstately]

You're right,
with the DIO32 and the relay board, I could do anything I want!
I just have to learn how to configure and wire them.
I'm not a circuit board kind of guy, but I'm going to have to learn.
Thanks again!

[David Conley]

I heard somewhere that a 16 channel board can be modified to provide circuit closure instead of power. If this is true then it would take very little to create a 16x16 matrix display board with power being provided from one controller and a ground path from the other. This would give you a 256 channel display. The trick is creating inputs that will provide the desired result. If one controller (lets say the horizontal controller) would do nothing more than cycle through all 16 inputs in order from top to bottom 15 times per second. The other controller would activate specific column's at the correct time based on what row is energized. Just lke a TV! In theory it would work. It would be monochrome, but you cound also have intensity control so depth and shadow could be attempted. There are a lot of possibilities. Sort of like a primative JumboTron. Just a thought.