0-10 v Dv to 110V AC animatronic show question.

[kicknargel]

So, if your system is sending a 0-10vdc control signal, JD posted a link above to dimmers that would work. Repeating here:
http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/SectionDisplay.jsp?section=38394&minisite=10251

To clarify, these would work if you system is sending 0v when the lights want to be off, 10vdc when they should be at full, 5vdc when they should be at 50%, etc. The dimmer pack reads the control voltage and sets the dimmer accordingly.

If your system is sending a control signal that is only either on or off, but you need the lights to respond with a fade, then there needs to be some electronics or a computer that reads the signal (which is just saying "go") and then responds with its own programming. It looks like the dimmer pack you posted may have done that. I don't know for sure where to find that, but someone clever could hack it with an architectural dimming system. Leviton is a provider of these, are there are plenty of others.

If you don't know, get a multi-meter and monitor the voltage being sent as the program runs.

People here are very helpful, but sometimes with unclear original information, people start answering different questions than each other without realizing it.

 

[Dennis McDonnell]

I have a control system (RA Gray) that controls an animatronic show 24Vdc

Each character movement has an address. it starts of with the first characters (00-0) eye right and moves on down the characters body. That is fairly simple to figure out. (Attached)

My question is this: Is there someway to reverse engineer this control system to find out where a specific address is? (relay)

I am looking for 16-3 which is one of the characters magic wand. I am tring to find out where that is located on the ribbon cable that supplied the 24Vdc power to operate the mac valves and lights.

Please keep in mind I do not have an electrical degree nor am I a super Tekkie so PLEASE try to reply in as simplest fashion as possible. Thank you for reading this and I hope you can HELP!!

A picture of one of the address sheets as well as a picture of the rear of the control system are attached!

 

[kicknargel]

Looks like the discontinued dimmer did respond to a 0-10v control signal, so I bet the leviton dimmer packs will work for you.

Did you try contacting the company? Website says they're replacing the units with a different line, but who knows?

http://www.ragray.com/products.htm

 

[Dennis McDonnell]

So, if your system is sending a 0-10vdc control signal, JD posted a link above to dimmers that would work. Repeating here:
http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/SectionDisplay.jsp?section=38394&minisite=10251

To clarify, these would work if you system is sending 0v when the lights want to be off, 10vdc when they should be at full, 5vdc when they should be at 50%, etc. The dimmer pack reads the control voltage and sets the dimmer accordingly.

If your system is sending a control signal that is only either on or off, but you need the lights to respond with a fade, then there needs to be some electronics or a computer that reads the signal (which is just saying "go") and then responds with its own programming. It looks like the dimmer pack you posted may have done that. I don't know for sure where to find that, but someone clever could hack it with an architectural dimming system. Leviton is a provider of these, are there are plenty of others.

If you don't know, get a multi-meter and monitor the voltage being sent as the program runs.

People here are very helpful, but sometimes with unclear original information, people start answering different questions than each other without realizing it.

Now THAT makes sense!
I will get my voltage meter out this weekend and report the findings. Really do appreciate your patience!!!
Dennis

 

[Dennis McDonnell]

Looks like the discontinued dimmer did respond to a 0-10v control signal, so I bet the leviton dimmer packs will work for you.

Did you try contacting the company? Website says they're replacing the units with a different line, but who knows?

http://www.ragray.com/products.htm

I did contact them. They have no sold this product for years. They have no further info about.
Thanks again. Dennis

 

[JD]

I did contact them. They have no sold this product for years. They have no further info about.
Thanks again. Dennis

Hummmm... This reminds me of a problem I had with a pipe organ last year. When I called the company, the answer was, "that was 30 years ago, sorry we can't help." In my hour on the phone with them, I pushed through 10 people giving me that answer before I finally was talking to an "old timer" who was able to help. Honey works better than vinegar as they say, but don't let them off the hook! Somebody there helped that company make tens of thousands of dollars building that thing so "politely" don't take no for an answer! Chances are there IS information on that system buried in an old file cabinet that nobody feels like looking for.

 

[wolfman005]

That's an interesting setup you have there. If the people on CB can't help you, try Aaron Fechter. He developed the Show Biz Pizza animatonics.