USB Time Circuits + second time machine

[Starglider]

Hello,

I'm currently working on something that may be of interest. The most iconic bit of the DeLorean time machine after the flux capacitor is the time departure display, and I really wanted some programmable ones for both in-car and out-of-car use. Those things seem to be either unavailable or at best crazy expensive (well over $2000) though, presumably because to date they have been made from a mess of custom discrete logic. I am currently working on a USB controlled TDD, driven by software running on a normal PC (it needs a second USB socket for power). It's not much to look at yet; still experimenting with one line of displays, haven't got a casing yet, but the concept seems sound. This can be used either as an out-of-car prop plugged into a laptop, driven by an in-car PC (in-dash or other location), or in theory I could integrate a micro Linux PC into the unit for less than $100. A PC may seem like huge overkill for this but there are some nice benefits, e.g. after a simulated time-jump you can have pop songs from the appropriate decade play through the 'radio', the progressive illumination of a date row from the film can be exactly reproduced (the LED controller I'm using can even dim individual segments), the malfunctioning display effect from the second film (or even the Telltale game) could be reproduced quite easily. I am also adding some mesh at the sides so that airflow from the dash vents is not completely blocked, and a hatch in the top so that my pop-out in-dash VGA monitor can still be used with the unit fitted, although obviously these are not screen accurate :) .

I am currently just making the prototype for myself but if anyone is interested (and assuming it works) I could look at making more for sale.

On a semi-related note here are some concepts I have for a 'second time machine' build : the idea is 'what if Doc built a second time machine in the late 80s?' (or alternatively, when the Institute for Future Technology started to reproduce the time machine what did their prototype look like?).

Center console : My vehicle is right-hand-drive, so the drivers/passenger side are flipped.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/center-console-concept.png

Five phase flux capacitor for improved field stability

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/super-flux-capacitor.png

Mr Quantum Home Zero-Point Energy Reactor, from 2045

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/mrquantum.png

Possible replacement for glove box plutonium chamber gauges (somewhat inspired by the 'Mr Fusion Status' panel in a 'flux capacitor' iPhone app I saw).

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/mrquantum-control.png

Possible replacement for the 'high voltage systems regulator' over the passenger side shoulder

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/hv-systems-2.png

Possible upgrade of the spectrum analyser over the driver side shoulder

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/analyser-updated.png

Alas I can't build any of these right now because I am saving up to try and afford a twin-turbo engine from Josh (DPI), but maybe one day, so ideas welcome. :)

[thirdmanj]

Wow, you've really put a lot of thought into this. Looks pretty cool man. But good choice on going with that engine from Josh first though!

[maragni1985]

I love it! I can't wait to see more.

[Starglider]

Wow, you've really put a lot of thought into this. Looks pretty cool man.

Thanks. The 'Fusion Q' logo was actually made by Bruce Coulombe (discussed the concept with him).


I love it! I can't wait to see more.

Sure, here's another idea;

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/flux-box.png

[maragni1985]

Wow! this is Brilliant. i'm very fascinated with this project.

[jwrayth]

Instead of a full-blown PC, have you considered something like a Raspberry Pi? http://www.raspberrypi.org/

Would give you the benefits you are looking for of a full PC, and also has breakout board adapters and plenty of tutorials to hook up to discrete electronics such as your LED Controller. Doesn't get much cheaper than that, and if you have the right parts you can easily do serial comms with cheap off the shelf PLC components to drive some of your other displays and light setups!

I'm more focused on getting my D first than on doing a Time Machine conversion, but the engineer in me has had a few thoughts :D Though I do have designs for a simple setup for integrating the Time Machine door sounds into my car once I have it!

[nullset]

I actually just started laying out schematics for my own time circuits. I'd be happy to share and collaborate.

My plan is each time display will have its own microcontroller and LEDs. The keypad will have another micro that talks to the other three, telling them what to do. I can expand it by adding more devices on the bus.

--buddy

[Starglider]

Instead of a full-blown PC, have you considered something like a Raspberry Pi?

I'm planning to put a small ruggedised PC in (probably Intel Haswell based) anyway for in-car entertainment, internet etc. If I was making it as a stand-alone unit I would use something like the Raspberry Pi yes.


My plan is each time display will have its own microcontroller and LEDs. The keypad will have another micro that talks to the other three, telling them what to do. I can expand it by adding more devices on the bus.

That is probably how most recent ones have been made. If your are very familiar with programming Z80s, STAMP boards, Parallax Propellors etc it may be the easiest way to do it. I am very out of practice with microcontrollers (haven't built anything using one since the late 90s) but I have a great deal of experience writing PC software so it was the easiest thing to do for me.

Here is an idea for a 'digital wormhole emitter', the original always struck me as a little boring (the front especially) given its pivotal-sounding role;

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/wormhole-emitter.png

Although in retrospect 1 watt is probably excessive, 100mw should be sufficient out of bright daylight.

[Starglider]

Did another one today while waiting for Windows Server 2012 to install;

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/digital-speedo.png

I based it on a picture of an aluminium case (http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac119/ekevin999/Case/CASE-001Tarnish/CAS-001-A1-1.jpg).

[Timebender]

When you mentioned doing it with a PC my first thought was why not use Arduino's instead? Then I saw your other post.

As far as the wormhole emitter, and I saw your use of lasers, why not go one step further and have one shoot out the front creating a circular fan pattern- which would actually look like you're creating a wormhole?

That would be cool for car shows and so forth.

[Starglider]

As far as the wormhole emitter, and I saw your use of lasers, why not go one step further and have one shoot out the front creating a circular fan pattern- which would actually look like you're creating a wormhole?

I avoided designing it that way because any laser bright enough to create scintillation visible in daylight is going to be a blinding hazard if the source beam is exposed.
However I suppose a secondary diode with a ring lens for night-time only use could be included (would work with foggers in the rear vents).

Note that these are still speculative, the only prop I am definitely making is the time circuit display, but still I think individual variations on a time machine are an interesting topic. You can imagine bootleg photocopies of Doc's notes being passed around at west coast electronics club meets in the late 80s, and people trying to reproduce the original as best they could with incomplete plans and whatever parts they had.

[nullset]

Let me know if you'd like to collaborate on parts of the board design.

I'm putting together the schematics for my board soon. If I can get a working set of time circuits, I'll most likely open source the design and sell kits, or fully assembled ones for more money.

--buddy

[Starglider]

Let me know if you'd like to collaborate on parts of the board design.

I would but I don't think there will be anything in common between a PC-driven USB design and a dedicated multiple microprocessor design.

[Starglider]

Ok, these bits are on order from Videobob for this conversion;

Torr Relay Replica x 5
Flux Relay Acrylic Block x 5
TFC Drive Switch
Flux Box Kit (cast boxes, plates, plugs etc)
Flux Band Brackets x 18
Cooling Grids x 2
Elbow Connectors x 6
Emergency Light x 2
Torin Blower Kit x 2
T195 Vent Casting x 2
Bulova Copper Alarm Clock

Will be combing, modifying and repurposing these for the build. The idea is that Doc has some parts left over from the first time machine but the new design may use them in a different way (e.g. blowers may end up on the engine deck).

First bit to be constructed out of these parts will be the flux capacitor, I'm planning to use some prismatic plastic over the dark grey background sheet (instead of the original powdercoated finish), warm white LEDs with as many channels as possible (e.g. 16) for a smooth pulse rather than flashing light look, and some additional low-contrast detailing around the main parts (e.g. dark grey wires, inductors, spark gaps). Enclosure similar to original but slightly larger is on order from Stahlin.

[Starglider]

These parts probably look familiar, but why are there five instead of three? Because screen accuracy is not just out the window, it is plummeting thirty stories to a grisly death on the pavement below.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/WP_000030.jpg

[Nicholas R]

These parts probably look familiar, but why are there five instead of three? Because screen accuracy is not just out the window, it is plummeting thirty stories to a grisly death on the pavement below.

Lol, you are going to have one wild car. Keep pictures coming!! :D

[Starglider]

An update on this, numerous moulded parts have arrived from Bob Mosley; flux boxes, vents, angles, flux capacitor parts etc. A couple had bits crack off in shipping but nothing too serious, can superglue them back together. The exception is the wormhole emitter, which was broken into three pieces, but fortunately that's the one part I don't need (I'll be building it from scratch based on the sketch earlier in the thread). As expected these are raw moulded parts in various colours of resin with a bit of flashing and surface voids, but that's ok, I'll be heavily modifying them before spraypainting anyway. Just a few parts left to arrive from Bob : haven't had time to make any more myself recently but hope to in the spring.

[videobob]

Sorry to hear about your shipping mishaps.
It seems that no matter how many "FRAGILE" stickers and bubble wrap I put on these packages the various post offices figure out how to break it.
I am getting your other items ready and will make sure they are well protected!!!

[Starglider]

The final set of parts from Bob has arrived. Since I found an alarm clock locally, I switched that part of the order to a casting of the HV power supply, which came with all the detail bits (nonfunctional, but I'll be modifying it anyway so that's fine). Flux capacitor bits are also decent quality and Bob threw in the radio heatsink; don't have a radio on my build but will use it somewhere else in the interior. Bobs resin castings are very heavy as supplied and I'm hollowing them out a bit with the drill to make them easier to mount & handle.

The time circuit control box, specifically the Dayton drum switch does have a couple of problems;

a) The clear plastic cover doesn't quite fit, there's 3mm gap at the back between the plastic and the metal. My solution was to cut a thin strip of aluminium, the same width as the lip at the front of the switch; will spray it gray and glue it over the gap. That should look better than the original anyway, since the design will be visually balanced (matching lips at each end).

b) The spring makes a loud and annoying twang when the drum rotates. This isn't Bob's fault; I don't know if it's just that the spring is very new or that the supplier changed the design since the BTTF replica I saw was built. I'll probably glue some foam around the spring to muffle it a bit.

I will be disassembling the box under the switch at a later date and redesigning it into something like the concept above.

Amp for the external speakers is wired into the car, marine speakers themselves aren't mounted yet but will be 4 front, 4 rear. I'm about to fit a Gilderfluke SD-10 audio player for the door opening and engine start sound effects; I plan to use a cheap shift light kit set to just below idle (tapping the RPM gauge line from the distributor) to trigger the start-up noise. The controller is only two channel so I'll need a couple of interruptor reed relays to convert the door switch signals into pulses (otherwise opening the second door wouldn't trigger a sound when one door is already open). All other sound effects will be generated by the car computer.

[maragni1985]

This is really goling to be breathtaking! awesome!

[Michael Babb]

Any update on this? Curious to see how things are looking. :)

[BTTF-1]

Sure would like to hear how this is going. Would be neat if you shared the total cost of this conversion for parts with us when you are done.

Ed:shocked::shocked::frantic::frantic::shocked::sh ocked:

[Starglider]

Any update on this? Curious to see how things are looking. :)

It is a low priority right now, as I am focused on getting the car on the road. After that I will be working with Chris N on the exterior props, interior props are last on the list but hopefully sometime next year.