Arcade 110v strobe flasher circuit help

[KrisBlueNZ]

Here's another design using the same principle, but using two 555 timers (or one 556 dual timer).

The BOM is quite small - one NE556 dual timer IC, five resistors, two electrolytics, a diode and a relay. The relay must have a 12V coil with a coil resistance of 60 ohms or more (preferably much more). The circuit requires a 12V DC power source.

Simulation waveforms for the three marked test points and the relay coil current are shown. You can see how the spacing between the light blue pulses looks random. All just for interest's sake.

 

[CDRIVE]

Just in case anyone's interested, I designed and simulated a circuit to do this. It's a bit impractical - lots of discrete components. Mostly I did it to learn more about LTSpice.

I love discrete just for discrete sake. Clever!

Here's another design using the same principle, but using two 555 timers (or one 556 dual timer).

How to have fun with LT Spice. By Kris Blue.

Chris

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

Thanks Chris

Yeah, I'm enjoying using LTSpice.

 

[CDRIVE]

Good luck on whatever you decide. If you decide Picaxe then this is the link. Just remember that Kris's & My circuits, except for the Picaxe design, require two of them to flash two strobes.

http://www.picaxe.com/

Chris

 

[CocaCola]

Just in case anyone's interested, I designed and simulated a circuit to do this. It's a bit impractical - lots of discrete components.

Always interesting to see the discretes like that back to the basics, personally I like to take the easier ways out when possible

Just remember that Kris's & My circuits, except for the Picaxe design, require two of them to flash two strobes.

With my 'cheat' design you only need one

 

[CDRIVE]

With my 'cheat' design you only need one

Sorry about that CC. I never did see what you posted because I don't have Java enabled.

Chris

 

[CocaCola]

Sorry about that CC. I never did see what you posted because I don't have Java enabled.

Same 555 fed into two or more 4017 chips as I outlined... You can 'pseudo' randomize the output by skipping output pins of the 4017, reset the 4017s at different points and they will drift apart even further into a 'pseudo' random pattern...

The simulation just used a fixed square wave instead of a 555 for simplicity, and the 4017 in basic form, no altered resets...

 

[CDRIVE]

CC thanks for taking the time to post that. I thought wrkey wanted each strobe to be random unto itself. Though, as per his last post, he's open to the simplest option. Short of a uC this may be it.

Chris

 

[CocaCola]

I thought wrkey wanted each strobe to be random unto itself.

Using this they sorta can be, or at least appear to be, it's all dependent upon what outputs of the decade counter you hook and how you mix them up to each strobe and how many counters you use and/or when you reset them... Yes, the 'clock' in is static but the flash rate can be varied independently to some degree by mixing up the outputs... Or the flash can be more static if you choose, just hook it up that way... It's clearly a 'pattern' when you know how it's being driven but when actually running most will never see the pattern and it will appear random...

For example if you hooked it up like this the would have static flash rates one twice as fast... Where R is s reset...

or

This is one of those circuits that if build on a stab lock board, you can fool around with the outputs and number of 4017s and get a lot of different effects, even cascading 4017s off outputs of previous 4017s so they get clocked at a fraction of the clock cycle to mix things up...

All in all I (like you) would just use a micro, but for some I totally understand the novelty and "less fear" of doing it with chips like this for those that don't want to jump into micros...

 

[CDRIVE]

CC I like the concept and I also like Kris's designs. Judging by what wrkey has said in his last post I have a gut feeling that he's going to be happy with just a single 555 that triggers one strobe on the high output and the other strobe when the 555 goes low. He has seemed to lower his sights since his first post.

wrkey, what say you?

Chris

 

[CocaCola]

I have a gut feeling that he's going to be happy with just a single 555 that triggers one strobe on the high output and the other strobe when the 555 goes low. He has seemed to lower his sights since his first post.

wrkey, what say you?

The most straight forward IMO would just be a simple transistor flip-flop, nothing fancy but it gets you the flashing effect between the two lights and not a 'pulse' effect of both lights...

 

[CDRIVE]

The most straight forward IMO would just be a simple transistor flip-flop, nothing fancy but it gets you the flashing effect between the two lights and not a 'pulse' effect of both lights...

Yup and he could probably drive SS relays directly off the collectors.

Chris

 

[jvanallen]

thunder blade flash ;lamps

im have this game also and my top lamp will flash sometimes like it can flash for a couple hours then quit for the rest of the day then other times it will only flash for a few minutes then quit so i am a novice when it comes to this but if the wiring is still intact and there is still juice flowing cant you just get new flash lamps, where is the best place to get the lamps by the way?

 

[model2]

if the wiring is still intact and there is still juice flowing cant you just get new flash lamps, where is the best place to get the lamps by the way?

Ushio (Tokyo Xenon) Flash Boy units are only available in Japan -- they operate at 100VAC. They are all still available, but you'll have to use some sort of 3rd party buying service since .JP is basically dark to the rest of the world.. Otherwise if you have a friend going to Tokyo, they're not uncommon to find in electronics shops..

Probably about $30 or so for the CU25 type.

The other option is to just cut your old ones open and replace the flashtube. You can basically stick any similarly-sized tube in there, and they're available very cheap.. Flash Boys are glued shut, so you'll need to use a dremel or a bandsaw to cut them open. You might want to replace the capacitor as well.

Flash Boys are common in Japanese arcade games, but only a few arcade games use the one pulse type (Irritating Maze, Starblade, Daytona USA).. If you don't want to build a circuit just to hack those new ones in, just retube the old ones.

 

[jvanallen]

thunder blade flash lamps

Where is the best place to find a replacement flashtubes?

 

[jvanallen]

can you help me find a new flash boy lamp, I havent had any luck