Need help for Free massages...in a chair...but it pays :D Whaaaaa?!?!?

[Zachary Taylor]

Hello everyone and I hope my title was confusing enough

I have recently purchased several massages chairs with a bill acceptor to turn them on for a set amount of time. $1 = 3 minutes. It will also take 5's 10's and 20's with each $1 still equaling 3 minutes. I am about to put them in a new location but the location doesn't want their customers paying for the massage...

I would like to install a circuit that allows the push of a button to be start the massage, but counts those button presses as they will be what I charge the account (car dealership). Ideally it would not affect the existing circuitry in any way so that I can go back at any time to the original bill acceptor.

It should:

- Count the number of presses and add the appropriate time to the massage chair
- Remember how many times the button was pressed
- Be able to be reset
- Be unaffected by a power outage
- Preferably be modular (removable)

Your skill set:
Able to design this circuit in a manner that I can build it and source it from Mouser, Radio Shack or whatever.

My skill set:
I can identify most components (caps, transformers, transistors, resistors, etc.)
I can and have replace discrete components (see above)
I can solder pretty well though large surface mount stuff would be pushing my abilities
Simple troubleshooting ( I also fix vacuums and sewing machines for a living )

I have not seen the inside of these particular chairs yet, but can upload some pics on Sunday.

The booty:
This is worth 20 or 30 bucks to me (via PayPal) to not have to try and learn enough to make this happen. And of course you would get BRAGGING RIGHTS

So-who's with me!?!?! *throws arms in the air like the main character in every movie ever*

 

[KMoffett]

Can you provide the wiring for the chair and cash controller?

Ken

 

[Zachary Taylor]

I can but will not have a chair in front of me until Saturday afternoon PST. I can provide more info then, I just wanted to get the idea out there and see if there were any interested parties I guess.

 

[KMoffett]

It will depend if someone wants to do it out of curiosity...because a few dollars or "BRAGGING RIGHTS" won't draw anyone. Designers would ask $75 to $150 an hour.

Ken

 

[Zachary Taylor]

Wow, that's a lot of money per hour. But a fair price I suppose for what circuit designers do as it's certainly not something I'm capable of. I appreciate the heads up. It seems to me it would go something like:

AC mains -> step down transformer -> Rectifier -> the right IC chip (the only one I know of is a 555 from my stepdad's old Radio Shack pamphlets) -> Button -> display -> Reset

But the specifics escape me, plus that's probably also not right.

I will provide detailed photos tomorrow. Again, thanks for the heads up KMoffett.

I DID NOT intend to be rude or disrespectful to anyone here, just in a weird mood while typing up the first post I guess.

 

[Zachary Taylor]

Sorry for sounding like a used car salesman at first. After rereading some of my earlier comments...ugh. Let me restart:

Ok, after some inspection and research I don't think it would be too difficult to create the circuit I seek. If I read the Bill Acceptor sheet properly (attached) I would need to send a 5V (or 12V, I can't tell) 300ms "high" pulse to the main board to register a $1 credit. I just need to build a circuit with a momentary switch that would register each press of the switch as a credit. Ideally, the switch would be illuminated and flashing but that's optional. There is a counter built into the main board, so that's not necessary to be built into my circuit.

I see a lot of search results that show the 555 chip sending out a square wave pulse. I believe that's what I'm looking for right? Can I use a 556 chip to control both the credit pulses and the flashing switch? Something like this? http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail...GAEpiMZZMuMyV2FgkmEK%2b4FX4G07ihkV/cvxWICn94=

Thanks in advance. Zach

 

[KMoffett]

You are going to need a microprocessor with a 5V supply and preferably a battery backup. This to handle all of your requirements, Probably a small 18-pin one with a 2-digit 7-segment display will do it all. like this: http://www.8051projects.net/pic_tutorial/programming-example.php But that also requires some more external interface components and programming.

Ken

 

[Zachary Taylor]

Thank you Ken. I'm beginning to see the more I look into this that the circuit theory I need to know is probably not something I can learn in time to build this circuit and get the account at the dealership. I can build it, sure. Design it? No. If I can get a confirmation on the location would you or anyone else be willing to design a circuit to suit my needs for say $200? Is there a different forum that I should advertise this in?

All it needs to do is send the appropriate pulse per button press. Also the illuminated button would need to flash to encourage "sales". As long as I can get the parts from Mouser, DigiKey, etc. (RIP Radio Shack) that would be fine. A parts list would be awesome but not a requirement. Soldering on some perf-board is not a problem for me. The theory is just not something I can learn/do in time. Double bonus if you can use female side of the connection pictured as that would make things modular and very easy for me.

Thanks

Zach

 

[KMoffett]

OK, I think I mis-interpreted your concept. Sorry. You want to replace the cash input with the manual switch input and count it's pulses. Not too complicated
A 555 to flash the switch lamp. Only when the chair is not in use, or all of the time?
A 555 monostable to debounce the switch an provide the proper pulse width out, simulating the cash module..
A resettable (only by you) electronic counter module to accumulate the number of button pushes. What if a kid comes along and repeatedly pushes the button?
Is that connector from the cash module or the chair?
Ken

 

[(*steve*)]

I think an easier solution would be to change it to have it coin operated and tho use tokens. The dealership can just hand out tokens (stops problems from little Jonny pushing the button) and ask you have to do is count the tokens (weigh them) to determine how much to invoice.

 

[Zachary Taylor]

Thank you guys for your quick responses.

"OK, I think I mis-interpreted your concept. Sorry.
"

Actually, you did not. Originally I did not know the chairs have a built in analog counter that is turned by the main controller board once per use. I assumed each use needed to be counted by my fabricated circuit (and charged for from the dealer) and asked for that in the beginning before I knew of the analog counter built in. So the number of pulses does not need to be counted per se, but I do need to send the appropriate pulse to the main board to tell it to perform its function.


"You want to replace the cash input with the manual switch input and count it's pulses. Not too complicated
"

Correct. I need to turn a manual switch into the electronic equivalent of inserting a dollar bill into the acceptor.


"A 555 to flash the switch lamp. Only when the chair is not in use, or all of the time?
"

All the time is best. The blinking is purely for selfish reasons. It gets your attention and asks to be pushed. Every push is money in my pocket.

"A 555 monostable to debounce the switch an provide the proper pulse width out, simulating the cash module..
A resettable (only by you) electronic counter module to accumulate the number of button pushes. What if a kid comes along and repeatedly pushes the button?
"


You lose me with "debounce" but yes, a button that simulates the cash module is exactly right. No need for the electronic counter as mentioned above. If a kid comes along and has fun well... that's just money in my pocket. I don't think they will mind another $5 going out to me to entertain a kid while they finish a $20,000+ sale.

"Is that connector from the cash module or the chair?
Ken
"

That plugs INTO the bill acceptor, therefore if the button module had the same female connection I could swap one for the either VERY easily and quickly. I would want to build an extra button circuit just in case something caused a malfunction so I could get them back in business ASAP.


"I think an easier solution would be to change it to have it coin operated and tho use tokens. The dealership can just hand out tokens (stops problems from little Jonny pushing the button) and ask you have to do is count the tokens (weigh them) to determine how much to invoice.
"

Funny you mention weighing the tokens. I used to have a candy vending route and weighed my quarters for the same reason. Did you know that a quarter weighs 0.20003 oz? Or maybe it's 0.2003. I forget. Anyway, I don't think they wish to add in another voucher or token system and Johnny having fun is not a real problem, at least for me. They don't really have a lot of kids there that I have seen and my wife works at the dealership, so I'm there pretty often.

I can provide great photos for the main board or anything else if anyone needs them, but I think the info you need is in the Bill Acceptor images(?)

Lastly, how in the hell did you turn your letters upside down (*steve*) ? That's cool

PS Perhaps something that disallows presses after 10 consecutive ones until the massage chair is finished might not be a bad idea though guys...I don't want to be a total jerk to the dealership either. Not sure how much complexity that adds.

 

[KMoffett]

Now you may start to see why people charge so much to design something "simple".

Ken

 

[Zachary Taylor]

LOL, indeed.

 

[Zachary Taylor]

Rats, I don't see any takers... Is my price too low, or the interest not there? It's not a pressing project, but that's why I wanted to ask someone's help now, so I'm also not asking for someone to hurry up and do it as well.

Also, is there a better place to ask for this help?

Thanks

Zach

 

[Zachary Taylor]

By better place I meant more appropriate forum, not "screw you guys, where else should I go?" by the way...

 

[davenn]

Hi Zach

its just probably something that would be too difficult to do online with some one on the other side of the world
very few would want to have a financial involvement with something like that

Also, is there a better place to ask for this help?

There is another site specific to helping commercial products etc ... cant think of it's name just spent the last 20 mins searching
but cannot find .... some one else here may remember


Dave

 

[Supercap2F]

There is another site specific to helping commercial products etc ... cant think of it's name just spent the last 20 mins searching but cannot find .... some one else here may remember

Freelancer.com maybe?

 

[davenn]

Freelancer.com maybe?

hmmm that may be the one

cant remember if its the one that has been mentioned on the forum several times over the last 6 months

Doing a forum search on that ... gave 2 other hits ... so may be the one


Dave

 

[Zachary Taylor]

Thanks a lot guys, you've been very helpful