Files
mangavalkandClaude Opus 5.5 cdf24e0b4b Heatsinks, wider 12 V tracks, design review; pause project
- PCB rev 0.1: Power3A class (1.5 mm) for the 12 V input path, Aavid
  clip-on heatsinks on Q3/Q5/Q6 (project footprint library), T-junction
  healing and via shrink in the router; DRC 0 errors
- Current-capacity and heatsink documentation
- CLAUDE.md with project decisions, workflow and gotchas
- docs/design-review.md: review of a module-only PSU (rev 0.2) and cost
  estimate
- Project paused for budget and safety reasons

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-10-24 15:07:58 +02:00

48 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
Raw Permalink Blame History

This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters
This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.
# Plasma DMD
Drive a second-hand 128×32 pinball **plasma** dot-matrix display (originally on a Williams WPC
DMD controller) standalone, from a **Wemos D1 mini ESP32**, powered from a single **12 V DC** brick.
The display power supply is built from cheap modules plus a copy of the regulator section of the
Stern/Sega display PSU (520-5138-00). The original transformer and AC front end are not used.
> ⚠️ **High voltage.** The panel runs on about +65 V, −100 V and −112 V, which is about 175 V
> between rails. That can injure you. Read [docs/safety.md](docs/safety.md) before powering anything.
## The panel
- Bought second-hand on 18 September 2021 for €37.
- Originally driven by a Williams WPC DMD controller board. No original controller or PSU came with it.
## Layout
| Path | Contents |
|---|---|
| [docs/power-supply.md](docs/power-supply.md) | PSU design: block diagram, analysis of the original board, changes |
| [hardware/psu-schematic.svg](hardware/psu-schematic.svg) | PSU schematic (generated by [hardware/psu_schematic.py](hardware/psu_schematic.py)) |
| [hardware/kicad/](hardware/kicad/) | KiCad 10 project for the PSU carrier board: schematic and routed PCB (rev 0.1) |
| [docs/safety.md](docs/safety.md) | Safety design (HV watchdog, fusing, layout, bring-up procedure) |
| [docs/esp32-interface.md](docs/esp32-interface.md) | ESP32 pin plan, 74HCT245 level shifter, panel signals |
| [docs/bom.md](docs/bom.md) | Bill of materials |
| [docs/design-review.md](docs/design-review.md) | Design review of the module-only PSU (rev 0.2) and cost estimate |
| [reference/](reference/) | Original Stern 520-5138-00 display PSU schematic |
| [firmware/](firmware/) | PlatformIO project for the ESP32 |
| [CLAUDE.md](CLAUDE.md) | Project notes for Claude: decisions, workflow, tool paths, gotchas |
## Status
> **Paused (2026-10-24)** because of budget and safety concerns. See [docs/design-review.md](docs/design-review.md)
> for the latest review and cost estimate.
- [ ] Identify panel: manufacturer/part number from its label
- [ ] Map the panel's power connector pins (WPC panel ≠ Stern CN2 pinout) and check if +12 V is used
- [ ] Map the panel's 14-pin data connector
- [x] Lay out the PSU PCB in KiCad ([hardware/kicad/](hardware/kicad/README.md))
- [ ] Review the PCB and work through the [before ordering](hardware/kicad/README.md#before-ordering) checklist
- [ ] Order parts ([docs/bom.md](docs/bom.md))
- [ ] Build and bench-test the PSU **without the panel** ([bring-up](docs/safety.md#bring-up-procedure))
- [ ] Build HV watchdog and verify that the relay drops when toggling stops
- [ ] Firmware: row scanning with test pattern
- [ ] First power-up with panel (series resistors, current measurement)
- [ ] Firmware: greyscale, content source (Wi-Fi / serial)