My Padawan System Is Working!

Well, the sound is anyhow. At this point I have a wireless ps2 controller, with the receiver plugged into a ps2 controller extension cable. That extension cable has been hacked in half, and the inside wires are being used as inputs to the Arduino Uno. The Uno is a cheap clone, but works great. The Uno is loaded up with code that has been put together by Danf, who I'd like to thank for the work he has done, the help he has given me so far, and the help I'm sure he will give me in the future as I start to add more to the controller set up. The code handles the input and output. I already covered the input, so the output goes from the Uno, to the mp3 trigger that is preloaded with the Padawan Sound files. These are the same basic R2-D2 sounds most builder are using with, but come in a specific order so that they match up with the code. Something worth pointing out about these files is that they have to be put onto the sd card one at a time, in the order they are listed in. Many people have had issues with the wrong sounds playing for the triggers and that is due to the fact that they put all the files on at once. I didn't run into that issue, but I did a ton of reading before I even bought these parts. 

Here we have a couple of close ups of the wiring. It looks sloppy, but this is still me just testing to see if things are working. Once I get these boards mounted on a permanent solution, the wiring will be done a bit more properly. For one I plan to buy the ScrewShield for the Uno, which cleans things up quite a bit. 

If you can't make it out, I too some small pieces of solid wire and soldered them to the end of the frayed copper wire that is inside the ps2 extension cable. Made putting them into the header terminals a lot easier for testing. 

With this working I'll be moving back to my teeces system once the rest of my parts get here. Then once that is done I'll get to integrate the two systems together. The Padawan system makes it so that durring certain sound files the lights behave differently than normal. I believe the 4 different behaviors are short circuit, the Leia message, and the Empire song. Can't wait to get it all working!

Also, I believe I'm working on things backwards to what most builders do. From what I've read of other build logs most people put together the frame or dome first. Then they put everything together and then maybe start tinkering with the electronics. I have ordered my dome, but I am still waiting on it to be shipped. Electronics are something I find myself understand a bit easier than construction so this seemed like a natural place to start. Plus it makes my wife's three year old sister scream when I can make R2 noises come from across the room =D