[Khalid]

As we Know IRF530 or 540 is not logical level MOSFET it is energized with 10V so the people pushing 5Volts through it give bad performance. If you want to use the use IRL540 or IRLZ44.
OR
See my above circuit in which i am energizing with 10V. Attached is the PDF for toner transfer. When printing use no scale option. Four optoisolator PC817 are installed on 8-legs IC base. Please confirm the direction of installation.

[Khalid]

VisualBasic program that i uploaded with source code was hard coded to run 40 solenoid valves, so it will not work with other number of solenoid valves. This needs you change programming with visual basic.
However, currently making program which does not need any changes within the source file. it will be universal.

[Khalid]

What about if the graphical waterfall does not rely on computer?...Using SD card only?

[Khalid]

it will not work due to above mentioned reason. you have to wait for the new release of software.

[Khalid]

Please dont follow post 245 and 246 PCB as the IRF540 legs wiring is not correct in the PCB. That was a big blunder from myside, all the etching, soldering work went in vain somebody beat me on this. Meanwhile prepared one simple 8 valves controller motherboard. Today i shall test it.
The idea is to make one MOTHERBOARD to which 8-valves modular card will be attached. User can get number of these cards to attach with the main mother board depends upon the number of solenoid valves installed. Minimum number of solenoid valves=8. Each modular card will control 8 valves.

[Dak01]

Great to see some activity on this thread!

I have been designing and building my water wall for about 8 months. I currently have 32 solenoids working on my water header and the final design will have 192 total. Total length of the wall will be 7 feet.

Have attached a couple of photos and a schematic of my circuit.

Let me know what you think.

[kojaetova]

I like it. What king solenoids are installed? I have problem with software.... wright now I'm communicating with arduino source code.

[Khalid]

I have improved the software. I am using handshaking protocol now. So no garbage data can affect the shift registers. Julfi's concept is good and implementable in my software, you need a touch screen
I am thinking of completly removing the computer in future version. An LCD display with SD card will be enough to run the waterfall.

[julfi]

Im glad you like it. The software is my friends creation, from scratch, using arduino. Solenoids are industrial solenoids, is a bit more expensive but they are very accurate.
This waterfall printer is not using computer, its reading the SD card. Beside reading pictures that are pre-prepared we used to have a touch screen monitor for interaction. After our exhibition on a marketing conference we upgraded the software to ipad (yeah.. if you dont have apple gadgets on such events you are an outsider ) This ipad module you can see on the video. After a research we came with the conclusion that the interaction is what attract guests so we made a SMS module. Guest can simply send the SMS to the printer and water will read it.

Lights used in the video are some powerfull leds, but they are not part of printer. Between nozzles are led stripes, but are not sufficient. Probably some good led wall washer would do the job, but we never tested it.

Dak, did you tried the strobe function ? Is possible to see some video of printer while operating ? I like the idea of integrating the water fountain into the house, i bet it will look awesome !

[Khalid]

Okay guys here is a brief update:
1- Handshake protocol is one of the difficult thing as the Picture converted into every type of EXTENDED CHARACTERS. So making protocol was a bit difficult task however the software is now working great:
Protocol is like:

> XYZ%

> = Start of byte
XYZ = three bytes i.e. 8x3= Solenoid valves
% = end of byte and send to shift register

We have all sort of ASCII characters incoming in serial port from VisualBasic to Arduino. We have to make a protocol so that we know that the bytes that are coming having START OF LINE > and END OF LINE% character as per protocol defined above. We have to precisely pick the two bytes between > and %. for example
Lets see a simple protocol:
>XX%

Now there is a chance we get the data like:
>>%% or
>%>%
or
>a%%
or any combination.
but we have to pick the two middle values.. and we know its a serial data, some time computer through garbage values especially when the device is connecting or very fast data..and the data is coming like >>>%>aa%>we%%%%.......
However, the above job was done proffessionally Took lot of coffee and few nights..


2- Prepared the electronics and tested with the software and its performing brilliantly.
3- One of my friend sent me the waterfall pre-fabricated and now its in washroom for test purpose. it has 8 valves only will be very less resolution but i hope this time we will succeed.

[Dak01]

Great discussion guys! Nice to have others with the same challenges to bounce ideas around with.

I do have the strobe feature working on my waterwall and by varying the frequency of the strobe, I can make the water droplets go up, down or stationary. I will take some video of the working wall this weekend but I have not had much success with video on the levitating water as the strobe is not picked up well on the camera. Will try again.

Julfi, what solenoids are you using? The 24VDC solenoids I use will generate heat during extended activation which I have mitigated with the DRV102's since they latch the solenoids at full power and then use a PWM signal to drop the voltage and reduce power consumption. The PWM signal creates noise which has required some attenuation so it does not affect the functionality of the board. I think the biggest key here is a good grounding scheme.

My plan is to have a touch screen PC in the house mounted beside the waterfall to provide similar interactivity as Julfi has. The kids will love it.

Khalid, are you running your new fountain from a pressurized source? It looks to me like unless you are running off utility pressure you may still have too much thin hose on your nozzles. I think this is the real challenge using commercially available solenoid valves. If you can get one with a large enough orifice to pass water at atmospheric pressure, the valves will be too large to pack them closely together. Generally commercially available valves are made for much higher pressure differential across the valve than what we see with the atmospheric style header.

Wishing you the best Khalid but if it is not what you expect, do not despair, you are close and we can help you get this working. Please post your results.

[Khalid]

The header is at Atmospheric pressure. Actually i can't afford commercial available solenoid valves. lets see whats happen tomorrow with these low cost valves
I wish i could start a KickStarter but i am unable to... Anybody intrusted i can support...

[Dak01]

The header is at Atmospheric pressure. Actually i can't afford commercial available solenoid valves. lets see whats happen tomorrow with these low cost valves
I wish i could start a KickStarter but i am unable to... Anybody intrusted i can support...

If you do not get the desired results, run a hose from the tap to a header which you connect with tubing to your solenoid valve inlets. With the additional pressure, this will work for your setup if the valves function quickly enough.

Not sure what a kickstarter is?

[Khalid]

Kickstarter serach google. Its a funding website.

[Khalid]

Okay guys , At last i get the visible arrow .. I succeeded with 8 valves. The resolution is low but the Arrow is very visible. The software worked great and the Protocol was perfect I shall soon share the video.

[Khalid]

Here is the video. Unfortunately, the mobile camera was laying horizontal throughout the video. This video has small clips in which i am manupulating and optimizing my software for better results. The first clip showing arrow fall. In the subsequent videos various testing to optimize setting.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/s00hajwkpp...2521_MPEG_.mpg
Unfortunately 8 valves gives bad resolution. i sent the video to fountain guy and he was amazed to see the results. He started fabricating 40 valves watefall. Morever i told him to add strong LED lighting just at each valve so that visibility come clear.
Few improvements he will do , i am sharing so that anybody interested can get it right for the first time.
1- Waterfall must have atleast 24 solenoid valves
2- Waterfall height must be 8ft or bigger
3- LED lights on each valve will make the falling water vsible and beautify the look of falls.
4- Add black curtain behind.
5- I am doing no more testing as my software and hardware prooved themselves. I am going to empty my washroom

[Khalid]

The 40 solenoid valves waterfall shall reach at my doorstep in mid of December. Then i shall be able to show the magic. The project i started in 2011 is going to be finished in 2013.

[kojaetova]

Khalid,
I appreciate your skills!!! Finally you made it! Now it seems like perfect engineering creation. Your skills create's lot of impressions to all of us followers of your's brilliant creations. Could you share with us the final software with source code just like before for the oldest one? Thanks and we are waiting for mid of December to see the final magic made from you.

[Khalid]

Thanks for appreciations.... Actually the software was re-written and microcontroller programming was done from scratches. This software is going to be a proprietary software for a Fountain Maker and presently lot of enhancement going to take place in it.
I am afraid i will not able to share the source code. If you can email me may be i help you out individually.

[kojaetova]

Thanks Khalid for your response. My e-mail is [email protected]