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Hi folks. I'm fairly new to the message board here, but I wanted to see if I could get some assistance.
I have a Line6 DL4, and I'm modding it with an expression switch in the form of a 3PDT switch fit with a 10K resistor and wired to a plug in the expression pedal jack. This is a very common mod that I'm sure most of you have seen before. Basically just like an expression pedal except it takes you from the minimum to maximum ends of the expression range instantly.
The mod istelf is simple enough, except I'm doing an add-on, or attempting to at least. My original thought was to mount a second 3PDT switch, jump the leads from the tip and sleeve of the jack over from the first 3PDT, and connect an indicator LED and a photocell. The goal in this would be so that I would be able to kick on the second 3PDT, activate the photocell, and use that with my hand or foot to sweep up and down the expression range. I drew up and attached a wiring diagram of this set up so you can see where I'm at.
This is where it gets complicated. In looking into it deeper, I decided that It may be more in my interest to use an IR proximity sensor instead of the photocell, both for the extended range of the IR sensor and due to the fact that most of the bars and clubs I play at are not extremely well lit, and I'd rather not have to rely on ambient light.
I was advised by Colin over at Experimentalists Anonymous to check out this IR sensor:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/242
After doing some research, I believe I could make an LED/LDR combo by directly attaching 1 or 2 LEDs "face-to-face" onto a photocell, sealing it with heat shrink and mounting it inside the unit, connecting the LEDs to the IR sensor, and thereby convert the voltage into resistance (voltage fluctuations from the IR sensor = light fluctuations from the LEDs = resistance fluctuations from the photocell = sweeps in the expression range). My concerns are:
1. How exactly would I wire up that IR sensor? Although I'm fairly familiar with pedal circuitry, photocells and IR sensors are out of my range of experience.
2. The DL4 operates at 12V, and that IR sensor has a supply voltage of 4.5V to 5.5V. If I wire the sensor to the power pads on the PCB, will there be an issue?
3. The maximum output voltage of the IR sensor is 3.1 volts. Provided that I'm using waterclear, superbright LEDs with fairly low value resistors, will this much voltage be sufficient to light them brightly enough to activate the photocell?
If I'm totally off base or crazy for thinking this would work, don't be afraid to tell me. Photocells and IR sensors are totally new territory for me so I'm just trying to figure it out.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I have a Line6 DL4, and I'm modding it with an expression switch in the form of a 3PDT switch fit with a 10K resistor and wired to a plug in the expression pedal jack. This is a very common mod that I'm sure most of you have seen before. Basically just like an expression pedal except it takes you from the minimum to maximum ends of the expression range instantly.
The mod istelf is simple enough, except I'm doing an add-on, or attempting to at least. My original thought was to mount a second 3PDT switch, jump the leads from the tip and sleeve of the jack over from the first 3PDT, and connect an indicator LED and a photocell. The goal in this would be so that I would be able to kick on the second 3PDT, activate the photocell, and use that with my hand or foot to sweep up and down the expression range. I drew up and attached a wiring diagram of this set up so you can see where I'm at.
This is where it gets complicated. In looking into it deeper, I decided that It may be more in my interest to use an IR proximity sensor instead of the photocell, both for the extended range of the IR sensor and due to the fact that most of the bars and clubs I play at are not extremely well lit, and I'd rather not have to rely on ambient light.
I was advised by Colin over at Experimentalists Anonymous to check out this IR sensor:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/242
After doing some research, I believe I could make an LED/LDR combo by directly attaching 1 or 2 LEDs "face-to-face" onto a photocell, sealing it with heat shrink and mounting it inside the unit, connecting the LEDs to the IR sensor, and thereby convert the voltage into resistance (voltage fluctuations from the IR sensor = light fluctuations from the LEDs = resistance fluctuations from the photocell = sweeps in the expression range). My concerns are:
1. How exactly would I wire up that IR sensor? Although I'm fairly familiar with pedal circuitry, photocells and IR sensors are out of my range of experience.
2. The DL4 operates at 12V, and that IR sensor has a supply voltage of 4.5V to 5.5V. If I wire the sensor to the power pads on the PCB, will there be an issue?
3. The maximum output voltage of the IR sensor is 3.1 volts. Provided that I'm using waterclear, superbright LEDs with fairly low value resistors, will this much voltage be sufficient to light them brightly enough to activate the photocell?
If I'm totally off base or crazy for thinking this would work, don't be afraid to tell me. Photocells and IR sensors are totally new territory for me so I'm just trying to figure it out.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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