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Iron Man Electronics Kit
Congratulations with your Iron Man Electronics Kit! We hope this kit is a nice addition to your IM Suite.
This kit contains:
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2 eyes with cable + stereo connectors
2 foot lights with cable + stereo connectors
2 hand lights with flash leds with cable + stereo connectors
1 arc with cable + stereo connector
2 tilt switches with cable + stereo connectors
2 flex sensors without cable
2 heat sinks (not installed)
1 console box with 12 connections
Plexi (various parts and sizes)
In the original post we showed the flex sensors, as a free upgrade we’ve included the new Tilt sensors
which we wanted to use for the next version. They are easier to use and more solid then the flex sensors.
We still included the flex sensors for those of you who want to use them (read below how to install
them). We prefer the tilt switch and are no longer using the flex sensors.
WARNING
DO NOT INSERT THE TILT SENSORS INTO THE WRONG CONNECTOR!! THIS WILL FRY YOUR CONSOLE!!
Please mark the 2 input connectors clearly (with some red tape), and do the same with the connectors
on the tilt switches so you don’t make a mistake!
We advise to install all the led components first !
How To Use The Kit
It’s very easy. Get yourself a battery with at least 6V (max 7.2V) and a Tamiya connector. We’re using
one of these:
It has 6000 mAh so it can last for several hours
before failing. Since our battery was supplying
over 8V we removed one of the cells (remove
the plastic, remove one cell, solder one wire,
use new tape -> 7V!). If your battery also
supplies around 8V the console will get warm
quite fast (see below for how to install the heat
sinks) and we suggest removing one of the cells.
11, 12 = input for
sensors to hands (tilt
sensor model)
1, 2 eyes,
3,5 are hand 1
4,6 are hand 2
7,8 feet,
9 arc
Power regulators
Plugin the different connectors as explained on the console and below:
1. Eye 1
2. Eye 2
HANDS are 3,5 & 4,6
3.
4.
5.
6.
Hand 1
Hand 2
Hand Flash 1
Hand Flash 2
7. Foot 1
8. Foot 2
9. Arc
10. Not Used
I1. Input Hand Flash 1 Go into hole 11
I2. Input Hand Flash 2 Go into hole 12
If you tilt the Tilt switch you will see the hand light up and fire. Each Tilt switch will activate one hand.
You need to lower the tilt switch to be able to fire again. You cannot keep the lights on. You might want
to put some tape around the tilt switches and their wires to make sure you don’t pull them loose.
After testing the lights on your table, you can start to install them in your suit. Make sure you can
remove all the components if necessary. The tilt switches can be installed in your glove or somewhere in
your arm. The switch will activate when it’s lifted around 10-15°. We installed it in the hand protection
above our glove. This works very well. Make sure you install the tilt switch in the correct position. One
way up is on, the other way up is off.. Test this thoroughly before you install it in your suit!
Cut the plexi to fit into the eyes of your helmet. First draw the outline on the plexi and make sure you
have the right size. Any plexi will do, we’ve added some but you can also use your own. The rest of the
plexi you can use to cut circles out for the hand and the foot lights. We use 30mm circles for those but
perhaps you gloves are a bit different than ours.
For the feet we’re using boots with high heels (4inches), we’ve cut round holes in the bottom with a
30mm diameter and used PVC tube pieces to fixed the walls. In this PVC we’ve installed the electronics
and placed the plexi on the end. If we walk we do not lean on the plexi, this will damage the plexi and
perhaps the lights. In the back of the boots we’ve drilled a hole to get the wires through to connect to
the console. You’ll need to make a big hole to make the connector fit, or you’ll have to cut the wires and
resolder (or twist them) again, make sure you put non electrical tape around each of the wires you put
back together.
To make putting the suit on easier you might want to cut the wires and add connectors in places where
you wish. Just make sure you connect the wires in the correct order (same colors)! We only advice to do
this if you wore the suite a couple of times so you know where the biggest problem areas might be
(shoulders, hips, …) to put the connectors through.
There is no OFF switch on the console (perhaps in a next version). So make sure you can easily reach
underneath your suite to pull the battery in case of a problem. Don’t tape the battery connector to the
connector of the console so you can easily disconnect them. We didn’t have any problems, but you never
know.
How to install the heat sinks
If you only have a 8V battery which you wish to attach, please install the heat sinks BEFORE you use the
battery, else this might lead to damage. Just screw the heat sinks onto the two Voltage Regulators. You
might want to use some heat sink paste (the one they also use for processors in computers) to make the
heat transfer even better. To make sure the heat doesn’t stay in the console, please cut a part of the top
of the box where the heat sinks are located, also make sure this part is not blocked when you install the
console in your suit.
How to install the flex sensors
We’ve had our best results with the tilt sensors, they are much easier to use and easier to built into our
suit, we suggest to not use the flex sensors anymore (you can sell them or use them for another project
if you wish). If you do wish to use the flex sensors you need to take these steps:
1. Solder wires to the endpoints of the flex sensor: be VERY careful, the sensors are fragile!!
2. Solder the other end of the wires to the male stereo connectors. There are 3 connections, you
have to use the 2 outer ones (it doesn’t matter which wire goes where) (see the other
connectors for an example)
3. Since the Arduino is programmed to use the tilt switch, you will have to tell it to use flex sensors
instead. You do this by cutting the red wire which is in a loop. Cutting this wire will tell the
Arduino it’s no longer using the tilt sensor, but now has to check for flex sensors. You cannot use
tilt and flex sensors in a mixed mode (so both hands need to have the same type of sensor).
Make sure you NEVER bend the sensor in the beginning (where the wires are), always make sure
the first inch (or 2.5cm) are straight! You might want to add something solid (cardboard,
plastic,..) to make sure you don’t bent this. This is the part where the sensors fail easily.
4. Plug the flex sensor into the input connectors and see how they work
If you wish to switch back to the tilt sensors you’ll need to find a way to connect the red wire which you
cut. Strip both ends which you’ve cut, solder (or twist) the wires together and put some non-electrical
tape around it.
Again, we advise you to stay with the tilt sensors… The flex sensors might look much cooler, but they are
a big hassle to install into your suit and they are fragile, so you need to be careful using them.
Do not hesitate to contact us with ANY questions and/or remarks!
Jeroen/Bas
DarkJerre/Aquila125