Drop-in replacement for Adams vibraphone board.
When students replaced the power cord on the High School's Adams vibraphone, they discovered that the motor control does not work. The sliding potentiometer and three-digit display have erratic effects. Replacing the control board from Adams is deemed to likely be economically impractical given the power cord cost more than $100.00.
This project's objective is to replace the proprietary control board and controls with a functional equivalent using off-the-shelf components.
- Same form, fit and function as proprietary controller, as to preserve integrity of the instrument.
- Control vibraphone motor
- Control speed from 40-140 RPM using slider
- Maintain steady RPM; speed not be exact but should be maintained if possible
- Optional - level tampers at speed-down / power-off
- Display motor speed in RPM
- Respond to button control consistent with existing function
| Component | Source in Production |
|---|---|
| Motor assembly and mounted OPB991L11Z optical switch | Existing vibraphone; silent DC motors are difficult to find / assess and so this motor is particularly valuable in that its known-quiet. Its operating parameters such as DC rating remain unknown. |
| DIN-3 26v DC Power Cord | Existing Vibraphone. The power plug has a weather-tight locking lug that makes the connection rugged. We can re-use this power adapter and/or wire another adapter to use a DIN-3 connector. |
| Translucent Buttons | Existing; these are soft clear rubber with an inset square of conductor along the edge, which closes a connection pad on the Adams PCB. The PCB has an LED under the button sensor. |
| Slider Control | New PCB Mounted |
| 3-digit RPM Display | New 3-digit display or LED display if able to find fit |
| Control PCB | New board to fit within existing mount with components aligned to fit the pass-throughs to the outside of the unit. This board will need to mount the potentiometer slider, pads for the two translucent buttons with backing LEDs, and pin connectors for power in, DC motor power, and optical switch. |