The Exploding Capacitor Piano - Advice if possible...

[Mike RS]

First to give you all a bit of background when I was but a wee lad and
still in the vile institution commonly know as public school I was
given an assignment.

"Invent something and explain what it could be used for."

Well, being a violent and destructive youth I naturally decided that
whatever I invented should explode, I was also studying the piano at
the time. So I decided to invent an exploding capacitor piano. This
was some twelve odd years ago, I now have the skills needed to build
such a wonderful device, as an added challenge I have decided to do
this using only one 8 pin PIC, everything else will be TTL logic, the
only function of the PIC will be to control a High Power Transistor
switching array.

My working idea is as follows:

Each note has a bank of 100 available capacitors, which upon exploding
will vibrate the resonate plate above them (one resonate plate per
capacitor), producing the correct (or close to correct) note. Now,
given that each capacitor can only be blown up once my PIC needs to
keep track of which capacitor its on.

So, each array has a counter connected to it, each time the switch is
pushed a high signal is sent to the clock pin and the counter advances
one. The pic reads the status of the counter and provides power to the
correct transistor through a decoder grid. The capcitor then, due to
the extreme voltage begin run through it, explodes, producing a fairly
nice note.

Now, can anyone see a problem with this idea? I have build a one note
bank and verified that the idea was sound, however, if I have
overlooked anything here please point it out.

Thank You

And yes I am quite serious.

 

[Mike RS]

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 20:18:51 -0500, Joe Legris <[email protected]>
wrote:


Have you ever done it before? Well? Thought not.

At any rate did I fail to mention the part about "Well Ventilated
Area" or the also quite useful "Protective Plastic Divider"?

Its fun you see, plus I have lots of Electrolytic capacitors, it would
seem a shame to waste them in productive circuits when they could have
a much greater impact on the worldwide music community if I were to
blow them up.

Besides, the little green men told me it was a good idea, are you
going to argue with the little green men?

 

[Mike RS]

You are 'quite seriously' ill.

fp

Yes, I know, but will it work? See any problems with it from a
technical standpoint?

 

[Joe Legris]

First to give you all a bit of background when I was but a wee lad and
still in the vile institution commonly know as public school I was
given an assignment.

"Invent something and explain what it could be used for."

Well, being a violent and destructive youth I naturally decided that
whatever I invented should explode, I was also studying the piano at
the time. So I decided to invent an exploding capacitor piano. This
was some twelve odd years ago, I now have the skills needed to build
such a wonderful device, as an added challenge I have decided to do
this using only one 8 pin PIC, everything else will be TTL logic, the
only function of the PIC will be to control a High Power Transistor
switching array.

My working idea is as follows:

Each note has a bank of 100 available capacitors, which upon exploding
will vibrate the resonate plate above them (one resonate plate per
capacitor), producing the correct (or close to correct) note. Now,
given that each capacitor can only be blown up once my PIC needs to
keep track of which capacitor its on.

So, each array has a counter connected to it, each time the switch is
pushed a high signal is sent to the clock pin and the counter advances
one. The pic reads the status of the counter and provides power to the
correct transistor through a decoder grid. The capcitor then, due to
the extreme voltage begin run through it, explodes, producing a fairly
nice note.

Now, can anyone see a problem with this idea? I have build a one note
bank and verified that the idea was sound, however, if I have
overlooked anything here please point it out.

Thank You

And yes I am quite serious.

What's this fascination with exploding capacitors when we've got good
old-fashioned blasting caps? And if you really like breathing
carcinogenic fumes, maybe you should consider adding benzene to your
french fries. Mmm-mmm-good!

--
Joe Legris
============================================================================
Check out my Ebay listings:
Brand new electronic components in lots of 10+
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=tachogram
============================================================================

 

[Frank Pickens]

First to give you all a bit of background when I was but a wee lad and
still in the vile institution commonly know as public school I was
given an assignment.

"Invent something and explain what it could be used for."

Well, being a violent and destructive youth I naturally decided that
whatever I invented should explode, I was also studying the piano at
the time. So I decided to invent an exploding capacitor piano. This
was some twelve odd years ago, I now have the skills needed to build
such a wonderful device, as an added challenge I have decided to do
this using only one 8 pin PIC, everything else will be TTL logic, the
only function of the PIC will be to control a High Power Transistor
switching array.

My working idea is as follows:

Each note has a bank of 100 available capacitors, which upon exploding
will vibrate the resonate plate above them (one resonate plate per
capacitor), producing the correct (or close to correct) note. Now,
given that each capacitor can only be blown up once my PIC needs to
keep track of which capacitor its on.

So, each array has a counter connected to it, each time the switch is
pushed a high signal is sent to the clock pin and the counter advances
one. The pic reads the status of the counter and provides power to the
correct transistor through a decoder grid. The capcitor then, due to
the extreme voltage begin run through it, explodes, producing a fairly
nice note.

Now, can anyone see a problem with this idea? I have build a one note
bank and verified that the idea was sound, however, if I have
overlooked anything here please point it out.

Thank You

And yes I am quite serious.

You are 'quite seriously' ill.
fp

 

[Frank Pickens]

Yes, I know, but will it work? See any problems with it from a
technical standpoint?

Sorry. I'm out of this ridiculous discussion.
fp

 

[Winfield Hill]

Mike RS wrote...

Its fun you see, plus I have lots of Electrolytic capacitors, it would
seem a shame to waste them in productive circuits when they could have
a much greater impact on the worldwide music community if I were to
blow them up.

Electrolytic capacitors have too long an explosive time delay, plus
they're not predictable or repeatable. Go with the blasting caps.

Thanks,
- Win

whill_at_picovolt-dot-com

 

[Ben Bradley]

...

Its fun you see, plus I have lots of Electrolytic capacitors, it would
seem a shame to waste them in productive circuits when they could have
a much greater impact on the worldwide music community if I were to
blow them up.

Besides, the little green men told me it was a good idea, are you
going to argue with the little green men?

News, is that you?

 

[William J. Beaty]

Well, being a violent and destructive youth I naturally decided that
whatever I invented should explode, I was also studying the piano at
the time. So I decided to invent an exploding capacitor piano.

LOL! My version (never built) used acetylene/air in long tubes
with a spark ignition. No CPU necessary, just put a little strobe
trigger xfrmr on each pipe. But then someone else independantly
invented it! Yarrrg! Don't you just HATE it when those sneaky
independant idea theives pick YOUR idea out of the very same ether?

propane organ
http://www.lhpo.org/
http://www.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Large_Hot_Pipe_Organ/


(((((((((((((((((((( ( ( ( ( (O) ) ) ) ) ))))))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty SCIENCE HOBBYIST website
[email protected] http://amasci.com
EE/programmer/sci-exhibits amateur science, hobby projects, sci fair
Seattle, WA 206-789-0775 unusual phenomena, tesla coils, weird sci

 

[Paul Burridge]

"Invent something and explain what it could be used for."

Well, being a violent and destructive youth I naturally decided that
whatever I invented should explode, I was also studying the piano at
the time. So I decided to invent an exploding capacitor piano.

It'll never catch on.


[snip]

So, each array has a counter connected to it, each time the switch is
pushed a high signal is sent to the clock pin and the counter advances
one. The pic reads the status of the counter and provides power to the
correct transistor through a decoder grid. The capcitor then, due to
the extreme voltage begin run through it, explodes, producing a fairly
nice note.

No it won't. Even if you can tune the resonant elements correctly, it
will still sound awful and you won't be able to control the sustain,
so all your 'notes' will be either be quavers, minims, crotchets or
whatever; each having the same duration.

Now, can anyone see a problem with this idea?

I have build a one note
bank and verified that the idea was sound, however, if I have
overlooked anything here please point it out.

You're nuts. Thanks for the laugh, though.

 

[Tim Shoppa]

Each note has a bank of 100 available capacitors, which upon exploding

I used a NED (Noise Emitting Diode) in my implementation.

Tim.

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Tim Shoppa <shoppa@trailing-
edge.com> wrote (in <[email protected]>)
about 'The Exploding Capacitor Piano - Advice if possible...', on Fri,
21 Nov 2003:

I used a NED (Noise Emitting Diode) in my implementation.

An overloaded 5Y3GT rectifier expressed its displeasure by emitting
tinkling noises, IIRC. (;-)

 

[Bob Stephens]

Mike RS wrote...


Electrolytic capacitors have too long an explosive time delay, plus
they're not predictable or repeatable. Go with the blasting caps.

Thanks,
- Win

whill_at_picovolt-dot-com

I've seen (heard) tiny LED's go off with a very satisfactory bang
- about the magnitude of a Ladyfinger firecracker.

Bob

 

[Winfield Hill]

Bob Stephens wrote...

I've seen (heard) tiny LED's go off with a very satisfactory bang
- about the magnitude of a Ladyfinger firecracker.

Yes, LEDs operated at 1000% or more of the nominal current will often
explode with a satsifying noise at some point, especially if there's
a big capacitor across the LED to "filter" the current. But speaking
practically, uncertain time delays would be an issue for musical use.

Thanks,
- Win

whill_at_picovolt-dot-com

 

[Kevin McMurtrie]

Bob Stephens wrote...

Yes, LEDs operated at 1000% or more of the nominal current will often
explode with a satsifying noise at some point, especially if there's
a big capacitor across the LED to "filter" the current. But speaking
practically, uncertain time delays would be an issue for musical use.

Thanks,
- Win

whill_at_picovolt-dot-com

The timing of an LED exploding is very predictable at 1KV But I
suppose if you're going to have 1KV capacitors and discharge tubes
around, you might as well put a bed of magnets under the wires and then
zap the wires to "pluck" them. It should put on quite a show and last
long enough for several performances.

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Winfield Hill
about 'The Exploding Capacitor Piano - Advice if possible...', on Fri,
21 Nov 2003:

But speaking
practically, uncertain time delays would be an issue for musical use.

Not for what passes for 'music' these days.

 

[Winfield Hill]

Kevin McMurtrie wrote...
Just to expand on the point. Several years ago I reported here the
story of our LED Blaster, comprising two 400-LED banks of 655nm red
high-intensity LEDs operating at about 150mA each, cooled by copper
heat-removal bars and two huge fans. It worked well and generated
a high light intensity at the precise wavelength needed to rapidly
activate our purification dye within standard bags of blood in a Red
Cross experiment.

The 800 LEDs seemed happy enough and their light output didn't drop
with time. But every now and then, one of the LEDs would explode
furiously (I imagine that at the instant of failure the LED would
start sucking all its neighboring LED's current) propelling plastic
bits all about. Ultimately these occasional LED explosions caused
the demise of the instrument.

The timing of an LED exploding is very predictable at 1KV But I
suppose if you're going to have 1KV capacitors and discharge tubes
around, you might as well put a bed of magnets under the wires and then
zap the wires to "pluck" them. It should put on quite a show and last
long enough for several performances.

It'd be more practical to explode low-value resistors. And unlike
exploding LEDs, there's a nice accompanying smell.

Thanks,
- Win

whill_at_picovolt-dot-com

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

It'd be more practical to explode low-value resistors. And unlike
exploding LEDs, there's a nice accompanying smell.

Wot about some big honking solenoids, digitally sequenced to play
"three blind mice" on what would be an electric mouse organ?

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

 

[Frank Bemelman]

Kevin McMurtrie wrote...

Just to expand on the point. Several years ago I reported here the
story of our LED Blaster, comprising two 400-LED banks of 655nm red
high-intensity LEDs operating at about 150mA each, cooled by copper
heat-removal bars and two huge fans. It worked well and generated
a high light intensity at the precise wavelength needed to rapidly
activate our purification dye within standard bags of blood in a Red
Cross experiment.

The 800 LEDs seemed happy enough and their light output didn't drop
with time. But every now and then, one of the LEDs would explode
furiously (I imagine that at the instant of failure the LED would
start sucking all its neighboring LED's current) propelling plastic
bits all about. Ultimately these occasional LED explosions caused
the demise of the instrument.


It'd be more practical to explode low-value resistors. And unlike
exploding LEDs, there's a nice accompanying smell.

You will get more bang for the bucks, if you put a tight
rubber tubing around the resistor.

Once my electric deep fryer had some problems, not heating
now and then. At some point I discovered that bending the
cord made the neon lamp go on an off. I proudly showed it to
my wife, look, on-off-on-off-on-off-o B-A-N-G !!!!!! (louder
than that, really). She was so mad, tried to sent me to bed
early

 

[Terry]

John Woodgate threw some tea leaves on the floor

I read in sci.electronics.design that Tim Shoppa <shoppa@trailing-
edge.com> wrote (in <[email protected]>)
about 'The Exploding Capacitor Piano - Advice if possible...', on Fri,
21 Nov 2003:


An overloaded 5Y3GT rectifier expressed its displeasure by emitting
tinkling noises, IIRC. (;-)

You guys are obsessed with exploding leds and rectifiers!

I reckon you can't go past an exploding BC547, I'm sure I still have the
package imprint between my eyes!