Ambitious Project, Help Requested

[calbiterol]

So, in all of my spare time (which is like, nothing... ), I'm undertaking a rather ambitious project, and I'd like some help as to where I should start. The long and short of the project is to create a grid, similar to an LCD display, that:

1. Controls the "status" (on or off) of infrared light
   
2. Is backlit by an infrared laser
   
3. Can control areas smaller than the size of the laser beam (in other words, multiple cells in the grid per laser beam - with preferrably only ONE laser beam - just like the many pixels in an LCD screen to the one backlight)
   
4. Is controlled, whether directly or indirectly, through electric current, preferrably distributed in some type of grid
   
5. Contains nothing that will interfere with the transfer of infrared light in the control area (just like there isn't a big green blob in the middle of an LCD computer screen)
   
6. Is prefferably in the off state with no power applied ("none" of the infrared light passes through the grid when no power is applied)
   
7. Does not necessarily use liquid crystals (in fact, I would prefer that it didn't)
   

So, more or less, I am creating a kind of light projector with the functional qualities of an LCD, with an infrared laser as a backlight, that does not necessarily use liquid crystals, and I want some help getting started.

 

Anyone that wants to chip in will be greatly appreciated. Right now, I just need somewhere to start, but if you want to help out until I'm done, feel free - I sure could use an extra brain or two. Please be prepared to explain any advanced concepts - I'm a quick study (if I do say so myself), but I'm still only in high school. Note that as of yet, this project is unrelated to school.

 

 

Thanks in advance.

[BenSon]

I'm sorry i know crap all about electronics But if you have some chemistry questions ill be more then glad to help, dont know why they'd come up but you never know where these projects lead you Anyway, Good Luck and have fun.

 

~Scott

[RICHARDBATTY]

It will help if we know what you want to use it for.

[Externet]

Hi calbiterol.

What dimension is the preferred for the grid array, and how many vertical x horizontal cells ?

Is 1mm² per cell small enough ?

Is the laser focused to a cell or floods the array ?

What is the preferred intercell gap dimension ... 0,1mm?

What transparency range from closed to open (light transmissivity at both states)?

What shutter speeds ?

 

Same project appeared in other electronics forum about a year or two ago. It may be called a shutter array

Miguel

 

Am from Barcelona, pretend to know something, sometimes.

[calbiterol]

Externet:

I forgot to mention that I would like it to be scalable. But yeah, 1 square mm is fine.

Vertical and horizontal cells? I'm not really sure. I wouldn't think that would be too large of an issue - just put more rows/columns in, I would think... At least, under most circumstances.

The laser is backlighting the entire array - not individual cells (at least, that's what I'd prefer).

Intercell gap... well, I don't really know, it all depends. Probably 1/10th of the cell size or smaller.

As far as transparency range goes, I want closed to be pretty much CLOSED (opaque) and open to be pretty much transparent.

Shutter speeds/refresh rate? Right now, I don't care, but 'twould be nice if this could be changed later on.

 

Richard, its purpose is for relatively complex experimentation with the emission of fluorescence at atomic level after infrared excitation. More specifically, it is being applied to the display technology field.

[ed84c]

If it doesnt work, might i suggest just building a CRT instead?

[calbiterol]

I'm almost positive that a CRT won't work for the experiment I intend on performing with the array.

[Klaynos]

Have you any idea of what you plan to use a the shutters or is that what you'd like ideas about?

 

Just out of interest, what's the experiment?

[mustang292]

I don't think he's going to answer what the experiment is for. Let's just hope it won't kill anyone.

[Externet]

Hi calbiterol

 

Then it would be a flood infrared source, or a divergent laser..

Put your bib on ; the shutter array from Flixel is here:

 

http://www.electronicproducts.com/ShowPage.aspSECTION=3700&PRIMID=&FileName=sepOL1.sep2003

 

And you may use Thin-Film-Transistor TFT if LCD is not desired :

 

http://www.hackaday.com/entry/1234000167030541/

 

Enjoy,

Miguel

 

On the post pre-view the long Flixel link did not show up complete; trying again:

 

addthethreew'shereelectronicproducts.com/ShowPage.aspSECTION=3700&PRIMID=&FileName=sepOL1.sep2003

 

-If does not show well, search for Flixel and electronicproducts-

or shutter array and electronicproducts

[calbiterol]

Externet:

 

The MEMS shutter array is EXACTLY the kind of thing I was talking about. Unfortunately, I'm on a limited budget, and I would assume getting a hold of one custom made for the IR spectrum might be a little... expensive. But, who knows? I'll try and find out. In the meantime, any other ideas? Any ways to build things like that at home? (I have NO intention of making something anywhere near as complex-- or small--as the MEMS shutter, but you guys get the idea).

 

 

I have ideas about shutter materials, which would have to be IR opaque, but any suggestions would be more than welcome.

 

As for the experiment, it is in no way dangerous, except for the handling of the gasses that I am causing to fluoresce. And in that, I am fairly confident that I can manage not to blow myself up - I'm not using anything that's particularly dangerous, and it's all going to be in a closed environment. But you're right, Mustang, I'm not going to answer exactlywhat my experiment is until I've already done it, which is a ways off.

[Externet]

Hi.

Re-trying to reply, as the text dissapeared while posting...

 

Try a black-matrix LCD VGA display (I have a couple around, has normally shut pixels and will open the commanded ones) with the backlight panel removed, driven on a .pps -slide show- PC program to select a sequential chain of apertures and its locations.

I do not see any problem with the source being infrared, but cannot tell for sure what opacity would be achieved. With plain white light they are not that much of opaque, it may actually be better with IR, or polarized IR!

 

Good luck,

Miguel

[RICHARDBATTY]

If you are trying to do what I think... Make the gas chamber as thin as possible and use mirrors to scan the beam directly into the gas. Switch the beam on/off for each pixel. The beam hits the first mirror which is rotating which causes the beam to scan left/rightcontstantly, this scaning beam hits a second rotating mirror with its axis at 90 degrees to the first so it also scan up/down constantly. The mirrors would best be multi faceted. It may be better to use a stepper motor geared down to drive at least one mirror so you don't get an angular scan. Both mirrors on steppers will make it easier to syncronise with image input and the rise fall time of the laser and inputs. I believe gold to be a good reflector of ir. The mirrors will need to be close together. You may find mirrors the right shapes if you can scavenge some broken laser printers. These will also yeild steppers and possibly driver chips but the chips may be integrated with other things so it can be difficult. Hope this helps.

[calbiterol]

Make the gas chamber as thin as possible and use mirrors to scan the beam directly into the gas. Switch the beam on/off for each pixel. The beam hits the first mirror which is rotating which causes the beam to scan left/rightcontstantly, this scaning beam hits a second rotating mirror with its axis at 90 degrees to the first so it also scan up/down constantly. The mirrors would best be multi faceted. It may be better to use a stepper motor geared down to drive at least one mirror so you don't get an angular scan. Both mirrors on steppers will make it easier to syncronise with image input and the rise fall time of the laser and inputs. I believe gold to be a good reflector of ir. The mirrors will need to be close together. You may find mirrors the right shapes if you can scavenge some broken laser printers. These will also yeild steppers and possibly driver chips but the chips may be integrated with other things so it can be difficult. Hope this helps.

 

Whoah! Slow down. What?