ThingM Version 2.40 6-02-93 Keypad Identification: PGM/MENU For programming menu functions, and getting into all modes of data entry. MENU MENU (twice pressed or more) will sequence through all the available program selections. Includes standard options of Frame Count, Exposure Time, Lapse Time, Total Counter, Film Speed, and Direction. These are selected for either Camera or Projector operation. Also includes custom program options for Sequencer operations, in Alternate, Step-Camera, and Skip-Projector modes. MENU 1 through MENU 9 will access these selections directly, as an alternative to sequencing through the entire menu. RUN/STOP For running and stopping functions. Works like a toggle switch: If the motor is at a standstill, then it will run. If the motor is already running then it will stop the motor at the next complete revolution, and hold shooting the rest of the sequence there. That is, RUN pressed once will begin running program. RUN pressed a 2nd time will hold the running program, and RUN pressed a 3rd time will continue the paused program. ENTER For entering all data values at program prompts, denoted by a flashing cursor character on the display. (Equivalent to using the RETURN key in IBM programs or the OK button in Mac programs.) CLEAR For clearing data to zero values at program prompts. This is like the CLEAR key on calculators. (You still need to use the ENTER key in order to accept the zeroed value.) Also for clearing a run-time operation, once stopped in the Hold state, as in RUN HLD CLEAR. 0...9 For entering numeric values for data, whenever display cursor is flashing. Also for quickly selecting program functions (at OK prompt), as in MENU 1 through MENU 9. (You will find that the OK prompt does not even need the MENU key as a prefix; just the corresponding number key will make the menu selection.) ¥ Decimal point for data values, such as Exposure Time, Lapse Time, and Film Speed. Also used as special key to access internal program values, as MENU ¥. +/- Minus sign for toggling direction of motor rotation, forward or reverse. For reverse direction, Minus sign (-) is also used to indicate a negative number for Preset Frame Count. Regular Data Entries: Note: The following 2 keys, CAM and PRJ, are used as prefix keys to further data selections. CAM: Camera Selection = Camera control selected for subsequent data entries. Used as a prefix key to program entries like FRM Frame Count, or CTR Total Counter. May also be used as a prefix to RUN for running a camera sequence. Accessed by MENU 1. PRJ: Projector Selection = Main Projector control selected for subsequent data entries. Used as a prefix key to program entries like FRM Frame Count, or CTR Total Counter. May also be used as a prefix to RUN for running a projector sequence. Accessed by MENU 3. SEQ: Sequencer = . Activates camera:projector sequencing. Initialized = Off- for no sequencing. Note: sequences always start with a camera exposure, and always end with a projector frame. Accessed by MENU 2, or hot-keyed directly by 2. Note: These set of data entry keys determine the counting functions for any run-time sequence. FRM: Preset Frame Count = the preset number of camera or projector frames per run-time sequence. Negative frame counts will run camera (or projector) in reverse direction. Initialized = 1 Frame for single frame operation. Accessed by MENU 4. When selected by MENU CAM FRM, camera frames are counted. When selected by MENU PRJ FRM, main projector frames are counted. DIR: Direction = direction of film travel, selected to either +FOR or -REV according to toggle of Minus (+/-) key. Applies to either camera direction or projector direction depending upon what was the last program selection or run-time operation. Initialized = +FOR for forward film travel. Accessed by MENU +/-. MENU CAM DIR explicitly selects camera direction. MENU PRJ DIR selects main projector direction. CTR: Total Counter = cumulative count of camera frames or projector frames. May be pre-set to any value. Counts up when camera (or projector) running forward, and down when running reverse. Initialized = 0 frames. Accessed by MENU 5. MENU CAM CTR selects camera total counter. MENU PRJ CTR selects main projector total counter. END: End Frame = the frame number for the camera or projector to stop at per run-time sequence. This is available as an alternative for using the preset Frame Count and Direction entries. The End Frame will compute a preset frame count and direction based on the current camera or projector frame number. Initialized = 0 Frames. Accessed by MENU 6. MENU CAM END counts camera frames. MENU PRJ END counts main projector frames. Note: These data entry keys program the camera:projector sequencer functions for any run-time sequence. STP: Step Camera Sequence = camera:projector sequence for adding (or stepping) extra camera exposures to a 1:1 sequence. The extra camera frames are specified over so many projector cycles. This is entered as 2 consecutive data values, first for Camera Step Frames and second for Projector Cycles. Initialized = 1:1 sequencing, (which is not any different from alternate mode sequencing). Accessed by MENU 7. ALT: Alternate Sequence = camera:projector sequence for alternating camera exposures with projector frames. This is entered as 2 consecutive data values, first for Camera Frames and second for Projector Frames. Initialized = 1:1 sequencing. Accessed by MENU 8. SKP: Skip Projector Sequence = camera:projector sequence for skipping over projector frames in a 1:1 sequence. The dropped proctor frames are specified over so many camera cycles. This is entered as 2 consecutive data values, first for Camera Cycles and second for Projector Skip Frames. (The camera value is specified first in order to be consistant with the other types of sequencing.) Initialized = 1:1 sequencing, (which is not any different from alternate mode sequencing). Accessed by MENU 9. SEQ: Sequencer = . Activates camera:projector sequencing. Initialized = Off- for no sequencing. Note: sequences always start with a camera exposure, and always end with a projector frame. Accessed by MENU 2, or hot-keyed directly by 2. Internal Data Entry Prompts: These are internal data settings for re-configuring some of ThingMÕs features. Normally you will not use these set of key sequences very often, except perhaps for the Exposure Time setting. VER: Version number of program, for identification purposes only. This version is VER 2.40, as seen by MENU ¥ 0. EXP: Exposure Time = time for camera motor to stop at the shutter-open position. May be specified with 0, or 1, or 2 decimal places in seconds. Small exposure times less than 0.125 seconds are ignored for rotational time of 2.4 RPS motor. Default minimum exposure times are linked to film speeds as follows (assuming 135 degree variable shutter opening for 16mm Bolex Reflex) : 1.2 FPS (approximately 1 sec revolution ) 1/4 sec exposure 2.4 FPS (approximately 1/2 sec revolution) 1/8 sec exposure 4.8 FPS (approximately 1/4 sec revolution) 1/16 sec exposure Initialized = 0.14 seconds for default minimum exposure without timed exposure mode. This default exposure time is approximately 1/8 second for Bolex motor speed at 2.40 frames per second. Accessed by MENU ¥ 1 or MENU ¥ 2. LPS: Lapse Time = time for camera motor to stop inbetween exposures. May be specified with 0, 1, or 2 decimal places in seconds. Small lapse times less than 0.50 seconds are ignored for rotational time of 2 RPS motor. Exposure times are likewise compensated for in running of lapse times. Initialized = 0.00 seconds. Accessed by MENU ¥ 3. STP: Stepper Pulses per Revolution = number of stepper motor pulses defined for 360-degree motor rotation. Initialized = 400 pulses per revolution for conventional DC stepping motors. Accessed by MENU ¥ 4. OPN: Rotation until Open-Shutter = fraction of motor rotation defined between Shutter-Closed and Shutter-Open positions. Initialized = 0.31 for 110 degrees of motor rotation on 16mm Bolex drive shaft. (This is not to be confused with variable shutter angle.) Accessed by MENU ¥ 5. SPD: Film Speed = rotational motor speed of camera drive in frames per second. Equivalent to revolutions per second on 1:1 camera drive shaft. Initialized = 2.00 frames per second. (The corresponding exposure time for the Bolex motor is approximately shorter than 1/8 second.) May be any practical speed value for DC stepper motor driving 1:1 shaft. Minimum speed = 0.76 FPS. Accessed by MENU ¥ 7. RMP: Acceleration / Deceleration Ramp = fraction of motor revolution to ramp from starting speed to maximum speed. Initialized = 0.12 rotation for 1/8-revolution ramped speed motor operation. The maximum allowable ramp = 0.50 for exactly 1/2 revolution acceleration and 1/2 revolution deceleration. The minimum ramp value = 0 for constant speed operation. Accessed by MENU ¥ 8. TRQ: Stepper Motor Torque Time-out = time delay interval for motor to remain energized at full torque after stopping. The stepper motor typically needs some time delay after stopping before it can be de-energized without letting the mechanical movement slip past its ÒHomeÓ position. In the sequencer operation, this time interval is the noticable delay between camera and projector operation.. Accessed by MENU ¥ 9. General Notes for ThingM Operations: Reset Sequence: When ThingM is first powered on, it automatically resets itself and all of its internal memory. As a matter of course, you should additionally push the Reset button on the back of ThingM to manually reset it a 2nd time. This not only insures a full system reset, it also sets up memory for all ThingM data to be saved in the event of any further resets. That is, resetting ThingM a 3rd time or more, will only resynchronize the electronics, but will not affect the data values which are stored in memory for that particular shooting session. Keypad Operations: The ThingM keypad allows basically 2 modes of operation: Programming and Running. Programming may take a few keystrokes to complete (beginning with the PGM/MENU key), while Running is as simple as pressing the RUN/STOP key. In fact if all you want to do is shoot a single frame at at time, ThingM is already programmed to run 1 Preset Frame Count at power-on time. For Programming mode, the PGM/MENU key is used to access either each data selection individually, or else all of them sequentially. Each data selection is associated with one of the number keys, such as CAM, SEQ, PRJ, etc. Once you have become familiar with the orientation of the menu selection keys, you will find that you can access them directly without using the PGM/MENU key first. The only difference between whether a number key is used as a menu selection or as a data value is when the cursor on the display is flashing. Data Displays: Any time a data key is pressed, a flashing cursor will appear for prompting the clearing, updating, or entering of data. You have the option for pressing the CLEAR key, or entering a new value with a sequence of number keys, or leaving the data entry alone. Once the data value on display is acceptable, press the ENTER key to accept it. (This is like pressing the RETURN key on IBM computers or the OK button on Macs.) If for some reason you do not want the data entry, and you cannot remember what the original entry in memory was, you can hit the PGM/MENU key instead. This will allow you to start the data entry process all over. (This is like the corresponding ESCAPE key on IBMs or the CANCEL button on Macs.) In either case, the cursor should stop flashing on the display, and return to the OK prompt with the current Total Counter. This is true whether the data was actually updated or not. If you are not sure, then just check the menu selection again. Running Sequences: Once all applicable data has been programmed into ThingM, the sequence may be run by pressing the RUN/STOP key. If only 1 Preset Frame Count is programmed, the camera motor will run only 1 revolution. If more than 1 Preset Frame Count is programmed, the motor will run continuously as long as there are no time exposures or time lapse intervals. If a Lapse Time is programmed, the motor will pause after each full revolution. If an Exposure Time is programmed, the motor will also pause in the middle of each revolution at the the shutter-open position. If you wish to hold the running sequence, press the RUN/STOP key again. The current exposure should complete its revolution cycle, and a HLD prompt should appear to flash on the display. Pressing the RUN/STOP key once more will allow the running sequence to complete its Preset Frame Count. Otherwise any other key, such as CLEAR or PGM/MENU, will stop the whole sequence altogether. Motor Operation: In any of the above cases, the camera motor will always run some multiple of a full revolution. Each motor revolution is motion controlled with acceleration and deceleration ramping. Only after the final deceleration ramp does the ThingM logic sense for the camera Home switch. Normally the motor locates the Home switch position exactly at the end of the revolution. Otherwise the motor continues to run at its lowest speed until it reaches Home. (This would happen in cases where the motor had stalled or slipped if there was not enough torque available at the desired Speed and Ramp.)