WARNING: If you are considering this project, read all Related Pages before you start!

• Block Diagram
• Prop-1 controller
• Pneumatics
• Trigger
• Sounds
• Lights
• Fog

• Related Pages

Block Diagram

Here is a block diagram of the effects and controls, when the whole thing is completed:

On the

All of the control equipment was mounted on scrap pieces of leftover masonite. One board contained the pneumatic equipment: pressure regulator, distribution manifold, valves, flow regulators and mufflers, and solenoid driver (Parallax EFX DC-16 Digital Output Board). The other board contains the Prop-1 controller and sound equipment. There are only two connections between the two boards: power and a thin control signal cable.

The various printed circuit boards were mounted on hexagonal aluminum standoffs, threaded for #4-40 bolts. The bolts that we used have 1/4" of thread.

This is a mockup of the main control board, with the major components just sitting on the piece of masonite.

The Prop-1's Inputs and Outputs are allocated as follows:

• Input
  • Beast Trigger - Input bit that tells the Prop-1 to launch a Beast attack.
  • Lid Trigger - Input bit that tells the Prop-1 to rattle the lid.
• Output
  • OpenDoors - Output bit that opens the doors at the end of the crate.
  • PushBeast - Output bit that pushes the Beast out of the crate.
  • OpenLid - Output bit that pushes up the crate lid.
  • PushClaws - Output bit that pushes the claws out of the open lid.
  • SoundControl - Serial I/O to the sound board.
  • ShootFog - Output bit that triggers the fog machine.

For reasons mentioned elsewhere, we need more outputs than a PROP-1 provides. We decided to use a Parallax DC-16 Digital Output Board to add more bits.
The DC-16 board takes a single input signal and uses it to drive up to 16 solenoids.

This was a pre-production prototype board generously provided by the nice folks at Parallax EFX.

The particular solenoid valves that we used (Mead LTV-120) require two signals each: one signal to push the valve open; another signal to push the valve closed. When there is no signal, the valve stays in the last position you put it in. That means we need eight output drivers just for the four solenoids. We decided to use a Parallax DC-16 Digital Output Board to add more bits. The DC-16 board takes a single input signal and uses it to drive up to 16 solenoids.

We decided to mount the DC-16 with the rest of the pneumatic components, with a single control cable running from the Prop-1 to the DC-16.

Looking at the solenoid coils:

• 24 VDC - marked
• 120-ohm - measured resistance
• .2A - computed current draw

• 24 VDC
• 2+ Amps
• 2.1 mm connector [required to fit the Prop-1]
• center-positive [required to fit the Prop-1]

For now decided on manual remote control. We trigger it via X-10.

This puts a "man in the loop": the crate only gets triggered when a human sees that it is safe and presses the button.

There are actually two X-10 trigger signals: one rattles the lid, the other makes the beast attack.

Both sound tracks are mixed together and are played through amplified speakers.

This Audiologic portable CD player was purchased at Fry's for $20 (September 1999).

We bought four of them for spot sound in various haunt locations and decided to put one in the crate for the "ambient" sound track.

The extra loud roars are digitally canned sounds, played through a Parallax EFX AP-8 board.

The sound comes out of the AP-8 through the green screw terminal block. The amplified speakers take their input through 1/8 Inch (3.5mm) stereo plug, so we need an adapter for that.

The light is not just visible when the crate opens. We intentionally built the crate with cracks between the boards, so that some light would be visible through the crate walls.

Rather than put in a light that's on all the time, we wanted to give it some life. So we fed the audio channels into a color organ.

The color organ is not under the direct control of the Prop-1 controller. It simply listens to the sound track, part of which is triggered by the Prop-1.

The fog is not just visible when the crate opens. We intentionally built the crate with cracks between the boards, so that some fog would be visible through the crate walls.

The fog effect is created with a glycol fogger which fires on demand from the Prop-1 controller.

• Overview of the Crate Beast.
• Effects and controller. [this page]
• The crate itself.
• Crate finish and paint.
• The Beast!
• Pneumatics.
• The Software.
• other versions of the Crate Beast.

Please visit our related pages:

• Haunting with X-10.
• Prop-1 controller
• glycol fogger

Thank you for visiting. Your comments are welcome.
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