Shutter Timing and Flash Synchronization System Joel Hoffa Shaun Pontsler November 10, 2005 Advisor: Professor Herr

Film Camera Background Use light to expose film Amount of light controlled by aperture and shutter time (fstops) Shutter timing for different pictures –Fast shutter captures moving objects –Slow shutter captures dim, stationary objects Different flashes –Flash bulb, takes time to heat up –Xenon flash tube, almost instant

Justification Sixteen thousand cameras on Ebay –Most listed as “good condition” with no way to actually test the condition Providing a accurate testing system will save time and money Knowing the camera’s true condition will allow better pictures

Problem Statement Design and assemble a portable shutter and flash timing system Device will measure the time a camera shutter is open and relate the flash synchronization to the shutter opening The timing will be accurate and precise within the range of 1 millisecond to 100 seconds and having an error of less than 1% Testing setup needs to be portable and versatile, able to be used "on the go", and to be able to test a wide range of cameras from all eras

Constraints Economic –Budget ~$300 Environmental –Must be resilient (portable) Sustainability –Easy to maintain/replace broken parts Social –Produce reliable, accurate results knowing that they will affect pricing

Specifications The shutter timer and flash synchronization system is measured according to two specifications –Repeatability –Accuracy of Results

Hardware Block Diagram

Component Description Microcontroller –Timing, control, calculations LCD –Display results Light source –Shine through shutter Light sensor –Detect shutter opening and flash Enclosure –Protect from elements, simple package

Microcontroller Decision Table 1a: Microcontroller Decision Matrix Values Processor Familiarity Development Kit Price Primary Reference Material Compiled Language Power Consumption Motorola M68HC12 Used in course work $100Educational Materials AssemblyAverage Texas Instruments MSP430 Unknown$150Online Sample Code C++400 uA at 3V “Ultra Low” Scale: 0 – Unacceptable, 1 – Acceptable, 2 – Preferable Table 1b: Microcontroller Decision Matrix Encoded Values Processor Familiarity 30% Development Kit Price 25% Primary Reference Material 15% Compiled Language 15% Power Consumption 15% Total 100% Motorola M68HC Texas Instrument s MSP

LCD Decision Table 2a: Display Decision Matrix Values Display FamiliarityCostInterface Type AHANIX X156Unknown$79Parallel BPI 216Used in course work $55Serial Crystalfontz 632Unknown$37Serial Scale: 0 – Unacceptable, 1 – Acceptable, 2 – Preferable Table 2b: Display Decision Matrix Encoded Values Display Familiarity 40% Cost 30% Interface Type 30% Total AHANIX X BPI Crystalfontz

Budget/Purchasing The customer will pay for all hardware used to build prototype. Initial estimates show the prototype will cost around $300 –Microcontroller - $ –Serial LCD Display- $55.00 –Photo-Sensor- $20.00 –Light Source- $20.00 –Enclosure- $20.00 –Power Supply- $30.00 –Miscellaneous- $30.00

Design Deliverables Purchasing ● Power Source11/30/04 – 12/17/04 ● Light Source11/30/04 – 12/17/04 ● Photo-Sensor11/30/04 – 12/17/04 ● Microcontroller11/30/04 – 12/17/04 ● Serial LCD Display11/30/04 – 12/17/04 Coding ● Microcontroller time measurement01/03/05 – 01/10/05 ● Serial LCD display01/11/05 – 01/17/05 ● Serial connection to computer 01/17/05 – 02/07/05 General ● Improving the overall design01/18/05 – 04/11/05 ● Building the enclosure01/17/05 – 01/21/05 ● Testing01/03/05 – 04/11/05

Operational Block Diagram Turn on system Prepare for shutter measuring Measure Shutter Opening Record Results Take back off of camera Take film out of camera Position LED and photo- sensor Test photo- sensor Push shutter release button Repeat

Software Block Diagram

Preliminary Test Plan Experiment with many different sizes of cameras to optimize support structure configuration Test shutter times using the oscilloscope and compare times with the STFSS Rough Testing Procedure -Use oscilloscope to determine shutter speed -Repeat as necessary to be accurate -Use processor to determine speed and compare to values found on oscilloscope

Conclusion Code has already been developed that uses the chosen microcontroller to time switch intervals with high accuracy After the initial prototype is complete, other features will be added to benefit the user to make the final design feel like a well thought-out, ready-for-production product

Thank You for Listening Any Questions?

References AHANIX X156 DISPLAY. (Nov 2, 2004.) BPI-216 Serial Display. (Nov 2, 2004.) BPI-216L Price List. (Nov 2, 2004.) Crystalfontz 632 Series. (Nov 2, 2004.) M68HC12 Microcontrollers. (Nov 2, 2004.) Texas Instruments MSP430C337. (Nov 2, 2004.)