controlling 10 outputs

Hey friends,

I am a newbie on both electronics and Arduino.

I just got my Arduino a few days ago and it's awesome.

I have a question. Attached there is a simple schematic. the battery is 3V. I want to be able to automatically control that switch in the schematic using Arduino. then I want to have 10 number of that schematic and hitting one button, all those 10 keys would be activated simultaneously.

I am not sure how to implement this. Should I use 10 batteries? or should I use 10 3V adapters? Or maybe I can use only one power supply for all ten circuits. Please guide me through this circuit. What Should I exactly buy? is there any specific board for this matter?

Thanks

Schematic1.gif

a765fd7248e8e3c941ee9492ec411231034c86e4.gif

You had really better explain to us what the purpose of this all is?

Of course, when posting i was just trying to be specific and i thought i should ask my question directly, ok it is a usb shutter release circuit. The schematic acts like you push the shutter button on camera.

OK, next explain what a "USB shutter release circuit" is, and what camera this may relate to.

Give links to the documentation.

Dear paul,

I have already mentioned that I am new to electronic so I have no idea about advanced built-in boards inside a camera.

on the other hand I'm not sure that information of camera boards is of help. the point is that using the schematic which I sent earlier, it is possible to activate the shutter, that's All I know. it works well and I have tested that circuit.

Now I want to have 10 numbers of that board, I dont think copy/pasting that circuit by ten times would be a very clever idea, maybe I can have one common battery (power supply) for all 10 circuits.

I hope someone here in the Arduino forum could help me.

thanks

OK, let's try it a different way.

From where (Web?) did you get that circuit, and what Web page describes the camera itself?

3Dfan:
I hope someone here in the Arduino forum could help me.

I'm an electronics noob myself. Had my Arduino for almost a month now.

Wiring the Arduino to your circuit depends on what sits on the other side of the USB cable.
Maybe you can just wire Arduino ground and GPIs to it, maybe just with a resistor, maybe you need external power, a transistor or optocoupler, or 10, it depends. I am not in any position to answer, but I do understand why Paul is asking.

I would use a circuit like this:-
USB trigger.jpg

Thank you friends

Grumpy_Mike:
I would use a circuit like this:-
USB trigger.jpg

I need to control 10 outputs, which pins should I use? is it Ok to use the first 10 pins numbered from 0 to 9?

in the case of using 10 output pins from Arduino, will it support the minimum required Amperage, enough for activating the mini USB Type B? ( I investigated and I think 100mA is enough for activating mini USB port.)

is it Ok to use the first 10 pins numbered from 0 to 9?

If you have the choice avoid pins 0 and 1 as they handle the uploading of code to the Arduino. Otherwise use any. The analogue pins can also be used as digital outputs, just call them pin 14, 15, 16... for analogue pins 0, 1,2 ....

I investigated and I think 100mA is enough for activating mini USB port.

I would have expected this to be much smaller. Depending on the Arduino the 3v3 current output is limited.

3Dfan:
I investigated and I think 100mA is enough for activating mini USB port.

How did you investigate?

If you have actual information on the camera in question, then tell us from what website you obtained it so we can figure out what you are doing. If the information pertains to USB in general and not the camera in question, then it is totally irrelevant to your present problem.

thank you friends for your recommends,
Dear paul, I found the 100mA based on the general information of a USB type B.

I think I have not conveyed my problem well. Now I am going to explain what I have understood till now. please check if I am right or not.

I have a simple circuit with a definite V, I and R and it works well.
V = 3V,
R=unknown, since it is characteristic of a camera output port
I= unknown, If we know R it would be calculated.
I bought a Relay-board too and I am going to connect the output pins of Arduino to this relay-board so when I activate the pin, the relay on the board would be activated and it acts like button in my circuit.

Now I am going to duplicate the circuit 10 times. I have two solutions.
Solution 1:
Copy/pasting the circuit which means I have to provide 10 batteries, 10 relays, and using 10 output pins of Arduino. in this case I have to activate 10 pins of Arduino and since I want all relays to be activated simultaneously there's a slight chance of not to be able to activate all relays exactly at the same time.

Solution 2:

  • I can use one battery of the same Voltage needed for one circuit.
  • arranging the "10 electrical Resistances" (10 cameras) parallel to the battery and use only one relay (one output pin on Arduino) to activate the circuit.
    it will be a parallel circuit arrangement so in this case, Voltage of battery is the same on both sides of each Resistance (camera). The Amperage passing each R would be the same as one circuit. because I=V/R. But total I of circuit is 10 times of amount of I passing each R.
    in other words my battery should be able to provide an Amperage 10 times of the case of only one R.

now my questions:

  • is my analysis correct?
  • if my analysis is Correct how should I make the battery to generate more Amperage like 10 times of one (CR2032 Lithium Battery).
  • IF I find a more powerful battery, is there any chance that this powerful battery harma my Resistances(cameras)?

I really doubt that a camera needs that much current to trip the shutter.
Having a single Low Rds, logic level P-channel MOSFET to drive 3.3V out to the cameras in connected in parallel would be sufficient.

You don't know the current so you MESSURE it with your digital multimeter.

If you have not got a digital multimeter you go out and buy one for $5.