We are restoring a vintage scoreboard from the early 60s and the electro-mechanical drivers are completely gone. The scoreboard has 2 digits for each team. Each digit is comprised of 26 bulb totaling to 104 bulbs. To keep the aesthetic that this scoreboard has I am not going to be putting in LEDs(I know this would be the optimal route but the customer does not want to change the look)
I am going to be replacing the electro-mechanical with some electronics to drive the bulbs.
Is there any way to do this outside of having a relay for every single bulb?
You will need something to switch 120VAC for every bulb that has to be individually addressed.
Could be a triac, solid state relay, relay, etc.
Thanks for the quick response!
Thats what I figured, are there things other than relays, ss relays, or trial?
like is there such thing as a digitally controlled rotary switch?
maybe each disk on a rotary switch would be a different bulb?
Heres an Idea
From the Arduino we have 10 relays. Each relay represents a number that the digit can display. The high voltage output from that relay would go to all of the bulbs that are required to make that particular number.
In the end the bulbs would have a hot going to them for every number they help display
My only worry with this is that if for some reason 2 relays were turned on at the same time there would be double the voltage going to each bulb and would burn them out.
instead of a relay for each number is there something else to use? A selector that has 10 options maybe? That can be controlled by a low voltage?
This description is confusing, but could not result in double voltage.
The high voltage output from that relay would go to all of the bulbs that are required to make that particular number.
In the end the bulbs would have a hot going to them for every number they help display
Draw out a schematic diagram (pencil and paper) of a simple two digit circuit that shows your thinking.
I doubt it will work.
Oh yeah, if they connected to ground rather than hot it wouldn't matter, Good Call!
Does that make sense at least? Or do you think there is a better way than that
This has only 10 relays just for the diagram. Each relay represents number displayed on the digit. So there would never be more than 1 relay on.
There is also only 4 light bulbs just to make it a simpler diagram. In the example Relay #1 uses light bulbs 1,2, and 3
Relay #2 uses 1,2, and 4
Relay #10 uses 3,4, and 5