Comments on: DIY Return of the Jedi Lightsaber http://makezine.com/2010/12/31/diy-return-of-the-jedi-lightsaber/ DIY projects, how-tos, and inspiration from geeks, makers, and hackers Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:23:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Simon http://makezine.com/2010/12/31/diy-return-of-the-jedi-lightsaber/#comment-271452 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://makezineblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/diy-return-of-the-jedi-lightsaber/#comment-271452 Cool! I have a Star Wars lightsaber similar to this I made in, oh, about 1994. High brightness LEDs were trickier to get then so I had to order them from Farnell. The blade screwed on and is made from rolled up overhead transparency film. I always wanted to do something better there.

The sound was controlled by a single button like this one and I have a PIC16C84 and an AMD 128k memory chip in it to store the samples (from memory). I stored each sample in a ‘page’ in the AMD memory then used three bits on the PIC as the top address bits to do page selection then had a 555 I think as a counter running into a binary counter to sequence through the low bits in order. It played the starting sound, then the hum then the shutdown sound when you hit the button again. There was a relay in it so when it switched off it was really off. Then it would latch on once repowered up. The data was output to some kind of latch then through a simple R-2R D to A converter then into a LM386 as an amp. There are recharagable batteries in the hilt to power it all.

The biggest issue I remember was getting a good enough tiny speaker to fit in there.

It still works despite being covered in dust!

I should take some photos or a little film or something. Must recharge the batteries!

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