Proton Pack

Documentation of my build. Using Norm's plans as the basis with Steffan's and others mixed in where Norm's fall short. I'm using an amalgamation of all different materials. Just using whatever I have at hand that looks like it may work. The motherboard and main body parts are mostly 1/4" Luan plywood, but I've also defiled a plastic "For sale" sign, an aluminum cake pan, a can of Pringles, and other such objects in the quest to finish my pack. When it came to making the proton gun, I broke down and ordered some cast parts from MM which was well worth the money. The time they saved me was immeasureable and the final product looks very good if I do say so myself. The electronics are custom using several PIC 16F690 chips for the complicated light bargraph displays, a VMusic2 for sound with a T-amp, several assorted LED light kits for the flashies, and some good old American ingenuity. I did install DPDT switches and all, but ended up deciding to just program another PIC for control of the various inputs and outputs. After all I had about 20 16F690s and they're only $2 a piece, so it was a cheap way to go and easy enough since I was already in the PIC programming business from the light display electronics. The pack is physically complete at this point and the only piece left to accomplish is the sound.