Well, as long as it is a fail safe system:

1) Said modules should use relays to connect voltage the flashpots
(which voltage spikes, emc/emf will not affect) The relay should default
to connecting both lines of the flashpot to ground.  Make sure the
flashpot itself is grounded so that any hands that come near discharge
their static into the flashpot casing, and not the powder itself.
2) Modules should individually have a keylock power switch.
3) Said modules perform a power up test to ensure that they are
operating correctly.
4) Whatever protocol you use must have rock-hard error checking.
5) The data transmission method must be fault tolerant/fail safe such
that any huge voltage(or emf/emc) placed on the line will not cause the
modules to go off (ie, the connector just happens to be connected to the
sound board with 48v phantom power, or, in extreme cases, comes in
contact with 120/240ac...)  (this is a good argument for
non-standard/hard to get connectors)

Of course, the only good flashpot is a hardwired one...

-Adam

David Duffy wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
> A client has asked about firing pyrotechnics via a computer system.
> Has anyone had any experience with this ?  I don't see any great
> problems doing the software & serial hardware but I'm not sure of
> the best (safe) way to fire the igniters. I thought of sending the data
> out to the remote points via RS-485 and having a PIC in each firing
> module that decodes the commands & activates the individual outputs.
> Each module would service a group of up to 25 charges I guess.
> That way, only a comms line + say a 24Vdc power cable is required.
> I imagine the user wiring ALL of the igniters to the remote modules
> FIRST and THEN hooking up power & comms back at the controller.
> Does this sound like the way to go ?  Please reply either on/off list.
> Regards,
> Dave Duffy.