Servos and Parallax processors and Lego
Buck Rogers
Posts: 2,161
Hello!
Would someone confirm or refute this assertion?
Can any of the Basic Stamp designs, or a Propeller 1 drive a standard servo (Not the continuous rotation designs) at a rate that would make it possible to manipulate a Lego based model?
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Back in my far off youth I used to be pretty darned good at building the impossible in a Lego based model. I even did stuff with their early motor units. I drifted away from that, and they go ahead and spin up a considerably better motor unit design, and even create a respectable platform for robotics. Naturally a lot of the associates at their stores are good at assembling the models for showing them but do not at all like the robotic platform. I tell them about the Dexter Robotics ideas on allowing a Raspberry Pi to replace the controller, and they get all glassy eyed.
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Since we all know that a Basic Stamp 2 can manage a servo, both types, I am wondering about applying the regular variety to do all of that. I have a pair of miniatures from the collapse of Radio Shack, and want to use one or both for this, before destroying the things, I figured I'd ask here.
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Incidentally this message is being posted without a sponsor.
Would someone confirm or refute this assertion?
Can any of the Basic Stamp designs, or a Propeller 1 drive a standard servo (Not the continuous rotation designs) at a rate that would make it possible to manipulate a Lego based model?
--
Back in my far off youth I used to be pretty darned good at building the impossible in a Lego based model. I even did stuff with their early motor units. I drifted away from that, and they go ahead and spin up a considerably better motor unit design, and even create a respectable platform for robotics. Naturally a lot of the associates at their stores are good at assembling the models for showing them but do not at all like the robotic platform. I tell them about the Dexter Robotics ideas on allowing a Raspberry Pi to replace the controller, and they get all glassy eyed.
---
Since we all know that a Basic Stamp 2 can manage a servo, both types, I am wondering about applying the regular variety to do all of that. I have a pair of miniatures from the collapse of Radio Shack, and want to use one or both for this, before destroying the things, I figured I'd ask here.
----
Incidentally this message is being posted without a sponsor.
Comments
Yes, driving a standard servo is exactly like drive a continuous rotation servo. A pulse between 1,000 and 2,000 microseconds is sent 50 times a second.
A Propeller will be the better choice unless the code is very simple.
https://shop.lego.com/en-US/Power-Functions-Servo-Motor-88004
Hello!
That?!? For a few fleeting moments once. I tossed that idea out because the power functions for Lego although they are limited, they could be convinced to run a far more difficult then what I have in mind. It's a reasonably simple contraption. Or will be if I can figure out how to lay the the parts out.
This document goes into detail about the signal. https://www.parallax.com/downloads/standard-servo-product-documentation
The signal/protocol part has been made very easy for us. A lot will depend on the torque you need and power you have available. Servos can use a lot of power when loaded. I can think of a bunch of times I thought I had buggy code when in fact I wasn't supplying enough power to a servo ; )