Suggestions for motor controller for Stingray project

Jeffa

In light of this statement

Chris Savage wrote: »

I'm sorry everyone, we have decided not to update the MSR1 Board at this time

(see: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?118789-IR-on-Stingray/page2)
and other readings about some problems with the MSR1 I'm thinking that I may modify my project http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?133573-Reading-pulse-from-RC-receiver&highlight=jeffa by adding some type of motor control that accepts RC style control.

I've googled and looked around a bit I'm wondering if anyone has a favorite?

These board from Pololu look interesting. http://www.pololu.com/catalog/category/94 Does anyone have any experience with them? A single board that can control two motors might be nice. Seems like the Parallax HB-25 might be a bit of overkill for a Stingray.

Suggestions welcome.

Thanks.

Matt Gilliland

Hi Jeffa,

I'm sorry everyone, we have decided not to update the MSR1 Board at this time

Not to tease, but what this means is that we've decided to not update that board (or to provide an integrated solution like it).

We're going with a more modular approach. A couple of these "modules" are under development, including a motor driver. No release date yet, but I'll post a pic or two soon.

-Matt

Jeffa

FWIW

I've been looking around the internet a bit today. Looking at hoby RC sites and bingleing for motor contoller schematics. As I work on my Stingray RC and AI control project I've been keeping the resources that I've found useful documented in a blog here in the Parallax forums. http://forums.parallax.com/entry.php?294-R-C-interface-resources

c ya... - jeffa

Jeffa

Well I got a bit ahead of my self. I bought a couple ESCs at a local hobby shop. They work pretty good. But no reverse! Silly me.

I did find an open hardware project www.robotpower.com with some great resources. I bought one of these http://www.robotpower.com/products/scorpion_XL_info.html

Also found the Sabertooth dual 5A motor driver http://www.dimensionengineering.com/sabertooth2x5.htm from Dimension engineering.

It feels a bit like cheating because both of these controllers have mixers onboard. I wrote a mixing routine in .spin today for the learning and got SAMI running. It turns on a dime, but that's not enough to get it out of a corner.

This is a modification of the RX input / RC Receiver Input from the obex http://obex.parallax.com/objects/482/

  repeat
    out(8, pulsewidth[0])         ' send the Aileron / elevator straight to x/y servos
    out(9, pulsewidth[1])
    leftMotor   := 1000 #> (pulsewidth[2] + (1500 - pulsewidth[3])) <#2000      ' mix in rudder
    rightMotor  := 1000 #> (pulsewidth[2] - (1500 - pulsewidth[3])) <#2000      '  and calculate speed for motors                              
    servo.set(10, leftMotor)
    servo.set(11, rightMotor)

FWIW I've been collecting what I feel is useful information in a blog here http://forums.parallax.com/entry.php?294-R-C-interface-resources


c ya.... - jeffa

erco

@Jeffa: You could always throw in a reversing relay with your ESCs.