Programming ESC's and Elev 8 Motors
NWCCTV
Posts: 3,629
I have these ESC's and these motors. However, I do not think the receiver I have is compatible and I want to go a different direction instead. Is it possible to program the ESC's to control the motors perhaps by using a Propeller Board or some other means to control them?
Comments
What sort of receiver do you have?
Most RC stuff is pretty standardized. You can use just about any ESC or servo with just about any receiver. You can't mix and match receivers and transmitters but the other stuff is pretty interchangeable.
And yes, you can use a Propeller to control an ESC. If you have a QuickStart board you can use this my QuickStart servo tester. You could also use the servo tester mentioned in this post.
As long as you have the transmitter to go with the receiver, it should work fine.
IMO, It's harder to fly a quadcopter if the throttle "clicks". Transmitters made for airplanes tend to have throttles which move in small jumps while helicopter transmitters have throttles with a smooth motion.
IMO, one of the hardest parts of flying a helicopter or quadcopter is learning to control the throttle. Getting the throttle setting just right so the aircraft hovers takes a while to learn and it's nearly impossible if the throttle joystick doesn't have a smooth range of motion.
It's possible (but not always easy) to change a clicking throttle into a smooth throttle. Some gimbles, like the ones Parallax sells, allow the user to select which sort of joystick movement they want and are very easy to change between the various types. Other gimbles need to be physically modified to change the throttle type.
Let us know which transmitter you have and whether or not your throttle clicks and one of us might know how to fix it (if needed).
EDIT: I really want to try and not use the receiver/transmitter/ If I can control the motors with the ESC and a Servo tester that would be perfect. I have a few "toys" I want to hack and see if I can make them fly or just drive really fast!!!
For Programming see:
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/154854-Open-Propeller-Project-4-Program-our-ESCs-with-a-Propeller
Almost. Some ESCs require a specific start up sequence. IIRC, people have had some difficulty using a microcontroller with an ESC because they didn't use the correct throttle settings. This shouldn't be much of a problem but you want to keep this in mind if the ESC doesn't behave as expected when you first try to control it with a microcontroller or a servo tester. It's a good idea to have a servo handy to make sure you're sending the signals you think you are. Seeing how the servo behaves when connected instead of the ESC, can help diagnose any problems you may be having.