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Motor speed vs voltage? — Parallax Forums

Motor speed vs voltage?

ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
edited 2000-09-02 20:51 in General Discussion
Hello Everyone,
Does anyone know the general relationship between DC
motor voltage and RPM? I'm trying to come up with a <very rough>
measurement of the speed of a DC motor by reading the input voltage. This
is a tiny motor (~3.7V @ 70Ma) with virtually no load, but I am varying the
speed by changing the voltage.

All input appreciated, Duncan

Comments

  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-09-01 05:06
    Hi Duncan:
    An ideal DC motor's RPM is directly proportional to applied voltage.

    RPM=K1*V where K1 is a constant, and V is applied volts.

    Real-life motors have armature resistance and losses, which causes variation
    from this equation. Think of the motor as a generator which turns as fast
    as needed to generate a back emf = applied emf. However, armature
    resistance drops some of the applied voltage, so that:

    RPM=K2*(V-I*R)=K2*V-K2*I*R where K2 is a constant not=K1 above.
    I is armature current, and R is armature resistance.

    If you can measure armature current, you can empirically determine the K2
    times R and add this term for more accurately determining RPM. (This is
    often done in practice for speed control).

    Summary:
    * The first equation is approximate, depending on motor quality,
    (i.e.,armature resistance and losses).

    * The second equation can be used for more accuracy if you are willing to do
    some calculations.

    Regards,
    Ray McArthur

    Original Message
    From: <orthner@s...>
    To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
    Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2000 11:29 PM
    Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Motor speed vs voltage?


    >
    > Hello Everyone,
    > Does anyone know the general relationship between DC
    > motor voltage and RPM? I'm trying to come up with a <very rough>
    > measurement of the speed of a DC motor by reading the input voltage. This
    > is a tiny motor (~3.7V @ 70Ma) with virtually no load, but I am varying
    the
    > speed by changing the voltage.
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-09-01 06:57
    Hi Duncan,
    I think you will need to record data by counting the rpm of the shaft at
    different motor voltages. Then it is a simple matter to do a linear curve
    fit and come up with a multiplier for the voltage to obtain rpm. This would
    hold true unless your motor is subject to a changing load. If this be the
    case, wou will need to do a little feedback to arrangement, possibly with
    optical encoder (not entirely difficult to build) which would measure rpm
    and adjust the motor voltage accordingly.
    Good Luck
    Gary
    g.shearer@v...
    Free Electron Laser Research Center
    Vanderbilt University
    Nashville, Tennessee

    Original Message
    From: <orthner@s...>
    To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
    Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2000 10:29 PM
    Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Motor speed vs voltage?


    >
    > Hello Everyone,
    > Does anyone know the general relationship between DC
    > motor voltage and RPM? I'm trying to come up with a <very rough>
    > measurement of the speed of a DC motor by reading the input voltage. This
    > is a tiny motor (~3.7V @ 70Ma) with virtually no load, but I am varying
    the
    > speed by changing the voltage.
    >
    > All input appreciated, Duncan
    >
    >
    >
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-09-01 07:39
    At 11:29 PM 8/31/2000 -0400, you wrote:

    > Hello Everyone,
    > Does anyone know the general relationship between DC
    >motor voltage and RPM? I'm trying to come up with a <very rough>
    >measurement of the speed of a DC motor by reading the input voltage. This
    >is a tiny motor (~3.7V @ 70Ma) with virtually no load, but I am varying the
    >speed by changing the voltage.

    With the resistance constant (windings), the voltage and curent can change.
    It seems to me if you're varying the voltage, you need to check the current
    and work backwards from there. Just my 2 cents.

    Regards,

    Bruce



    >All input appreciated, Duncan
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-09-01 15:26
    At 12:06 AM 9/1/00 -0400, Ray wrote:

    >An ideal DC motor's RPM is directly proportional to applied voltage.
    >
    >RPM=K1*V where K1 is a constant, and V is applied volts.
    >

    Thanks Ray, so it is a linear relationship. I was going to have the stamp
    read (ADC) the motor voltage and vary the 'time on' of the motor to get
    some rough positioning. On closer examination of the machine I'm working
    on, I realize that it has a limit switch on the mechanism. Ha! So it'll
    likely be better to use that to stop and start the motor. 8^]

    Thanks again, Duncan
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-09-01 19:45
    Hi Duncan,

    Yep, that was interesting info from Ray. (Thanks Ray!)

    Thought I would mention a chip that I'm in the process of hooking up, its a
    DRV102 PWM driver, 2.7A 8 to 60v, from Burr Brown.

    It looks really cool, but don't know how to get one of these T0-220 packages
    hooked up into a bread board yet.

    Must be a socket or clever work around out there somewhere.

    Mark


    Original Message
    From: orthner@s... <orthner@s...>
    To: basicstamps@egroups.com <basicstamps@egroups.com>
    Date: Friday, September 01, 2000 7:26 AM
    Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Motor speed vs voltage?


    >At 12:06 AM 9/1/00 -0400, Ray wrote:
    >
    >>An ideal DC motor's RPM is directly proportional to applied voltage.
    >>
    >>RPM=K1*V where K1 is a constant, and V is applied volts.
    >>
    >
    >Thanks Ray, so it is a linear relationship. I was going to have the stamp
    >read (ADC) the motor voltage and vary the 'time on' of the motor to get
    >some rough positioning. On closer examination of the machine I'm working
    >on, I realize that it has a limit switch on the mechanism. Ha! So it'll
    >likely be better to use that to stop and start the motor. 8^]
    >
    >Thanks again, Duncan
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-09-02 20:51
    if your going to use wire wrap, solder the to220's pins to the (t-44 or
    t-49) wire wrap pins, put them in the bread board and connection is easy.
    alternativly you can use the machined pin ic sockets, most to220 pins will
    go into these.
    norm



    >From: "techno_masai" <plunkettm@e...>
    >Reply-To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    >To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
    >Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Motor speed vs voltage?
    >Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 11:45:59 -0700
    >
    >Hi Duncan,
    >
    >Yep, that was interesting info from Ray. (Thanks Ray!)
    >
    >Thought I would mention a chip that I'm in the process of hooking up, its a
    >DRV102 PWM driver, 2.7A 8 to 60v, from Burr Brown.
    >
    >It looks really cool, but don't know how to get one of these T0-220
    >packages
    >hooked up into a bread board yet.
    >
    >Must be a socket or clever work around out there somewhere.
    >
    >Mark
    >
    >
    >
    Original Message
    >From: orthner@s... <orthner@s...>
    >To: basicstamps@egroups.com <basicstamps@egroups.com>
    >Date: Friday, September 01, 2000 7:26 AM
    >Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Motor speed vs voltage?
    >
    >
    > >At 12:06 AM 9/1/00 -0400, Ray wrote:
    > >
    > >>An ideal DC motor's RPM is directly proportional to applied voltage.
    > >>
    > >>RPM=K1*V where K1 is a constant, and V is applied volts.
    > >>
    > >
    > >Thanks Ray, so it is a linear relationship. I was going to have the stamp
    > >read (ADC) the motor voltage and vary the 'time on' of the motor to get
    > >some rough positioning. On closer examination of the machine I'm working
    > >on, I realize that it has a limit switch on the mechanism. Ha! So it'll
    > >likely be better to use that to stop and start the motor. 8^]
    > >
    > >Thanks again, Duncan
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    >
    >
    >
    >

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