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Digital Potentiometers — Parallax Forums

Digital Potentiometers

ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
edited 2003-05-17 21:06 in General Discussion
For a circuit I found in the Microcontroller Application Cookbook, I
recently picked up a DS1804 digital potentiometer. I connected it to my
BS2 and to an a VOM and it works.

At the same time I bought a DS1267 digital pot. I have not yet attempted
to use it. It turns out the methods for moving the wipers are quite
different. For the 1804s, the program simply increments (and
decrements) by pulsing high and low.

For the 1267 series the command SHIFTOUT could be used, I suspect, to
specify a wiper position. The 1267 approach seems better for my
application, because I think it will jump the wiper from position to
position. With the 1804, it seems necessary to walk the wiper though all
the intermediate positions.

The hope is, the 1267 program would be faster at changing the resistance
of the pot. On the other hand, the SHIFTOUT command and serial transfer
be slow -- I have never used it. (My BS2 is 2 weeks old).

Has anyone worked with the 1267? Is there any sample code for making it
go? (Dallas semi has some code for an 8081, but does not have anything
published on using the 1267 pot with a BS2.

Also, I was wondering if I can regard the resistance element and wiper
as completely isolated from the circuitry of the BS2. It have it in
mind to replace, with the 1267 or the 1804, the joystick pot of an R/C
transmitter.

Many thanks for your insights on this. Michael Gianturco

Comments

  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2001-12-15 00:42
    I was checking out the http://www.dallassemiconductor.com/ website last week and
    I saw where you can get samples and literature. They have a great site loaded
    with lots of information.
    I received a pair of ds1804's in the mail yesterday.
    John

    http://dbserv.maxim-ic.com/sl_requests2.cfm

    REQUEST SAMPLES
    You can order Dallas Semiconductor and Maxim samples via web, phone, or fax. You
    can request up to eight part numbers. We will send you two samples of each part.


    Note: Samples are intended for evaluating product performance, suitability for
    an application, and for building prototypes. They are not intended for
    reliability testing, for long-term testing or use, and they should not be
    incorporated into equipment to be sold. Maxim's samples are fully functional and
    are tested to the same electrical specifications as parts we sell, but may be
    older or may not have the same reliability expectations as parts we sell.




    Michael Gianturco <michcg@m...> wrote:

    >For a circuit I found in the Microcontroller Application Cookbook, I
    >recently picked up a DS1804 digital potentiometer. I connected it to my
    >BS2 and to an a VOM and it works.
    >
    >At the same time I bought a DS1267 digital pot. I have not yet attempted
    >to use it. It turns out the methods for moving the wipers are quite
    >different. For the 1804s, the program simply increments (and
    >decrements) by pulsing high and low.
    >
    >For the 1267 series the command SHIFTOUT could be used, I suspect, to
    >specify a wiper position. The 1267 approach seems better for my
    >application, because I think it will jump the wiper from position to
    >position. With the 1804, it seems necessary to walk the wiper though all
    >the intermediate positions.
    >
    >The hope is, the 1267 program would be faster at changing the resistance
    >of the pot. On the other hand, the SHIFTOUT command and serial transfer
    >be slow -- I have never used it. (My BS2 is 2 weeks old).
    >
    >Has anyone worked with the 1267? Is there any sample code for making it
    >go? (Dallas semi has some code for an 8081, but does not have anything
    >published on using the 1267 pot with a BS2.
    >
    >Also, I was wondering if I can regard the resistance element and wiper
    >as completely isolated from the circuitry of the BS2. It have it in
    >mind to replace, with the 1267 or the 1804, the joystick pot of an R/C
    >transmitter.
    >
    >Many thanks for your insights on this. Michael Gianturco
    >
    >
    >To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
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    >
    >
    >
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-05-12 04:48
    I am trying, with limited knowledge (which makes it more fun!) to control my
    lego motors with my stamp. I was able to figure out how to use an electronic
    switch controlled by the stamp to control power to the motor, but my next
    wish is to control the amount of power. So I thought I could use a digital
    potentiometer, which I learned about in the parallax "what is a
    microcomputer" module.

    I tried using the potentiometer that came with that (100K in 1K steps) and
    nothing happenned, so I wound up checking the resistance of my lego motor and
    found out it is very low. If I use a resistance of 40 or less ohms I can
    get results. so I looked for a digital potentiometer that low.

    I found one on digi-key (I think) - the DS1845E-020-ND, which seems to be 250
    ohms in 100 steps. I am pretty new to digital potentiometers and the one in
    the "what is a microcomputer" module was an "increment/decrement" interface,
    whereas this one is a 2 wire interface, which I know nothing about.

    How can I learn about the different interfaces for digital potentiometers and
    other info that may be important for me to know so I can make reasonably
    informed decisions about this

    thanks
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-05-12 06:24
    A digital pot is not what you want to use. They are made for circuits which
    consume maybe 1 /100th of the power the motor does. If you try to run a
    motor with them you will burn up the pot.

    What you need is an H-bridge circuit or module. This allows you to turn the
    motor on / off and reverse direction, as well as controlling the speed by
    turning the motor on / off rapidly. You can build the circuit from scratch
    or buy one from various vendors. For small motors the Allegro modules are
    easy to use. www.allegromicro.com.


    Original Message

    > I am trying, with limited knowledge (which makes it more fun!) to control
    my
    > lego motors with my stamp. I was able to figure out how to use an
    electronic
    > switch controlled by the stamp to control power to the motor, but my next
    > wish is to control the amount of power. So I thought I could use a
    digital
    > potentiometer, which I learned about in the parallax "what is a
    > microcomputer" module.
    >
    > I tried using the potentiometer that came with that (100K in 1K steps) and
    > nothing happenned, so I wound up checking the resistance of my lego motor
    and
    > found out it is very low. If I use a resistance of 40 or less ohms I can
    > get results. so I looked for a digital potentiometer that low.
    >
    > I found one on digi-key (I think) - the DS1845E-020-ND, which seems to be
    250
    > ohms in 100 steps. I am pretty new to digital potentiometers and the one
    in
    > the "what is a microcomputer" module was an "increment/decrement"
    interface,
    > whereas this one is a 2 wire interface, which I know nothing about.
    >
    > How can I learn about the different interfaces for digital potentiometers
    and
    > other info that may be important for me to know so I can make reasonably
    > informed decisions about this
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-05-12 07:03
    Hi,

    You can get sample IC's from www.alegromicro.com in small amounts usually
    2-6 of one type.
    Also www.ti.com offers a similar service for 2-4 samples. It took about 1 week
    to get the samples I ordered and
    it cost was $0.00, give them a try. I used Robotics Hobbyist as my application
    in their application for the
    IC's. I am about ready to use 2 of these samples in a small robot I am
    building. Look at the data sheets before
    you order so that you can get the right part(s) for your project.

    Having Fun !!
    Dale Fleischmann

    Rodent wrote:

    > A digital pot is not what you want to use. They are made for circuits which
    > consume maybe 1 /100th of the power the motor does. If you try to run a
    > motor with them you will burn up the pot.
    >
    > What you need is an H-bridge circuit or module. This allows you to turn the
    > motor on / off and reverse direction, as well as controlling the speed by
    > turning the motor on / off rapidly. You can build the circuit from scratch
    > or buy one from various vendors. For small motors the Allegro modules are
    > easy to use. www.allegromicro.com.
    >
    >
    Original Message
    >
    > > I am trying, with limited knowledge (which makes it more fun!) to control
    > my
    > > lego motors with my stamp. I was able to figure out how to use an
    > electronic
    > > switch controlled by the stamp to control power to the motor, but my next
    > > wish is to control the amount of power. So I thought I could use a
    > digital
    > > potentiometer, which I learned about in the parallax "what is a
    > > microcomputer" module.
    > >
    > > I tried using the potentiometer that came with that (100K in 1K steps) and
    > > nothing happenned, so I wound up checking the resistance of my lego motor
    > and
    > > found out it is very low. If I use a resistance of 40 or less ohms I can
    > > get results. so I looked for a digital potentiometer that low.
    > >
    > > I found one on digi-key (I think) - the DS1845E-020-ND, which seems to be
    > 250
    > > ohms in 100 steps. I am pretty new to digital potentiometers and the one
    > in
    > > the "what is a microcomputer" module was an "increment/decrement"
    > interface,
    > > whereas this one is a 2 wire interface, which I know nothing about.
    > >
    > > How can I learn about the different interfaces for digital potentiometers
    > and
    > > other info that may be important for me to know so I can make reasonably
    > > informed decisions about this
    >
    > To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
    > basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    > from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and Body
    of the message will be ignored.
    >
    >
    > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/


    [noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-05-12 09:58
    Original message from: Rodent <daweasel@s...>

    >
    Original Message
    >
    >> I am trying, with limited knowledge (which makes it more fun!) to
    control
    >my
    >> lego motors with my stamp. I was able to figure out how to use an
    >electronic
    >> switch controlled by the stamp to control power to the motor, but
    my next
    >> wish is to control the amount of power. So I thought I could use a
    >digital
    >> potentiometer, which I learned about in the parallax "what is a
    >> microcomputer" module.
    >>
    >> I tried using the potentiometer that came with that (100K in 1K
    steps) and
    >> nothing happenned, so I wound up checking the resistance of my lego
    motor
    >and
    >> found out it is very low. If I use a resistance of 40 or less
    ohms I can
    >> get results. so I looked for a digital potentiometer that low.
    >>
    >> I found one on digi-key (I think) - the DS1845E-020-ND, which seems
    to be
    >250
    >> ohms in 100 steps. I am pretty new to digital potentiometers and
    the one
    >in
    >> the "what is a microcomputer" module was an "increment/decrement"
    >interface,
    >> whereas this one is a 2 wire interface, which I know nothing about.
    >>
    >> How can I learn about the different interfaces for digital
    potentiometers
    >and
    >> other info that may be important for me to know so I can make
    reasonably
    >> informed decisions about this
    >

    If all you want to do is run the motor in one direction.....a simple
    and cheap way is to use a power mosfet(a dollar or two) and control
    the power level to the motor with the PWM command. I can send you a
    very simple circuit schematic if you are interested.

    Paul Lugger



    __________________________________________________________________
    Get your free Australian email account at http://www.start.com.au
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-05-12 11:34
    The digital pot only handles about 1/1000 of the power that you need.
    Ideally you would want to use a motor controller IC like a L298, L293,
    Allegro A2951, SN754410.
    A simpler approach is to use a hobby RC servo and have it control a Car RC
    hobby reostat resistor or sliding switch matrix. Then you can send simple
    PWM pulses to the servo to control the motors. These should be very easy to
    get at a RC hobby shop in your area, or through www.towerhobbies.com.
    If the motors aren't too powerful, you could simply use a transistor Hbridge
    as well. Some 2n2222 and 2n2903 transistors would do the trick. If the motor
    only needs to run one direction you could simply use a single transistor
    like a MOSFET IRF540 IRF9540, or a darlingtion like a TIP120 or TIP125 to
    turn the motor on or off. www.dprg.org has a couple of motor control
    circuits that may be of interest to you.

    Original Message
    From: eclecticrr@A... [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=qNXeKFY9fXM0dmi90vXRv2v5tHJW4DG-FyQR28HzLZQXYX8qvXMkJDCBw_7O4WcuR2AirSlR4c8]eclecticrr@A...[/url
    Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2002 10:48 PM
    To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
    Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] digital potentiometers


    I am trying, with limited knowledge (which makes it more fun!) to control my
    lego motors with my stamp. I was able to figure out how to use an
    electronic
    switch controlled by the stamp to control power to the motor, but my next
    wish is to control the amount of power. So I thought I could use a digital
    potentiometer, which I learned about in the parallax "what is a
    microcomputer" module.

    I tried using the potentiometer that came with that (100K in 1K steps) and
    nothing happenned, so I wound up checking the resistance of my lego motor
    and
    found out it is very low. If I use a resistance of 40 or less ohms I can
    get results. so I looked for a digital potentiometer that low.

    I found one on digi-key (I think) - the DS1845E-020-ND, which seems to be
    250
    ohms in 100 steps. I am pretty new to digital potentiometers and the one in
    the "what is a microcomputer" module was an "increment/decrement" interface,
    whereas this one is a 2 wire interface, which I know nothing about.

    How can I learn about the different interfaces for digital potentiometers
    and
    other info that may be important for me to know so I can make reasonably
    informed decisions about this

    thanks

    To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
    basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
    Body of the message will be ignored.


    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-05-13 15:53
    Below is some pbasic code to control your Lego motor. Melexis sells a chip,
    MLX10402, to Lego to do this job. Ask Melexis for a sample thu their web
    site. Hope this helps.
    Chuck


    'setup for a Melexis MLX10402 motor switcher
    'and Lego 9v motor
    '5/1/00

    b1=9 'stamp pins 9 and 10 connected to Melexis inputs
    b2=10
    aa: 'speed increase in one direction and
    low b1 'speed increase in reverse direction
    low b2
    for b0=50 to 250
    pwm b1,b0,100
    pause 5
    next
    pause 5000
    if b1=9 then cc
    b1=9:b2=10
    goto aa
    cc:
    b1=10:b2=9
    goto aa
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-05-14 15:26
    Chuck,

    How do you ask for a sample?

    It sounds like a good approach if the chip is made specifically for this
    purpose.

    thanks

    In a message dated 05/13/2002 7:59:08 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
    CHIPKEN@a... writes:

    <<
    Below is some pbasic code to control your Lego motor. Melexis sells a chip,
    MLX10402, to Lego to do this job. Ask Melexis for a sample thu their web
    site. Hope this helps.
    Chuck >>
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2003-05-17 17:29
    I need to adjust the resistance of a lot of different circuits for a stamp
    project. Is there a digital potentiometer which can do this or do I need to
    use a separate chip for each one?

    thanks

    bob


    [noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2003-05-17 21:06
    Dallas Semiconductor makes a few pots that have more than one pot on them.
    The DS1806 has 6 pots on one chip but only has 64 tap positions. I you
    don't need a high resolution pot that would be a great chip to use I doesn't
    have NV Ram so you would have to store you tap position to your stamps
    ram.Here is the link to the product table

    hope this helps

    Jason

    Original Message
    From: <eclecticrr@A...>
    To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
    Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2003 10:29 AM
    Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] digital potentiometers


    > I need to adjust the resistance of a lot of different circuits for a stamp
    > project. Is there a digital potentiometer which can do this or do I need
    to
    > use a separate chip for each one?
    >
    > thanks
    >
    > bob
    >
    >
    > [noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
    >
    >
    > To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
    > basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    > from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
    Body of the message will be ignored.
    >
    >
    > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
    >
    >
    >
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