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PSC ... autonomous? — Parallax Forums

PSC ... autonomous?

jshrews23jshrews23 Posts: 8
edited 2006-03-11 23:31 in Robotics
I stated this in another post, but it was off subject of the topic.

I have done some research on the servo controller board.· After what I have seen, I can not tell how much control I have over the servos.· I want to make an autonomous robot and control the servos different ways at different times.· Do I have control with my basic stamp over these servos on the servo control board?

In other words, I don't want the servos running all the time. I want to be able to tell the servos to go faster or slower and different directions depending on the situation...all without a computer hooked up to it.· Can I do this with the servo control board?

Another question has to do with the power issue.· I am thinking of getting the PSC because of 'brownouts' of having the four servos connected straight to the boe-bot (C).· Obviously I am saving some power becuase there will be batteries just for the servos...but it still seems like I should be eating up all that voltage still.· Am I missing something?

Comments

  • Jon WilliamsJon Williams Posts: 6,491
    edited 2006-03-08 05:28
    The servo controller simply refreshes the servos, and other than the ramping function does not actually control servo position; that comes from the host controller.

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    Jon Williams
    Applications Engineer, Parallax
  • neotericneoteric Posts: 144
    edited 2006-03-08 16:32
    You can read a servos postion with the PSC? Correct?
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2006-03-10 05:19
    The reading you get from the PSC will simply be the last position you sent to that channel.· It doesn't report the actual position of the servo, since servos do not have any sort of active feedback to report their actual position.· You would need an encoder for that.

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
    csavage@parallax.com
  • Kenny GardnerKenny Gardner Posts: 169
    edited 2006-03-10 21:05
    servos do not have any sort of active feedback to report their actual position

    The new HiTech HSR-8498HB servos do, and apparently they are going to give this capability to the 5645's.

    Kenny
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2006-03-11 02:37
    Kenny,

    ·· Couldn't find that servo anywhere on the HiTec website.· Nonetheless that doesn't change the fact that any servo controller that handles standard hobby servos, and any R/C Receiver or anything currently designed to control these servos won't be equipped to handle feedback since it was never present before.· Some other input would need to be used.

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
    csavage@parallax.com
  • Kenny GardnerKenny Gardner Posts: 169
    edited 2006-03-11 21:22
    Chris,

    The Servo is listed in the Robotics catalog:

    http://www.hitecrobotics.com/products/2006_RoboticsCatalog.pdf

    One way to program the RoboNova is to move the arms and legs to a position, then have the software read the servo position and store it. These positions can then be played back.

    Things are changing pretty fast and with the new Digital Servos, the Servo Controllers are going to need to adapt and keep up with technology.

    Kenny
    ·
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2006-03-11 23:31
    Kenny,

    ·· I didn't look at the catalog link you posted, but if that's the one from the RoboNova they said at the Robonexus that servo was designed for that robot.

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
    csavage@parallax.com
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