Submitted by shutterdrone on Sun, 05/16/2010 - 19:20
Posted in
While we've been talking about stepper motors a lot, I haven't forgotten the need to support plain (brushed) DC motors. Lately I've been using the Pololu JRK 21v3 driver, and it's worth every penny. =) Being able to load up the configuration software and fine-tune an analog POT interface, or use TTL serial, or use PWM inputs, or just drive it straight from the computer makes this driver invaluable. While it's more expensive than the cheap Chinese drivers you can find all over the place, its flexibility makes it more valuable than even some of the fairly expensive American-made drivers.
Well, either way, I wanted to get a nice carrier board together to make it easier to use, i.e. just "pop it into an enclosure and go." So, here's my first whack at a carrier design. It is designed to be easy to integrate with the stand-alone controller I'm working on. This design isn't tested yet, but I've got 10 prototypes on their way that should be here this coming week.
Here's an article with the complete Eagle CAD files, Gerber files, and Bill of Materials: Carrier Board for the Pololu JRK 21v3 DC Motor Driver
(it measures 2.8"x2.05")
!c
Church can this board be used
Church can this board be used as a simple controller for the speed of a motor? I was looking for something I then could update to serial control down the road.
Thanks
RC, Sure can - the connectors
RC,
Sure can - the connectors labeled "POT" just hook up a potentiometer. IO_SW lets one switch between potentiometer (analog) control and serial/pwm control. With just the driver, you can hook up a POT to +5V, GND, and RX - then use the config utility to tune to your potentiometer.
!c
Great! Now to put it on my
Great! Now to put it on my list. So you can't just put +5 on one end of the pot and have the wiper connect to the RX.
Now onto the drive and electronics. My dolly is done except for the drive and a few other bits for the ladder.
Thanks
You need to use +5V, GND, and
You need to use +5V, GND, and RX - it needs to function as a potentiometer, not a rheostat. Excellent news on the dolly, you'll have to share some photos when you get a chance =)
!c
Where's a good place to post
Where's a good place to post the photos or the links to them?
If you already have the
If you already have the photos hosted somewhere, you can post them in the forum: DIY Motion Control -> Dollies. That would be a good place to show it.
!c
Hi Chris, I understand that
Hi Chris,
I understand that you use this and a DC motor for your dolly? Motors are not my cup of tea. Could you please explain why you use a DC motor for your dolly and steppers for the tilt and pan head? I still have to decide what to use for my own setup (too busy programming to TTS for now).
Do you have any plans about when this board and the stand-alone controller are available for normal people :-)?
Andre, I use both =) I'm
Andre,
I use both =) I'm using a DC motor dolly (same one Jay is using) so I can finish up a "least expensive" setup. Then, I'll go back to using steppers for everything =)
Working on finishing up a stand-alone DC driver based on the board I shared here, enclosure, etc. Should be sending one up to Ann Arbor for testing by the end of the week. Plan to start shipping them to people in July.
!c