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Speed Controller
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Knightrous
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Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 8511
Location: NSW


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If you want Brett, I can send you the original code. I have it from when you were teaching me about Picaxe and mixing.
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Post Tue Sep 07, 2004 7:42 pm 
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bigjimmy



Joined: 18 Jun 2004
Posts: 40
Location: New South Wales


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well i read that those PICAXE programmers are just 2 resistors and if i could find out how to build it and program it i could just do it myself,
you could send me the code or what ever, but ited probably be easier if you did it brett (if you didnt mind)

Post Thu Sep 09, 2004 11:37 am 
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Ajax
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Joined: 17 Jun 2004
Posts: 298
Location: Sydney


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This is the Australian destributor's web site.
It has all the info required for the 'PICAxe' chips.
there is also some good links to other sites.

http://www.picaxe.com.au/index.htm
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Post Fri Sep 10, 2004 11:55 am 
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Spockie-Tech
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Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 3160
Location: Melbourne, Australia


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I thought I would post a copy of this here as well since people cant respond and talk about it in the ultimate guides section..

---

For anyone interested in DIY speed controllers, here is one of the best guides to a useful robot wars capable speed controller I've seen on the net so far.

http://www.mcmanis.com/chuck/robotics/projects/servo.html

and the 2nd version with more details

http://www.mcmanis.com/chuck/robotics/projects/esc2/index.html

also, for those considering which fets to use, and wanting to know "which fet will do X amps ?", heres another page by the same guy that explaines quite well why "it isnt quite that simple"..

http://www.mcmanis.com/chuck/robotics/projects/esc2/FET-power.html

If the math scares you at first, perservere, read it all and try not to get confused by all the Rtheta(ja)'s until you have thought about his explanations a bit, its worth it..

If its really above your head, then ask yourself why you want to build your own speed controller.. if its because you want to save money, forget it, I guarrantee you wont, just buy one.. otherwise, strain that brain a bit and eventually it will all start to make sense, you need to know this stuff if you want to avoid making magic smoke..
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Post Fri Sep 10, 2004 2:50 pm 
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ffej
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Joined: 22 Jun 2004
Posts: 595
Location: Kurrajong, NSW


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quote:
Originally posted by Spockie-Tech:


If its really above your head, then ask yourself why you want to build your own speed controller.. if its because you want to save money, forget it, I guarrantee you wont, just buy one..


Ill second you there. I spent forever bodging up my own controllers, and hacked oatley kits, just about every fight I lost with the original version of Singularity was due to controller failure (sliced bateries excluded Smile).

I eventually came to the conclusion that unless I were to put a fair amount of time(even more than I spent repairing the dodge controllers) and money into building a controller with a proper PCB with thicker than normal copper, I was going to have continual failures. After some consideration, I decided that I value my time much more than my money, and so went a bought an RS80. With so much added control, reliability and current limiting, ill never go dodge again.
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Post Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:13 pm 
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marto
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Joined: 08 Jul 2004
Posts: 5459
Location: Brisbane, QLD


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Yeah but theres always one of us who just has to do it the hard way.

I dunno why but i find doing thing for myself a challenge and if you can get it to work a good learning experience. And if you can't get it to work at least you learn what not to do.
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Steven Martin
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Post Sat Sep 11, 2004 12:55 am 
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ffej
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Joined: 22 Jun 2004
Posts: 595
Location: Kurrajong, NSW


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After re-reading my post, that last sentance sounds llike a huge ad for the RS80D Razz
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Post Sat Sep 11, 2004 1:38 pm 
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Spockie-Tech
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Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 3160
Location: Melbourne, Australia


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"I liked it so much, I bought the company !" ? Laughing

I understand what you mean though jeff, when you've been trying to achieve something, and you suddenly find a tool that allows you to work towards your goal much easier than you did before, its very easy to wax lyrical about its advantages to everyone..

I dont mean to discourage anyone from learning how speed controllers work, I did, and I enjoyed it greatly.. if anyone else wants to, I'll be more than happy to have someone to talk about such things with, and I might even learn something new myself from the discussion.

I like to make sure that it is being done because of "a desire to know" and a willingness to learn, rather than as a perceived cheaper short-cut to a goal of "just getting something that works". If thats someones goal - to get a working speed controller with as little effort as possible to allow them to reliably win with their bot, then I promise that buying one is the easiest route to that goal that involves the least expenditure of effort, time and money.

If however, the challenge of mastering the techniques required to make a little tiny chunk of silicon behave as a better conductor and switcher of massive amounts of electrical power than a huge piece of wire and mechanical contacts can excites you, and you dont mind the effort required to leap the many hurdles along the way, then its a very satisfying journey if you have the time and energy to make it yourself.

(actually, my initial motivation was to save money.. Rolling Eyes I knew that we needed to build quite a few bots ourselves to help kick-start the sport in Australia, and I hoped that by building our own, we would save money over buying 10 or more commercial units.. even so, I'm not sure it wouldnt have been cheaper to just buy them when you take into account the time I spent developing them (and that was with the help of the already existing OSMC design!), but I did enjoy learning about an area of electronics that turned out to be a lot more involved than I ever suspected before)..

So dont complain that its too complicated and isnt there a simpler way ?when someone who has done it points out the path they followed to get there for you.. Laughing
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Post Sat Sep 11, 2004 2:48 pm 
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bigjimmy



Joined: 18 Jun 2004
Posts: 40
Location: New South Wales


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@spokie
have you fixed up the code for the PICAXE micro? i got all the parts from jaycar on thursday and ive built it all so i have to just get this micro and itll be finished.

Post Sun Sep 12, 2004 4:45 pm 
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Spockie-Tech
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Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 3160
Location: Melbourne, Australia


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Yes I have. I got out my PicAxe boards and started tinkering with them again the other day, and the micro's or code are ready to send to you..

Did you want a pre-programmed micro sent to you or just a copy of the code so you can program your own ?

If it is the pre-programmed micro, there are two types.
One is the PicAxe 18A which is sufficient fot the 2 channel control with mixing
The other is the PixAxe-18X which has additional memory and is needed for the code that does the 3 channel decoding, giving you an additional 2 relay outputs for weapon control (like the IBC).

The 18A is $10, and the 18X is $14.. plus postage method of your choice.

If you want a chip, can you please send me your address in a Private Message, and a copy of the circuit diagram you built your board to. I made 2 versions with slightly different pinouts at different times, and want to make sure the code matches the pinouts you used.
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Post Sun Sep 12, 2004 9:29 pm 
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bigjimmy



Joined: 18 Jun 2004
Posts: 40
Location: New South Wales


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yeh ill need the 18X micro since i made it with the 2 weapon channels

brett ive sent you a PM with my adress and that

Post Tue Sep 14, 2004 12:05 pm 
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bigjimmy



Joined: 18 Jun 2004
Posts: 40
Location: New South Wales


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I'm sorry to hassle you Brett, but Id really like to get this micro off you before the holidays. Ive sent you 2 PMs now (i think they sent?) Confused

Also here the schematic i used,

http://www.robowars.org/temp/relay-control-sch1.jpg

I included every component on it, so ill need the 18X micro.

Again sorry to hassle you...

Post Sat Sep 18, 2004 6:01 pm 
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