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Spockie-Tech
Site Admin
Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 3160
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Assuming the green block is the lego controller, then Glen's original diagram is correct.
The paralell diodes are used for clamping negative-going spikes caused by relay-coil kickback.. if you wired two relays in parallel with diodes like that, the output from the Lego controller would be shorted whenever it tried to go over .6v.
With the diodes in series, one relay will conduct with one output polarity, and the other when it reverses.
Of course that only gives you bang-bang control, rather than the PWM of the servo-board driven rig, and the servo-board gives you a semi-failsafe rig, since when it loses the radio signal, the Fets stop driving, but a couple of diodes are a lot easier than hacking up some servo's if the motors are lo power. _________________ Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people
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Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:19 am |
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Knightrous
Site Admin
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 8511
Location: NSW
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quote:
Aaron. Jason has said he'd like me to work on designing an updated IBC with him sometime in the future, but we havent started on it yet.
I have a few new ideas I could incorporate into a controller, but cant really see a "gap" in the market that needs filling at the moment. There are plenty of controllers just above the IBC in price and features wise available from overseas, so there wouldnt be a lot of point in it. Thats why the MMC's never made it to market. its difficult to build them in Australia at a competitive price given our very limited market. You can just buy OSMC's which the MMC is a slightly improved version of..
If someone knows of a feature or controller that they would like that doesnt already exist, let me know, but no, you cant say "I want this and this and this for less money than that controller".. Brett's post from the All Terrain Thread
Brett, I was looking at getting a Sidewinder controll soon, but the everyday fluctation of the Aussie Dollar makes the controller go from $420 to $500 depending on the exchange. The main reason I wanted a Sidewinder was due to the size and the current limiting ability. I continously support using the IBC due to the fact it's built here in Australia and if I have problems, I can easily pick up the phone and get some help, plus it doesn't cost me $50 in postage to send it overseas to get it looked at.
If yourself and Jason were to commit to a larger version of the IBC similar to the Sidewinder (80+amps & current limiting) I'm sure quite a few people would buy the controller because it would then void the need to buy overseas controllers.
EDIT: Price wise, I'd rather spend $450 buying a controller here in Australia then from the US or UK, mainly because here we can get tech support and at larger events (RoboWars and The Annihilator) we had technicians on site who were able to fix controllers (Jason did a wonderful job fixing IBC's at RoboWars ) But if I was to buy a set of Victors or a RS80D and something went wrong, it would cost me $150 roughly to get the suckers fixed, where as currently, my IBC has only cost me $40 to get 2 fets replaced and a hip chip. I have my IBC back in 3 weeks. Mmmmm, this edit has become another post in itself _________________ https://www.halfdonethings.com/
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Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:03 pm |
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