-
Welcome to RCCrawler Forums.
It looks like you're enjoying RCCrawler's Forums but haven't created an account yet. Why not take a minute to register for your own free account now? As a member you get free access to all of our forums and posts plus the ability to post your own messages, communicate directly with other members, and much more. Register now!
Already a member? Login at the top of this page to stop seeing this message.
Awful Gaudy project
- Thread starter beomagi
- Start date
So I got one type of display working, though the speed is slow. the second number on the display 58140 is the number of microseconds to update the display on the previous refresh.
That's WAY to slow. So i'm going to look at LED displays instead.
P9117155 by BE0MAGI, on Flickr
The accelerometer appears broken. It seems y, z axes are almost ground level voltage, and x is close as well. The values should read from 0-1023, with 512 being "normalized". I have another on the way, so I'll compare.
I did get a 4 digit LED display, but it's powered by 2 shift registers. While I did figure out how to power it, it's an annoying design that required my code to loop through all segments continuously. With heavy processing between refreshes, it causes all but the last activated segment to dim or flicker.
Did some more research, and I'd either have to make my own design using shift registers or use a display based on MAX71219.
That's WAY to slow. So i'm going to look at LED displays instead.
P9117155 by BE0MAGI, on FlickrThe accelerometer appears broken. It seems y, z axes are almost ground level voltage, and x is close as well. The values should read from 0-1023, with 512 being "normalized". I have another on the way, so I'll compare.
I did get a 4 digit LED display, but it's powered by 2 shift registers. While I did figure out how to power it, it's an annoying design that required my code to loop through all segments continuously. With heavy processing between refreshes, it causes all but the last activated segment to dim or flicker.
Did some more research, and I'd either have to make my own design using shift registers or use a display based on MAX71219.
Sorry for the lack of updates. Got sick for a while, then the wife and kid, then another cold went through the home... Guess that happens when a kid starts school.
Got the accelerometer working, though it's a little iffy. The output voltage is mapped to angle - reading it is fine, however when stationary, the voltage starts to drift slowly. I may have to try another accelerometer. Guess i'll skip it for now. Everything else is more or less ready.
Got the accelerometer working, though it's a little iffy. The output voltage is mapped to angle - reading it is fine, however when stationary, the voltage starts to drift slowly. I may have to try another accelerometer. Guess i'll skip it for now. Everything else is more or less ready.
While this is thread necromancy, so it the project. This is what happens when you have too many hobbies/projects...
So I got everything working last year, and was sitting in a chair, decided to try pushing myself using the truck - and it bloody worked. Right up until there was a grinding noise, and I destroyed the plastic spool gear in the gearbox. While I did remove fix it last year, and add a gearbox cover, putting in the electronics took me some time again. I had the arduino on a small breadboard, and nothing quite fit right.
Been tackling it again last few days, and last night I bent all unnecessary pins of the arduino out of the way, soldered wires directly and cramed everything in the trunk!
pics coming...
So I got everything working last year, and was sitting in a chair, decided to try pushing myself using the truck - and it bloody worked. Right up until there was a grinding noise, and I destroyed the plastic spool gear in the gearbox. While I did remove fix it last year, and add a gearbox cover, putting in the electronics took me some time again. I had the arduino on a small breadboard, and nothing quite fit right.
Been tackling it again last few days, and last night I bent all unnecessary pins of the arduino out of the way, soldered wires directly and cramed everything in the trunk!
pics coming...
Here's all electronics crammed in the back.
There's an L shaped bit of plastic that goes along the bottom rear of the chassis, bending up at the gearbox forming a "trunk". most of everything gets stuffed in there.
PO286599labels by BE0MAGI, on Flickr
A different angle:
PO286595 by BE0MAGI, on Flickr
Here I have the top off so you can see how it turned out. The batteries in use are another experiment - NMC cells, the type used in vaping. The rub is vaping with "sub ohm" coils use high amp capable batteries to provide power. It's still not the amps needed for high performance RC, but it's enough for crawlers.
PO286594 by BE0MAGI, on Flickr
Charging those is pretty simple. I Just pop them into a nitecore charger like a regular (larger) AA.
The 4 wheel steering capability is really cool to play with.
PO286592 by BE0MAGI, on Flickr
So the way this works is on my radiolink TX, if I twist the channel 3 dial one way, I get 4 wheel steering. The other way I get crabwalk. In the center I get standard front steering. All channel "multiplication" is handled by the arduino. With all 4 wheels steering, the radius is TIGHT.
Yes - I know it's more capable as a crawler with a dig - but this is an overal experiment.
- cheapness (sale parts in crappy colors hence the name, every color you can think of, depending on what was on sale at the time...)
- 4 wheel steering (mixing by arduino!)
- NMC batteries (Sony VTC5)
The red plastic used is from mcmaster - 1/16" thick. plenty stuff, and cut using a scroll saw. I'm planning on putting some holes on top and adding a camera mount for some FPS driving.
Obligatory articulation shot:
PO286598 by BE0MAGI, on Flickr
Given what I use to show the articulation, you can guess where most my time goes
There's an L shaped bit of plastic that goes along the bottom rear of the chassis, bending up at the gearbox forming a "trunk". most of everything gets stuffed in there.
PO286599labels by BE0MAGI, on FlickrA different angle:
PO286595 by BE0MAGI, on FlickrHere I have the top off so you can see how it turned out. The batteries in use are another experiment - NMC cells, the type used in vaping. The rub is vaping with "sub ohm" coils use high amp capable batteries to provide power. It's still not the amps needed for high performance RC, but it's enough for crawlers.
PO286594 by BE0MAGI, on FlickrCharging those is pretty simple. I Just pop them into a nitecore charger like a regular (larger) AA.
The 4 wheel steering capability is really cool to play with.
PO286592 by BE0MAGI, on FlickrSo the way this works is on my radiolink TX, if I twist the channel 3 dial one way, I get 4 wheel steering. The other way I get crabwalk. In the center I get standard front steering. All channel "multiplication" is handled by the arduino. With all 4 wheels steering, the radius is TIGHT.
Yes - I know it's more capable as a crawler with a dig - but this is an overal experiment.
- cheapness (sale parts in crappy colors hence the name, every color you can think of, depending on what was on sale at the time...)
- 4 wheel steering (mixing by arduino!)
- NMC batteries (Sony VTC5)
The red plastic used is from mcmaster - 1/16" thick. plenty stuff, and cut using a scroll saw. I'm planning on putting some holes on top and adding a camera mount for some FPS driving.
Obligatory articulation shot:
PO286598 by BE0MAGI, on FlickrGiven what I use to show the articulation, you can guess where most my time goes
Last edited:
