highrad:
Very cool TiboJ. I have just started working on a wild thumper project too except I am using the 4 wheel version with 75:1 motors. I am also using the WT Robot Controller. I have a Spectrum DXi6 radio.
This is also very new to me. I noticed you were going to add a pan and tilt unit at some time. Have you done that? I purchased the Lynxmotion unit. (Products - Lynxmotion). I am struggling on how to control (code) the PT.
I like the switch method that Chargrin noted:
Chagrin:
Yes, it would be possible to utilize a switch to tell your Rover that the joysticks (speed and turn signals) control the camera. This would require additional programming on your part; you should look at the example code for the Wild Thumper Controller and make sure you understand it. in the RCMode() function you'll see it reading the speed/turn channels and here is where you'd have it read an additional channel to determine if those readings are for the camera or the wheel motors.
I'd suggest you also set the Rover's speed to zero whenever it detects you've flipped your switch to camera control.
How did you connect yours and can you share your code? Thanks!
Hello highrad,
Nice to know that you're also working on a similar project!
As I'm now busy with tweaking the range of the camera and the controls, I'm not yet started with a pan/tilt mechanism.
I'll do that after the range tweaking.
As jraskell said, you just need to plug the servos into the right channel into the receiver, that's all.
The 'switch' method is nice if you don't have enough channels on your transmitter, for exemple:
if I want to control a pan/tilt system and a robot arm, but I only have one stick left on my transmitter that already is in use for the pan/tilt. So when I toggle a switch on the transmitter, then the Arduino will 'tell' to use that stick for the robot arm, but not anymore for the pan/tilt.
That is what I'm planning to do.
Let me know about your progress, I'll do that also
I was able to control WT and the PT using the radio. This will allow me to fine tune the WT platform.
Now my application will require the WT to operate in a very thick steel wall vessel about 100 feet away from the operator so to solve the radio wave penatration and multipath issues, I will have to go wired vs. wireless. Let me know if you have any insight in eliminating the radio receiver and connecting directly to the WT Controller with a cable.
BTW, I will keep you up to date with my project too!
Are you sure that a good 40Mhz(don't know if it's legal in your country) transmitter and receiver can't penetrate it?
If not, or if not want to use wireless, then it would surely be possible to control the WT with a wired controller, like a ps2 controller.
I think you would need to use the serial pins on the WP controller, not sure. I never did something like that before
I'm sure that there is people out here that know much about that.
I just bought a Futaba f-14 40mhz transmitter, but got a problem:
So, Digital pin 1 of the WP controller is connected to channel 2 on the receiver and it works good(forward and backward), although, digital pin 0(steering) doesn't work on any channel, it just doesn't react on any of the channels of my transmitter...
What is the problem here? I can't find it.
The strange thing is that it worked very good on my previous futaba t6ex 2.4ghz transmitter.
Does anyone know if I can connect a servo to my 40mhz rc receiver?
I'm not sure because the servo consumes around 230mA and the receiver is powered by the pins of the WP controller like here:
The picture says you have a LM1084, 5V, 5 amp regulator on board. Given that I would think you have up to 5 amps available. Would need a datasheet to say anything more specific.
cyclegadget:
The picture says you have a LM1084, 5V, 5 amp regulator on board. Given that I would think you have up to 5 amps available. Would need a datasheet to say anything more specific.
I think you're right. A friend of me thought the same as you.
There is no datasheet available, but I've contacted the designer of the controller.
I reached 400 meters(with obstacles) in my test with the UGV yesterday XD! The video was perfect, but the 40Mhz steering was sometimes a bit buggy.
I'm sure it can reach much more!
Now I'm going to tweak the range of it a bit more.
Yes Last time I reached 800m without any bug on the video or steering. It was in an area with fields and a forest, with obstacles like houses and bushes.
For the video, I use a 1.3Ghz 850mW transmitter with a cloverleaf antenna, and a video receiver with helical antenna, but I'll post specs of it soon.
Very strange: I've connected a transistor to digital pin 4 on the WP controller to turn on a IR led, and when the pin goes HIGH, the IR led doesn't go on at all.
If I measure the voltage on the led it's only 0.2v.
If I use my seperate Arduino Uno it works good.
What can cause the problem?
I wrote this above the setup code:
int transistor = 4;
This in the setup code:
pinMode(transistor, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(transistor,HIGH);
delay(8000); // to test that the IR led turns on for 8 seconds
The wiring should be good because it works good with my other Arduino.
edit1: it seems that it also isnt working with my other arduino after a new test. I'll start another topic as this is not really the 'robotics'.
edit2: solved, gnd of the arduino needs to be connected to gnd of the power supply.
TiboJ:
Here is a picture of my 'work in progress' ground station:
Hmm, interesting idea mounting the display inside the case lid. What type of display did you use? Have you run into any excess heating by surrounding it with foam after extended use?
TiboJ:
Here is a picture of my 'work in progress' ground station:
Hmm, interesting idea mounting the display inside the case lid. What type of display did you use? Have you run into any excess heating by surrounding it with foam after extended use?
It's a TFT-LCD monitor.
I didn't have use it for a long period yet, but if it becomes a problem, I'll just drill some holes in the back of the case.