Ardunio - SlotCar - PowerSupply - Spikes etc.

Ardunio - SlotCar - PowerSupply - Spikes etc.
Hi I am pretty new to Arduino and electronics and maybe this is a little bit too much for a 1st own project, but I just want to.

I stumpled over the following in the web: Freescale Race Challenge Self-Driven Slot Cars Competition

basically I want to do the same. I have a starter kit with a arduino duemilanove (Loading...)
I also have the “2A Motor Shield For Arduino“, “Interface Shield For Arduino“ (for logging to SD card) and “Triple Axis Accelerometer MMA7260 „.

I already experimented with DC Motor and the accelerometer.

My slotcar system is Carrera Servo 140. So it’s actually not bound to slot and can change lanes. Technically a car steers always to one side and the whole track has walls on the side. For changing lanes the polarization has to be changed. So no matter in what direction the motor rotates, the car always moves forward. But the steering depends on the rotation of the motor.
Front of motor - steering: http://www.carrera-servo-140.de/fahrzeuge_lenkung.htm
Back of Motor - always move forward: http://www.carrera-servo-140.de/servissimo_slotit_einbau.htm, http://www.carrera-servo-140.de/images/hw01.jpg

Questions:
1.) from the available currents at http://servowiki.de/index.php/Servo_140_Übersicht#Transformatoren. - is 2A Motor Shield For Arduino“, well suited?
2.) can I just hook the Arduino to the car? I am not sure how staple this will be. Should I put a voltage regular in front? Yesterday I read something that some spikes go through regulators.
The Motor shield would also be hooked to the car in parallel. I also will use rectifier. The hand controller will be locked to fully pushed.
3.) I want to use the sd card for logging. But is there a way to extend the SRAM. I fear logging the accelerometer and evaluating this data will take a lot of memory.

I hope that didn’t sound too stupid :slight_smile:

Rgds
tmg

push

I really would like to hear some opinions.

I already got the accelerometer working. The z-axis is influenced by gravity is clear to me. But X and Y delivere different values.Could this be normal?

rgds
tmg