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[on:]

Good day sir/ma'am. We are currently working on a hexapod with 3 DOF(18 servos),we are using Arduino ADK MEGA and Tower Pro SG-5010. we are using a power supply of a personal computer for our servos,5V 45A. Our goal is to use atleast 10 pins of arduino mega adk for our servo motors, upon trying it, we were able to use 7 pins only. whenever we connect the 8th servo to our 8th pin in arduino, all servos connected on the board malfunctions (for example, some of the servos go to 0 or 180 degrees position, which is wrong because our loaded position of servos is 90 degrees to 120 degrees).

this is our loaded program:

#include <Servo.h>

Servo servoa; // Define a servo
Servo servob;
Servo servoc;
Servo servod;
Servo servoe;
Servo servof;
Servo servog;
Servo servoh;
int i,j,k;
int a=90;
int b=90;
int c=90;
int d=90;
int e=90;
int f=90;
int g=90;
int h=90;

void setup() {
servoa.attach(10); // RightA(4,6)
servob.attach(9); // LeftA(2)
servoc.attach(; // RightB(4,6)
servod.attach(7); // LeftB(2)
servoe.attach(6); // LeftA(1,3)
servof.attach(5); // RightA(5)
servog.attach(4); // LeftB(1,3)
servoh.attach(3); // RightB(5)
servoa.write(a);
servob.write(b);
servoc.write(c);
servod.write(d);
servoe.write(e);
servof.write(f);
servog.write(g);
servoh.write(h);

}

void loop() { // Loop through motion tests
delay(5000);
for(i=1;i<=30;i++){
a++;
b--;
c++;
d--;
servoa.write(a);
servob.write(b);
servoc.write(c);
servod.write(d);
delay(15);
}
for(i=1;i<=30;i++){
c--;
d++;
servoc.write(c);
servod.write(d);
delay(9);
}
for(i=1;i<=30;i++){
a--;
b++;
e++;
f--;
g++;
h--;
servoa.write(a);
servob.write(b);
servoe.write(e);
servof.write(f);
servog.write(g);
servoh.write(h);
delay(20);
}
for(i=1;i<=30;i++){
g--;
h++;
servog.write(g);
servoh.write(h);
delay(9);
}
for(i=1;i<=30;i++){
e--;
f++;
servoe.write(e);
servof.write(f);
delay(9);
}
}

thank you for reading

[Reply #1 on:]

Make sure you are not powering the arduino from the same power source as the servos. What you describe is typically a power supply issue. Also, the servos will operate much better at 6v instead of 5v.

[Reply #2 on:]

I suggest you start with a single servo and connect it to each of your pins to make sure they're suitable to drive a servo.

Then define multiple servos but only connect one at a time to make sure your control logic works.

Then connect them all to confirm that your power supply is up to the job.

[Reply #3 on:]

Multi sweep - sweep upto 12 servos, this will tell you if its your code or something else.

http://rcarduino.blogspot.com/2012/01/can-i-control-more-than-x-servos-with.html

Duane B

rcarduino.blogspot.com