I've been messing around with the esp2866 and servos creating a couple of home automation projects for the house using SG90 Micro Servos. I recently bought a more powerful servo thinking it was going to be just as easy to set up (im pretty new to to this and obviously naive) and cant get it working.
My new servo is 4.8 - 6.8v (powered by 5v Power Supply Module) and the esp2866 is 3.5, so i'm thinking that could be the problem there. Do i need to buy a more powerful controller... will a 5v one work?
Here is my servo
Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated or even a nudge in the right direction.
You don't absolutely have to change the controller. But if you're using the ESP8266 at 3.5V you can't also run that servo on the same power supply. You'll have to check the specifications of your "5V power supply module" to see if it can provide enough power for your servo. The specs for the servo should tell you how much power it needs.
Also, one of the pins on the servo connector is for the control signal. The signal alternates between "high" and "low". If your servo is expecting at least 3.6V for a logic "high" then you might be in trouble with the 3.5V signal coming from the ESP8266. One solution to this is to have the ESP8266 switch a transistor that controls a 5V signal. This is what is known as a level converter and can be purchased as an IC.
"My new servo is 4.8 - 6.8v (powered by 5v Power Supply Module) and the esp2866 is 3.5, so i'm thinking that could be the problem there. Do i need to buy a more powerful controller... will a 5v one work?"
If the ESP signal was able to control the sg90 servo, it probably can control the larger servo. You should get an at least 6v power supply for your new servo if you want it perform near its rated values..
zoomkat:
"My new servo is 4.8 - 6.8v (powered by 5v Power Supply Module) and the esp2866 is 3.5, so i'm thinking that could be the problem there. Do i need to buy a more powerful controller... will a 5v one work?"
If the ESP signal was able to control the sg90 servo, it probably can control the larger servo. You should get an at least 6v power supply for your new servo if you want it perform near its rated values..
yeah it controlled the sg90 no bother. If thats the case i'll try and get at least 6v power to it and try again. With the 5v mod i would have thought i would have got some kind of movement on the servo, but there was nothing.
MK1888:
You don't absolutely have to change the controller. But if you're using the ESP8266 at 3.5V you can't also run that servo on the same power supply. You'll have to check the specifications of your "5V power supply module" to see if it can provide enough power for your servo. The specs for the servo should tell you how much power it needs.
Also, one of the pins on the servo connector is for the control signal. The signal alternates between "high" and "low". If your servo is expecting at least 3.6V for a logic "high" then you might be in trouble with the 3.5V signal coming from the ESP8266. One solution to this is to have the ESP8266 switch a transistor that controls a 5V signal. This is what is known as a level converter and can be purchased as an IC.
Im using a dual power mod that can supply 3.5 and 5v, a think separately. The servo says
Stall Torque (5V): 19 kg/cm (263.8oz/in)
Stall Torque (6.8V): 21.5 kg/cm (298.5 oz/in)
so thought i would have got some movement on the 5v
Yes, you most definitely should get movement at 5v.
If you've got a 5v Arduino, I'd try it with that.
You have the grounds connected, right?
And you're not trying to share the arduino power supply with the servo or anything, right? That can cause lots of fiddly problems; it's best to avoid doing that - at least until you've confirmed that it works in the absence of that complicating factor (the way people around here talk about running servos on the same power supply as the arduino, you'd think it opened a portal to hell and summoned legions of the damned to drag the hapless person who tried it off to the pits of fire and brimstone for eternity or something. Sure, it can cause problems, no doubt - might need to take countermeasures, sure - but it absolutely can be done, and is done in commercial products all the time)
Im such a fool, you're right, it was a ground issue. Testing with a sg90 i was running it straight to the esp2866 and it was working. When i switched the larger servo in i was running it from the bread board and power mod. Had the ground and live to the servo from the power mod but not from the esp to the power mod!!!