Beginner R/C crane project - combo of servos and DC motors ??hardware and code?

[dabbler101]

Hi everyone

I'm new to arduino (in fact to all electronics, mechanics and programming, so please assume my knowledge is really low)!

I want to build a radio controlled mobile crane, using an existing basic 6 channel RF transmitter and receiver I stole from my RC plane. I then want onboard receiver signal input (I think will be PWM) to go through arduino, and allow me to control the vehicle and crane arm. The vehicle I plan to drive with 2 x small DC gear motors at rear (castors at front), and the crane I loosely intend to have servos/continuous rotation servos and gears for turntable (yaw) and arm elevation, a telescopic boom to extend/retract arm (possibly rack and pinion driven by stepper motor) and a winch (again stepper, or maybe CR servo). Design flexible depending on what's viable and recommendations I get. I am also considering 'jacks' to stabilise when lifting. The vehicle does not need to move whilst crane operating, in fact one idea is to save RC channels if there were a way of 'switching mode' between driving and lifting, so same controls have 2 different outputs.

This is small scale 'shoebox size', and I don't need it to lift a lot of weight, 'model only' (less than 500g). I'm probably going to use wood for body/crane if that's easiest, this is a prototype and doesn't need to look good.

I've been trying to self-educate looking up forums on here, google/youtube channels such as DroneBotWorkShop and Sparkfun, but none quite cover same scope. Sure someone must have done similar before. I'm basically at square one and grateful for any advice on the hardware/boards, hookup and code that might be used to do this, willing to learn but also don't want to reinvent the wheel if a whole 'cut and paste' solution is out there. I'll list what I've been experimenting with and kit I have as this might help, but not attached to any one solution. Simple enough for a beginner to execute and cheap are generally good!

1. I have an Arduino Uno clone
2. I bought a TB6612FNG motor driver board (think this is 'dual h bridge' and tells me can drive 2 motors)
3. I have a PCA9685 servo driver board...whether I actually need this or not I don't know, though I was assuming to run so many servos off arduino might run out of pins/power?
4. I know both servos and motors will need some separate power supply other than arduino.
5. The transmitter/receiver I have is the same basic 6 channel type in lots of rc planes (3 pins for each channel)
6. Have breadboard, jumper wires etc.
7. I have SG90 servos and small stepper motors with their own driver boards. Happy to buy other kit if needed.

I think my two biggest challenges/questions are:

1. How to connect both the board for servos and motors to arduino and find code that matches, and the overall set up.
2. Whether I can use 6 ch creatively, to have the different modes and let the programming modify output accordingly to get more than 6 'effects'.

Hope that's clear, very grateful for your help and ready to go back to the drawing board!

Thanks

Alex

[Paul_KD7HB]

Actually, you biggest problem is to get all the mechanical and physical components done and assembles and moving as you need. Only then can you measure the force and movements needed to power and control the device.
Paul

[gilshultz]

I have a few suggestions, first generate a prototype schematic, not a frizzy drawing showing all connections including power and grounds. This will allow you to connect each piece of hardware and allocate your resources. You may find you do not have enough of the correct pins, you may even have extra. To find a complete code for your project check with my neighbors slim and none. You will either have to write it from scratch or modify some you find. You can also do several tutorials on the arduino and the hardware items you are working with. Now it is time to assemble your project. Add one piece of hardware at a time and get the code to do what you want. Then add a second etc. Using the 6 channels is what your software will have to do along with the igmation of the programmer (inventor).