im trying to use my ESC with my Arduino mega i understand i use it like a servo with angles for speed. im unsure of how much power it needs if any, to the three wires red, white and black i know white gos to a pwn pin red power black ground. anyone know of a tutorial or video that would help i would much apreciate it.
m unsure of how much power it needs if any
Of course it needs power, and of course the Arduino is NOT going to supply it. If you can't read what is written on the ESC, hold it up to your camera, and I'll take a look.
How is this a Programming question?
PaulS:
How is this a Programming question?
It isn't anymore.
anyone know of a tutorial or video that would help i would much apreciate it.
Lots of previous ESC discussions that have info.
I know the ESC needs power of course for the the motor but the three wire servo like plug idk if it needs 5v 3v or something different the programming question was if I program it just like a servo and how the angles translate to speed control.
Thanks for all the help
I know the ESC needs power of course for the the motor but the three wire servo like plug idk if it needs 5v 3v or something different the programming question was if I program it just like a servo and how the angles translate to speed control.
You should be able to connect the servo type wires to the arduino as the electronics in the ESC probably use very little current. Try connecting the servo red wire to the arduino 5v pin, the black wire to ground, and the servo output control wire too the arduino servo output pin. Below is some very basic servo test code you can try using the serial monitor. The degree commands probably should be in the range of 45 for low end and 135 for the high end. Note that the ESC probably needs a servo command signal prior to energizing the motor power wires.
//zoomkat 7-30-10 serial servo test
//type servo position 0 to 180 in serial monitor
// Powering a servo from the arduino usually *DOES NOT WORK*.
String readString;
#include <Servo.h>
Servo myservo; // create servo object to control a servo
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
myservo.attach(9);
Serial.println("servo-test"); // so I can keep track of what is loaded
}
void loop() {
while (Serial.available()) {
char c = Serial.read(); //gets one byte from serial buffer
readString += c; //makes the String readString
delay(2); //slow looping to allow buffer to fill with next character
}
if (readString.length() >0) {
Serial.println(readString); //so you can see the captured String
int n = readString.toInt(); //convert readString into a number
Serial.println(n); //so you can see the integer
myservo.write(n);
readString="";
}
}
Note that the ESC probably needs a servo command signal prior to energizing the motor power wires.
I'm not sure if this is what you were getting at, zoomkat - but just for further clarity sake for the OP: Some ESCs require a particular "arming sequence" of commands before they will work after power-up and detection of the servo signal; generally it is something like "full power" back to "zero power" or something like that - consult your ESC manual for details.
I'm not sure if this is what you were getting at,
I don't know if it is incorporated in the ESC chip or not, but I think the RC types always power (motor) the ESC last. If powered up with the signal pin in a floating or undefined state, the motor might be energized. Probably most brushless motors have blades (propellers) attached.
cr0sh:
. . .but just for further clarity sake for the OP: Some ESCs require a particular "arming sequence" of commands before they will work after power-up and detection of the servo signal;. . .
This has been my experience as well.
In just about all my microcontroller/ESC projects (half a dozen or so) the microcontroller is powered from the ESC's BEC so there isn't an option to power one before the other. I think this is common practice and I think it would be a very unusually ESC to start up at high power (or any power setting).