Matching stepper motor with speed sensed from IR sensor. Ideas needed

Other Hardware Motors, Mechanics, Power and CNC
1

Hi everyone was wonder if anyone could give me an idea on how to do this:

I have 2 IR sensors, IR 1 is measuring the real time speed of the main conveyor while IR 2 is measuring the 2nd conveyor. The goal is to match the speed of conveyor 2 to conveyor 1 (+/- 10%).

I have the IR sensors providing me the speed and frequency of both conveyors. I also have the my Ardunio Uno connected to the driver, which is then connected to the stepper motor (using the hardware and wiring from this video: Big Stepper Motors with Arduino - YouTube).

The code I have current converts the IR sensors input to speed (rpm) and frequency and I'm trying to find out if I can convert the frequency or rpm from conveyor 1 to input for the stepper motor to match and have the 2nd IR sensor confirm they actually match and if not tell the stepper motor to increase or decrease to match.

Thank you!

2

Most people would use PID to solve the problem. Conveyor 1/Sensor 1 simply determine the setpoint of Conveyor 2.

3

If a stepper motor cannot follow the given step frequency then there is no help but using a more powerful stepper or other motor. Your only chance were, in this case, to reduce the speed of conveyor 1.

4

Why use stepper motors at all if you are going to do this? Or putting it another way, if you use 2 steppers and make sure their gearing to the conveyors is the same, then they will match speed if you step them at the same rate.

5

Unless both conveyors are run by stepper motors, your project is hopeless. Did you build the conveyors? You can buy conveyors that are designed to do exactly what you are suggesting.

6

Any kind of motors can be used for this project. I don't think that big conveyors are driven by stepper motors.

7

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