For my project, I am trying to make a Remote controlled car with bit extra features. To start with, is to get the basic controls.
What I have is an Arduino Uno, and an old remote car, which is working in perfect condition. I dont have the Remote control, but I have the rest of the circuitary.
The Chip read SM6135 if that matters. What I have in mind is, get a new remote control setup (Transmitter/Receiver) and have it linked with Arduino, which will control the motors through L298 Driver.
Since I am new to this, I exactly dont know what should be bought.
Any help is much appreciated. I am more intrested in building the transmitter and receiver, if that can be done fairly easily.
There are many ways to go about doing this. Many choose an Android smart phone or tablet, but you need to know, or ask/pay someone who knows Java. With this, you can use Wifi or Bluetooth. Others use simply a bluetooth slave module and a computer, or any other Bluetooth device, (it's basically the same thing as using an Android.) Others use IR controllers, there are libraries available. And the rest just use RF or hard wire, buttons and pots.
With the libraries we have now, you can use a Wii remote (any), an Xbox 360 controller, or even a PS2/3 controller. Your choice really.
Me, at first I used a PS2 wireless controller, then bluetooth w/ a laptop. After that with an android, and now I made my own controller with a arduino Mega, a TFT touch screen, and accelerometer.
I presume for a car you just need speed and steering which could be provided by a couple of potentiometers plugged into the Arduino board.
I am in the process of converting a model train to battery powered radio control with an Arduino controlling the transmitter. I have ordered the Tx1 transmitter from this site http://www.deltang.co.uk/ (at bottom of page) and there are various "surface receivers" that should be suitable. David, who runs the site is very helpful and replies to emails quickly. If you buy direct from him he will set up everything before dispatch.
So If I want to go with RF, what things should I be buying?
Well, your going to need 2 arduinos then. I recommend getting 2 Arduino UNOs. You will also need a trans/receiving pair, either 315 or 433 MHz, both are fine. If you don't know how to solder, you may need a breadboard with wires, and you can buy a motor shield. (NOTE: make sure it can support 2 DC motor, or 1 DC motor and 1 servo.)
For the controller, you can use simple buttons and pots. Pots will be great for servos, if you plan to use them. You will also need a +7.2 volt battery pack for your car, and maybe one for the remote.
Code wise, you will need the VirtualWire library, just do a search in the playground.
xkishorx:
What I have in mind is, get a new remote control setup (Transmitter/Receiver) and have it linked with Arduino, which will control the motors through L298 Driver.
Given that you seem to be planning to use an ordinary RC handset as the controller, it makes sense to me to use the whole RC system for the handset, speed controller and steering servo. If you choose an RC system with additional channels, you can use those to control additional features. An Arduino can decode the pulse that would normally drive a servo/speed controller, so you can use one or more of those channels to send commands to an Arduino if you want. So, for example, you could have a switch on the transmitter that sends a command (via the transmitter/receiver) to an Arduino to make it strobe a light bar, make noises, move a servo/actuator and so on. The point is that in this approach the Arduino conceptually takes the place of a servo/speed controller and just lets you control other devices on your vehicle.
The Arduino is also capable of outputting a servo control signal, so if you wanted you could have your Arduino carry out pre-programmed sequences of actions involving servos, lights etc based on switch and joystick movements at the transmitter.
Also with this approach, I would suggest using a conventional electronic speed controller suitable for your motor, rather than trying to implement that part using the Arduino. It would be possible to drive the motor via an Arduino-controlled H-bridge driver, but I think a standard ESC would be more efficient and more reliable.
Hmm.. well, from reading all the replies, I think some of you didnt actually get what I mean. (I think so.)
I dont have the RC control setup of the car. I have the motors, and all the setup done. So they are ready to run when powered. What I am planning is, Make a transmitter, Accelerate, Decelerate, Left and Right and a special button that I will use intermittently. (Maybe Lights)
So, I assume, it is 3 channels. Or is it 5?
So, once I have the transmitter, I need the receiver to get the data being sent, and give it to arduino,so it can judge whats being sent, and power the motors using the H bridge.
So, I am confused at what things I need to buy to get started with the RF.
If you want to use the existing receiver in the car you will need to know what type it is in order to know what sort of matching transmitter it needs - what frequency it operates on and what channel / crystal it uses. Then you will need to figure whether that sort of transmitter is available with an Arduino. (I have no idea what the options are, so I don't mean to imply that there would be a problem).
My suggestion earlier envisaged buying a new transmitter and receiver, and only having the receiver in the car. The Deltang transmitters/receivers I referred you to have 7 channels and the transmitter is easily controlled with an Arduino.
If you want to have an Arduino in the car so you can do elaborate things there then you will need a system of wireless comms between the two Arduinos. It may be possible to use an Arduino to act on the signals received by a Deltang receiver but I presume there is a lot more that can be done using wireless shields.
Perhaps you can describe what you want the car to do?
Perhaps it would be more convenient, and not much more expensive to buy a whole new car.
I started a similar project not too long ago. I'm using 2 breadboard arduino's, and a pair of wireless transceivers. Along with that, I built a custom controller using some joysticks and trigger potentiometers from sparkfun. You can check out what I have done here. http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,154463.0.html
I started using a Wii Nunchuck as the controller, but abandon it for my own controller.