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messing with the motor outs (A and B)

maneuver's picture

Just a thought:

(lets call the four motor outputs A1, A2, B1 and B2)

What would happened if I connected a GM10 (with the original spring still attached) between B2 and A2? Like in the illustration below

motorhead.jpg

I was hoping to achieve the following:

Motor A

Motor B

GM10 position

Stop

Stop

Center

Stop

Forward

Rightmost

Stop

Backwards

Leftmost

Forward

Stop

Leftmost

Forward

Forward

Center

Forward

Backwards

Leftmost

Backwards

Stop

Rightmost

Backwards

Forward

Rightmost

Backwards

Backwards

Cente

Or would I just fry the L293D?

 

 

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ignoblegnome's picture
What if you added relays or additional external transistors so that each motor had its own current source? Now you would get the same control, but the motors don't share current.
maneuver's picture
how do I breadboard three motors hooked up to the 'axe? I must have misunderstood you somehow...
rik's picture
I may be mistaken, but I believe it is not possible to wire the picaxe projectboard to do PWM through the L293D. That's why I suggest you put the L293 in a breadboard. And then connect all the other thingeys.
maneuver's picture

Stalling, yes, that might be an issue, since the GM10 stalls when it reaches the end of its range (max left and max right).

But, if your theory is that I wont fry the L293D, Ill give it a shot.

Thank you Robologist and rik

rik's picture

To stay on the cautious side, youd could breadboard the whole cricuit, send pwm signals to the L293 inputs, measure current flowing throught V+ into the chip, maybe even put in a fuse at say 1 or 2 A.

Program your Picaxe to give off a modest mark/space rastio at first, slowy crank it up while cycling through the permutations in the table.

Oh man, what a nerd I am!

rik's picture

I completed your logic table for two GM10's.

cmd A cmd B   4 = A1 5 = A2 6 = B1 7 = B2   A1 - B1 A2 - B2
halt halt   sink sink sink sink   center center
halt backward   sink sink sink source   center leftmost
halt forward   sink sink source sink   leftmost center
forward halt   sink source sink sink   center rightmost
forward backward   sink source sink source   center center
forward forward   sink source source sink   leftmost rightmost
backward halt   source sink sink sink   rightmost center
backward backward   source sink sink source   rightmost leftmost
backward forward   source sink source sink   center center

The bold columns are new. I also included the electrical states for four pins on the picaxe (28x1) that correspond with A1-B2.

The real question for me is how the resistances in the motors compare to each other. And if it matters at all. Consider the fourth line in the table.

cmd A cmd B   4 = A1 5 = A2 6 = B1 7 = B2   A1 - B1 A2 - B2
forward halt   sink source sink sink   center rightmost

Motor A will run forwards because lead A1 is sinking current wich is sourced by lead A2. The GM10 connected to A1-B1 sees two sinking leads and therefor will not get any voltage or current. The other GM10 (A2-B2) sees lead A2 sourcing and the other lead, B2 sinking. But lead A2 is now sourcing current for two motors. Which motor shall receive the brunt of it?

If Motor A (unspecified type) draws all the current because it is some heavy duty, no resistance to speak of, kinda supermotor, the current will choose that path. The GM10 will not move.

If the situation is the other way around, the GM10 will draw all the juice and Motor A will remain still.

And even if all motors are nicely balanced (say they are all the same make/model/type/age), you would see some differences under varying motor loads. A stalling motor would draw away all current from other motor(s) that happen to be connected in parallel at that moment.

Still, this would be an awesome hack. Maybe a diode or two would make it work nicely. Even if it would reduce the number of permutations in the logic table. Or would it?

 

robologist's picture
Strangely I think it might work. The motors will work more slowly than normal, since they are sharing in some cases. Might be enough were some motors stop since the other is having less resistance, taking more current.