Any time you start talking about motors controlled by a microcontroller or anything, you are moving into power electronics especially if you want to run the motor backwards and forwards, handle stall currents, etc. Micros can generally power LEDs directly but due to the wide variety of motors, most use separate H-bridges and PWM to control them.
Micros and peripherals get to be complicated fast. The building block circuits that teach how to do that stuff are frequently marginal at best for real-world applications.
I get that, but couldnât they just make an antenna that connects to a potentiometer which sends signals, and another antenna that connects to a motor that receives signals?
Have you checked out Adafruit? This sounds more what youâre looking for. They have detailed tutorials/guides for all of their electronics projects/products.
Nope. Thereâs lots more to it than that. And this is why I donât hold out much hope for micros or other parts to end up on MW. Itâs a complex topic for those without any background in basic electronics.
What I would suggest is check out these places and Iâm sure there are many others. These have sections on robotics and should have things that would enable what you want to do or at least point the way. The Arduino link is mostly Arduino-specific while Adafruit covers all sorts of micros with all sorts of capabilities. SparkFun has a lot of resources and hardware as well.
I should add that the approach taken by most of these is to use separate modules that are pre-built and just need connecting from module to module. Makes it extremely easy and removes the need to solder surface mount stuff. All you do is figure out which modules you need and which micro to use.
There is a STEMMA line at Adafruit where all you do is plug connecting cables between boards for power and communications. Itâs much like the wiring MW is using with the PDB and other electrical parts they are selling.
They could. But what if you buy a widget controller but then decide to use it for another project - you probably have to reprogram it. Thereâs also the issue with versioning. What if a creator updates software? Then any parts MW has are outdated and even potentially unusable without reprogramming. Now youâve created a need for MW to stay up to date with software and keep hardware updated - or add delays to shipping by forcing them to program each part before packing and shipping. Itâs a can of worms.
Well, my argument is, that plenty of companies (including Bambu Lab) have remote controlled LED lights, and they never have to update those, so why would it be any different with a remote controlled DC motor? All the remote would do is adjust the speed & maybe change the direction.
I mean thatâs totally doable but very limiting. You could rob that functionality from a $10 toy.
What about collision avoidance? Lights? Backup lights? Or any of a host of other features. The trap youâre opening up is things so basic they donât have many applications.
But do whatever you want. Bambu doesnât offer it so if you have a project in mind youâll need to look elsewhere for now anyway. We gave you sources. The ball is in your court.
Oh, alright. I have one other question for you. How do I connect four 15 RPM N20 Reduction Gear Motors from Makers Supply to four seperate power sources but only use one potentiometer board to control all four motors?
This is moving off topic. If you are controlling four motors with one potentiometer (not ideal for a number of reasons) you probably donât need four power sources. If you need four totally separate circuits, you might want a four-way ganged potentiometer. But this is where some basic knowledge of electrical circuits would help. I suggest looking in the robotics sections of the links Jon and I gave you before.
I agree, it is moving off topic, so I will only ask one more question, then I will stop. Is it possible to do what I want to do using only things I buy off of Makers Supply? Also, I need four separate power sources because I want to maximize the power going to each motor because I am trying to make something to lift heavy things.
If the Potentiometer Board is connected to the SW0 master switch, ensure that the combined maximum current of all channels SW1~SW4 does not exceed 0.4A, and the battery voltage does not exceed 6V.
The potentiometer board is limited to .4 amps. Adding more power supplies doesnât change this limit or âadd more powerâ to the motors.
I know, but I need to control four motors with a single potentiometer board, but from what I understand, if I connect everything to a power distribution board, the motors would not be receiving the maximum amount of power. Is this true?
Maximizing power and potentiometers donât fit well together in the same sentence. You really need to learn a few things about basic circuitry because your questions are pointing to you not understanding the fundamentals. I donât say that to be mean. Itâs just we can go back and forth all day trying to correct misunderstandings when things would get a lot easier if you would put in the work to learn the basics.
Especially if you are wanting high power in an electric motor, that means high currents. But those generate and waste heat and power in resistive things like potentiometers. Use the wrong pot and you can overheat/kill it. A better solution would be PWM with an H-bridge. Much less wasteful because you arenât wasting near as much energy as heat.
Four battery holders and batteries will provide just as much power as a single battery pack of the same voltage with 4x the capacity.
Again, these are points that you could pick up if you would just put in the effort. A motor, battery, and potentiometer will work sort of but you need to make sure the pot can take the load.
Are the outputs in serial or parallel? They are in parallel so all would see the same voltage. However, current demand would add so your PDB, pot, and battery would need to be able to handle that load which is 4x what it would be with a single motor. Maybe it would work for you but donât know enough about your project.