Ant Weight Circuit Help

[Bad Wolf]

Posted once or twice before but Ive recently started putting things together for my Ant Weight, after looking at a bag of Components doing nothing for far too long.

So Ive got to this stage of building the circuit

Stage 1 -

https://i.imgur.com/MDQQLJ5.jpg

After plugging in the battery the Green light comes on

Stage 2 -

https://i.imgur.com/V200qBV.jpg

and then I plug the Lemon in and it flashes Red,

https://i.imgur.com/Cq11Vjy.jpg


Then the right motor starts moving, I then bind the controller (Devo 7e) and Ive managed to get it to stop running the motor is I hold down the opposite way on the throttle however this only lasts a short time and then the motor just stops completely after 30 seconds to 1 min. And then no matter what I do on the controller I cant get either motor to move again.

Here is a video of the motor coming on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZOM...ature=youtu.be


( I hadn't Bound the transmitter in that video, but its the same once bound ) One motor spinning until I hold the throttle the other way.


I have had a play around with putting JR connectors in different pins of the lemon but none are really giving me much different results.

Just wondering what am I doing wrong? How do I go about solving these issues?

Just wanted to say a massive thanks to Ocracoke as well, for his help to get me to this stage as I wouldn't have been able to get anywhere near it without his assistance! Massive help!

Bad Wolf

[Ocracoke]

The Lemon flashing red means it is in bind mode - I'd remove the bind plug first if the Devo is already bound to it (http://www.micronradiocontrol.co.uk/..._RX_manual.pdf), no need to be in there once it is bound.

I notice on the ESC that the middle light is flickering - does any of the documentation that came with the ESC state what those LEDs are for?

[Bad Wolf]

I’ve done it again with the bind plug out this time, here’s a video of it, and showing the throttle changing the motor speed but then it cuts out all together.

https://youtu.be/WC7Hy2gQi-E


Bad Wolf

[Scottie]

Hey there, I have some questions regarding your motor driver and motors. I apologise in advance if they are to simple or patronising.

1st are you using an AWESC dual channel motor controller, found here?
https://www.arc-robotics.org.uk/prod...ed-controller/

Those esc's use DRV8848 dual h-bridge motor drivers and has over current lockout protection when you exceed 2A on one channel. Did you buy those motors with the ESC or separately? Are you motors drawing more than 2 A each? (that may not be the case as those i have never seen those type of motors exceed more than 1.6A at stall, which is not the case for you)

I assume that you have soldered everything yourself? Just double check that there are no tiny bits of wire or flecks of solder between the motor contacts. It can be the most minuscule bit ever but that will be enough to short circuit a motor and put you in over current lockout.

Also have you bought a mixed or unmixed ESC and are you using mixing on your devo remote?

[Bad Wolf]

Hey there, I have some questions regarding your motor driver and motors. I apologise in advance if they are to simple or patronising.

1st are you using an AWESC dual channel motor controller, found here?
https://www.arc-robotics.org.uk/prod...ed-controller/

Those esc's use DRV8848 dual h-bridge motor drivers and has over current lockout protection when you exceed 2A on one channel. Did you buy those motors with the ESC or separately? Are you motors drawing more than 2 A each? (that may not be the case as those i have never seen those type of motors exceed more than 1.6A at stall, which is not the case for you)

I assume that you have soldered everything yourself? Just double check that there are no tiny bits of wire or flecks of solder between the motor contacts. It can be the most minuscule bit ever but that will be enough to short circuit a motor and put you in over current lockout.

Also have you bought a mixed or unmixed ESC and are you using mixing on your devo remote?

No need to apologise haha Yes Its the AWESC Dual Channel Motor Controller, I bought the motors separately, I have bought about 5-6 sets of motors, all very similar and all the same size roughly.

Yeah Ive soldered everything myself ( First try since I was in school, so ill admit its not the finest of work you will see haha) so yeah might be a problem there, Ill go over the whole board again and see if there are any smaller bits sticking out etc.

I THINK I bought Mixed, but I'm not sure. Ive done the flashing thing on my Devo remote as I bought an AxeBot from Shakey recently.

Just to add... I also wanted to ask about how Id go about adding an on off switch ? Because at the moment I just take the battery out. Any Ideas?

Thanks

Luke

[Deathly Hallows]

For the on off switch just put a xt60 or similar on the positive wire. Basically a giant jumper.
Straight after battery cut the positive wire. Wire one end to + side and other end to - side of xt60. Loop of cable on other side.
When inserted it makes circuit, when removed it kills the power.

[Ocracoke]

For the on off switch just put a xt60 or similar on the positive wire.

XT60's are overkill for Antweights. I would use the same type of plug as what is on the battery.

[Scottie]

Hey there, im sorry for not responding over the weekend. How are you getting on with your ant kit?

Just to add... I also wanted to ask about how Id go about adding an on off switch ? Because at the moment I just take the battery out. Any Ideas?

As Ocracoke says, making a safety link out of the same plug types as the battery , i believe they are called JST connectors.
Another way you can do it is by including a miniature single pole double throw switch on the positive rail in between battery and your electronics. I use the one on the link below on my ant brutal barbera:

https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/single-po...iniature-ff77j

That switch is rated at 125 Vac 0.3A. However, when using low DC, as in 7.4V, i have found it can handle more significantly more current (at least around the ~1Amp range). provided you dont switch it off to many times when your ant is at maximum loading, the switch should survive for quite a while.

[Bad Wolf]

Hey there, im sorry for not responding over the weekend. How are you getting on with your ant kit

As Ocracoke says, making a safety link out of the same plug types as the battery , i believe they are called JST connectors.
Another way you can do it is by including a miniature single pole double throw switch on the positive rail in between battery and your electronics. I use the one on the link on
my ant brutal barbera:

https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/single-po...iniature-ff77j

That switch is rated at 125 Vac 0.3A. However, when using low DC, as in 7.4V, i have found it can handle more significantly more current (at least around the ~1Amp range). provided you dont switch it off to many times when your ant is at maximum loading to many times, the switch should survive for quite a while.

Ive re solded all the wires I felt we’re abit dodgy, and tried again, but still having no luck. same problems of one motor going full pelt, and the other doing nothing. I’ve got a few other sets of motors I’ll try before flipping and throwing it all the bin hahaha any other ideas of what I’m doing wrong?

ill give that switch a go as well! I’ll pick one up later!

Bad Wolf

[Ocracoke]

I’ll try before flipping and throwing it all the bin hahaha any other ideas of what I’m doing wrong?

I think the next thing to do is verify that all of the radio wires are soldered into the right pads on the ESC (they do look correct but without the wiring diagram, I can't be certain). In the video, the middle LED on ESC is also flashing where it seemed to be more constant before, what does that mean? Does any of the documentation with the ESC help explain this?

[Scottie]

I agree with Ocracoke, do you have any documents with this? I cannot find anything worthwhile online. Have you contacted the supplier and asked for their help?

[Ocracoke]

I am kicking myself. At the Beetle Brawl, Chris from ARC Robotics was there and I was chatting away with him for ages. I am sure he was the guy who makes these...

[Bad Wolf]

https://m.imgur.com/gallery/RI8ow


https://m.imgur.com/gallery/vCwkP


Ive taken pictures of the front and back of the paper work I had with it!
Picked up one of those switches from maplins yesterday, managed to accidentally throw it in the bin outside maplins by mistake so then had to go back in and buy another, just wanted to reference that to show how I’m not only a noob at making robots but also Life it seems Hahahaha!

Bad Wolf

[Ocracoke]

Picked up one of those switches from maplins yesterday, managed to accidentally throw it in the bin outside maplins by mistake so then had to go back in and buy another, just wanted to reference that to show how I’m not only a noob at making robots but also Life it seems Hahahaha!

Oops. :P

So having looked back at the video and the wiring diagram, it looks to me that the ESC is indeed wired correctly.

I know you've mentioned that the connections have been checked, I would check them again (and very carefully, with a magnifying glass if you have one).

I'd also pull out one of the JR plugs from the Lemon (so the ESC is only connected via the one JR plug) to see if it responds to input then. If it doesn't, plug in one of the servos you have into the Lemon (using the channel that you disconnected the ESC from), turn on the ESC and then see if you can move the servo with the controller.

If it doesn't work, try rebinding the Lemon to the Devo. Otherwise, I can't think of much else other than it shorting somewhere.

I also note, from the Lemon website, that the pins nearest to the bind plug are the the normal Throttle/Aileron/Rudder pins so I'd plug the ESC into the Aileron and Rudder pins (I think you have them plugged into Gear and Aux).

[Scottie]

Something I find unclear about those instructions is the calibration process. I cant work out if you have to energise the ESC with throttle at full or you energise the esc then move the throttle to full.

Did you follow calibration process? Can you re calibrate it? I cannot find the information required to put the ESC into calibration mode.