Thanks for the response! I have a PC and am planning on trying the freeware first to control the unit and if that doesn’t suit my needs, I’ll pay for the software. I told you I was ignorant of even the most basic terms sometimes with electronics…that being said, whats a MMR pack?
Whats the easiest, cheapest way to power the unit and servos? What would the electrical requirements be for the unit and the servos? I am using an old HO transformer to power my DC hobby motors. I hook them up to the track connections and turn up the juice until the motors run at the same speed as the battery pack. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Hows that for a rube!
This is even before I hook up the unit or a servo. Imagine my plight AFTER I get up and running.
lynxmotion.com/images/html/build136.htm
Important points:
a) VL = logic voltage and should be ~9V (position 4)
b) VS = servo voltage and should be 4.8V to 6V (position 6)
c) If VL is not the same voltage as VS, remove the VL=VS jumpers at position 3 and 5.
d) Plug in the servo with the black wire connected to GND and the red wire connected to “pulse”
e) If you are controlling it from the computer, you don’t need to change anything else.
The software really does not do “random” - you’d need to pre-program it. If you want it to really be random, you’d need to write your own code.
Not really. Just ensure you read through the points above, connect the wires properly and then re-check them. If you’re really worried, take a photo here before you power it on and we’ll check your connections. A box is not necessary and it would take quite a bit of static to damage the board.
Probably “Model railroad” battery pack. Again, servos are powered at 4.8V to 6V.
Your HO transformer is what I was referring to when I said MRR pack. (I was an HO modeller before I got into this.) Beware if you connect it to the track terminals. Those terminals can be controlled by the reversing switch, which if operated can damage the SSC-32 by feeding it the wrong polarity. If you use the DC terminals, you will have to reduce the 12-16V from the DC terminal down to the 6-9V used by the SSC-32, with an external voltage regulator.
The SSC-32 can be programmed with pre-defined sequences, which may simplify your random movements. You’d still have to code some random selection of the desired sequences.
What is your programming background? If you are comfortable programming and can understand someone else’s code, read on. I wrote some code that will simplify random movements for my animatronic project, a description of which can be found here lynxmotion.net/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=5948. It have a program for a PC that may simplify coding random movements. My program implements a high level scripting language and sends the comannds to a connected SSC-32 from the PC or laptop, if you had an old one to use. The program is described here. I have considered modifying this program to generate code to run on a Lynxmotion processor, just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Do I really need to do all that jumping and shorting stuff? I thought the dagone unit would work right out of the box. Why do I need to do all that? Why didn’t Lynxmotion do it? Are the servos powered separately? Don’t I just plug them into the unit? Dear Lord! I am in over my head. All I need is the most basic and easiest way to make a few servos and this unit work with a computer running XP. That’s it! I don’t want to learn coding nor electronics at this point. Just enough to make this crap work!!!
I am going to try to hook up all the components later today. My experience with coding? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I am the kind of guy who thinks you should try harder if C+ is the best you can do. An A+ is the goal. lol I know a total of Zip when it comes to code. My definition of random is different obviously than a robot guy’s. My lighting software has an option of random points. You can choose 2-infinity as the number of points. I want to do the same thing with a servo. I only want the motion of the animated stuff to look realistic instead of cyclic. I don’t need a true, (by computer standards), random motion. Just approx. 8-10 points. That would give the motion a realistic look rather than the cyclic motion I get now out of hobby motors.
There are many possible configurations for the SSC-32 - it’s not possible to predict which one each customer will need.
Yes, they are powered via the VS1 and VS2 terminals (you don’t need VS2 if you don’t have servos connected to that side of the board, and ensure the connections are correct: positive to positive, negative to negative)
Yes, with the black wire on the outside, and the yellow / white wire on the inside of the board.
There is a larger market for random lighting effects, but very few people need random servo motion, so not much development has been done in this regard.
Can someone give me the idiot’s guide to hooking things up for my configuration? A few drawings perhaps would be the best! Here’s the config: A computer running XP. The SSC-32 unit. For now, I’ll just use the 9v battery wire that came with the unit for power. I’ll use a wall wart for powering the servos. 2 servos for now. The freeware for sequencing the servos. I would love a drawing for all the shorts and jumps needed for this exact configuration.
Using my definition of random, is it possible to implement 8-10, or better yet even more, “points”? I want the servo to move to point a, b, c, d, etc., where I specify the points. That’s what I mean by random. Picture a plane rudder. I want to be able to move the “rudder” to a certain position on the right side of the plane and then go to the left side of the plane, then a different position on the right side of the plane, and then the left, on and on. All the positions on the right side of the plane would be different. All the positions on the left side would be different. What I have now makes the rudder keep oscillating between the same position on the right side of the plane and then to the left. It looks artificial. I want a realistic effect.
Can I power the servos at the SSC with my transformer and just raise the pot’s position on the track side of the transformer up until the servos run? Will under powering them break them? Will it do any damage to the unit?
If I use the transformer to power the servos, how do I know which position to put the reversing switch in? If a locomotive runs backwards, I just reverse the wires. I don’t want to damage the unit, so how do I know which way to set the switch after hooking up the wires? After reading the post about the reverse switch, I;'m scared to death to ruin the unit!
Anyone in the Annapolis area who wants to show an old dog a new trick?
Refer to the first image in the guide here: lynxmotion.com/images/html/build136.htm
Only change what is listed below - leave the rest of the board as you received it. #12: Connect the serial line to your computer (directly to a serial port, or using a USB to serial adapter) #6: Connect the red wire from the wall adapter to the + side and the black (negative) wire to the - side* #4: Connect the red wire from the 9V battery wire to the + side, and the black wire to the - side #5: Remove this jumper
*We sell a wiring harness here to make connecting a wall adapter to the screw terminals easy: lynxmotion.com/p-498-wiring- … ector.aspx
If you don’t have this, you can either cut off the connector to the wall adapter you have and screw the bare wires directly to the terminals (no on/off switch unfortunately) or find a matching barrel connector and create your own adapter.
Using the software suggested above, you’d assign the 8-10 positions which the servo would move to. You’d turn on the “play loop” switch to have it run endlessly. You can use the software to do this for anywhere from 1 to 32 servos at the same time. As many points as you want.
Under-powering the servos will not “break” them perse, but they won’t run properly. Providing too much voltage will damage them. We’d suggest measuring the output of the transformer (if you have a multimeter or other way of measuring voltage) and turn the pot until you reach 6V rather than connecting it and not knowing the voltage.
This has the potential to damage / fry the servos and the board. To be safe, you really should use a separate wall adapter until you know a bit more about electronics.
As usual, I am a liar! lol I have another question. If a servo can go to the “random” points, is it possible to vary the speed that it moves to these points also? That would really be the last piece of the puzzle for making my clown look real as she teeter-totters on the highwire! I’ll try to post some video of my efforts so far.
This helps in connecting it to another microcontroller or board. In your case you don’t need it.
It might be ok - each servo has its own tolerance. The normal rating is 4.8V to 6V, so 6.5V is more “grey zone”. There are likely people here who will indicate that it’s fine, whereas for some servos it will reduce their life span or cause them to glitch.
I powered the unit and the servos. The green LED glows. I hooked up the USB to the serial on the unit. I powered up my laptop running XP. I have tried both plugging the unit into the computer before and after booting the laptop. The green LED goes out as soon as the cable is plugged in, or after the boot. The freeware suggested does not recognize a servo or the unit connected as far as I can tell with my limited skills. HELP!!!
For initial servo testing, you may want to use the free lynxterm application. It is useful for initial setup and troubleshooting. Besure to check the unloaded voltage of your wallwart. If it is not regulated the unloaded voltage may be higher than 6.5v. Below is a simple power setup I used to power a 5v board and some pan/tilt servos from a wall wart.
OK, I have 2 servos up and running with the freeware sequencer. It seems to be a situation where I can control up to 32 servos, but all with the same steps and timing? I was hoping I could have servo #1 on 1 sequence with 6 steps and timings, while servo #2 was on a completely different sequence all its own with 12 steps and timings. Is there a way to do that with the SSC-32 and this freeware? Is there a way to do it with any sequencing software?
You can certainly be sending signals to multiple servos (almost) simultaneously. Lynxterm is a very basic program, so it’s best to use the Lynx Servo Sequencer lynxmotion.com/c-15-software.aspx
Maybe I didn’t word my post right. This is the scenario I want to achieve with my 2 servos:
Servo #1 would control a dogs tail wagging. There would be 8 steps in a loop. 1 through 4 would be moving the tail at a certain fast speed from one side of the dogs body to the other. 5 through 8 would be the same positions but at a slower speed.
Servo#2 would control a clown on a highwire. There would be 10 steps. All 10 steps would make the clown teeter totter back and forth at speeds that would vary so that the movement looked like a balancing person rather than cyclic with the hobby motor now.
How would I achieve this with up to 32 servos? Is it possible to have a program or software that would allow me to create these vignettes?
The software controls up to 32 servos, but you certainly don’t need to use all 32 - in your case you would only need two.
You can use the Lynx Simple Sequencer and record macros. Each macro can have two servos working at the same time. For example: #0P1500#1P1500
Referring to the SSC-32 user guide, you can also control time and speed. lynxmotion.com/images/html/b … tm#comtype
Can someone at Lynxmotion call me??? We are not on the same page with this and I don’t know how to explain in writing any further.
Ron
410.627.7485 cell
