Hi
I am very new to this. Ive been doing some research over the last couple of weeks and not found conclusively what I need. I will be grateful for any help. I have attached a picture of my idea. I want to control a 12v DC Motor with a Laser Line Level.
The Laser Line Level will signal the Receiver. I already own these. I wish to solder onto the Receiver LCD display circuits so that when the up or down arrow displays I get a different signal from each. This signal will then need to control the direction of the 12v DC Motor. The motor will turn a threaded rod in forward and reverse to adjust the height of a tool.
I feel like what I am trying to do is so simple that I can get away without using an Arduino. From my research I have worked out that I need a H-Bridge circuit but all the ones I have found are to be used with the Arduino system.
So my questions are…
Is it possible to control a 12v DC Motor with the small voltage from an LCD display as a signal?
Is there a controller on RobotShop that will do what I want without using an Arduino?
Interesting project. Looked up how the Dewalt Line Laser Detector operates, and from what we can see, it effectively has a laser “detector” for situations where the beam is not easily visible, and shows indicators of how to make the laser level on an LCD screen. Hacking the (very weak) signal being sent from the microcontroller to power the characters on the LCD screen will not be easy at all (likely 3.3V or 5V and incredibly weak current). You’ll have to figure out which traces on the PCB correspond with each character on the screen and attempt to extract the signal, then amplify it. If the signal can be amplified to something useful, you can use it to run a DPDT relay which is connected to the DC motor. If you just plan to run the motor at full voltage, you don’t really need a motor controller. You’d need a relay whose output can run the motor at the required current, and then read the specs for the signal input.
This is all just theory and you’re likely to run into quite a few issues. The Dewalt equipment is really not open source or meant to be hacked, so there’s a strong chance that you might end up destroying the Line Laser Detector’s PCB. As you already seem to be aware, using an Arduino might save you from hacking the system and you can use three sensors to detect what’s being shown on the LCD.
Thanks for that info.
I am planning to just use the motor at full voltage but it will need to make quick direction changes.
From my research these past couple of weeks I thought that motor controllers could detect a weak signal 3-5V and use it to control a motor. Is that about the strength of the signal coming from the Arduino? I have been looking at some of the controllers on this site and thought that the Analog Voltage DC Controllers would be what I need.
Also, I won’t use my drill motor but want to purchase one on this site that would be of similar power but probably less rpm. Is there a way on this site to pair a motor with a suitable controller?
I wasn’t aware of the problem regarding the Receiver not being open source. Does it matter that I am not doing this for profit. I have another generic brand Receiver that I was planning on hacking. Does that make a difference?
Thanks for the idea about using the Arduino. My preference is to keep it as simple as possible and not use one if I can but I think I will start looking into this type of solution just in case.
Thanks for your input. As you can tell I am new to this. Am I out of my league?
An analog DC controller takes variable voltage input to control speed and direction. You’ll really have to hack the Laser Line Detector to see what the signal is.
Drill motors are really competitively priced because they make the gearing in high volume. Something low volume for the hobby robotics market at the same power would be similar to:
robotshop.com/en/lynxmotion … coder.html
Figured as much, but the Laser Level Detector doesn’t look cheap, so risking breaking it when trying to get the signal versus an Arduino…
The really big question is hacking the Laser Level Detector - it’s a commercial product which is not meant to be opened, tampered with or hacked, so they won’t help, and not too many people will have attempted it to help you if you encounter any issues. Before craking it open, try to do as much research as you can into the technology, and see if anyone else has opened one up before (so as to not make the same mistakes). A Laser Line Detector is not something commonly used in hobby robotics, so we don’t quite carry the laser Line Sensor separately (quick search shows it’s likely not very common).
