Hello,
I have a Sabertooth 2x60 I plan to use for a child’s ride on. The vehicle has casters for front wheels and I thought that mixed mode driving with two motors would be my best solution.
I’m using a basic 3 channel trigger style RC transmitter and receiver to operate the Sabertooth. I’m able to connect with no issue, my concern is being able to adjust the functionality of mixed mode. Currently, if you simply turn the steering without throttle it will initiate a zero turn, if you go full lock on the steering, this will happen at full speed without any throttle input. This is rather dangerous for a children’s ride on.
How I’d like it to behave is based on throttle input. Apply throttle and it moves straight, turn the steering, to the right for example, and the right motor slows proportionally to the steering input. This would also have a maximum value of reduction. So say the vehicle is at 75% throttle, I turn full lock right and the right motor reduces to 25% allowing the turn but in a controlled manner. (The amount of reduction should be able to be tuned, but would remain constant).
Similarly, from stop, I can turn the steering in either direction and it doesn’t move until I apply throttle. Continuing with the example to the right and 50% reduction, I apply full right steering, then slowly increase throttle. The right motor would not move, but the left would begin to throttle up allowing a slow controlled turn. Left would be see up to 50% throttle before the right would move at all, above 50% throttle both channels would begin to increase linearly until full throttle where the left would be at 100%, and the right at 50%. Returning the steering to center would speed up the right motor to 100%.
Reversing of the motors would not happen until reverse is applied on the controller and in the same way as above.
Of course the percentage I used in the example might not be ideal, maybe a 30% reduction would be safer, again that may need to be adjustable.
I spoke with Dimension Engineering help and they said this wasnt possible with the sabertooth without an arduino. Even their software couldnt accomplish this.
Does anyone else know if there is another controller that offers more flexibility and can operate along these lines?
Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated. My kids will appreciate it as well!!
Cheers,
nnorton00
