Motor controller MD30C

Help & Support Robot Parts
1

I have two matched 16vdc transformers connected separately to two MD30C control boards that feed 2.5" CIM Motor (am0255) each. This is so I can rotated the two motors with a tire (from you) mounted on each and sen a Wiffleball (for Pickleball) out with spin. The speed is controlled by a 1000 mfd pot on each board and the jumper has been moved to the ext pot pins.
The device is working EXCEPT for one thing. The left motor will not drop below 5volts on the meter attached across the motor leads (each motor has a separate meter).
Is were an adjustment I can make on the board to get the output voltage to drop down to 0?

Under the set up I have the supply voltage to the control board remains on but I turn of the output to the motors when I need to reset the machine with a new supply of balls. The control boards do not seem to come back on at the pots last setting but instead they are dead and non-responsive. I have to kill the supply voltage to get them to reset. Is this normal?

Thanks for the help,
Miles

2

Hi,

Can you post some clear pictures of your entire system (Motors + Power supply + Motor Controllers) so that we have a better understanding of the issue.

Thanks,

3

Yes this weekend, I’m out for three days. Thanks I’ll look forward to your help.
Miles

4

I have finally gotten back to this project. I 3D printed new “tires” to throw the pickle balls, these are in the pictures. The Red light in the open pic is dim. This occurs about every 5 seconds and the result is a slowing of the one motor on this control board - one board for each of the motors. The speed is just not as responsive with this motor as it is with the other. The two boards have individual power supplies and the circuit for each are separate and do not cross.
Do you think the board or the motor needs replacing?
Thanks for any help.
Miles

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!

5

Decided to try up loading a movie of the controllers.

6

Each power supply is output rated: 5v DC at 3.0 A

7

Hi,

  1. The 5V 3A power supply you are using seems to be inappropriate for the motors. The 2.5 in. CIM Motor are rated for 12V and draws 2.7A without any load. At maximum efficiency, these motors will draw about 18A each as indicated in the motors power curve sheet here. Therefore, a power supply of 5V 3A might be too low in voltage and current for these motors.

  2. In your video, the green LED seems to turn ON and OFF (which it shouldn’t). The green LED is the power LED. This indicates that the MD30C is resetting which might be a power supply issue. A quick test that you can do is to try to power the “problematic” circuit/motor with the power supply of the “working” circuit to see if the problem still occurs.

  3. Could you probe the analog input voltage on both potentiometers and confirm that the voltage is similar on both circuits ?

8

bdaouas:

The two circuits each have a voltage meter on them. They are the two =
white plastic cylinders, one with red/black and one with blue/yellow =
wires. And no if I want a soft throw then one is set at 6 and the other =
at 2 volts.
Will the boards take the 12 volts as an input? If so I will use some =
larger capacity supplies.
Thanks,
Miles

9

I used the good supply on the blinking board and it works fine as does the motor.
i was incorrect about the supply it is 15v at 3Amps. See pic.

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I will look for a new supply for the one that does not seem to perform. Thanks so much for the help!
Miles

1 Like
10

Happy to see that you found the issue :slight_smile: