I also have any Arduino and some knowledge not very extensive about its operation, I am learning.
I need 2 controllers, I have been reading the information on this forum about building robots and I have doubts about which accessories to buy or others than you know.
I don’t know which ones to choose, I need hardness and robustness, because a wheelchair absorbs a lot of vibrations to bumps on sidewalks even though it is an indoor chair.
Seems like you have a pretty good idea of what you need! And the controllers you linked should work for the motors you have. However, may I ask why you want to use a PLC? If it is just for the inputs and sensors then you could simply use the Arduino you already have in mind.
If you choose a motor controller with an analog input you can connect the joysticks directly to that or if you choose an Arduino-compatible controller you can simply connect the joystick to the Arduino and use a simple sketch to control the motors. For the LEDs you can also use the Arduino, unless it is a high power LED lamp.
For the motor driver, both options you linked should work (and both have analog and microcontroller PWM input), but you can also find other options here, the Sabertooth is a popular driver.
For the linear actuator you’ll need a driver with at least 3 channels so the Multimote might be a good option, also, “The MultiMoto is also capable of driving LEDs, pneumatic valves, solenoids, relays and thermoelectric coolers.”
Also, keep in mind that the Arduino will need a different voltage input so you might also need a voltage regulator.
Sabertooth I have discarded it because until March they do not serve it in my country, Spain. The rest of the controllers chosen are in stock or next month. Although I know it is going to be a long way to go, I like to familiarize myself with the parts.
The PLC I will use Arduino, I only indicated it in the initial schematic in case there was a better option that I didn’t know.
Being a wheelchair and me being a user of the same. for my difficulties and for safety I want to control the movement of the chair from the controller with the joystick without going through Arduino (as two separate electronics in case of failure) and at the same time through a switch can use the same joystick to move the other motors and accessories (LEDs … ) secondarily. could be done?
For now I’m getting an idea of the parts I have in mind that I will need more than one voltage regulator. There are several parts that I still don’t know how to fit in the nearby ones.
Thx ur helps!
The PLC I will use Arduino, I only indicated it in the initial schematic in case there was a better option that I didn’t know.
Do you want to use an Arduino based PLC, like this one for example:
Or are you referring to a microcontroller (not PLC), like this one:
for my difficulties and for safety I want to control the movement of the chair from the controller with the joystick without going through Arduino (as two separate electronics in case of failure)
No, problem! Then simply select a driver that supports analog input. Also it might be a good idea to include something like this:
and at the same time through a switch can use the same joystick to move the other motors and accessories (LEDs … ) secondarily. could be done?
With the same joystick? it is possible but might not be the best idea as it could lead to user error accidents, a safer option would be using separate joysticks.
For now I’m getting an idea of the parts I have in mind that I will need more than one voltage regulator. There are several parts that I still don’t know how to fit in the nearby ones.
Well, you have pretty much figured out what motors, drivers, and the power you are going to use. You only need to select a microcontroller or PLC and the sensors (most sensors work in the same voltage range as the Arduino so no problem with that). However since you mentioned you want to get more familiar with the parts I recommend checking this tutorial series:
And if you need further assistance you can always ask here.
PS: If you prefer using Spanish that’s ok (that’s actually my native language).
I think it will be good to embed all the electronic components in a single board. For example, like this one: Wheel Chair Control Board - Share - PCBWay
One central control board will make the whole setup more compact.
Regenerative motor drivers should be fused between the motor and driver, the path to the battery should be clear (Ive seen people use diods around fuses but they dont last too long) I’d use 120A WOHHOM, if you plan on doing hills the amps may peak more than you expect.
A heavy duty on off switch. A pixhawk can help skid steering issues that the sabertooth can deal with, Youll need a r/c receiver like the flysky fs i6x. It can take chan 1/2 out to one r/c input then adjust the skid steering brakes etc through mission planner.
This is the current state of my electrical schematic, but it is not finished.
Although several months have passed, this project is still on track. I have had a hard time getting the parts because the “out of stock” was dragging on month after month. In the end after months of searching and reading manuals, I decided to:
Adafruit NeoPixel Digital RGBW LED Strip - Black PCB 60 LED/m.
I am still studying how and where to connect the different seat’s switches, I have 3x pressure switches (1 for each linear motor), 1x normal 3-pin limit switches and 2x 4-pin roller switches. Apart from the magnet brakes of the traction motors. Without going into how to charge the batteries, how to distribute the energy in the different voltages, and put the different security systems (ON/OFF, emergency shutdown, battery blocking, fuse box… ) and program it all. There is still a lot to do…
@rooppoorali has been reading about PixHawk and I guess it replaces the possible motion sensors, accelerometer and control that will have to be installed in a next phase or iteration of the project, it is not clear to me if it could replace the Arduino Mega (MASTER) or it would be another module. I also did not find if it works with I2C which is how I intend to connect the different parts.
