I have 18 Tower Hobbies TS-70MG servos that are similar to Hitec HS-645MG servos and 6V/4.5Ah SLA battery from Radio Shack. I built a 3DOF hexapod. The SSC-32 board sometimes loses power while the robot is moving. Should the servos (VS1 & VS2) and the board logic (VL) get separate power sources? Do I need more powerful 6V battery?
The simple answer is I would separate the VL, to something like a 9v battery. Most of my hex robots run with the Lynxmotion 2800mah NimH battery, which is good enough for my runs…
Another issue is weight. I believe your battery weighs 1.8lb where the Lynxmotion one weighs .58lb, so your servos have to work more to carry the weight of the battery…
Kurt
I don’t have the battery from Radio Shack on the robot. It’s on the table and connected to the robot using long wires. I have Arduino Esplora controlling the robot via long wires.
Also make sure you have heavy duty power wires. Picture?
You might try connecting a large capacitor between the +5v and ground on the ssc-32.
A sealed lead acid battery is very heavy and is not a good choice for a walking robot, where weight is critical. As indicated, your motors are likely straining under the weight. We’d strongly suggest changing the battery, or using it on the ground and connect it to the robot using thick wires.
I think that the quick connector that connects RC models to RC battery packs is bad. I had to use a different quick connector. The robot now works OK but I think that the servos are not strong enough. With all six legs on the table, it’s OK. With three legs on table and three legs off table, the robot’s chassis sags a bit. I don’t have money for more powerful servos. I put a photo of the robot in the Projects section of the forum.
Measure the battery output voltage when standing on the three legs, and see if it is still in the 6v range. The battery may be weak when under load.
zoomkat, I measured the battery output voltage when standing on the three legs and the meter showed 6.05. When all legs are on the table, the meter showed 6.08.
The servos are simply not powerful enough to lift a lead acid battery pack - you need to change the pack to something a lot lighter.
Those were my thoughts as well, but his earlier response to my posting about it said:
Also another posting said:
So in addition to wondering if the servos are strong enough, especially since the battery is on the table, I still wonder about the wiring from the battery to the SSC-32. What gauge wires are you using? What type of connectors? Again a picture would be nice.
Kurt
Clear pictures of the setup would be appreciated.