I know the manual says that the SSC-32U isn’t meant to drive smart servos, but is it possible to do? I’ve seen in a few threads that you need a USB to half duplex UART adapter, but I’m not sure what that is, or is it possible to purchase.
Any information would be very helpful! Thanks!
Hi,
Short answer: no.
Long answer: The SSC-32U’s engine is set to control PWM pulses (32 of them) and update them at 50 Hz (typical R/C servomotor control signal). You can also force the various channels to output a digital value (low/high). In theory, this capability is enough to communicate with most digital interfaces. But, you would be basically recreating the protocol through bit-banging from the SSC-32U pins. This is, of course, far from optimal and it is usually much easier to simply connect a microcontroller board directly to your smart servo, such as an Arduino-based microcontroller board.
If you wish to have a port that connects your smart servo directly to your computer, you will usually need a RS-485 to USB adapter (some smart servos may use RS-232 or other formats), such as these:
robotshop.com/en/devantech-usb-rs-485-interface.html
robotshop.com/en/usb-rs422-rs485-cable.html
robotshop.com/en/multi-usb-rs232-rs485-ttl-converter.html
Please note that these interface adapters only take care of the serial communication. You still need to power your smart servos independently, too (your USB port normally cannot power motors due to the high voltage/current needed).
Some manufacturers, like Dynamixel, already offer their own complete adapter for USB, available here.
We hope this helps clarify some details!
Sincerely,
Thanks scharette.
This is my first time messing with smart servo’s, and didn’t know you could connect them to an Arduino, I have quite a few of them. However, does basic servo control code apply to smart servo’s, or no? I’ve been searching around for quite a while on finding any starting examples to get a better understanding, but haven’t had any luck. I do know that the smart servo’s require 6.4V ~ 8.4V to operate, with that being said, I obviously wouldn’t be able to power them through an Arduino. The smart servo is a normal 3 pin connector (S/V/G), so I guess I’d have to run the V/G to an external power source and S to the Arduino, or would the Arduino in addition need a link to the V/G?
**
Edit: **I’ve been messing around with this, and setting it up similar to a regular servo with an Arduino, but due to being a smart servo and not responding the same, I didn’t get any luck with an example code & it hooked up properly (S/V/G with external power source & grounds connected together). I tried with a normal servo just to be sure, and it worked fine.
So, I’m wondering if I need to get some sort of half-duplex signal conversion thing in order to connect them together? Since I’ve never messed with serial communications, I have a few questions about it. Such as, if I was to get a signal conversion board I’m looking at that connects to smart servos with a V/G that goes to external power, and RX0/TX1/V/G to the Arduino, I’m guessing there’s serial communications commands to interact with the servo and have it moving? Similar to Arduino’s standard code example of sweeping, but that uses a digital pin with the V/G. Am I onto something, or got it mixed!
Thanks again 
Yes!
We have options for half-duplex communication with Arduino, such as the [RB-Dfr-237].
See the link above.
The board linked above comes with an Arduino library and sample code. You can find this under “Useful Links” on the product page here. You can also download the library directly here. If you are unsure on how to add this library to the Arduino IDE, read this for details.
Sincerely,
I was actually looking at this board and going to purchase it, now I’m definitely going to! 
I’m glad it comes with a little bit of example code as well, that’ll help a bunch. Thanks for the help!
