Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) project

[yantypas]

I am embarking on a Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) project that involves the use of four-wheel drive 36V 4.4A BLDC motors, and I am utilizing an Arduino Due as the central controller. Given these parameters, I am seeking your expert recommendations on the following:

• Motor Controllers: Could you suggest suitable motor controllers for managing my 4-wheeled UGV? I aim for efficient and reliable control over the 36V 4.4A BLDC motors. It would best suit my use case if there are libraries for Arduino.

• Voltage Conversion:: For compatibility with the Arduino Due, which step-down converter would you recommend? Additionally, what amperage should the converter support to ensure safe and stable operation?

• Electrical Peripherals: Beyond a battery and charger, which I already have in hand, what other essential electrical peripherals would you advise adding to my setup?

• Battery: My project involves four motors, each rated at 36V 4.4A. Would a single 20A battery be advisable, or should I consider using four smaller batteries? Can the DFR0457 module be used effectively to control power to the motor controllers without sparks?

Lastly, I would like to inquire about your logistics in Europe. I am based in Greece and am concerned about potential tax implications should the items ship from outside the EU, such as the UK. Could you please provide information on where you ship from within Europe to help me estimate the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of my purchase?

[igor_X]

Hi @yantypas and welcome to our forum.

Here are my suggestions regarding your project:

• As a motor controller, you could use RoboteQ SBLG2360T: https://eu.robotshop.com/products/roboteq-sblg2360t-gen-4-brushless-dc-motor-controller-2-x-30a-60v
  It is a good quality (not low price) motor controller for BLDC motors with a lot of communication options. It has two channels with up to 30A each, so I guess you would need two of these controllers. To control it from Arduino Due, I guess you can use UART and maybe this library: GitHub - niclaslind/arduino-roboteq: Communicate via eg. an Arduino's UART pins with a Roboteq Motor Controller

• For voltage conversion, since you need to step down from 36V battery to 12V for Arduino Due, you could use Pololu Step-Down Voltage Regulator: https://eu.robotshop.com/products/12v-45a-step-down-voltage-regulator-d36v50f12

• Regarding other electrical peripherals, maybe you can consider using some connectors to easily connect your UGV to a charger, or maybe you already implemented this?

• I think one 20A should be good. I don’t think using smaller separate batteries is better. See wiki page for DFR0457 here: Gravity__MOSFET_Power_Controller_SKU__DFR0457-DFRobot
  It should work, but according to the specs, it will be on the limit.

Regarding logistics, my colleague from internal support already replied to you regarding that question.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask anything else.

[yantypas]

Hello @igor_X ,

thank you for your reply.

• I think I will go with 4x SOLO PICO since they have an extensive library for arduino. RoboteQ is way off my budget.

• the step down converter from Pololu looks great

• what do you suggest for powering 4 36V BLDC motors 4.4A each? How many Amps must the battery be? I think that the motors may draw up to 3x when the vehicle is loaded or/and on uphill.

• what if I use 4x DFR0457’s?

[igor_X]

Hello @yantypas ,

Thank you for your reply.

Regarding your questions for the battery, I think it would be good that you go through our tutorial on How To Choose a Battery:

How Do I Choose a Battery? | RobotShop Community

Also, I don’t see problem with using four DFR0457. Do you maybe see some issues?