Hey there, I'm trying to build a small rover that will weigh less than 5kg.
I'm trying to go super cheap for this first one.
I currently have an APM 2.6 and I'm hoping it can control the following equipment:
I've picked out the Pololu 298:1 Micro Metal Gearmotor for the two drive motors.
This DC-DC Power Converter to power the APM from my 7.2v power pack.
And this Pololu Dual DC Motor Driver 1A, 4.5V-13.5V that will power the motors.
The question I have is if the APM can control the motor driver and how I would connect it and lastly if that setup would be able to power the motors at variable speeds or if they will be limited to on off functioning only.
If anyone can shed some light on this I would really appreciate it...or if someone had a suggestion for some cheap motor and ESC combos that will work out of the box with an APM that would be awesome too.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Replies
Hi Clifford,
Your DC-DC converter looks a bit hefty but should do the trick for powering the APM from your lipo. Unfortunately in its default state, the APM will not provide the correct signalling to the motor driver circuit for your needs. It would be possible to custom code a solution but I am not sure that is within the scope of your project. What you need for a 'plug n play' solution is 2 x ESC for a brushed motor - something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/RC-ESC-10A-Brushed-Speed-Controller-for-RC-... These ESCs use the same signalling as the APM and will plug straight in to give you variable speed forward and reverse.
Cheers,
James