Re: simple, cheap, wired controller?

On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 21:54:06 -0600, Joe Strout <joe@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In article <joe-1D5BB6.21421430082006@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Joe Strout <joe@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I'm looking for a simple hand-held tethered controller that has two
levers, each of which controls one line of voltage. Each voltages will
be fed, on the other end, through a DC motor, thus providing a very
crude (but hopefully effective) wired remote control for a
differential-drive bot.

Naturally, right after posting, I found this:

<http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3839535265&category=4
660>

...but this isn't proportional; it's just a pair of on/off switches in a
box, for which this seller wants $20 plus $6 shipping, which seems a bit
ridiculous.

I also managed to find the same controller, plus two others, on this
site: <http://www.patronic.com/mechanical/mechanical.html>
But the descriptions are poor (and don't match the item titles), making
it hard to tell what we've got. I suspect that these are also just
on/off switches, and the 4-channel ones simply have two switches per
joystick (up/down and side/side). So also not quite right.

So, if anybody knows of a similar two-channel controller with
proportional control, I'd love to hear of it!

Thanks,
- Joe


I don't know how complex your kit will be, but suppose your robot
already had electronic motor control under the direction of a
microcontroller. It would be simplicity itself to use 2
microcontroller pins to read the voltage on a couple of pots. If you
use an R/C joystick you've got your left/right forwards/back control
in a single device. I'd like to use a dud PC joystick I have lying
about here for just that purpose.

A pair of linear slide pots could replace an expensive joystick, but
you'll still need some way of driving those motors. As Gordon said, an
H bridge with PWM of some description.


____________________________________________________
"I like to be organised. A place for everything. And everything all over the place."
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