Homebuilt ROVs Forum

Colmomalley811 wrote:Firstly let me make it clear I am no expert
http://www.hessmer.org/blog/2013/12/28/ ... h-arduino/
If you look at the above link you will be able to see the code for the motor drivers to function
I don't see why the PWM signals from a beaglebone black should be any different i have a beaglebone black but unfortunately I'm up to my neck with work at the minute so can't go experimenting sorry

Cool thanks for the link I've been looking around for some better info on how to hook those up before I decided on picking some up

Word of warning to anyone using the drivers that I am using the IBT-2 or BTS7960 drivers in my configuration I need 2 PWM signals for each driver to run forward and reverse the arduino uno has 6 which I thought was enough but I discovered while testing the code that the pin 10 is the pin that is hardwired for the Ethernet shield to allow it to put the arduino in a slave capacity the ss or slave select pin therefore if you make that pin low you will lose communication to Monterey and so I have chosen to go for an arduino mega board instead for more outputs.

Colmomalley811 wrote:Word of warning to anyone using the drivers that I am using the IBT-2 or BTS7960 drivers in my configuration I need 2 PWM signals for each driver to run forward and reverse the arduino uno has 6 which I thought was enough but I discovered while testing the code that the pin 10 is the pin that is hardwired for the Ethernet shield to allow it to put the arduino in a slave capacity the ss or slave select pin therefore if you make that pin low you will lose communication to Monterey and so I have chosen to go for an arduino mega board instead for more outputs.

Colm,

Thanks for the heads-up. I'm going a different way, with an I2C PWM shield on top of my Uno/Ethernet option. Hopefully I'll get my boards in the mail soon and be able to start testing some code again.

How is it working out for you? Were you able to get your motors working with your configuration?

I just found this post today and have been in the building / programming stages for a long time. The funny thing is that I just came across those drivers too. I was actually designing a driver board utilizing the same chip but you can't beat the price on eBay. I just ordered a Rasberry Pi but I think instead of using Monterey I'm just going to create a HTML interface for the Arduino and use the RPi as my topside interface. Just need to figure out how I'm going to do the video.

mulze32 wrote:I just found this post today and have been in the building / programming stages for a long time. The funny thing is that I just came across those drivers too. I was actually designing a driver board utilizing the same chip but you can't beat the price on eBay. I just ordered a Rasberry Pi but I think instead of using Monterey I'm just going to create a HTML interface for the Arduino and use the RPi as my topside interface. Just need to figure out how I'm going to do the video.

If you are doing html, why not set up the RPi as a webcam and just set up a browse window in your topside code?

a_shorething wrote:

mulze32 wrote:I just found this post today and have been in the building / programming stages for a long time. The funny thing is that I just came across those drivers too. I was actually designing a driver board utilizing the same chip but you can't beat the price on eBay. I just ordered a Rasberry Pi but I think instead of using Monterey I'm just going to create a HTML interface for the Arduino and use the RPi as my topside interface. Just need to figure out how I'm going to do the video.

If you are doing html, why not set up the RPi as a webcam and just set up a browse window in your topside code?

I could do that but I already bought a security camera before I purchased all of the other hardware. My intention is now to have one screen for the RPi and the other one as the viewing screen. I actually emailed Chris Konstad, the creator of the Monterey program and asked him if the program could run on an RPi topside and he said that it should be able to although it could be a bit laggy. I might give it a try and see.

One final question for you. Did you mean to integrate the webcam into the html page on the topside RPi?

mulze32 wrote:

a_shorething wrote:

mulze32 wrote:I just found this post today and have been in the building / programming stages for a long time. The funny thing is that I just came across those drivers too. I was actually designing a driver board utilizing the same chip but you can't beat the price on eBay. I just ordered a Rasberry Pi but I think instead of using Monterey I'm just going to create a HTML interface for the Arduino and use the RPi as my topside interface. Just need to figure out how I'm going to do the video.

If you are doing html, why not set up the RPi as a webcam and just set up a browse window in your topside code?

I could do that but I already bought a security camera before I purchased all of the other hardware. My intention is now to have one screen for the RPi and the other one as the viewing screen. I actually emailed Chris Konstad, the creator of the Monterey program and asked him if the program could run on an RPi topside and he said that it should be able to although it could be a bit laggy. I might give it a try and see.

One final question for you. Did you mean to integrate the webcam into the html page on the topside RPi?

I'm still not sure about the specifics of the Rpi webcam stuff, but I was thinking in terms of using Rpi onboard and not topside, and logging into it as an Ethernet webcam. The Rpi has an optional HD webcam that connects via ribbon cable (for like $40?) so you'd be able to use the RPI as a webcam server and also (I think) send it commands on the same IP address to control the thrusters and possibly read status of different sensors since your Rpi would be onboard.

Since you're planning to use the Rpi topside I'm not sure how this would work.

Whether you use the Rpi camera or use a security camera (I guess it's an IP camera) I would think you can set up the video feed in a web browser window and just pass it the IP address of the camera, no?

I'm still not sure about the specifics of the Rpi webcam stuff, but I was thinking in terms of using Rpi onboard and not topside, and logging into it as an Ethernet webcam. The Rpi has an optional HD webcam that connects via ribbon cable (for like $40?) so you'd be able to use the RPI as a webcam server and also (I think) send it commands on the same IP address to control the thrusters and possibly read status of different sensors since your Rpi would be onboard.

Since you're planning to use the Rpi topside I'm not sure how this would work.

Whether you use the Rpi camera or use a security camera (I guess it's an IP camera) I would think you can set up the video feed in a web browser window and just pass it the IP address of the camera, no?

The problem with that is that I'm using a standard composite video camera. I'll find a solution and then post on here when I get my setup complete. It's been fun learning the HTML/JAVA/CSS basics to put together an interface.

Ok so sorry about long delay but here is a progress update
For battery power I decided I would like to build my own LiFePO4 cell so I bought some 4 15 ah cells from BMS battery and I am going to have a go at this I noticed no one else using them so they may not be the best of ideas but I'm in this for the learning curve so I'll try them out

This is the management board
http://www.bmsbattery.com/bmspcm/405-10 ... -case.html

And these are the cells
http://www.bmsbattery.com/lifepo4-cell/ ... -cell.html

So my idea for the hull I'm sure will not be very popular,
I want to use stainless steel dairy piping
I can have it welded here and could even pressurise the hull with nitrogen or an inert welding gas
To minimise pressure differentials , I like the idea and am having a hull welded as soon as my mate gets a chance
I know it adds a lot of weight, but I'd rather upgrade the thrusters then change the hull I think anyway here's some pics