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One more Polar Lights C-57D WIP thread

15K views 112 replies 7 participants last post by  Fernando Mureb 
#1 ·
Hi folks.

This project, being made after so many others, will not come with novelties. It is totally based on Teslabe's C-57D (you can see the videos on his youtube channel).

The model, as it come, is very simple to be assembled and painted. So, I decided to make things more complicated in order to have more fun.

And what could be more complex and challenger than having Teslabe's model as a goal? :freak:

Here I go.











 
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#10 ·
Fernando, thank you sooooo very much for the kind words and thank you for thinking my build was good enough for you to use as a guide.....:eek:
You've done a fantastic job so far and I look forward to where you go with this kit. By the way, the strips turned out great.....:thumbsup:
 
#12 ·
Hi, Teslabe.

I have every thing about your WIP threads, since the images till the entire threads saved as PDF. :thumbsup:

I guess tha this thread is gonna be in a halt for a while, because I need some time to study the arduino software to be employed to control the servos.

Besides, I also need to learn:

1) how to make the three LEDs turn on and off in the middle of the landing gears movements; and,

2) how to make the reactor's lights to pulse, when its servo stops spinning.

Just like in your C-57D video. :freak:

I think that you didn't use code to control the 3 LEDs of the landing gears bays, didn't you? You would have used a pulse detector instead, right? :confused:
 
#15 · (Edited)
Hi Teslabe

Thank you for the informations. I will try the Pololu RC switch. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

I was thinking to use an Arduino UNO, but it is a too much heavy artillery for no big issue (besides, it doesn't fit inside the kit anyway).

I already had an UNO board and was using it just to learn writing code and begin to control servos and LEDs. This board, however, is reserved to my Moebius J2, which is a totally different story.

I bought an arduino NANO to do the job in this project, but my guess is that the Pololu Maestro Servo Controller (6 channels) alone would be enough (I had bought it to use just as a driver for the three servos).

I simply don't have enough knowledge yet to assert whether this driver can syncronize servos and LEDs AND accept commands from an RC.

We will see. :wave:
 
#16 ·
I've been studying the three main components of this electronic project and besides the problem of writing a code to the Pololu Micro Maestro 6, I have tried to understand how it works together with Pololu RC Switch, and the Keyes IR Receiver.

The IR Receiver should send a signal both to Micro Maestro, in order to move the servos and, at the same time, send a signal to the RC Switch so that it can light up the LEDs inside the bays.

The problem is, how to delay the lighting to occur at the middle of the landing gears movements.

I don't know whether I should program this delay into the Micro Maestro code, or it happens naturally until when the threshold is approximately 1700 µs, like Teslabe said.

Till now, I think I will not need to use a micro controller like the Arduino Nano.

Advices are welcome.
 
#21 · (Edited)
The problem is, how to delay the lighting to occur at the middle of the landing gears movements.
https://www.pololu.com/product/2802
https://www.pololu.com/picture/view/0J4865
https://www.pololu.com/docs/0J60/7
Fernando, if you are using the same series R/C switch that I used, you can set it to respond anywhere in the 1-2ms pulse, the 1.7ms is just the default value.
The board has two pads for the "Learning mode jumper", here is some info that might help.....:wave: Great work, by the way......:thumbsup:
 
#17 ·
first up, outstanding work! I know you'll crack the lighting issue and make something amazing!

Stupid question that may have been addressed in some thread long, long ago, did R2/PL fix the look of the upper dome, compared to the larger kit which, IIRC, was pretty darn off? I keep telling myself I really need to build a C-57D as one of those "wish Aurora had made it" promise fulfillment to myself.
 
#18 ·
Hi Steve!

Thanks! :thumbsup:

I hope, I will overcome this challenge. I am not exactly a newbie in electronics, I mean, dealing with the analog side of this thing, e.g., resistors, LEDs, capacitors, soldering, etc. :cool:

This project, however needs you to enter into the digital side and write instructions to be processed by a chip. That is a totally new field for me. :confused:

No problem at all, for I like to study. Let's see if I am a good student. :wave:
 
#22 ·
Hi Teslabe.

Thanks for your help. I am using exactly the same RC switch.

Let's see if I understood it correctly. The same signal, sent from the remote control to the receiver, can start the servos movement and, at the same time, turn on the LEDs, but in this case with a delay caused by the RC switch.

Is that right? :confused:

So, I need to link both, the RC switch and the Mini Maestro Servo Controller, to the receiver.

Well, at least that's what I am doing. :)
 
#23 ·
Hi Fernando,
Yes, the same channel you are using to control the servos will also address the RC switch, that's why I used it. The receiver only outputs a PWM signal
on each channel for controlling servos, you need a "high/low" signal to turn on and off the LEDs and that is what the RC switch does.....:thumbsup:
 
#28 ·

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#25 · (Edited)
Should I put the 3 servos AND the receiver on just one channel in the controller?

Do you think that this Micro Maestro has enough "intelligence" to do the trick without an arduino microcontroller?

Teslabe, I am sorry for being so didactic, but I am also aiming to the others newbies in electronics here, like me. :wave:
 
#26 ·
I uploaded an early video of the controller and servos to Photobucket, but there is no way to make the thing play. I uploaded the file in three different formats but nothing happened. :confused::confused::confused:

It was a very simple sketch were running to do this. I have learnt a lot along the last weeks. :hat:

I will need to cut off the headers pins and solder all the wires, because using plugs this way makes it impossible fitting the stuff between the two halves of the model.
 
#27 ·
Ok, I already know how to make the 3 servos go to a position A and return to B automatically, pressing a button on the RC. Sorry for not posting a video. I don't know why I can't make them play on Photobucket in order to post a link here.

Next step will be how to make them spin to position A and stay there waiting a new command. Then, pressing a button again, they should go to position B, and so on.

I am almost there.

With that stuff done, I will have to synchronize the servos movements with the LEDs.
 
#29 ·
Hi Teslabe

Thank you again. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

It seem that I will have to use an arduino nano board after all, because the guys there at Pololu forum said that their Maestro board doesn't accept IR signal as a valid input.

So, the Micro Maestro will serve just as a servo controller board.

I had to stop the project for a while due temporary difficulties at my job, but I hope to resume building next weekend. :wave:
 
#30 ·
After almost 2 month out of the hobby, again due to my job, I resumed this project studying a LOT about microcontrollers, servo controllers and so on.

I had a hard time trying to understand why I couldn't upload a sketch to my arduino pro mini. It took several hours along two or three days until I figure out and solve the problem. :freak:

Now I am making some tests and trying various prebuilt sketches to see which of them is closer to match my needs. Then, I will customize it to do exactly what I want.
 
#32 ·
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-channel-S...irplane-Car-/251931043452?hash=item3aa842a67c
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Channel-4...906468?hash=item5b0e7a17e4:g:6-8AAOSwEeFVBb4i

Hi Fernando,
I'm sorry for not following up sooner, my job has had me very busy and now with Christmas coming up soon, just hard to find any time......:drunk: But,
I did have some time over our Thanksgiving break and built up an example of the Ramp Servo/LED effects setup I did for my C-57D. As you can see, it's far simpler. I modified a "Servo tester" I got off ebay for about $3.00, by removing the potentiometer and replacing it with an R/C network, I could control how slow the servos moved as they raised and lowered the ramps. these servo testers can drive three servos and by adding the power leads to the bottom of the board, I could use the last set of pins for the Pololu Servo switch that controls the three LEDs for each ramp bay. Instead of an IR remote, I used a 433MHz transmitter/receiver that toggles the output each time you push the buttons, be sure you ask for "toggle" not "momentary".
I hope the post a youtube video in a week or two. I'll send you a PM shortly.......:wave:
 

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#33 ·
Hi Teslabe.

Man, did you make everything again just to help me? :eek: :eek: :eek:

I'm sorry. I'm very embarrassed. You should not have bothered yourself going so far. :eek:

Anyway, well... I have no words. Thanks a lot, my friend. I will try to make justice to your gentle help. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 
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