Arduino Stepper elevator video 1 of 2

Knex elevator being controlled with an Arduino, Easydriver 4.2 and a stepper motor. All available at Sparkfun.com

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Arduino
• stepper

[rafakonishi]

Is it too complicated to control the initial and final speed of the stepper motor, so the passengers don't feel the sudden start os stop of the elevator? How do you get feedback form the motor so it stops at certain position?

[n2scouting2]

@rafakonishi speed can be adjusted by increasing the delay inbetween steps or pulses. There is a good tutorial at dantompsonblog.blogspot.com. In my setup there is no feed back from the motor. Elevator position and when to stop the motor is determined by the infrared sensors that you see in the video. When the sensor sees the white card mounted on the car it tells the controller that the car is in position so it is time to stop.

[T86157]

Hey n2scouting2, I had a question: How did you hook up the k'nex pulley wheel up into the driving shaft? Did you file down the inner diameter of the hole in the pulley wheel? I'm trying to get steppers and servos to work with my k'nex too but am having some trouble with how to adapt them without damaging the k'nex

[n2scouting2]

@T86157 I wrapped some black electrical tape around the shaft of the motor. Not to much, just enough to create a snug friction fit into the hole in the knex piece.

[T86157]

Thanks. The joystick I bought through SparkFun.com (I never realized soldering is so much fun) I drove the motors with the SN75441ONE quadruple half-h drivers. I should have got something more meaty that had a larger heat sink. It got pretty warm driving the step motors at 12V...

[T86157]

Thanks n2scouting2. I made a video of a Knex claw machine I made for a project. It has stepper motors and...Knex pieces. I thanked you in my vid too since your video helped me and you answered my question :)

[T86157]

thanks, I'll try that once my motors come in

[Stasoline]

Cool build!