Microprocessor Motor Control Spring 2004

Introduction  Stamp projects Robots  Sensors  Motor control  Logic Rocketry  Reading acceleration (“g” forces)  Logging & graphing data Weather observations  Weather station Weather station  Pond and house temperature Pond and house temperature

Objectives for Train Controller  The train will be able to accelerate and decelerate smoothly, run at a constant speed, stop and sense its location on the track  All motor control will be solid state  The model train will operate from batteries

Objectives for Train Controller  A microprocessor will control the train’s motion  The microprocessor will must use interrupts to detect crossing over a magnet so that no magnet crossings are missed  Motor speed control will be by PWM  It will be possible to change some settings without reprogramming  Programs will be easy to create and revise

Hardware – Microprocessor  The microprocessor is a PICAXE 18X This 18 pin device is programmed in a simplified version of the BASIC language It has 8 pins that can be used as outputs and 5 pins for inputs. In this project the input pins will be used to detect switch closures and the position of two potentiometers The output pins will operate the motor and give us some feedback with LEDs It can use interrupts to sense magnets It can control motor speed with PWM

Hardware – H-Bridge  Motor control is accomplished with an LM293D H-Bridge chip This 16 pin device can control the speed and direction of two DC motors, each drawing up to 600 ma. In order to increase the amperage available to the motor the two independent circuits on the LM293D chip will be wired in parallel. This will provide more than 1 amp of power to the motor. Three pins on the LM293 will be connected to the PICAXE. Two are used for direction control and the third for PWM speed control

Hardware – Sensors  Reed switch sensors In order for the microprocessor to know where the train is located on the track a reed switch is located under the train. Magnets are placed on the track to signal when an event should take place (speed up, slow down or stop) Reed switches are small glass tubes containing two small magnetized metal contacts, or reeds. They normally don’t touch. When a magnet comes close to the reeds they come together, completing the circuit until the magnet moves away. Reed switches are commonly used in burglar alarm systems (reed switch in a window frame and a magnet in the window – when the window opens the magnet moves away activating the alarm) They are very reliable. They are commonly used as the speed sensor on a bicycle speedometer where they sense each rotation of the wheel. In this application they can open and close more than 700 times for each mile that the bicycle travels.

Hardware - Other parts  LEDs are small lights that can be run directly from the output pins on the PICAXE. All that is needed is a 470 ohm resistor in series with the output pin to limit the amount of current that the LED draws.  Potentiometers are variable resistors having three connections, one at each end of a fixed resistor and a third that is a wiper that moves across the fixed resistor giving variable resistance readings. In this application two will be used to set the motor’s maximum speed and the amount of time that the motor will be off when it pauses between direction changes.

Hardware - Other parts  A 78L05 voltage regulator is used to supply a steady 5 volt power supply to the PICAXE. Connecting the microprocessor directly to the 14.4 volt power supply would instantly destroy it.  Capacitors are used in the power supply circuit to filter out electrical noise that may be introduced into the circuit by sparking in the motor. Without these devices the microprocessors can reset randomly and give unreliable operation.

Prototype – Schematic

Prototype – Hand Wired Board

PC Board design and creation

PC Board  Software free on-line at  All communication done with the program  Three day service  Revision Fine tune component placement Correct errors

Building and testing  Time to construct went from 3 hours + to 20 minutes  Errors almost eliminated Solder bridges Incorrect component placement

Software to test LED & Switch  Load the “testLED.bas” program into the computer. It simply flashes the two LEDs until you put a magnet next to the reed switch. When the reed switch is activated the LEDs stay on for 5 seconds then start flashing again. start: high 7:low 6 if pin6 =1 then reed: pause 300 low 7:high 6 if pin6 =1 then reed: pause 300 goto start: reed: high 6 high 7 pause 5000 goto start:

Software to test Motor  Load the “testMOTOR.bas” program and download it to the PICAXE  The motor should slowly accelerate, pause for 5 seconds, decelerate, stop, pause and repeat. high 1 low 2 start: for w1= 200 to 1000 step 40 pwmout 3, 249, w1 pause 400 next w1 pause 5000 for w1= 1000 to 200 step -40 pwmout 3, 249, w1 pause 400 next w1 pause 5000 toggle 1 toggle 2 goto start:

Software to test Speed & Pause Time  The last test determines if the potentiometers are working. This test uses a built in function of the programming language that automatically sends information to the computer screen. It is called “debug”  Load the “testpot.bas”program and download it to the PICAXE  In a few moments a “debug window”should appear on the computer’s screen.  Make sure “Byte”is selected at the bottom of the debug screen, not “Word”  Watch the value of B0 and B1 – as you turn the potentiometers one way or the other these values should vary from 0 to 255. start: readadc 1, b0 readadc 2, b1 debug b0, b1 goto start:

Other projects  Pond temperature Pond temperature  House temperature House temperature

Thank You!  Questions?

Model Rocket Acceleration

Pond Temperature

House Temperature