Arduino uno with the Sabertooth

Hello
if someone connected the Sabertooth to Arduino uno with open source code from site? I've read that it is difference in PWM and may not work (fullPWM/half PWM??). I prepare to buy Sabertooth. How connect saber to the Arduino?
Best regards

Hi @bartez81 . The sabertooth uses a single channel in analog mode to control both forwards and backwards. Therefore it doesn’t use a pin for direction. It works similar to a R/C servo but uses a different method. In this case center position would be 2.5v. So that’s probably where you heard someone say “half/pwm” since its uses half of the pwm for forwards and the other half for backwards. I think this method with the sabertooth is mainly intended to be used for controlling a vehicle or robot with a wired joystick that uses potentiometers.

But the sabertooth is an intelligent controller so why use the pwm method anyway when you’re already paying for a controller with its own microprocessor built it? The sabertooth’s simple serial mode works about the same as its analog mode. But you don’t use a voltage to control the direction and speed, you use a single byte variable. So instead of using a value to create a voltage with pwm in the arduino to send to it, you can just send a byte value straight to the sabertooth! Instead of sending a 0-5v signal, you send a 0-255 valued byte.

As far as the code, it could be out there but I haven’t come across it myself. But it would be quite easy for someone to do that has arduino programming experience. I’m just learning it now but I think I know enough even I could do it since it would just take some minor changes to existing code. I’ll take a look at RufusDuffus’s code to see if I can modify it for use with the sabertooth when I get a chance.

May I ask why you wish to use the sabertooth controller? If you want to use pwm output why not just get an h-bridge that works with existing code?

Hi, i use arduino + sabertooth
http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/my-new-3dof-4motors-arduinoméga-sabertooth.4926/
if you wish to use sabertooth with PWM (analog mode) you will need a low pass filter !

and..
if you wish to use in Packetized mode , you will need an Arduino Mega because it has several serial com port and you will increase the price of your simulator !

Prilad wrote a good software for Arduino:
http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/arduino-uno-duemilanove-2dof-firmware.4564/

and
RufusDufus wrote too a good software for arduino.
http://www.xsimulator.net/community...driver-and-windows-utilities.4957/#post-48592

i will test it next week with my new Polulu...
Eric

My bad! Memory that is! My question still is why use the sabertooth with analog mode? And if I'm not mistaken the uno will work with Packetized mode. But you must send four bytes with it so it's slower. Much easier and faster to use simple serial mode.

Edit: And also by using simple serial mode instead of analog mode you don't need a low pass filter that smooths out the signal!

I found that the uno will work with multiple serial ports but its not native. It requires a library.

http://www.arduino.cc/en/Reference/SoftwareSerial

Good, I misunderstood this feature, I thought (remember) that it was only to change the pin (Rx, Tx)!

And you're right, the simple serial mode is the best choice for sabertooth with arduino !

Interresting....let me know if you have a good result with it !
Thanks
Eric

Hello
Ok try the serial mode with Arduino mega. I have a large dc motors, and unfortunately I do not use monster shield. I have to attend to Arduino Mega for 20 euros if someone was that interested.