Tronic's AMC motor motion-controller with pwm/servo output

Hello is able give this motor for Thanos Joyrider? : THX

Míla

LCD-connector. I have tried to make a lcd connector on a breadboard. I would like some feedback on it before finish it and I test it! Does it look right on the pictures? Go to my blog http://articsimulator.blogspot.com/2009/11/oppdatering.html for highres pictures.
Do I need the 10k resistor, is there an alternative (forgot to order...)
Fred

Hi all .Thank you for all your efforts .Especially TRONIC (BIG BRAIN) :clap: . I have built the AMC controller and was trying to programme the Atmega 8515 L 8 PU it wont recognise it .I have read all the posts and they have been helpfull in sorting out some other issues now Im stuck Am i wasting my time with this or should I buy an 8535 16 pu . I have been using the 22 xtal. All my LEDs are functioning it trys to programme the red LED flashes then I get error 24 on Pony Regards Nicko

Hi Nicko355,

In Atmega terms, the 8PU menas that the CPU runs at only 8Mhz, and if you take into account that we already overclock the 16Mhz to run at 24Mhz, then I am not surprized that this setup doesn't work

I also struggled to find the atmega chip in South Africa, but after some internet time I managed to find it, and it was ordered for me. If all goes well, I should have it today! Can't wait! We are building 2 x Joyriders on Toic's design. We will be doing ours in metal pipe though, as the cost of those joints, etc used in the pvc design was more than double the price of what a metal frame will cost us. Besides, we have a bender and everything at our disposal, so we should be good Also, have a look at the Atmega16. Atmega even has a document on their website describing how to convert from the Atmega 8535 to the Atmega 16, and with a little help, I believe it can be done without too much trouble.

Hope this helps! I will be opening a project page on this as soon as our build starts (hopefully this weekend)...

Hi TonicGr,

Let me start off by thanking you for the wonderful work you have done with your controller, H-bridge, etc, and making it all available for free is just amazing!

Anyway, a friend and me started building our frames today, and I have been spending some time over the week to build the AMC, LCD and H-Bridges for both frames we are building. All the circuits are now done, except for the Atmega 8535 chips that are missing.

What I need to ask you is if there is absolutely no way that an Atmega16 can be made to work with the amc? I looked at the pinouts, and they are the same, with a few fuse bits differing and the way in which the ADC's work, but I am sure that this can be compensated for with the firmware? The reason I ask is because we are in South Africa, and getting the proper Atmega 8535 IC's here is not only going to cost an arm and a leg, but the lead time on them is over 3 months!!! Taking this into account, and the fact that I was able to pick up a few atmega16 Ic's at my local electronics store, I REALLY wish that your reply will be something like: sure, just do this:, etc.. LOL!

Thanks again for all your help mate, it is really appreciated, and I look forward to getting this baby moving soon!

hallo tronic,

only one question about the design.
on the datasheet of the max232 i read for C1 and C2 a cap. of 1uF.
in your design it is 10uF ?
i stumbelt about this, because i cant connect via hyperterminal an thought about that could b an issue.? (but... why should it only a problem to mee ??)

anyway. thank you SO MUTCH for this projekt, its to me like a childdream came true.

keep on the great work.
TOM

(hop to get my connection problem fixed ...)

Hi Guys,

I need help :?

As mentioned before, a friend and I are busy building 2 simulators. So far we have most of the frames done, and I did all the electronics. Now, I have a few problems, which i really wish someone would be kind enough to point me in the right direction...

1. I cannot program the Atmgea8535 with any other crystal or capacitor combination than the 14mhz with 18pf caps. I have tried 18, 22.184, and 24mhz with 18pf, as well as with 22pf, but none of the combination work. I have also tried it with the same components after the ponyprog fix, but I still get the same result. It seems that it ONLY works on 14mhz with 18pf caps..

2. This is my biggest problem at the moment. When I finish the programming, and I enable dip switch one (to see the status values of the adc's), I see the first one as 128, the second one is 128 as well, but the third and fourth one are jumping around all the time, with values ranging from 400 to 800. I read somewhere that this is normal, and that you should start tuning the 10k pot and your external 10k pot to calibrate the output, but the problem is that no matter how hard I try, those values don't stop, in other words, I can't get it to a point where if I don't touch anything, the value remains constant. Regardless of what I try, it keeps on jumping. On the videos that I downloaded from Thanos I can see that his values are 100% stable, and only change if his pots feeding back from the motors change (or he turns it manually ). yet I can't seem to get mine stable. Is there anything I can do that can help me with this, maybe replace a few parts or double check a few parts, etc?

3. I also couldn't' connect to my AMC's through hyperterminal, but I read somewhere else that this may be due to capacitor values, so I will go through those posts first to see if I can troubleshoot it myself before commenting on that again.

Once I can get this sorted, I should be up and running with everything. I did do a quick test of the H-bridges, and they seem fine, apart from the fact that they are obviously getting crappy signal from the AMC...

Thank you very much, I hope to have all of this done before christmas (my sim will be a gift for someone), so if you have come accross any of these issues I'd love to hear how to fix it

Thanks!

Hi guys,

Ok, I managed to get the floating X and Y axis numbers fixed!! YAY! I was using crappy 270 degree 10% pots, instead of proper 0.001% mil spec 10 turn pots! As soon as I plugged in the nice pots, the figures were 100% accurate, and after a little tuning, they turned perfectly from 0 to 1023 every time! I am so happy, I can't tell you! I then also connected the H-bridges, and they also worked! I still have one dead mosfet somewhere, which I will try to eliminate today, cause the one motor can't change direction, but I assume that as soon as I have fixed that, that everything should be just fine!

Then all I need to do is work on getting the amc recognized by hyper terminal and also try to upgrade to a faster crystal and then I can move on to x-sim!

Just one question though: If I can't see the AMC in hyper terminal, am I correct in saying that I won't be able to communicate with it through X-sim too?

Thanks!

Hello. Now i have soldered my AMC, and tried to follow thanos ponyprog-guide and program the Atmega 8535 with ponyprog. i get the unknown device message (24) as others before me, but i cant find a solution on other posts here at the forum. I will do my best to give you some information, and i am hoping for some help. First some pictures of my amc:



I am using Crystal 22,1184 Mhz but have also tried 18,4320 Mhz
Power adapter: old jvc VHS camera power-supply with 6.3V 1.8A
Both green power leds and the backlight of the LCD light up when I connect my power-adapter
Calibration in Ponyprog is OK (Ponybrog 2.07a)
Interface in Ponyprog recognise com1
Probe with SI Prog API says: Test OK (and Free Serial Port Monitor reqognise process)
Probe with SI Prog I/O says: Test Failed (Free Serial port Monitor does not reqognise process)
Read data and write data gives unknown device error message 24 (Nothing on FSPM)
Red led lights up when reading/writing
I am using a Serial to usb converter from ST lab (USB Serial -4)
I have tried to check the soldering.
I might try to find a seriel cable and test it with my old Pentium-pc.
(Yes I have removed the three jumpers)

Hope some of you can give me some advice on this!

Hi Fredspeed , Does the red LED flash when you try to programme ? I was successfull only after using the 14 Mhz crystal with the the 22pf caps removed , then i was able to use the 22Mhz crystal with the caps installed. CHEERS Nick

Hi
I have a problem with my AMC board
I cant send X and Y axis datas to AMC board. The first two numbers are always 128 in LCD. All the other things are working but them.
How can i get sure the datas are going or not ???

Thankyou Nicko. I will try that! I am building this, but do not really know the mission of all the components. Do you know why it works without the 22pf caps, and is there a risk removing them? And yes, the programming red led lights up when I try to program with Si Prog Api setup, and it tries to read or write for about 30 sec before error message. With SI Prog I/O the error message comes imideatly amd no red led!..

hi fredspeed,
please take a look at the devicemanager on your PC.
Maybe your usb2rs232 device hase another port number assigned as you exbected.
(was a problem for me, because my motherboard have a 'on board but not connected' com that was active as com1, and my USB/RS232 was actual com5 an not visible for pony)
@watkykjy: i face the same problem, canot comunicate with avr via hyperterm. will also try another crystal, can you please massage the solution if found ?

Thank you
TOM

Thanks for the advice 914atom, but I have been there, and there must be contact with the com1 port since the programing led light up with SI Prog API setup, dont you think?

Hi Fredspeed ,
I am not sure why it works with the smaller 14 Mhz crystal without the 22pf caps I dont know enough about electronics ,but once I got it working I then fit the 22Mhz crystal and the 22pf caps . I then re-programme it with 22mhz Hex ,there are more posts about this issue on this forum.
CHEERS Nick

imho this onle means the comport is there but makemake not shure the comport is the comport you expect it to be
so ponyprog found a com1 and say, ok, the comport is there. BUT eventualy your usb2seriel device has comport 5 assigned. (i hope i can make my thoughst clear)

maybe the programming is in 'SI Prog I/O' mode working also, have you tried it ?


TOM

Hello again, Thanks for replies! I have now connected AMC to an old pentium with serial com ports, to be shure about the ports. Now the probe in both SI prog I/O and SI prog API says probe ok. (Thanos Guide tel us to use I/O) The connection now must be ok, and the red led also light up when i use ponoprog to reset device. I will now try to remove 22pf caps and use 14 mhz as you did Nick, but I have a question: Do you make a connection with wire instead of caps, or do you leave it with nothing?

With nothing,
the caps go stright to ground, the christal wold be terminadet !!!

I also have a successfull evening, i replaced my 24MHz with 18MHz an the connection could be established.
Thanks to all whom may concern.

tom

So this means that if I want to try what Nick did, i must replace caps with a wire. (If my questions sounds stupid, its because i am doing this with minimal knowledge about elektronics )

Hi Fredspeed ,
First try the 14 MHz Crystal with the caps , if that is unsuccessful then remove the caps . Do not make a wire connection where the caps were , this would create a short circuit (as Tom said )
CHEERS Nick