You guys know much about servos?

lawlberg

Booth Babe
Joined
Aug 13, 2012
Messages
907
Reaction score
11
Points
18
Location
Sydney, Australia
Visit site
I've got a question - looking for someone who knows at least slightly more about servos than I do!

Application:
12V DC (my bike) (probably would need resistors or something to bring it down to 6v I'd assum)


I want a servo (or rotary solenoid/actuator) to run off of a 2 way switch that will flip a small plate (roughly license plate sized) between 2 positions of 0* and 60*, staying at either extreme. I would like it to center at 0*, and when I flip the switch (lightswitch style) have it rotate the plate to 60* and stay until I flip the switch back to the first position.

Most servos I know of will go ~45* in either direction from center, but return to center. If I got a servo that went 60* degrees in each direct I assume that would work.

The next challenge is wiring it without needing the signal pulse of an RC Receiver, I assume it's simple, I just haven't come across a way to do that.

Any help is appreciated!
 

scidork

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Messages
44
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
Holzminden, Germany
Visit site
Just thinking aloud here but I know electric actuators for ball and butterfly valves go 90 and can usually be limited/adjusted. Of course something like that would probably be a bit big, cost more, and weigh more than a couple pounds. You could possibly make something with a linear actuator (aka. a solenoid although rotary solenoids also exist) and a pivot (think steam engine wheels where linear motion is translated to rotation by coupling the actuator to a radial point on a wheel).

You might look at something like this, from the VEX robotics kit (used by First robotics in their national robotics competitions for students). Or this from Radio Shack (which is pretty much the whole reason that the store exists)

For stepping down, perhaps this (google transformer or the like).

Then just a 3 way switch should work.

Sorry if anything I linked to comes up in German or euros but Chrome automatically translates everything so I don't know exactly how it will show up for other folks.
 
Last edited:

FinalImpact

2 Da Street, Knobs R Gone
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
11,137
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
USA, OR
Visit site
Errrr- lost my post.
Dang it........

Condensed; if you need to know the position a Throttle Body from a Throttle by Wire cage has; 12V dc motor, gear reduction, TPS (for position).

This could solve your issues. If don't need to know the position, but simply want the job done, a couple of limit switches and multi position switch could solve it too. The limit switches cut power to the motor when there. Not as high tech as servo.

However, I would strongly consider a vacuum pot and a simple mechanical air control switch. This with a spring simply moves between the mechanical limits, returns to opposite limit when vacuum is removed with a return spring.

Go look in the bone yard at some heater controls in a cage. Also, you could use an electric solenoid to control this. Engine won't care as long as device does not leak. There are options.... Something to think about.

Do a search for the following;
pneumatic slave cylinder
air solenoid valve 12v
 

lawlberg

Booth Babe
Joined
Aug 13, 2012
Messages
907
Reaction score
11
Points
18
Location
Sydney, Australia
Visit site
Errrr- lost my post.
Dang it........

Condensed; if you need to know the position a Throttle Body from a Throttle by Wire cage has; 12V dc motor, gear reduction, TPS (for position).

This could solve your issues. If don't need to know the position, but simply want the job done, a couple of limit switches and multi position switch could solve it too. The limit switches cut power to the motor when there. Not as high tech as servo.

However, I would strongly consider a vacuum pot and a simple mechanical air control switch. This with a spring simply moves between the mechanical limits, returns to opposite limit when vacuum is removed with a return spring.

Go look in the bone yard at some heater controls in a cage. Also, you could use an electric solenoid to control this. Engine won't care as long as device does not leak. There are options.... Something to think about.

Do a search for the following;
pneumatic slave cylinder
air solenoid valve 12v

I like your enthusiasm here - however my project is much simpler than what you're proposing.

I want to have a switch activated cover for my license plate area so that I don't have to blur it out when I post pictures of it online. :thumbup:
 

lawlberg

Booth Babe
Joined
Aug 13, 2012
Messages
907
Reaction score
11
Points
18
Location
Sydney, Australia
Visit site
Just thinking aloud here but I know electric actuators for ball and butterfly valves go 90 and can usually be limited/adjusted. Of course something like that would probably be a bit big, cost more, and weigh more than a couple pounds. You could possibly make something with a linear actuator (aka. a solenoid although rotary solenoids also exist) and a pivot (think steam engine wheels where linear motion is translated to rotation by coupling the actuator to a radial point on a wheel).

You might look at something like this, from the VEX robotics kit (used by First robotics in their national robotics competitions for students). Or this from Radio Shack (which is pretty much the whole reason that the store exists)

For stepping down, perhaps this (google transformer or the like).

Then just a 3 way switch should work.

Sorry if anything I linked to comes up in German or euros but Chrome automatically translates everything so I don't know exactly how it will show up for other folks.

The servo from Radio Shack could be perfect, looks like 80* of motion in each direction, could definitely make that work - I was thinking a simple rocker switch with an LED to let me know the position (up, off, down, on)

I wouldn't need any special control board to send the phased signals to the servo?
 

FinalImpact

2 Da Street, Knobs R Gone
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
11,137
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
USA, OR
Visit site
Well in that case - electric tint and done! Nothing moves but electrons....

Seriously - vacuum daspots do allot of mundane tasks. Cheap and take no energy. View attachment 52172
 
Last edited:

outasight20

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2012
Messages
759
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
Long Island
Visit site
Hmmm. Post anonymous pictures online? Or perform illegal moves on the streets without people seeing your plate numbers... Curious, very curious. I only suspect this because I've thought of doing the same thing :D
 

SweaterDude

Broke-zillionaire
Joined
Apr 20, 2011
Messages
1,051
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Nashville, TN ([email protected])
Visit site
I've got a question - looking for someone who knows at least slightly more about servos than I do!

Application:
12V DC (my bike) (probably would need resistors or something to bring it down to 6v I'd assum)


I want a servo (or rotary solenoid/actuator) to run off of a 2 way switch that will flip a small plate (roughly license plate sized) between 2 positions of 0* and 60*, staying at either extreme. I would like it to center at 0*, and when I flip the switch (lightswitch style) have it rotate the plate to 60* and stay until I flip the switch back to the first position.

Most servos I know of will go ~45* in either direction from center, but return to center. If I got a servo that went 60* degrees in each direct I assume that would work.

The next challenge is wiring it without needing the signal pulse of an RC Receiver, I assume it's simple, I just haven't come across a way to do that.

Any help is appreciated!

You could either set up 2 servos or dial in a trim setting on one that allows for 2 toggle positions. i dont really know how to explain it but i could probably draw you a diagram for what im talking about. im assuming you'd be running a wired connection. also a toggle switch set up would be no problem. it could be done reasonably easily i think.
 

FinalImpact

2 Da Street, Knobs R Gone
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
11,137
Reaction score
184
Points
63
Location
USA, OR
Visit site
Hi-tec
Futaba
JR

among others, but those are the big three

Untill the scale reaches 1/5, there are few RC servos that will withstand the wind blast (imposed load) should speeds reach xxx. US plates are small too. The cost now goes up a good deal.
I'm guessing your vehicle will be impounded if caught...
 

SweaterDude

Broke-zillionaire
Joined
Apr 20, 2011
Messages
1,051
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Nashville, TN ([email protected])
Visit site
I have micro hitec servos on a .60 scale pylon racer that is good for about 160 mph. They only run the elevator, I have larger ones on the ailerons but still not that large. I know the license plate is larger but again you could run two servos in parallel.


Phone forumizing with Tapatalk
 
Top