Control Panel upgrade 1.0 (2017)

This was more work I'd completed at the beginning of the month but hand't had time to post up:

With the new addition of the SyRen10 dome speed controller, I wanted the main control panel to be self contained. As I originally (due to time/space) had the 24v to 12v converter mounted on the sound board.

I wanted it tho to be independent, so with the panel out of R5's body, I got to work on re-working the layout to fit it all on.

R5's Power control panel

Waiting on a few connector blocks and then connecting it all back up again.

So connectors came, heat shrink, cables & terminal block too. Any free time I spent on cutting, soldering (all connectors, non of this crimped stuff going on here!) then heat shrinking everything in sight lol.

Found a double sided sticky pad, for the transmitters receiver, to mount it on the panel.

The front view.

And part of the rear, view.

I say part, as the feet switch and cables are still inside R5's body, connected up. The switch goes in the hole next to the 'WARNING' label.

Next was to reinstall it back in place, wire up and test. The lead for the dome & the transmitter power were moved around. Power in was shown in the picture as channel 3, now in channel 6 socket - power. And the lead for the dome was moved to channel 4.

This is so that the left hand transmitter stick, auto centers after use.

R5's planned dome rotation upgrade 2017

The plan is to fit a lazy susan bearing, replacing the small central one. R5's dome wobbling days may soon be over. This will be a budget bearing race due to cost, but have read that these can be upgraded with some work to improve them, we'll see.

This is a BIG undertaking, as this was never considered as a do-able thing, due to the cost of the 'standard' Rockler bearings, used by R2 Builders (and the additional import costs). 

But I've come to the conclusion that it is needed :(. This may mean a new way to power its movement by wheel as the Bane Bot wheel was no longer available from the UK supplier I'd previously bought it from (update: I've now found another supplier). It will mean a new position of the motor/wheel assembly to power the lazy susan.

Next up is a 'SyRen 10'. Found one on eBay for £40, bargin!

So am waiting for the lazy susan, and SyRen speed controller, before I can carry on with dome rotation system upgrade work, both should be here by the end of this week.

Electrical: Batteries arrive & more installation 1:4

Sunday I started sorting the servo leads, firstly by cutting off the end female plug as the wires are fitted into terminal blocks on the speed controller. The receiver get's it's power from terminal blocks on the Speed Controller.

Monday, my.....sorry, R5's Batteries arrived. They tried to deliver them last Friday, now that's quick service!!

I placed them into the base area and they look good! :-)
I then started looking at how/what I had material wise to clamp them in place. Something lightweight, but strong! Found it! A strip of U section Aluminium (not shown in picture). I had left over. So after marking it up, into work it went and had two sections milled out. These help with securing the batteries and stabilising them from possibly sliding around. Next was to make up two angle securing brackets for the ends of the strip to be bolted onto.

Last night (Tuesday) was a good work night!!

Spent bout an hour soldering up last cable, re-wireing a cable to the main power switch, marking cables with coloured tape, and the battery connectors (just incase). Checked the battery connector circuit was the right way round to give 24v power out.

I then physically checked cables, that contacts were screwed down tight and all plugs were too.......then flipped the on switch......

Speed controller statue blue light: ON

Digital readout: reading 25v (no, not a typo) lol.

Am very happy!

Electrical: More cable installation 1:3

Thursday's work:

• The rest of my cables arrived so I could get on with wireing up R5.
• The Batteries are ordered and have been dispatched, so soon have them.

Fitted the electronics board back into R5 the other night, but didn't like it's size so I cut it in half. This is the new layout pic below.

I also milled out an area for the digital volt meter to be push fittd into the panel. I drilled some 10mm dia holes in the perspex to help ventilate the back face of the speed controller. I then cleaned up the slot cut out for the cables to fit through.

I found some double sided sticky pads to stick the Radio reciever to the board (once everything else is sorted). For now R5-D4 will only have power for his feet, driveing him on 24v from the two 12v batteries. Then next will be motorising his dome, with a seperate 12v battery. I may hook-up the lights in his dome to run of it as well. But his next stage will have to wait till funding is approved lol. [and by approved I mean by myself, as I need to save it].

Friday evening:
I screwed the supporting angles into place to take the electronics board. Then I started soldering up the cables to the switch and the spade connectors for the speed controller.
Then after cutting cable to length I realised I had cut one of them to short. Luckily tho it was just the right length for R5's other leg as the switch is closer to one side than the other.

Saturdays work:
Added the female connectors to the battery cable terminal ends. Finished of some more soldering of spade connectors for the negative cables on both sides. Hooked up the battery cables. Have ordered a new length now for R5's other leg and we are good to go!

Electrical: Cable installation begings 1:2

More pieces arrived on Monday, 12AWG cable, spade connectors and digital volt meter (range 3v to 30v).

Oh, and from the weekend, my Speed Controller!

Just waiting on some double pole switches, some more cable connectors with XT60's pre fitted to them and a light indicator. The extra XT60 connectors with cable, will be to connect up the two batteries in parallel, to boost power from single 12v power to 24v power!

**UPDATE**

Took parts into work to position them and drill holes to secure them to the 'Electronics Panel'.

The spade connectors that connect the cables up to the speed controller, have holes in them. These are enlarged so that the screw clamp will fit through, securing the spade connector in place. I'd seen this done before and thought it a great idea. My wires will all be soldered to the spade contacts, so they are doubly secured.

Once home I started on feeding the 12AWG gauge cable down the inside of R5's hollow leg.
I removed the centre hub (can be seen just in front of outer feet) for easier access and taped the cable ends together.

(To see more of the inside of R5's legs, click on the right hand side)

Next I fired up my soldering iron, then trimmed the cable ends ready to fit the spade connectors. Once fitted, I then soldered the cable ends and connectors.

I think I have some cable sleeve somewhere, that I'll fit over where the cable runs into the foot shell and inside the leg, passing through them into the body. Granted, there is less chance of the cables chaffing but better safe than sorry!

R5's Speed Controller - Dimension Engineering dual x25A

Checked online at Technobot last week that the dual speed controller needed for R5 was in stock, but it wasn't. Three week wait! I had seen it out of stock a few times before as it is a very popular unit. Its made by Dimension Engineering and is THE controller of choice for R2 Builders as well as other robots. This was last week. I checked again on Saturday, three days later, and they are now back in stock!

The Speed Controller has now been ordered!

For non builders, the dual controller sends signals from the transmitter/receiver to the motors that move the wheels. It does this in, whats known as, TANK mode. So both wheels are moving forward or backwards at the same time, but to turn, one stops and drives in the opposite direction, so turning your 'droid' on the spot, like a tank.

Next I bought a fuse block then [once my bank account has recovered) I need to buy two 12 volt 18amp batteries.

Other items I need are, cable, fuses, connectors, a dome controller and motor and a charger to recharge the batteries!