Can a Phidgets Servo card be used to drive a jrk 12v12 card?

Support Motor controllers/drivers and motors
1

Hi,

I’m trying to drive a 12v windshield wiper motor connected to a throttle lever in a Boeing 737 simulator. I want to use the jrk 12v12 card because it turns the power off when it is not changing the position of the motor.

I got the idea to use a Phidgets AdvancedServoMotors 8 card (part number 1061) to drive the jrk card from another simulator builder who has successfully done this. The problem is, I’m having trouble duplicating his setup. His cards are buried deep in his simulator and he’s trying to tell me how to wire it from memory.

I’ve attached a crude schematic of how I think this should work. I actually have two sliding pots ganged together attached to the throttle lever, one which goes directly to Microsoft FSX via a Phidgets 8/8/8 interface card, and another which attaches to the feedback port on the jrk card. On the Phidgets AdvancedServoMotors 8 card, I’m just using one channel and have it hooked up to the RX port on the jrk card. Appropriate power supplies are connected to all three cards.

I have successfully soldered the pins onto the jrk card, as evidenced by the fact that I can use the jrk configuration utility to detect motor direction. So I know the feedback as well as the power connections are working.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to whether this should work or what I am doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.
jrk card-phidgets scheme.pdf (330 KB)

2

Hi.

I recommend not connecting the “Red - 5V” pin on the Phidgets board to the “(regulated output) 5V” pin on the jrk controller. What function do you want the jrk to perform? The jrk accepts standard RC control signals. Could you please post some pictures of your setup including all connections?

-Derrill

3

Thanks for your reply. The photos show my connections and soldering. The white/red/black wires that are still in the connector come from the white/red/black terminals on the Phidgets AdvancedServoMotor card. The other wires (out of the connector) are connected to the sliding Phidgets pot.

I’m trying to have the Phidgets AdvancedServoMotor card tell the jrk card where to position the motor, within the limits of the feedback from the sliding pot.

pololu jrk card 2.jpg2448×3264 1.47 MB


pololu jrk card 1.jpg2448×3264 1.45 MB

4

I see from your post that you still have the 5V outputs connected. Tying the output of two regulators together is not a good idea. Connecting the outputs of two regulators could cause an excessive amount of current to flow. Other than that, I don’t see anything wrong with what you are doing.

-Derrill