I have been recently experimenting with two 12 channel Maestro Servo Controllers and have success getting the two to communicate to each other using the UART pins but was wondering if it was possible to have one of them send commands to the other using only USB connectivity. The system I’m hoping to use them on doesn’t have any spare copper path to the remote area and I currently have a USB over ethernet hub that resides in the remote location that the local computer accesses for other equipment. I was hoping that it would be as simple as plugging the first Maestro into a USB port in the local computer and the second into the remote USB hub.
Any hints/sugestions would be greatly appreciated.
No, it is not possible for a Maestro to directly send commands to another Maestro via USB. You probably would need to write your own program to send either serial or USB commands to the remote Maestro from your computer. Is there a particular reason you want to use a Maestro and not your computer to control the other Maestro? Can you provide more details on what exactly you are trying to do (e.g. use a button on Maestro A to trigger a movement sequence on Maestro B)?
thanks for the replay Amanda, I’m trying to use some pots attached as analogue inputs on maestro A to control some servo positions on maestro B (which could be many miles away). Unfortunately I don’t have the knowledge to write my own program/software so what I’m thinking of doing is using a couple of ttl to usb converters then link the two comports they create on the computer with something like Eltimas Serial Splitter software to link the two comports.
We have not tried something like what you are describing, specifically using TTL-to-USB adapters to transmit commands to another Maestro’s TTL serial interface, but the setup could work.
Hi Amanda, just thought I would let you know that using two TTL-to-USB adaptors and linking the two USB ports with Eltimas Virtual Serial Port Driver software does work. I have been able to use one maestro as a master and connect to another slave maestro via a remotely located ethernet USB port that I can log into over the internet, then link the two com ports with Eltimas software and control the remote servos with the local controls.
