Help connecting mini maestro 12 channel to 2s9v1 motor contr

Support Motor controllers/drivers and motors
1

Hello everyone!

I have just recently started my first serious electronics project, but i’m having some trouble with getting the parts to communicate with each other.

What I want to do is use a Mini Maestro 12-Channel USB Servo Controller to control two brushed DC motors via one Pololu Qik 2s9v1 Dual Serial Motor Controller, depending on inputs from various sensors also plugged into Maestro. I have already successfully connected the sensors to maestro and made a simple infinite loop script outputting a signal on one of the free channels.
The problem is I cannot figure out how to connect the Maestro to the motor controller and convince it to start spinning my motors, despite having read the user’s manual and the .c serial example codes.

I figured I have to connect the motor control’s TX to Maestro’s RX and somehow initiate the whole thing through Maestro control center (running W7 btw), but i’m terribly stuck here.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. As well as any additional resources on serial interface for total beginners and what is qik. :smiley:

2

Hello.

Controlling a qik from the Maestro is not going to be an easy task since the Maestro outputs RC servo pulses while the qik accepts serial commands. If you are looking for a quick solution, you should consider a motor controller with an RC servo pulse interface, like our Simple Motor Controllers.

If you plan on using a computer as your master controller, however, you can use the Maestro as a USB-to-serial adapter between the computer and the qik. The following section of the Maestro user’s guide explains more about that:

pololu.com/docs/0J40/5.a

Specifically, you would want to put the Maestro in USB Dual Port mode with its TX pin connected to the qik’s RX and it’s RX pin connected to the qik’s TX; you can then use something like our Serial Transmitter Utility to send qik commands to the Maestro’s TTL COM port, and the Maestro will pass these commands on to the qik.

Does that make sense?

- Ben