I build large scale helicopters. One of my builds has a large spotlight or Nightsun. I have designed and printed the components which form the two axis gimbal. It uses two small servos for the two axis to control the movement of the spotlight.
I have programmed the sequence to the maestro card and all works well. It plays for a few minutes. I currently use an RC switch to power the Maestro card from my transmitter, which then begins running the looped sequence - and therein lies my problem.
I cannot figure out how I can remotely control the sequence so that the lights gimbal I have designed returns to a set position. The full size helicopter spotlight returns to a position where it points aft to the rear.
Are there any additional components that could achieve this? I am guessing the Maestro card would need to retain power.
It sounds like you are currently using your RC switch to power the Maestro on and off. If instead you power the Maestro directly with the battery (so that it is on whenever the helicopter is on instead of waiting for the RC switch), then you can probably connect your RC switch to one of the Maestro’s pins, configure that pin as an input, and then write a script to accomplish the behavior you want.
If that sounds like acceptable solution, you can probably learn a lot about how to implement it from the Maestro user’s guide, specifically the “Attaching Servos and Peripherals” and the “Example Scripts” sections. If you have trouble though, you are also welcome to post information about the particular RC switch you are using, and we might be able to offer some additional guidance for how you can connect it to your Maestro.
Many thanks for your reply. I did have a look through attaching a switch in the guide but am unsure how I could get this to switch state or script while still providing power.
The various switches I have are simple RC switches receiving a pulse from a Futaba receiver to switch on and off the power from a 6 volt battery. I have a manual isolator switch for that same battery that is used before and after powering on the whole models power system.
So from looking at the paragraph relevant to a switch or button, it appears that I would supply power to the board via my manual switch, then use the switch itself to create an on off state to initiate two different scripts?.
I have a few from castle creations. Another is more simple.
The one I was intending to use just breaks and closes the positive rail which I think for this purpose would work well for the input. I can see from the diagram that this need to create an open/close situation with a pull down resistor to the 5v rail.
If that sounds correct, I have compiled one script just recording the frames. The sequence runs for about 45 second + of movements ti simulate a wandering spot light. I need the switch to then move to another sequence that will move the two servos to a set position and stay there until I activate the swtich once again.
From what I can find about the part you linked to, it appears to just be a regulator, so it is not clear to me whether you can actually use an RC signal to turn the output on and off. Even if you can, it would be an overkill solution for what I think you need here. I would recommend one of these RC switches with digital outputs:
Yes, it’s just that I have various RC type switches I am familiar with. I think I included a link to the wrong CC component there. That is actually just a regulator. A fair few of their switches also regulate down from say 7.4v 2 cell lipo to 5v.
I also have two of these
Nice little circuit that you sent though, so will probably get one of those.
Any info you can provide regarding switching between two sequences? I’d like to first get it working with a manual mini switch which I have plenty of.
Okay, the component you linked to in your new post looks more like what I was expecting. If you supply that type of switch with 5V, I expect it will be fine for you to connect its output directly to a Maestro pin so you can read it just like a manual switch or button. However, using a manual switch first while you figure out how to configure and program the Maestro seems like a great idea.
As for learning how to configure/program the Maestro, first I recommend you back-up the Maestro settings and sequences you have now by saving a copy of your Maestro settings file. You can the settings file from the “File” drop-down menu of the control center while your Maestro is connected.
Next, if you have not already, please review the user’s guide sections I linked to earlier. (In fact, reading all the sections about the Maestro scripting language would probably be a good idea.) From there, you can try something like the “Using multiple buttons or switches to control servos” example script. Once you get that working, you can try replacing the simple subroutines in the example with subroutines generated for your sequences using the “Copy all Sequences to Script” button under the “Sequence” tab of the control center.
Brilliant Patrick, very helpful.
I have now read most of the guide and gone over examples of what others have done. The multiple button script looks a good candidate to start from. I’ll try to get as far as I can with my script and pop back if I get stuck.
