I need to switch between servo and digital output on a Micro Maestro 6 when the program is running. Is there a serial command to do this? At https://www.pololu.com/docs/0J40/5.e it just says “If the channel is configured as a digital output”, and using the windows interface to switch between “servo” and digital output doesn’t just do it for me…
A litle help here is much appreciated!
Hello,
This is not possible using a serial command due to limitations in the firmware of the Maestro. You could reconfigure the channel using our USB SDK or by loading a configuration file using the UscCmd command-line utility, but the process would involve restarting the Maestro, which might not be very smooth if there are other servos being controlled simultaneously.
By the way, this was an intentional limitation, since accidentally setting a servo channel to an output could easily destroy a servo, and we did not envision any potential use for this kind of feature. Could you explain why you need to do this?
-Paul
Thank you for a good answer! I hadn’t tougth of the possible consequences if this would be changed by a mistake.
I’ve been looking at the USB SDK, and saw there was a solution there.
I’m currently working on a project to remote control a digital camera tripod head. Most dSLRs can be exposured by simple transistor circuits operated by a digital signal, but compact cameras often lack this ability. This calls for a servo solution. The obvious solution is of course to use another channel. Thanks anyway!
Okay, well it sounds like you know what to do, then.
By the way, are you considering loading a different configuration file for each of the different camera setups?
-Paul
Saving configurations to a file sounds like something I should implement, since there is a lot of different parameters. I guess a short script should do this fine. I’m totally new to programming for windows, until now its just been AVRs. I actually wrote a full program for an ATtiny to measure the length of the servo signal pulses, and translate the length of the pulse to different camera functions. First when I read about powering the MCU from the Maestro I noticed it offered TTL and digital outputs. 
It’s supposed to be the ultimate camera remote, with the ability to control the tripod head as well as the camera remotely over wifi. Earlier I’ve done this without the tripod head, you can se some results at http://stenmarkfoto.com/?page_id=5. It’s all in Norwegian dough.
