Hi!
I’m currently developing a project in which I control a Pololu Mini Maestro 24 or 18 using 6 switches and 1 potentiometer to control 5 different servos.
So far so good -until now I’m using wires-, but i’d like to turn the system wireless using XBee.I’m completely new to Xbee and also to serial UART. Is there a way to connect an Xbee transceiver to a Mini Maestro and make another Xbee send signals generated by switches so I can get rid of the cables?
Thank you.
Hi.
What you’re trying to do should be possible, but it seems like your question is mostly about the XBee, with which we don’t have any experience. If it’s just a wireless transceiver, you will have to put something (like a microcontroller) between your switches and one of the XBees so that you can decide what to send based on your switches. On the Maestro side, the XBee can probably connect directly, but you should double-check the serial specifications.
How are you controlling the Maestro now? Are you comfortable with programming microcontrollers?
- Jan
Thank you very much for your aswer.
I think I’d be able to program a microcontroller so it sends data to on of the Xbees depending on the input from switches, although any help on which components to use would be appreciated
My current configuration is as follows:
Six Switches for the user interface. Four servos. A Mini Maestro 18 board.
The board works powered by a dual cell 520mAh LiPo battery, no PC plugged, it just works according to the script running.
The user of the system pushes switches to select different positions for each servo. Two of the servos move according to the input of two switches each: one switch moves them one position left, the other one position right.
I don’t know what components you’re talking about. It sounds like you want to use the XBees for the communication, so the only part left is your microcontroller, which you should pick based on what you are familiar with and what it needs to have (e.g. a UART would be nice).
- Jan
Exactly.
It seems to me the only component missing is a microcontroller that links all the switches to one of the X-Bee transceivers (although this paricular X-bee would work just as a transmitter). Another doubt is if the other X-Bee module (that would work just as a receiver) would be able to send an UART signal to communicate with the Mini Maestro or I would need another microcontroller here.
I’m not sure about just the XBee on the Maestro end, but it you’re getting them anyway, you could just try it. If it works directly, great; otherwise, you would have to add some electronics to the remote end.
- Jan
