Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
stop the motor. The
setup()
function sets the initial speed to
90
, just so that your mo-
tors won't take off right from the start.
Now, open the
Serial Monitor
tab and enter a
speed
value close to
90
; you'll see the
following screenshot:
The motor should spin both forward and backward. You don't necessarily need to do so,
but ESCs can also be programmed. I won't cover that in this chapter; check your ESC
documentation for the additional HW required. The ESC may also want to be calibrated.
The procedure will change based on your particular ESC, but the basic steps are as fol-
lows:
1. Disconnect your motor.
2. Power up the ESC by applying maximum forward throttle; in this case,
speed =
180
.
3. You'll hear a tone and some beeps. Then, after a few seconds, you will hear a con-
firmation tone, and the LED will blink a few times. This means that the ESC has
calibrated maximum throttle.
4. Now, apply minimum throttle, or
speed = 0
. The unit should emit some tones,
and the LED will blink. Now, minimum throttle has been calibrated.
5. Now, go to the middle throttle, or
speed = 90
in this case, and the unit will
emit some tones and blink. Your unit is now calibrated.
You'll use four of the digital I/O pins, one for each motor. Controlling the speed and direc-
tion of each of these motors will allow you to move your ROV forward, backward, up,
and down, as well as turn your ROV. How much speed you apply will depend on both the
size of your ROV and the size of your motors.
