Questions about connections and powering other boards.

[youngti]

I have three Prop 1's and One Prop2.  I am looking at a previous post "Topic: wanting to understand connections" and didn't realize you could power other boards from the Prop's. 

Question one is, with the new Cowlacious CAP200 which has a v-trig, can you power this board and trigger it using the v-trig?

2) How many boards can you power?  For example I am going to be running four talking, 3 axis skulls.  The four skulls will be controlled by the Prop2, three servos each, twelve out's and the jaw will be controlled by four ST-200.  Can the Prop2 power the four ST200 and one CAP200 as well as trigger the CAP200?

As always appreciate your help on this.  I Love Halloween! ;D

[EricTheMannn]

in this forum it shows how to set up a trigger for a Cowlacious audio board, i used the same connection with the cap200 board.

you can trigger multiple boards with the prop one just use the outx when activated it goes to ground. i believe the prop one can handle 3 audio boards at 5v.

http://www.efx-tek.com/php/smf/index.php?topic=736.0

i hope this helps :)

woohoo halloween!

-Eric

[JonnyMac]

A couple days ago I ordered a CAR/P200 so that I can help our customers who are also Carl's customers.  Carl is a friend of EFX-TEK and we want to make sure that our collective customers are successful.  When it arrives I will be able to provide specifics on power and connections.

[youngti]

Cool. look forward to hearing about the results.

[JonnyMac]

That document is not helpful.  What I need is a schematic or a device that I can check myself -- I went with the latter. 

Fair warning: we're not going to turn into a support site for Carl's products; I bought the device so that I could tell (and show via photos) our customers how to connect to the CAR/P200 reliably.  What you do with it after that is completely up to you.

[JonnyMac]

2) How many boards can you power?  For example I am going to be running four talking, 3 axis skulls.  The four skulls will be controlled by the Prop2, three servos each, twelve out's and the jaw will be controlled by four ST-200.  Can the Prop2 power the four ST200 and one CAP200 as well as trigger the CAP200?

Sorry, forgot to respond to this part.  In short... you're dreaming (a good thing, but I don't want you to be frustrated).   Here's the deal: we have advanced users struggling to get one 3-axis skull operating on a Prop-2 and you're going to run four simultaneous skulls?  Not on this planet.  ;D  Even if you had the code space (you don't), the servo loads would reset the power supply once things start to move.  You're using external power?  Okay, but you still don't have the code space. 

Ultimately, we think the answer is going to be the Prop-SX (it has a big EEPROM on it for movements) coupled with VSA to create and test the show (the Prop-SX would be in VSA slave mode at this point).  We'll provide a bridge program that will take the VSA data, crunch it, then download it into the Prop-SX's EEPROM (download mode).  Set the Prop-SX to play mode and away you go.

Now, before everyone gets too excited, I don't think I can have this project finished for this Halloween season.  It may be ready for a talking Christmas elf, though.

[youngti]

Thank you for your response.  I understand and don't expect you to be a support for that product. I made that mistake already and I am not likely to repeat it.   I am just trying figure out how to best utilize the prop 1 or 2.

Hmm, well I do have three prop1's and one Prop 2.  Maybe I need to split the skulls on to a couple of the Prop's?

Or purchase the PropSX, boy my wife is going to kill me..... :-[

[youngti]

Using the random servo moment generator code I found in the forum, I tested my first skull and if worked fantastic.   Beginners luck?  I am new to this so maybe I am not explaining what I did.    So far I've just tested two, not hooking them into the same prop1.  I just received my Prop 2 so I will test that tonight.

My set-up is four HS-311 servo's in each skull.  Three will be the axis control hooked to the prop's and the fourth is the jaw.  That is hooked into the CT-200.  The code seem to fit fine on the Prop1 and I didn't experience any reset.

If I understand what your are saying, I would need to power the servo's separately?  That's a little scary, I'm not sure I know how to do that.

[JonnyMac]

Servos can draw a lot of current when moving, especially when they're loaded with weight -- up to 0.5 amps each!  Well, the regulator on the Prop-1/2/SX is capable of delivering 5 volts at about 1 amp; enough to run the board one servo, and a few extra bits.  If you hook up more servos and they start coming under load, they could reset the board.

We're working on a solution to the servo power problem as so many customers are attempting the multi-axis skull thing.

[youngti]

I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but how do you power the servo's not using the board?  Connect a power supply to the servo's that is 5v at 1.5 amps?  That would equal three servo's running at .05amps.  Seems to me I remember that you don't just add the amps, but it's been along time since I dealt with electrical theory.  like 20 years.

More specifically connect the Red, power from the three servos to the +5v off the external power supply, then the ground to the ground on the prop, yellow signal would still go onto the PxW on the prop.  Is this correct?

[menehune]

To connect a servo to an external power supply you would connect the white and black servo wires to the prop, connect the external power supply ground to the GND screw on the terminal strip, then connect the servo red wire to the external power supply + lead.

You do not connect the external supply's + lead to the "R" connector in the three pin group on the prop.  That connection may allow servo noise to interfere with the prop.  Just tie the grounds together between the power supply and the stamp and you should be fine.

[JonnyMac]

If you connect the external power supply's "+" lead to any other R pins you will let the blue smoke out of something -- so don't do it.   ;D

[youngti]

Thank you all.  Okay, I'm digging into my rusty electrical theory again so whachout.  If I remember correctly, you can't provide more volts that recommended.   But if you use a powersupply rated at a higher amprage, the servo will only pull what it needs.

Say having a power supply 5v at 2 amps, the servos would only pull what they needed to operate...... :-\

Okay, gota rest now.