During the fourth, week we got the BLDC motor working. We found out that the error was in the twist throttle, so we replaced it with a three wire potentiometer. Also, the green LED on the motor controller was not functional. The reason why we had trouble debugging the motor controller was because we checked if the throttle was working with a multimeter and it gave a voltage, but then later found that the twist was not being sensed on the controller connected to the throttle.
After we got the BLDC motor working, we decided to integrate the wireless and speed control functions from our rapid prototype. We used a joystick connected with the Arduino Uno which was the transmitter and the throttle connected to the Arduino Mega as the receiver.
Then we designed a relay to control the direction of the motor. If the throttle starts off at maximum then the motor will not run, so it should be noted that the the throttle should be set on minimum before starting the motor.
We also 3D printed a box to hold the wireless transmitter.
Next week, we plan on integrating everything onto the bogie.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Monday, July 16, 2018
3rd week
This week we did a presentation on our progress and discussed the next steps from there. We received the parts that we ordered and we followed the simple wiring diagram to test if the motor controller would work. We ended up getting a green flash and then two red flashes on the LED and that was it. If the motor controller is operational then the green led would stay lit, but there was no light at all.
We tested various factors to see what was wrong with the motor controller because it should have some red flashing code but there were no codes at all. When we disconnected the hall sensors the led code for it flashed and when we took the throttle out the led code for that flashed. When everything was connected together, there were no flashing errors that would indicate what was wrong with it. In the manual, if the green is not lit then the problem may be due to no power or the switch was off. We knew that the switch was on so that was probably not the problem and it is likely the power. We checked all the wiring with the multi meter and we guessed that it might be the type of batteries that are used; however, Dr. Furman does not believe that it is the batteries and we also did more research and believe that this should work with the batteries.
The only problem we can think of now is that the motor controller is shorted or faulty. We went on e-bike motor forums and contacted Kellycontroller support to see what was wrong with our wiring. We uploaded pictures and we are waiting for replies. If there is no solution, then we may have to purchase a new motor controller.
We tested various factors to see what was wrong with the motor controller because it should have some red flashing code but there were no codes at all. When we disconnected the hall sensors the led code for it flashed and when we took the throttle out the led code for that flashed. When everything was connected together, there were no flashing errors that would indicate what was wrong with it. In the manual, if the green is not lit then the problem may be due to no power or the switch was off. We knew that the switch was on so that was probably not the problem and it is likely the power. We checked all the wiring with the multi meter and we guessed that it might be the type of batteries that are used; however, Dr. Furman does not believe that it is the batteries and we also did more research and believe that this should work with the batteries.
The only problem we can think of now is that the motor controller is shorted or faulty. We went on e-bike motor forums and contacted Kellycontroller support to see what was wrong with our wiring. We uploaded pictures and we are waiting for replies. If there is no solution, then we may have to purchase a new motor controller.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Prototyping Week:
Last week, we tested all the functions and parts to see if it was working and this week we integrated everything together to see if we can control the speed of a small stepper motor through a wireless potentiometer. We were able to successfully control the stepper motor wireless, but it was unable to run as fast as when we directly hooked it up from last week. There was a day when the motor did not even run, but the next day we tested it with the same code and wiring and it worked normally. We predict that the driver gets too hot and that it needed time to rest before drawing more voltage which we should keep in mind when we implement it into the final design if we run into unexpected errors.
We also worked on our bill of materials which consisted of parts that we needed to complete the circuit diagram for the large brushless motor.
Link for drive containing our BoM labeled as controlsteambom.xlsx :
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WysY1aOznvRtr32Mrqf4XCdFsG2Rc3vj
We hope that the parts can come by next week, but there is one important part which is the precharge resistor that may come in between 7 to 10 days meaning that if we are lucky we should get it by next Thursday, and if not then we will not be able to test the motor until the fourth week of this program. Until then, we will have the code and everything else ready so that we can swiftly integrate the programs into the circuit with the large motor.
Last week, we tested all the functions and parts to see if it was working and this week we integrated everything together to see if we can control the speed of a small stepper motor through a wireless potentiometer. We were able to successfully control the stepper motor wireless, but it was unable to run as fast as when we directly hooked it up from last week. There was a day when the motor did not even run, but the next day we tested it with the same code and wiring and it worked normally. We predict that the driver gets too hot and that it needed time to rest before drawing more voltage which we should keep in mind when we implement it into the final design if we run into unexpected errors.
We also worked on our bill of materials which consisted of parts that we needed to complete the circuit diagram for the large brushless motor.
Link for drive containing our BoM labeled as controlsteambom.xlsx :
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WysY1aOznvRtr32Mrqf4XCdFsG2Rc3vj
We hope that the parts can come by next week, but there is one important part which is the precharge resistor that may come in between 7 to 10 days meaning that if we are lucky we should get it by next Thursday, and if not then we will not be able to test the motor until the fourth week of this program. Until then, we will have the code and everything else ready so that we can swiftly integrate the programs into the circuit with the large motor.
We connected the motor controller to the computer with a JS232 to usb converter and received two error codes which were related to the hall sensors and voltage. We are still contacting Kelly Controller support team for troubleshooting the motor controller. We have asked them many questions such as the preferred wiring diagram and error codes from the controller. They replied saying the motor controller works best with a pre charged resistor and a main contactor. We ordered these parts and also ordered a fuse, a diode, and a switch. They also told us that the error codes are there because we have to have everything wired before we connect it to the computer. They also said that the motor should not be running when connected to the computer. We are now waiting on the parts to come in so that we can connect the controller for the main wiring diagram.
We also researched how to run a linear actuator with an L298 motor driver and we were able to get it to successfully extend and retract at different speeds. We now need to figure out how to run the actuator at the exact time in which the railways switch. We were thinking of doing this with hall sensors and keeping track of the position on the track. We were also thinking of putting an ultrasonic sensor on the railway which would sense the bogie arriving and send a signal.
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Design Week:
Although this is design week, we went through the previous designs to see if all the components were working properly. We knew that the motor and the motor controller did not work so our goals
was to research on how to get the motor working with the motor controller and testing the functionality of the ultrasonic sensors, Arduino joystick, nrF24 receiver and transmitter, and the potentiometer with the Arduino.
We did a lot of research on the motor and found that we will probably need a contactor and precharge resistor along with other certain parts to operate the motor with our certain application. We contacted Kellycontrols and they sent us a simple wiring diagram and parts that we need to purchase such as a fuse and a control box. We purchased an RS232 cable to plug the motor controller into the computer so that we can diagnose what is wrong with it. This cable should hopefully come on week 2. We found that this simple wiring diagram did not require a contactor and precharge resistor, but it has other complications so we plan on testing it with the wiring diagram in the regular manual, which will need these parts.
Simple wiring diagram:
Preferred wiring diagram:
For the Arduino, we successfully got all the components working; however, we ran into some complications with the nrF24 wireless modules as the radio signal was not receiving. We tried many different codes to see if there was a software problem, checked the wires for continuity with a multimeter, and used different Arduino boards to see if it was a hardware problem. Nothing worked until we figured out only one of the nrF24 would transmit so we noted that the chip that did not have red wires will be the one used as transmitting. It should not matter as to which one can transmit or receive, but for some reason it only worked if this particular chip was used to transmit.
Although this is design week, we went through the previous designs to see if all the components were working properly. We knew that the motor and the motor controller did not work so our goals
was to research on how to get the motor working with the motor controller and testing the functionality of the ultrasonic sensors, Arduino joystick, nrF24 receiver and transmitter, and the potentiometer with the Arduino.
We did a lot of research on the motor and found that we will probably need a contactor and precharge resistor along with other certain parts to operate the motor with our certain application. We contacted Kellycontrols and they sent us a simple wiring diagram and parts that we need to purchase such as a fuse and a control box. We purchased an RS232 cable to plug the motor controller into the computer so that we can diagnose what is wrong with it. This cable should hopefully come on week 2. We found that this simple wiring diagram did not require a contactor and precharge resistor, but it has other complications so we plan on testing it with the wiring diagram in the regular manual, which will need these parts.
Simple wiring diagram:
Preferred wiring diagram:
For the Arduino, we successfully got all the components working; however, we ran into some complications with the nrF24 wireless modules as the radio signal was not receiving. We tried many different codes to see if there was a software problem, checked the wires for continuity with a multimeter, and used different Arduino boards to see if it was a hardware problem. Nothing worked until we figured out only one of the nrF24 would transmit so we noted that the chip that did not have red wires will be the one used as transmitting. It should not matter as to which one can transmit or receive, but for some reason it only worked if this particular chip was used to transmit.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Assignment 2 : Past work
Full Scale Control Team
Newton Dang
Rusiru Gunawardena
Akshay Kurli
June 5, 2018
Objective:
The objective of the full scale control team is to improve the existing control systems and incorporate a wireless or joystick controller on the bogie. In the summer of 2018, the control team will mainly focus on producing a physical prototype of the linear actuator and incorporate position encoder into the full scale bogie. Other factors for the control team to look at are the required energy for the bogie to move forward, sensing collisions, switching tracks, and steering to avoid stiffness in turns, and programming software to adhere to the design requirements. Also, communication between other project teams is necessary for a successful assembly of the entire full scale project.
Past Work From SJSU Students:
A past senior project on control systems for the Spartan Superway have used an Arduino Mega to control the mechanical behavior of other parts of the system. The project implemented a joystick which would allow the user to control the velocity of the bogie. Ultrasonic sensors were used in the design for the safety of the transportation system. A kill switch was added in order to disconnect a direct current motor in the event of a malfunction. A linear actuator was conceptually proven to perform the track-switching action from when the bogie moves from the main track into the offline station, but the team did not have sufficient time to make a prototype. This project used materials that costed about five hundred dollars total as stated in their bill of materials.
Past Work that can be used:
The linear actuator from the past senior project from SJSU is useful because it will enable the bogies to switch tracks which is vital for consistent traffic flow on the main track. The past project was able to prove conceptually its ability to successfully perform the track switching action and this concept can be used by the current control team to carry out a rapid prototype.
Commercial Products:
Commercial products that may be used are included in this bill of materials, but the Kelly Services Motor Controller may be omitted due to complications in the past. The Altrax 48300 Motor Controller may be used instead for the prototype.
Lightning Talk
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/155EO4WlDkMkbrlycinvZigi-SPZvf0o47JpCIfAtZZg/edit#slide=id.p
This is a link to our presentation
This is a link to our presentation
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