Major site overhaul: resources hub, content migration, new blog posts, forms
- Redesign /resources as sectioned hub with category pages - Migrate 645 Squarespace CDN images to local /images/content/ - Create 9 new news/blog posts with event photos - Fix blog post slugs (rename gibberish filenames) - Rename Design Blog to Design Blogs across site - Remove education page, replace with Platform in nav - Redesign rover repair request form with dynamic rover entries - Add school search combobox to contact, store, and repair forms - Extract shared KNOWN_SCHOOLS data - Make /rover-expansion-3d-printing dynamically pull from MDX - Add related resources sections to product pages - Fix homepage broken /quote links to /store - Store page: sample kit cards, inline quote builder, mailing list opt-in
This commit is contained in:
Tim Hadwen
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ excerpt: "Learn the basics of how to extend your rover with servo motors."
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featuredImage: "/images/resources/getting-started-with-servo-motors.png"
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---
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Servo motors are a type of direct current (DC) motor which is a very common type of motor you can find in lots of electronics around your home. Servo motors are very good at making precise movements since they contain a built in controller which ensures the output speed is more reliable. The driving motors on the sides of the rover are freely spinning DC motors. This post will be a brief introduction to how servo motors work, what are the most common servo motors, where to buy them, and how to use them with the Micromelon Rover.
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@@ -15,14 +15,14 @@ Servo motors are a type of direct current (DC) motor which is a very common type
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A servo motor works by using a controller to set the exact position or speed it needs to stay at. There is a small device (the control circuit) that takes an analog input and determines the motor’s position. These motors are more focused on giving you precision over speed/power, and are generally quite weak in terms of torque.
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Servo motors are useful for robotic arms, DVD player trays, cameras, as well as many other devices that need an accurate and/or gentle motor movement.
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This kind of servo is called a positional rotation servo motor, and is by far the most common type of servo motor. You can set the exact amount of rotation for the motor in terms of degrees from -90 to 90, giving you 180 degrees of rotation.
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The other type of servo motor is called a Continuous Rotation Servo motor which can spin freely much like a regular DC motor.
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Setting the speed of a regular DC motor is fairly challenging because you need extra components and circuits to do so. You can read more about these circuits called H-Bridges. A continuous rotation servo motor has all of this functionality built into it already, which is why it is used over a DC motor as it makes it significantly easier to use.
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@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ We’ve provided some product links below of motors we have tested and used with
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#### **A note about servo ratings**
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The servos that we have suggested for light duty applications are called 9g servos. A 9g servo simply means that the motor itself weighs 9 grams. These motors typically give you something around 1.6kg*cm of torque. Which is to say they can lift a 1.6kg weight, at a distance of 1cm. The longer this distance, the weaker the output force will become. This relationship is inversely proportional, so as the distance from the motor doubles, the output force is halved. (E.g. at 2cm this motor will only lift up to 0.8kg of weight) This is usually the most important specification to consider when shopping for a motor as you want it to be able to comfortably supply enough force for your application.
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@@ -52,25 +52,23 @@ On the back of the Micromelon rovers there are two servo ports that you can serv
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## **Using Servo Motors in the Micromelon IDE**
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To use a servo motor with the Micromelon IDE, you have to access the “Extension” section on the left of the user interface. (UI)It is here you can find all of the useful blocks that will interact with servo motors.
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These blocks allow you to set the position of servo motors in terms of degrees. The position you see when you enter a certain value for degrees will depend on the servo motor you are using.
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For using Python the relevant functions can all be found in the functions library for Servos. These all work the same way the blocks do outlined in the more detailed description below.
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#### **Blocks**
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#### Python
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```
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`Servos.setBoth(45, 30)`
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```
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Servos.setBoth(45, 30)
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#### Description
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@@ -80,136 +78,20 @@ You can use the exact same block for Continuous Rotation Servos, but they scale
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---
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```
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`Servos.left(30)`
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```
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Servos.left(30)
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This servo motor block works functionally the exact same as the block above it. It allows you to move only one servo motor in the scenario where two are plugged. You can use the drop down menu by clicking on it. You can input a number, or one of the data blocks.
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---
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```
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`Servos.read()`
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```
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Servos.read()
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This block allows us to utilize what it knows about the servos position. This block gives the value of the servo positions in degrees, and allows you to substitute that value into other blocks.
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## **Wrapping Up**
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Now that we’re familiar with some of the key concepts behind servo motors, the blocks, and the code to use them. We’ve got a bunch of activities you can try and extend with servo motors now that you know how to use them!
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### Related Posts
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Resources
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[
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](/resources/creating-a-sumo-unit)
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[All](/resources?category=All)
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[Creating A Sumo Unit For Your Digital Technologies Class](/resources/creating-a-sumo-unit)
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[All](/resources?category=All)
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How to run a sumo unit in your digital technologies classroom.
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[Read More →](/resources/creating-a-sumo-unit)
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[All](/resources?category=All)
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[
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](/resources/ultrasonic-sensor)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Guides](/resources?category=Guides)
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[The Ultrasonic Sensor](/resources/ultrasonic-sensor)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Guides](/resources?category=Guides)
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Learn all about the ultrasonic sensor!
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[Read More →](/resources/ultrasonic-sensor)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Guides](/resources?category=Guides)
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[
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](/resources/year-7-digital-tech-at-st-peters)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Customer Stories](/resources?category=Customer+Stories)
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[Case Study: Year 7 Digital Tech at St Peters Lutheran College](/resources/year-7-digital-tech-at-st-peters)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Customer Stories](/resources?category=Customer+Stories)
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See how Meg Foley at St Peters conducted a challenge for their Year 7s using Micromelon.
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[Read More →](/resources/year-7-digital-tech-at-st-peters)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Customer Stories](/resources?category=Customer+Stories)
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[
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](/resources/robot-simulator)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Getting Started](/resources?category=Getting+Started)
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[Getting Started With The Robot Simulator](/resources/robot-simulator)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Getting Started](/resources?category=Getting+Started)
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How to get started with the Micromelon Robot Simulator.
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[Read More →](/resources/robot-simulator)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Getting Started](/resources?category=Getting+Started)
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[
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](/resources/getting-started-with-the-micromelon-rover)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Getting Started](/resources?category=Getting+Started)
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[Getting Started With The Micromelon Rover](/resources/getting-started-with-the-micromelon-rover)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Getting Started](/resources?category=Getting+Started)
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Crash course on basic rover function, how and what to program and starter activities to attempt.
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[Read More →](/resources/getting-started-with-the-micromelon-rover)
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[All](/resources?category=All), [Getting Started](/resources?category=Getting+Started)
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[
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](/resources/prison-escape)
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[Activities](/resources?category=Activities), [All](/resources?category=All)
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[Activity: Prison Escape](/resources/prison-escape)
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[Activities](/resources?category=Activities), [All](/resources?category=All)
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Learn branching and iteration using the colour sensors and motors.
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[Read More →](/resources/prison-escape)
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[Activities](/resources?category=Activities), [All](/resources?category=All)
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