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<font face="Arial">While you could make this work, it seems a lot of
work for a small benefit.<br>
</font><br>
<font face="Arial"><font face="Arial">If I was to do this, I see no
reason to replace the potentiometer for most uses. It will
probably last as long as the bearings, the servo should be
considered a disposable wear item. In any case, driving one
wouldn't be hard unless you try using an Arduino (not a fan
here), that I wouldn't touch.<br>
<br>
</font>Years (decades) ago I upgraded several entertainment
devices that used the model servos under computer control. I
replaced them with stepping motors since the servos aren't super
accurate and wear out fairly quickly. The stepping motors lasted
for over 10 years of use with no failures.<br>
<br>
Stepping motors are dead simple to operate, I have an old video of
driving a stepper with one of our DC dimmers, no modifications
made to the dimmer.<br>
</font><br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 06/10/2016 08:52 AM, Joe D via
Stagecraft wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:275064683.930889.1465573926688.JavaMail.yahoo@mail.yahoo.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">I came across a system that is used to replace the electronic guts in a radio-control style servo motor. The potentiometer is replaced with a magnetic encoder, and the servo driver circuit with a new board that has several interface options, which permit you to send digital position commands to the servo. One of the interface options is RS485, which is what really caught my attention, since that is the electrical standard for the DMX512 standard.
RC style servo motors are cheap and convenient packages with motor, gears, and electronics all included. If they were DMX512 capable, I can see many uses in theater. It might serve to make a projector shutter, a way to remotely trigger a falling prop. If the RC Servo were modified, something can be made to continuously rotate.
In regards to customizing, they have the following in their literature;
Programmable: The 01™ Supermodified servo controller utilizes our PicoMCUTM
development board with an ATMEL ATMega328P running at 20MIPS. Our
controllers can be programmed through the UART or RS-485 interface as it
comes pre-programmed with a bootloader.
Here are some specs for their driver circuitry;
The 01™ Supermodified kit utilizes the Freescale MC34931
motor driver IC. With a current capability of 5A (7.8 Amps peak), current
feedback, multiple protection functions and operating on a range of 4.5-24V
However, I suspect that their tiny board would not handle that much current, without adding a heat-sink.
I investigated what it might take to get over the learning curve to write programs for the ATMega328P. It does not even seem that they release their source code. But,even if they did, I decided it would just be too much to take on.
I wrote 01Mechanics, to ask them if they would be willing to do the modifications to their code, to work with DMX512, if I provided them with the specs, but they have not responded in over a week.
Perhaps one of our group would like to take on this project. Here is the link to the source and some of pricing;
Zero One Mechatronics
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.01mechatronics.com">www.01mechatronics.com</a>
Hitec HS-311 Standard - Supermodified Servo [Their already modified servo]
60 Euro = $68 USD
SuperModified V3.0 for RC-servos [Just the guts to do the mod yourself]
55 Euro = $62 USD
Joe Dunfee
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:jdunfee12@yahoo.com">jdunfee12@yahoo.com</a>
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</blockquote>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Jerry Durand, Durand Interstellar, Inc. <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://interstellar.com">http://interstellar.com</a>
tel: +1 408 356-3886, USA toll free: 1 866 356-3886
</pre>
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