Polar Rotors and Servo Controllers 101

**Cadsulfide** · 11-13-2008 11:45 AM

AN657 - Decoding an Infrared Remote Using a PIC16C5X Microcontroller - Application Notes - Details

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SB-Projects: pic ir decoders

**rv1pop** · 11-13-2008 04:50 PM

Aliens!!! you are all Aliens !!!

I read every post so far in this thread and I did not understand one concept! I am glad that you guys do. My reaction reminds me of the reaction of others a few years ago when we were discusing diode steering of satellite antennas for the 747 airplane. Chuck went on to complete the developement, but I did understand the first few steps of that!

Keep up the good work.
POP

**Cadsulfide** · 11-13-2008 05:47 PM

[quote=melgarga;1589269]Feed the Monster
. Actually, I am presuming that the code is retrievable, possibly even available on request, but I havent gotten that far. Is it possible to be locked from being read Cadsulfide? [/qoute]

Yes you can turn code protection on, more of use to commercial developers.

If code protection is not being used, you can download the pic, assembly listing only, if code protection is on ...no-go

Buying a compiler is a good thing, buying code libraries for a hobbyist is not.

Tons of mostly bug free code out there, the flash chips are great for crash & burn programming.

Our pals in Japan have developed complete IR reciever modules...inexpensive and robust, found in most every Tv and STB, way better than rolling your own.

http://www.vishay.com/docs/80069/circuit.pdf

IR RECEIVER MODULE FOR REMOTE CONTROL | AllElectronics.com

IR DETECTOR MODULE | AllElectronics.com

Digi-Key Part Search

Driving an IR led for a custom remote is in the same arena as your ~1-2 Ms pulse train for the polarization servo.

I remember reading an application note at one time also about using a pic to decode diseqc commands on the eutelsat site.

Eutelsat satellite fleet :: Earth Segment :: Earth Stations

Originally Posted by melgarga

but it should be enlightening and fun, besides, what else are you going to do, actually watch TV?.........that stuff lowers you IQ

My 12 year old can find nearly endless mindless programming on FTA, it's bubble gum for the mind. Aren't dad's supposed to do just about ANYTHING for their daughters?

**melgarga** · 11-14-2008 10:37 AM

Dont feel alone POP, I'm not far passed the concept comprehension level myself.........lol. I've got to have a mental map of the uP's memory and regs, and be able to translate the somewhat cryptic mnemonic commands into 'real words' from [my] memory. I'm not there yet with this one, and it's been a long time since I've looked at the uPs I did take time [back then] to learn. I've noticed over the years, it seems sometimes, I've hit a 'learning wall'. I believe I've identified it as CBT challenged. I have a very hard time studying computer based media. GIVE ME A BOOK! Too oldschool I guess..............lol. I can read articles, papers, news etc, and comprehension is fine, but when I need to 'flip back and forth' to reference info I've already covered, it seems I get sidetracked in the act of looking for it,and loose my train of thought. I printed much of the PIC datasheet and other info to study. It is still a task to wade thru the irrelevant, and 'already understood' text to get to the unknown parts.
.....then theres the whole 'man, I've GOT to go update the 'scrip for my bi-focals' thing .......gonna look into that TODAY..........lol
Cad -
I already had those exact links in the bookmarks and pretty well perused for the subject matter. You know what they say..."Great minds" and all.......lol. Lots of info in them. I've dl'd & printed the 16F716, 84/A, and 87/88 .pdf's and one detailing the 8 bit instruction set as well. Lots to absorb and compare. Should give me some insight for transcoding [ i/o functions/regs mapping] any relavant code I find across specific uPs. Guess I just hate the idea of having to start at the "Hello world" level.....lol. I have other links that present ir projects, but nothing that meshes correctly with our needs.
For vendors, I've gone with Mouser for nearly everything. Futurlec has some useful stuff from time to time as well. The multi-function 87/88 based ir kit

Code:

http://www.tauntek.com/tinyir2-learning-ir-remote-control-receiver.htm

has the lock bit set, so no go on access to patch and modify the code to include the 716 based PWM kit functions.

Code:

http://www.electronics123.com/s.nl/it.A/id.316/.f

For the scope of the project, I suspect the two could be interconnected with little effort, but it effectively doubles the cost of the finshed unit. Feeding the monster can be value added but is not cost effective if the extra functions are unnecessary. I've yet to come across any published ir code that looks readily patchable to the PWM unit. Operative word is YET!
.....now if we added diseqc to the mix what ELSE could we do..........hmmm. Oh well, lets get some air in the tires before we bolt on the supercharger..........lol
Of course this is all theory until the code is flashed and the unit is powered up. It is approaching the time for me to decide on some programming HW + SW. There was some you linked to in one of your 1st posts.
Yes it is amazing and unfortunate all the mindless content flooding the media outlets these days, and it seems children are the primary target, or are at least a magnet for it.
Do almost anything for..........lol, funny you say that, the 5 year old grand is my shadow. Whatever I'm doing she has to be right up in the middle of it. I can see a future engineer in the family.....if I have anything to do with it at least.
Well, back to searching and studying..........

**Cadsulfide** · 11-14-2008 09:48 PM

Mel;

My reading glasses seem to be getting weaker too.
Kids and grandkids do keep you young.

You're right, crawl first, run later. Turning the servo left/right with two pushbuttons would be step 1.

**14karat** · 11-14-2008 11:02 PM

That was a great read...disappointing tho.
I can't seem to get my boys interested in anything (other than buttons on a video game controller).
Although, the 17 year old has suddenly taken a keen interest is audio engineering (at least in the trunk of his car) - but I think the array of 10, 12 & 15" speakers in his car are more to irritate myself and his mother than anything else....!

**melgarga** · 11-15-2008 10:58 AM

Good read Cad. Yes, I remember comming across some info (Discovery ch maybe? I do actually watch a lil tv now and then.....lol) relating to human learning processes and age. Essentially, there was an age breakpoint in the effectiveness of instructional teaching vs hands on experience related teaching. That point was somewhere in the mid teens as I recall, but as the article pointed out there are anomilies. I dont know if my lil 'anomaly' will continue to be interested in such concepts as she grows, but I hope so. They do indeed inspire one to not to allow being older to be old.
As for my learning curve........yeah, I know......"Hello world".......or pretty close to it....lol
14karat -
There seems to be a mass of those 'engineers' these days. I have one about 2 miles away I have repeatedly reminded of how far that VLF AF travels and how annoying it is. I think it finally sunk in when the Dep. Sherriff cited him for disturbing the peace. You might give yours a heads-up that any citations come out of his pocket, and lots of incorporated areas have ordinaces on the subject.
It may be cool to be unique, but it is not cool to be inconsiderate and obnoxious.
Personnaly I believe it should be an FCC violation, just as any other interfering airwave emmission, but prolly wont happen.
I also have a grand that is a PS II/PSP junkie. Literrally, addicted and obsessed. I put that on his mom and dad, aka electronic babysitting in his early youth. Although, he is good, and has hand-eye coordination, learning to pilot an F16 in a dogfight or a UAV would likely be a breeze.
Back on-topic, I've come across some more public PIC ir and PWM coding, and am looking into a compiler and dev board(s). If I've got to buy something, it might as well work on the larger DIPs too, if I decide to go there someday.

**Cadsulfide** · 11-15-2008 09:06 PM

Mel;

You only need three pins to program most pics. Microchip sells some very nice development packages (with usb programmer) for around $100. I payed about $700 15 years ago for a dataman s4 still works, but I have to keep a PC with a serial port to use it.

Check out
Circuit Cellar - The Magazine for Computer Applications

been a subscriber for 25 years or so lots of pic resource links.

A $10 wireless breadboard from RS, or some perfboard and wire wrap wire will get you farther than a fancy development board. ME labs basic is what I have, am well pleased with it
microEngineering Labs - Development tools for Microchip PICmicro MCUs including PicBasic and EPIC programmer

.

Do you have a scope? If not don't worry, but it is very nice thing to "look under the hood" with.

**richyrich** · 03-01-2011 11:18 PM

Seems a little complicated to me. I'm able to only use a few caps, resistors, and a 555 timer, and can control a servo, as built onto a servo is the decoder that is run by such. I wondered why you want to get all the way to a microcontroller, and then use it, but now that you mentioned going commercial with a product, i can understand. The problem with software is overhead, and the less a machine has to do, the easier it can do what it wants. What if you only controlled, "say a variable resistor", and "on off"; with your controller, and use the 555 to accomplish the task of sending the signals?

Whoops! I'm bad, after finally seeing your picture (it wouldn't load), hey, that is a 556 timer you have!

My problem with these softwares is making the "time" match the "machine" as it is running on one machine faster than another, and so forth. Each computer I run them from is running just a little different speed, which messes up my hardwired coding, just as each remote code sent, run from one computer or another, with the outside device the same (IR sender), makes the code need to change. I was told with a little math in my programs, and info received from the computer it is running on (registered board timing), I could make it match, but never went that far afterwards, as it was just easy for me to turn the var resistor to get the correct code from the emitter, but not remote control it. My blaster program will do what i want, but only from my one computer i put the wait states from, in debug, my bad.

Good luck!

**WireWrap** · 09-02-2011 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by richyrich

Seems a little complicated to me. I'm able to only use a few caps, resistors, and a 555 timer, and can control a servo, as built onto a servo is the decoder that is run by such.
...
My problem with these softwares is making the "time" match the "machine" as it is running on one machine faster than another, and so forth. Each computer I run them from is running just a little different speed, which messes up my hardwired coding, just as each remote code sent, run from one computer or another, with the outside device the same (IR sender), makes the code need to change. I was told with a little math in my programs, and info received from the computer it is running on (registered board timing), I could make it match, but never went that far afterwards,
... <snip>

That's the reason for using a PIC processor.

It's a little more complex, but it has an on-chip clock that is quite accurate, and can eliminate the external dependencies for delays, etc. Once it is calibrated for a (for example) 1.0 ms pulse, that's what you get, whether or not your command was just right. Call for a 2 ms pulse & you got it! I am just getting into playing with PICs, even though I am of the same vintage as Melgarga and Cadsulfide. In fact, I recognised everything Mel said (in post #3) except I had a Coco (with a tremendous 16K of RAM) but no C-64. Then spent many years in the care and feeding of a PDP11-70 & PDP11-84 by DEC (Digital Equipment Corp, R.I.P.) and a Varian R-620i. Also an Amateur Extra Class, but spend too little time on the air. Too many other projects, I guess.

Of course, you're commenting on a two-year-old thread, so it may have been dropped for another project.