Hi Andrew, I have a PIC based solution currently in the prototype stage. It uses a PIC18F4455 and drives a Yeasu AZ/EL rotor without the Yeasy control box.
The PC sends information to the PIC (RequestedAZ,RequestedEL) and the PIC sends back status information to the PC (RequestedAZ,RequestedEL,CurrentAZ,CurrentEL,Status). Everything is done by the PIC: - Control of the rotor motors based on either move-every-n-seconds or move-when-error-angle-is-greater-than-n - Measurement of the actual AZ/EL with 10-bit resolution - Parking when no signal has been coming from the PC in x seconds -or- an explicit park command is received - Stall protection - Some horizon protection: EL cannot go below x when AZ is y to avoid pointing into my neighbors' bedroom. - Over the top rotor control (under development) - ... I'm using a PIC18F4455 and it is very well capable of doing all that and more. I have chosen this path for several reasons: - Eventually I want to run a tracking algorithm in the PIC too - To make the control loop shorter - To avoid dependence on the PC part specifically on safety related aspects like stall control and horizon protection. - To explore the capabilities of the PIC18 - (Because it's my job to do embedded HW/SW) BR, -- /\/\arc > -----Original Message----- > From: amsat-bb-boun...@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-boun...@amsat.org] On > Behalf Of Andrew Rich > Sent: dinsdag 13 oktober 2009 12:22 > To: amsat-bb@amsat.org > Subject: [amsat-bb] PIC rotator control > > Hello > > I am re-visting a rotator controller. > > I am curious, should I push the processing of the "compare and make a > decision" onto the PIC, or pull that function back into the PC ? > > PC is LINUX > > I/O is serial > > PIC is 16F877 > > Andrew VK4TEC > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the > author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite > program! > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb _______________________________________________ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
