Love digging up a horse and beating it again? Well fellas I'm here to help you out!
Lets start another up to date discussion about the use of, and the support of, Dynamixels and the HerkuleX line of professional servos. I'm moving up a level with some upcoming projects and steering away from the hobby style servos. I've spent days researching, using geared stepper motors, geared DC motors as servos and have come back full circle to serial servos. Due in part, by all the unknowns and unreliability associated with creating a servo from scratch.
Tell me about your success and failures of using the Dynamixel and HerkuleX servos with EZB. Please be detailed in your experience and add something to what is already written in the prior threads about subject. What needs to change/improve for better support? Perhaps this is adding to existing plugins or writing new ones? Speaking of plug ins (this is probably another topic), but i wonder if there would be more incentive to create plug ins if there was a pay for development? Like how the app store works? Just a thought there.
I really believe in everything EZ robot and want to continue using the products, because well its so EZ and the results are amazing. I'm well aware the majority of sales is in the education market for EZ Robot and therefore guides their company. But, how can we work together as a group to build support for the next level of servos and professional robotics? And ask ourselves what is the motivation to do so?
DJ keep going on the plug in for others. Im a forgetful ding bat. I already own a usb2dynamixel adapter, I went and picked it up. Everything is working very well. Again I appreciate all your hard work on this. Ive got to get a picture of my machine up. It is becoming more and more incredible by the day now. Thanks again!
Will the mx28t servos come default 57,600 keep that number in mind. It comes in very handy and with DJ's update you will be able to change it to whatever suits you.
The latest plugin has the ability to change baud rate and reset to factory defaults: https://synthiam.com/redirect/legacy?table=plugin&id=39
Well after playing for an hour, I can say I am over the moon with their performance. Took me a while to see what was happening with the scaling in the plug in, but it works great for what i need. These dynamixels are so quiet and when set to microstepping resolution move so fluid. Thanks again DJ for tackling this beast. Great job!
Wow, I was just thinking about this a few minutes ago and if you had gotten your new servos. This is outstanding news. I'm really happy for you and relieved you have found a solution. Please keep us posted.
Absolutely I will. Setting up virtual servos is the way to go as well. I can control these (as i guess you could with your gear motors) and control them in any of the controls. I set up a simple horizontal servo slider with V1 and used the script recorder to record the motions, then set it up another script to just loop. Works like a regular servo and super powerful at 12 volts.
Of course the price is not for the faint of heart, but you get a one year warranty with your purchase!
Glad you got them working. These servos are very powerful. I broke a weld during " left arm extend , rotate elbow, home left arm" completely my fault as the programming wasnt quite right. Now I've got it extending/retracting/homing with zero issues.
Outstanding Will. Again I'm glad you're happy with your servo choice and things are working for you. I know you have a lot riding on this build.
I'll be starting to figure out using the virtual servo feature with my DC gear motors today. I hope I have the success you have worked for. Alan (thetechguru) was kind enough or work up a Example Project about using Virtual Servos with motors and posted it in my project thread. Did you use that Example Project for working through your scripting with the virtual servos?
No Dave I didn't see that example file. I just did my best guess and it worked first time. But I see a lot of possibilities using linear actuators D.C. Motors etc with the virtual servos. If I remember correctly you can use the SSC-32 and set those 32 servos as virtual servos taking the load off the EZB. As always seems like the sky is the limit.