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Asked — Edited

Hi And A Question About The Wild Thumper Chassis

Hi,

I am new to the community and ready to get started!

I've done some robotics in the past and am just starting to get into it again. I was greatly impressed with the hardware and resources available for EZ-Robot. So I am ready to jump in.

My first project will be an autonomous vehicle for outdoor use (navigating neighborhood sidewalks). I probably want to use the Wild Thumper chassis (4WD or 6WD).

My question is, has anyone else used that chassis yet with the EZ-Robot kit? And if so, what were your experiences and what other hardware did you use with the chassis?

Thanks much!

Mike


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#1  

You should be aware that after you buy the chassis, you need another $130 of hardware to get it to move.

Motor controller High amperage switch Battery Charger

If you want a remote or joystick control its going to be even more.

#2  

Don't scare off this poor kid. You need -3 l298n h bridges -$45 Ez board Automotive toggle switch for on off power $3 -6v ub645 lead acid 4.5 ah battery $10 14 gauge wire and 6 servo ext wires - $3

#3  

The manufacturer strongly disagrees with your advice. I talked to an engineer at Dagu. Proceed at your own risk ;)

#4  

Ha! I don't scare easily and I haven't been a kid for a while. :D

Thanks very much for the suggestions. Cost is not the ultimate concern for me. I want to make a cool toy to play with. I assume if I wanted to absorb the higher price, I can use a lighter battery, correct? Any other suggestions?

#5  

What it comes down to is current draw from a motor is measured at stall meaning it is completely locked up . Operating current on average is 1/3 that current which gives us the 2a operating current. Yes the motor controllers are rated at 2.5a on each side which means if the rovers wheels become completely locked that that the motors will "try" to draw that much but the h bridges only allow that for a few seconds . Ten. SecondsI believe before it shuts down. Point is why buy a 100 dollar h bridge that will get hot and continue to pump juice to the motors even after they stalled? Still better off that the h bridge shuts off and doesn't get motors hot. Also we have "current sense" feature available that stops the h bridge from driving the motors when it sees a current draw spike.

In short the l298n controllers are reliable and cheap and most important they are ez robot certified ;)

#6  

Also, I believe if you go from full forward to full reverse, Dagu claims the 6wd briefly draws 30 amps.

The Dagu controller is $75 on eBay.