Open Source Motor Controller

Posted 1 Feb 2002 at 09:51 UTC by lkcl

A motor controller is being developed, open-source style, at dmillard.com/osmc. They've moved to yahoogroups for discussion. Robot-Power.com are keeping up-to-date with developments, and are supplying kits and fully assembled parts.

This is what happens when Open Source is applied to hardware:

• 80mmx120mmx40mm size - 20mm of that is a standard computer fan - no heatsink.
• 150 amps PWM sustained output and >400 amps peak.
• 600 grams in weight
• Modular On-Board Brain plugin and a uMob (micro, light-weight version)

The current MOB has the following features:

• SPI / I2C interface (for networking MOBs together!)
• Serial UART (RS232 compat)
• 4 analogue inputs
• 2 AUX outputs at 1amp ea/
• PIC controller supported by gcc on both windows and linux
• Two RC-style connectors.

Amazing. very impressed. Current discussions involve how to make the OSMC and its associated MOBs vastly smaller for microbot and real live-working prototyping environments.