Need Insight on Servo effect

[Charles Belcher]

Keith/Gil/Dan,

I am attempting to use an LOR "ServoDog" in DMX mode from a bridged output on my Pixcon16 E1.31 controller via xLights.

Can you shed some light on this?  I looked through the video page, but could not find anything on it.  I have Hitec HS645MG servos that want to operate at 4.8 volts.

1)  If you untick the 16bit box, what happens?
2)  The base channel offers "Node 1" as the single choice (at least with laptop on my desk and nothing connected to it)
3) Anything else you can offer would be appreciated

Charles

[keithsw1111]

If it is just an 8 bit dmx device then I would use the dmx effect.

[Ebuechner]

I'm using a couple of Servo dog controllers for some skulls I put together.
If you have questions we could get together on Zoom.
There are some things you may need to know depending on what you plan on doing with the servos.
https://youtu.be/EaQFswIvoaQ

[Gilrock]

The Servo effect was meant to be used with a DMXModel set for Skulltronix.  Even if you don't have a Skulltronix Skull you can still use it to control any servo.  I meant to add a simple servo option to the model but it never became a priority.  You can disable the servo in the skull model by setting the channel assignments to 0.  That way you could just use one of its servos. You set min and max limits and then when you use the Servo effect 0% will be the min limit and 100% will be the max limit you set.  If you uncheck the 16bit box it assumes it's an 8bit servo.  You would need to define node names if you want something other than Node1 as the choice.

[Charles Belcher]

Gil/Keith,

Thanks for the reply.  I don't know what the Skulltronics thing is.

Ebuechner,

Great skull video!
——————————

I have built an "elf band" using servos and SSR/AC motors.  The SSR's are using the digital outputs function of the ServoDog.  It isn't nearly as involved as your skull head, but it should be fun. 

The problem I am having is when I use the ServoDog utility to set up all the motors, (with a USB dongle) everything works as expected, but when I connected the ServoDog to the bridged output of my Pixcon16 E1.31 controller, it makes all of the digital outputs "jitter".

Any thoughts?  There is also a drummer and keyboard player-dressed identically.  The heads and arms of all band members have motors.

[Ebuechner]

SSRs are going to react very fast and I think the digital outputs are pwm.
Have you changed any of the parameters in the servo dog utility?
On the summary page there's lost Comm parameters.
There's a setting for hold at current position.
I don't think it'll do anything but it's worth a shot.

[keithsw1111]

Are you sure you don’t have 2 things sending data to the controller.

[Charles Belcher]

SSRs are going to react very fast and I think the digital outputs are pwm.
Have you changed any of the parameters in the servo dog utility?
On the summary page there's lost Comm parameters.
There's a setting for hold at current position.
I don't think it'll do anything but it's worth a shot.

Ebuechner,

The digital outputs can be servo or DO and channels 4 & 5 can be set to either of those OR to PWM.  I will try different parameters tomorrow and see what happens.  Here is a pic of the control assembly I built.

Charles

[Charles Belcher]

Are you sure you don’t have 2 things sending data to the controller.

Keith,

I agree that the "jitter" would indicate dueling data sources. I don't think so, but I will start fresh tomorrow morning and see what happens.  I looked at Check Sequences and no conflicts there that would cause it.

[keithsw1111]

Could it be you have lor sending data as well.

[Ebuechner]

I tested the digital outputs on my Servo dog that is connected to my F-16, so it's a very similar set up to yours.
When I'm sending a command to that channel I get a steady on
5v on pin 10.
When I'm sending an off command or nothing I get a flickering.
So it looks like this is a fault of the servo dog and nothing that you've done.
I would suggest you use a cheap DMX relay board for the AC Motors and the servo dog just for the servos that you're running.

[Charles Belcher]

I tested the digital outputs on my Servo dog that is connected to my F-16, so it's a very similar set up to yours.
When I'm sending a command to that channel I get a steady on
5v on pin 10.
When I'm sending an off command or nothing I get a flickering.
So it looks like this is a fault of the servo dog and nothing that you've done.
I would suggest you use a cheap DMX relay board for the AC Motors and the servo dog just for the servos that you're running.

I tested this morning.  The "jitter" is not caused by dueling programs, but rather a fluctuating voltage on all 8 channels of the relay board and coming from the ServoDog.  This occurs as long as the cat5 jumper between the bridged output of the e1.31 controller and the ServoDog is connected.  Even if the e1.31 controller is not connected to the router, it still occurs.

What brand of dmx relay board do you have?  OR

I guess I could just hang a dongle on my FPP and run it that way--maybe worth a try.

Charles

[Charles Belcher]

Connected a LOR dongle on the "other" tab of my FPP Pi 3B+ set in Bridge mode for testing.  Never had a dongle before but it worked when I used the Port #TTYUSBO.  No random voltage across the ServoDog pins.  it all works as expected.

BTW, there were two other ports available listed as ttyAMAO and ttySO.  What are these two ports?  I only have the one LOR dongle connected.

Charles

[Ebuechner]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R6DGSAK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kWIiDbCY46404
I suspect that the problem is the frequency of which the E1.31 board operates at versus what the servo dog board operates at.
Even the servos don't transition as smooth as you would hope but still quite acceptable.
I'm not sure what those other two ports are I'm making all my connections directly to the servo dog and not using a breakout board.