Foot controller for servo motor

[chrisash]

I have a 29K without the professional sewing table, looking to fit a table top motor to drive it, but what do you use for a foot controller, are there flexible ones like domestic machines that will operate the servo or do you have to make a mechanical one to use the servo imk. For a normal industrial you naturally have the existing pedals, but for something without them how do you control the servo

[Constabulary]

I know that Adler 30 patcher are sometimes equipped with smaller 90Watt right angle gear motors and they er controlled by foot pedals as you find them on domestic machines. But they cost a lot more than a simple servo motor but they really work well but they have no brake.

 

If you want to use a servo motor remove the accelerator unit from the bracket put a plain foot pedal on a wooden board and make a bracket for the accelerator unit and mount it onto the wooden board... ya know what I mean?

Edited March 6, 2020 by Constabulary

[chrisash]

Thanks Constabulary 

Is there no way to control it via a electronic pedal?

I understand making a foot controller, but no easy way to lock that sort of controller to the black and decker table i have the machine bolted to, and its often moved out of the way

Have considered using a domestic 120 watt motor and foot pedal, but prefer not to go that route

[mikesc]

Try something using a bicycle brake cable setup ( that will give you the return spring effect )  and a foot pedal ( two pieces of wood which a hinge would do ) on the other end to action ( pull on ) it..When not in use you can leave it attached, just coil it up and put it next to the motor..Once you have the cable the correct length it will be so every time you put it on the floor below the table.If you need the cable to come up over the motor in order to action the lever..Copper tubing, or aluminium tubing, or even plastic tubing can make a a cable sleeve guide..easy to fix to the table  drill hole matching sleeve guide external diameter..secure above and below table with hex nuts which tread onto the tube..Think about it and you'll see what I mean..I built a similar set up using scrap bicycle parts for a sewing machine ( a second 20U ) that I have in storage ( behind a load of stuff in my atelier )..works fine..allows good control ( as good as a pitman rod system ) and takes 10 seconds to coil out of the way when not in use.

HTH

If you use a brake lever , instead of a pedal..you can use it as a hand operated control system...or use the pedal and push against it with an arm, knee, chest or whatever.Pitman rod systems are cumbersome and take space, cable systems are flexible , and space saving.

Edited March 6, 2020 by mikesc

[dikman]

What he said, probably the simplest and easiest way to achieve what you want. The other way would be to make a foot pedal and fit the actual actuator housing to it, but this would likely mean extending the electrical cables between it and the control box/motor.

I seem to recall Uwe made a remote foot pedal for a servo?

[jhrleather]

To control my motor I pretty much did what Constabulary said.  Simple and works excellent.  

[Jcferguson]

I’m working on a cable driven servo motor, would any of you that have made one be willing to post a pic?  Thank you!

[Uwe]

I made a table-top setup once for an Adler 69, with a pedal on the floor connected by just the wire. 

I also just installed an Adler 30-1 at my maker space with a table-top mounted 1,500W servo motor, needle positioning, and standard pedal configuration. Maybe it helps you figure out your configuration. 

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by Uwe

[DonInReno]

I’m in the same boat - putting together a table top base for a 441 (so it can be placed on the kitchen table or wherever), and it’s time to figure out a new remote pedal.   There isn’t an easy replacement since each motor may have a different type of switch or specification as to what gets fed back to the controller.

Inside the square box that the pedal chain attaches to is mostly empty space with a small circuit board and a magnet (square black thing just below the circuit board) that moves closer to a sensor on the board as more throttle is applied.

This throttle box has three wires - ground, 5v constant power, and the throttle signal that gets returned to the control box.    On this model zero rpm is 1.78v on the signal wire and full speed is the full 5v.    There are ready made remote pedals that are made for a three wire 0-5v signal, even cordless Bluetooth pedals, but there is a risk that there is more going on than might appear .   That 1.78v signal at standby might have to be established for a certain number of seconds before the control box will accept any signal for additional rpm’s - a check of sorts that the circuit is functioning properly.

 I’ve also heard of people having problems when changing from one type of signal switch to another because the control box is programmed to look for more than just a simple voltage - there might be additional communication that I’ll have to look for with an oscilloscope.

Best case - any three wire pedal will work.   Worst case - I’ll have to retrofit a pedal with the circuit board that came in my speed control box.

The bad news is many of the commercially available pedals look rather industrial.  I have seen some cool guitar pedals that could be stripped out and retrofitted.   I’m still looking for something to catch my eye.

 

 

[dikman]

You're building a "portable" 441? I can barely lift the head unit of mine, let alone having it attached to a base with a motor on it too!

You must pump a lot of iron.