Foot controller for servo motor

[DonInReno]

2 hours ago, dikman said:

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.

Lol

Well…it’s not as bad as it sounds - or maybe it is - I have a row of toolboxes that has become my preferred workspace and it would be nice to keep the machine on the countertop there for most flat things and turn it so it points out for bags and whatnot.   The base is a pretty good size piece of 5/8” steel so it’s quite stable, but it will definitely have to be separated when moving.

If the dang garage was larger I wouldn’t have these problems! Lol

[DonInReno]

Well I’m glad I checked that speed box with a scope!   What the multimeter showed as a simple 0-5v signal in the speed input box is actually something else - a 15.5v signal that gets encoded with the information in a formate I’m not familiar with.  Apparently the multimeter was trying to average out all the signals for a clean voltage number.

So thoughts of a ready made pedal are out and I’ll be reusing the circuit board and magnet in some form.

Edited March 10, 2023 by DonInReno

[purplefox66]

Why dont you ask artisan as they have  a bench top model 3200

[Uwe]

1 minute ago, DonInReno said:

Well I’m glad I checked that speed box with a scope!

I was thinking there might more to that signal than a simple voltage reading. Perhaps some sort of pulse width encoding.

[Uwe]

 

Artisan’s floor pedal for the Toro-3200BT (taken from a for sale post here on LW.). Similar concept to what I did for my Adler 69 setup. The solid connection allows for heeling of pedal for position sensor or other function. My version just had push-down movement, no lift.

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by Uwe

[DonInReno]

45 minutes ago, purplefox66 said:

Why dont you ask artisan as they have  a bench top model 3200

It’s nice that they have a table top base, but it has a few things I’m not thrilled about.   There is a finger of material on the base that extends under the arm so it doesn’t tip forward - this just makes the already short arm even more restricted.

That top is just normal Formica covered particle board, which is fine, and it’s drilled for a normal motor mount and speed reducer.   However, I bought more of this 5/8” steel than I needed and once its cut to size and edges are finished, will be a nice heavy base.   The metal is thick enough that anything mounted to it just needs a tapped hole without nuts on the bottom side.

 

[DonInReno]

1 hour ago, Uwe said:

Artisan’s floor pedal for the Toro-3200BT (taken from a for sale post here on LW.). Similar concept to what I did for my Adler 69 setup. The solid connection allows for heeling of pedal for position sensor or other function. My version just had push-down movement, no lift.

I like how your pedal turned out - nice clean look!

I mocked up my little stainless pedal and it would physically work in that orientation, but the speed input box on mine is rather ugly plastic! For now I’m thinking of using it like this and maybe making a better looking smaller box.

I have two of these stainless pedals and the other is for a foot lifter.   I’m gathering parts to cobble together a simple foot operated air system - one cylinder at the pedal and another at the machine. :-)

[MarlinDave]

How bout a go cart throttle cable? Build a pedal or buy a go cart one. 

https://www.amazon.com/DKiigame-Throttle-Cable-Manco-8252-1390/dp/B074WB4271/ref=asc_df_B074WB4271/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312034016842&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10716392868253116165&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013241&hvtargid=pla-571772624617&psc=1

[DonInReno]

I bet that would work good.

[rlevine]

One of my projects this week was making a foot pedal for the Merrow edger I'm rehabbing. Similar issues: it has to be mostly portable, as the machine is running on a desktop slab, rather than a real table. And, I also discovered that the servo pedal switch is doing some pulse width tricks to control the motor, so the best I can do is lengthen the wire!

Here's the result, from scrap wood and random parts. Only push-down, no heeling needed for the serger. I wanted some kick protection for the switch, and didn't have real ball-joint parts for the connection, so I cobbled together a link from a stove bolt.