SPIKE on 2004 EDU RC help

[ruddy]

I'm trying to attatch a spike onto my 04 edu RC and I got these directions from IFI.

" You must wire two digital outputs and one ground line from the 2004 EDU RC to the Spike's input connector."

How exactly is that done? Am I just using one pwm slot? Heres my sources:
http://www.ifirobotics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=56
http://www.ifirobotics.com/docs/spik...uide-sep05.pdf

Thanks in advance

[RyanN]

If I'm thinking of the EDU correctly, then it has just digital outputs. In a Spike, it has 2 inputs and 1 ground connection (black wire as you would assume). The Red and White wires are the inputs. What it is saying is that you must run a ground to the black wire, and then the two digital outputs to the red and white wires.

[Kevin Sevcik]

On page two of the Spike manul, it tells you most of what you need to know. The black wire going into the spike is the ground wire, the red wire controls the M- terminal, the white wire controls the M+ terminal. So you wire the black wire to one a ground pin on one of your digital outs, and you wire the red wire to a Signal pin on one digital out, and the white wire to the Signal pin on the second digital out.

How you wire it depends on if you have some terminal crimpers and 3 position female SIP connectors, a soldering iron and some patience, or some wire nuts and absolutely no patience at all.

[jerry w]

Originally Posted by ruddy

I'm trying to attatch a spike onto my 04 edu RC and I got these directions from IFI.

" You must wire two digital outputs and one ground line from the 2004 EDU RC to the Spike's input connector."

How exactly is that done? Am I just using one pwm slot? Heres my sources:
http://www.ifirobotics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=56
http://www.ifirobotics.com/docs/spik...uide-sep05.pdf

Thanks in advance

the spike contains two parts. sometimes you are only using one part of this device. if so, then only a 2-wire cable is needed. the black and white wire on this cable will connect between the spike and a digital output on the EDU. this will allow you to switch the REV side of the spike.
if you connect a 3-wire cable to one digital output, this will force the FWD side of the spike to the on-state. the REV side will still be controlled.
this is the simplest connection. to control both sides, you need to construct a custom cable. now we get complex.
two connectors on the EDU must be spliced according to the IFI document into a single connector on the spike.
so can you get by with half of a spike?

jerry w

[ruddy]

Originally Posted by jerry w

the spike contains two parts. sometimes you are only using one part of this device. if so, then only a 2-wire cable is needed. the black and white wire on this cable will connect between the spike and a digital output on the EDU. this will allow you to switch the REV side of the spike.
if you connect a 3-wire cable to one digital output, this will force the FWD side of the spike to the on-state. the REV side will still be controlled.
this is the simplest connection. to control both sides, you need to construct a custom cable. now we get complex.
two connectors on the EDU must be spliced according to the IFI document into a single connector on the spike.
so can you get by with half of a spike?

jerry w

I just want it to simply light up a light bulb or something like that. I'm programming it and I'm not the best electrician. How would I wire it for that situation?

[jerry w]

Originally Posted by ruddy

I just want it to simply light up a light bulb or something like that. I'm programming it and I'm not the best electrician. How would I wire it for that situation?

Ok
1. simply hook up a 3-wire from a digital output to the spike.
2. supply 12 volts battery to the inputs of the spike.
3. Wire one side of the 12-volt light to the negative side of the battery.
4. wire the other side of the light to the M- terminal on the spike.
5. changing the digital output with software should make the light turn off and on.

(It might be the M+ terminal in step-4. I always seem to get a 50-50 decision wrong!)

Jerry w