lightweight, inexpensive speed controllers

[efoote868]

Originally Posted by tilky

I didn't do anything yet, still in planning stage, so I wasn't exactly sure how to power it yet. I wanted everything to be run off of the same batteries, but it is now apparent that I would need to have 1 set for the controller and 1 for the motors, etc.

Well, if you're still in the planning stage, you need to first figure out what you want as the end product, and then you can begin to fill in the details of how to get the end product.

So, let's start with the quadrocopter itself. How big of a quadrocopter do you intend to build? How long do you want to fly it in one go? How much are you looking to spend? Those three questions aren't mutually exclusive, but if you can answer them it'll definitely help us determine the scope of your project.

Once you answer those questions, we can move on to something like the power source. Based on how light these things need to be, you'll probably be using some sort of Lithium Polymer battery. Based on that chemistry, there are several voltages you can pick be it 3.7v, 7.4v etc.

You'll be using unregulated voltage (directly from the battery) to power the motors. Which are also important. Based on the size of your quadrocopter, what motors do you need to power it? The motors you pick will determine what kind of motor controller you can use.

Once you know these things, you can start to focus on what's controlling it. It's fairly straight forward to design a power supply for the rest of the circuit (micro, sensors, etc), but you'll need to pick each one of those components out.


As you can see, there is a lot of thought that goes into a project like this, and it's better if you first understand and describe the basics (such as size) before asking for help on a minor detail (motor controller).
Unless you're trying to guestimate the cost, which asking for prices of motor controllers might be appropriate.


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EDIT:
I'm not trying to discourage you! This sounds like an awesome project, and I'd love to see you follow through with it. We just need a bit more information to be more helpful