The Pulsinator is Here!

[rich2202]

Originally Posted by Spinoff

Darn! I hope that the Thrifty Throttle has met your needs.

It has. We might buy more of them next year. So, if you can get it to accept 12 volts, that would be a reason to buy yours.

It would also be great for motorizing a cart that I have been thinking about doing.

[Peyton Yeung]

Originally Posted by Spinoff

Darn! I hope that the Thrifty Throttle has met your needs. One of the coolest things about the Pulsinator is that the profits generated through this product are used to sponsor other robotics teams! In a way, you are buying a useful tool and helping other teams to succeed.

In the same way, AndyMark helps sponsor teams.

[Bruceb]

Now if somebody can make it work for CAN bus.

[PowerfulKitty]

Can you use it with a PWM splitter to run two motor controllers simultaneously? This would have been very helpful when prototyping shooters this year.

[Ether]

Originally Posted by PowerfulKitty

Can you use it with a PWM splitter to run two motor controllers simultaneously?

It might depend on what motor controllers you are using. The different motor controllers have widely different input impedance.

[PowerfulKitty]

We would use Talons like the ones recommended.

[Ether]

Originally Posted by PowerfulKitty

We would use Talons like the ones recommended.

Which Talons?

Recommended by whom?

[PowerfulKitty]

Just the old Talons, the ones recommended both in this thread and on the website.

[Ether]

Originally Posted by PowerfulKitty

Just the old Talons, the ones recommended both in this thread and on the website.

Three things:

1) FTR, there are two different models of 2016-FRC-legal "old" Talons.

2) The only other mention of "Talon" in this thread was the OP, wherein old/new was not explicit.

3) I'm told by Spinoff that the Pulsinator is capable of 40ma output. I assume that's with a dead short. Still, it should be adequate to control two of the older Talons (original or SR) with a splitter. Try sending a PM to Spinoff to confirm.

[PowerfulKitty]

Thank you. I did not realize there were two types of the 'old' talons.

[tpope]

We built a motor test board with an old (circa 2013) power distribution board, main breaker, a few talons and a small PWM generator that fed off the 5V rail. I don't recall the brand, but it had a 1.5" boxy yellow enclosure. We were never able to split the signal three ways, but on good days can run two talons at once off the thing.

It's been a useful tool, though quite bulky of course.

With a test board like that in mind I would second the request for either 12v or 5v input, ideally with a standard radio connector. I would also love something that had three PWM outputs and could drive all of them at once with the same signal. When we want to test a 3-CIM gearbox for instance, having all three motors running at the same speed is pretty important. Call that one the Pulsinator Pro and include mounting points and instructions for test board creation. I'm sure lots of teams have a big box of pre-2015 controllers and power boards they could use for this, and in situations like that there is some value in having a full setup like that.

On the flipside, what you are going for is a worthwhile exercise (eliminating extra bulk and cables) but I'd love to see you go one step further. What I really want for quick testing in the pit would be something that is in essence just one single, somewhat lumpy cable. On one end we have a battery connector and on the other we have wires that we can terminate how we please. In the middle we have the controller package.

In the short term, perhaps selling (or even just publishing STL files for) a custom bracket that would let you snap the Pulsinator in one side and bolt an old Talon SR or maybe new Spark motor controller on the other side would work. Attach the two together and then wire on the outside.

In the longer term, perhaps work with Rev Robotics and see if you could build a custom enclosure that housed the guts of both the Pulsinator and their Spark, with internal wiring. That would give you a clean single-package solution.

Actually, we might just pick up a couple and play around with this as a summer project. Might be fun...

Either way, it's great to see more options like this available!

[Aren Siekmeier]

Originally Posted by tpope

On the flipside, what you are going for is a worthwhile exercise (eliminating extra bulk and cables) but I'd love to see you go one step further. What I really want for quick testing in the pit would be something that is in essence just one single, somewhat lumpy cable. On one end we have a battery connector and on the other we have wires that we can terminate how we please. In the middle we have the controller package.

For something like this, you can take an old 12V hand drill (or other power tool), remove the motor, and terminate those wires however you like. The trigger gives you variable control over the supplied voltage, and the switch reverses it! Battery included, all in one handheld device. Hook it up to the motor and you're good to go. Downside is that you probably only want to run one large motor off of it...