Control system with one joystick(or two)

[CharlieWilken]

Last year we were rookies and used two joysticks to drive like a tank. One on each drill motor. I see there is a program on the innovation first website for one joystick control (http://www.innovationfirst.com/FIRST...umentation.htm) Has anyone used this program. Will our motors both go forward when i point forward. Will my moters go opposite directions when I point left or right. And finally do I upload the program just to the remote controller or do I have do anything also to the robot controller.

If I have four motors this year how can I put two on one joystick and two on the other (We are using two more periodically for high torque pushing and pulling).

[Adam Shapiro]

We used the single joystick drive and it works fine. When you drive the stick forward, both motors go forward. When you pull back, both go back. When you move it to the left on the X-axis, it turns to the left (the right motor goes forward and the left goes back) and when you move to the right it turns right. It is a good program but I prefer the two stick drive, it has more control. I guess it's up to the user.

As per your other question: the program is downloaded into the robot controller. Any information needed from the joysticks will be sent to that program and it will decipher it and control the motors.

Hope this helps.

[MattB703]

If I have four motors this year how can I put two on one joystick and two on the other (We are using two more periodically for high torque pushing and pulling). [/b]

The simplest way I have found to do this, sombody correct me if I am wrong, is to put your "right drive motor" variable in 2 places in the serial out line then do the same with the "left drive motor" variable. Now you can run 4 PWM wires to 4 Victors (2 for RH motors and 2 for LH motors) Both RH victors will be getting the same signal. As will both LH victors.

Maybe someone more eloquent than myself can explain that better.

I am not certain what your design is. The deault program is designed to handle 4 joysticks. If the purpose is to have a secondary drive system, just use 3 and 4 to control the other motors(use 2nd driver) , or use the left=right axis on the joysticks to control the other motors. THis would take a 1 co-ordinated driver.

If you want to control 4 motors with just two joysticks and say the
trigger switches, you would need to reprogram. It is hard to get
four motors that are not connected to work in concert. Good luck.