Posts made by ramaker

Hi, thanks for reply.
@ajb2k3 :
Every thing you wrote is ok ! And I would suggest to do it - in an open-source project.
But here we have an comercial project. I payed for something which they show not correct in the advertisement.
I cannot use it and I get so support !!

I cannot use this system ! I'll go back to Arduino.

BTW: M5Stack cannot be used to control the rover. The rover-system works only correct if I can control all the 6 motor individualy. So -- no change with M5Stack

regards
K.D.

@ajb2k3:
I have the original LGO cables too - cutting and crimping would be an option. But I found that the crimping tool is expensive and crimping that lot of cables is "not an exciting job" - and I have to buy all the LEGO cable and throw away one connector.
Woud be ok for 1 or 4 cables but not for 200pcs up.
(I have to take care, that the costs for our clients should be very low - we are private people without sponsoring.)

I looked at the JPL mars rover and think it should be easy to make.
I will redesign the main mechanical parts, so that I can use 3D-printed parts, for the weel-drive-motors I'll design my standart motors. (wthout decoder) and for steering I'll design medium servos. This combination works perfect for vehicles in that size. In this design 2 DC motor drivers and 4 servos will work. So I can use the GoPlus2 module.
The plastic parts have a simple design, so I can use them for my training.

As far as I guess a M5Stack in the "face display" would be easy to include and the display would look good.
So the complete control unit will be the M5Stack Core2 and the GoPlus2 - very compact.

I'll make one side of the rocker bogie suspension and will simulate it.

regards
K.D.

@ajb2k3:
I looked to the JPL website and the rover project.
It is well documented. But the parts are a littlex complex. Specially the motor mounting and assembly.
I would do it easier with parts from the 3D-printer and by use of ready-to-use assembled motors with gear and encoder.

For example: (with JST 6pin connector 2mm space)
https://eckstein-shop.de/V-TEC-6V-Micro-10x12mm-DC-Motor-Gleichstrom-Getriebe-Motor-mit-Encoder-56-RPM

These are the motors we're using as straight or rectangular version - good and powerfull.

The M5Stack components would fit perfectly - very easy to assemble and integrate in the chassis.
But ---- how connect the motors ??
In my first own design I found, that the rocker bogie suspension works perfect, if you control 4 motors indevidually. (on every side I "paired" 2 motors and controlled them together.)

https://www.r-a-maker.de/tiger1.htm
Here you can see, how I made an integration - here I can use the M54Stack because I only need 2 DC motors

But as far as I see, I 'll use again RaspBerry or Arduino. There I have no problems to find all information.
(specially if I use Adafruit component´ts.)

I asked the tech-support from M5stack to give me a source were I can get the cables or motors from, they are showing in advertisement. Answer was : " .... sorry we do not support 4 dc motors .... " nothing more.
Because of that advertisement I bought a module and then I found, I cannot use it, it is only for LEGO.
But the text and the picture lets me believe I can use it.
This is "unfair" advertisement or whatever......
It would be easy to add on line of text or a spec of the used connector, so everybody can see --- no -- that's nothing for me.

Or - more customer-frindly - simple ad a adapter cable to the catalouge. (they are doing with LEGO cable, why not with othter cables)
Or - just use standard connectors.......

regards
Klaus

@ajb2k3
Thanks for the answer.
I have looked for lots of things and I found that the problem is, that M5Stack people are using the 1mm JST connectors and "all over the world" they are using 2mm connectors for motors.
(I have more then 100 pcs with this connectors.....)
And it seems that nobody can - or will - supply adapter cables.

I made a curiosity rover about one year ago - based on the original information of the NASA site. It was not "so good" - the design had some big disadvantages and I had not quite good machine to print the part for weels and the rocker bogie suspension. In that time I did not 100% understand this suspension. It was a "flop".

Now I found some more and better information to do it very simple and my new machine ( a Snapmaker A350) gives me more posibilities - now I can print , Laser ans CNC.

I will start again with the rover project, because the first version shows that this vehicle is an abolut brilliant way for an outdoor play.
If you are intrested in, then I'll put all the files from my first design on my website and you can download it. I'm using Fusion360. But I need about 2 weeks to prepare everything.

It would be perfect to have another "cracy guy" for talk and learn.
You are welcome !
regards
Klaus

Uhhhhh - Iike your post !!

I'm absolutly glad about it - I start to think, that I'm the only one with this "wish".

The best would be a module with adjustable I2C adresses - because I'm thinking to make a Mars rover "copy" - and there I need 6 motors. ( I don't want to be overbearing - It would work with 4 independent motor too :-) )

Thank you and best regards
K.D.

Absolut TOP !
Everybody who play with this great technology "mechanum weels" need exact this.
M5Stack should know this !!

Why they have a product like RoverC ?
regards
K.D.

@ajb2k3 :
Thank you for the answer.
I know these products - but I'll not use it.
A part of my training/teach project is "3D-design / 3D-printing" - I don't want to use LEGO. (Maybe children is not the correct word - the age is normally 15 up - and some adult too - the oldest was about 65 years)

For these servos I would have to change the complete design - I cannot use the motors we still have. (4x50 pcs)
I cannot adapt the weels we have - I need a mounting part for every weel.
Everything is adapted to motors with 3mm / 5mm axel.

I cannot understand, why M5stack gives me no solution.
In one advertisement picture they show that a standard motor can be used - but I cannot find the type in the internet ????

And I cannot believe, that I'm the only user, that want to use 4 motors ?

M5Stack shows with it's RoverC, that a vehicle with 4 weels can make lot's of fun. So, why don't they offer a solution for everybody ??

The GoPlus2 modul can drive only 2 motors.
The modul for encoder motors can drive 4 motors, but I cannot find any motor in the internet with the 6pin 1mm connector or an adapter cable from the M5 1mm connector to the standard 2mm connector.
I asked the technical support - no answer........

But I will not give up :-)

Thank you for your help.
regards
K.D.

@BricoMS
Thank you for the answer.
I thought, that the hardware/controller of M5Stick and M5Stack are the same and that MicroPhyton is just another way of displaying the blocks of UIflow.

I do not understand why M5Stack made no "fair" advertisement/documentation.
For me it would be "fair" if they would write "ESP32-based support BLE 4.2 and WiFi not compatible with UIFlow""

I think, for some (many ?) users the UIFlow possibility is an argument for M5Stack/Stick.

regards
K.D.

@AgreeDK
Thank you for your answer.
It is interesting - indeed !
I think the 4 motors are soldered to the board ? This is not good for children to handle - no connectors.

And it is not compatible with the M5Stack and has no connections for servos.
So I would need a M5Stack additionally for the 2 servos and the M5Stack has to communicate with the M5Stick.
The complete 3D design of my vehicle has to be changed. (Uhhhh......)

I don't think it is possible to do all these things during our "children-training-and-play-project".

And - there is no documentation or tutorial how to do the communication - no spec for the motors.
It would be more an "endless-github-search-and-try-to-understand-project".

But thank you for the tip.
regards
K.D.

Hi Felix,
thank you for the answer.
It is very hard to "play" with M5Stack ! Documentation is worst - everything you have to look in GitHub and try to understand the ideas of the developers. Most things are not commented.
An email to the tech support is answered only to 10%

I think I've to look for another system for our school project .
Children shall play and learn as a hobby not as a "full-time" job.

M5Stack try to bring ithe system near to LEGO - children shall use it - but children and their teachers need a 100% documentation. No teacher want's to spent hours and housr to find any simple information. We are doing that in our leisure.

As you can read I'm disapointed and frustrated.

regards
Klaus

M5Stack family has only a module that can drive 2 DC motors without encoder. (GoPlus2)
I need to drive 4 motors. I cannot use the 4 Channels DC Encoder Motor driver module.
I would need a special cable from the 6pole 1mm connector with about 50cm length - open end.
But I cannot find one - even M5Stack support cannot give me an answer/solution.

First I want to use the 4 Channels DC Encoder Motor driver module, but then I was not able to find a DC motor in the internet with tis small 6pol 1mm connector. All have 6pol 2mm connector.

Now my ides is to stack 2 GoPlus2 modules to get the 4 motors driven.
Is this possible ?
I think the internal interface is by I2C - so I would have to change the I2C adress of one module ????

Or does anybody has a better idea for driving 4 DC motors ?

K.D.

@Wolli01 :
I forgot .....
In the UIFlow for Core2 I have the blocks for BLE uart.
But I'll check it too.
Ciao
K.D.

Thank you for the answers.
I found a video, where somebody is communicating from mobile phone the M5StickC roverc via bluetooth.
But he used Arduino system.

Ok - I'll try it with the Arduino environment.

Ciao
K.D.

According to the data and advertisement the M5StickC Plus has Bluetooth.
How can I use it with UIFlow ?
I cannot find the BLE symbols like I have inside the M5Stack Fire.

Have I to import something ? -- or add a unit or a hat ?

K.D.

Today I received a Core2 andwant to use it together with the GoPlus2 Modul, that is specially for Core2.
But how can I connect it ?

1. I try to connect it direct - pulled the extension PCB out and try to connect it.
   But the pins are absolutly to short. and there are 4 litte screws on the GoPlus2 module, that are blocking the connection.
   The moduleis about 3mm away from the Core2

2. I unscrewed the plastic part from the Core2. Now I can connect the module to the Core2, but only if I unplug the battery. I
   found no way to connect GoPlus2 module and battery.

If the GoPlus2 module is specially for Core2 --- how shall I connect both ??

K.D.

I want to connect 4 motors with encoder ( no LEGO motors !) to that module.
I found, that M5stack is using 6pol connector with 1mm space between the pins and all motors with encoder are using bigger connectors - 6pol with 2mm space between the pins.
(signals are equal - a standard 1:1 cable should work)

So I cannot use standard cables.

On the advertisement picture M5Stack is showing an encoder motor, that is directly connected to the module with a cable. This is exactly what I want.

I asked the tech support from M5Stack - no reply ??

Does anybody knows where I can get the motors or the adapter cables from ?

I wonder why M5Stack is using these non standard connectors and is not offering a cable to connect to standard motors. (they only offer cables for LEGO - this is NOT want I want.)
K.D.

Hello felmue,
it's no problem - i've ordered one and will have it by the end of the week.
I looked to the scematics too ( - a little, I'm no specialist) and I found what you said.
And I found more things that make me problems.
I think the voltage from the external input is converted to 5V DC like the USB power.
So I cannot use my DC12V motors unfortunately - I have to change to 5V types.

(Now I unterstand, why they are rotating with so less power and slow.)

Thank you and regards
K.D

Thank you for the answer.
That is strange ! So I have to use 2 power supplies , if I want to drive 2 DC 12V motors.
This makes no sense for me.

regards
K.D.

Oh - interesting !
If it's for battery, then I think a 3,7 V akku will work - the same they are using in the moduls.

Thank you.
K.D.

I erased the flash of the Fire core and load it new with UIFlow V1.7.2 (the same version as before) and now everything works !!??

Is was not easy - because at the beginnning there were time-out errors - the burner software can't connect.
Strange - because the download and execution of skeches from UIflow worked.

If powered the Fire down - wait 30min - shut down windows complete.
After new start I could erase the Fire core - but here were a long time delay until the software can connect and erase - about 5s.
Now I could flash UIflow - but again it seems, that the burner has to wait. The process was about doubble the time compared with my M5Stack Faces.

Now the akkus in both modeles are loaded and the Fire core works with the akku power - like it should be.

Strange !!! What has a firmware update to do with connecting to akku and the way of power supply for the core ?