Arduino controlled turntable

[khier]

B. Bryce

Whatta da heck is Arduino???

An ATMEL micro controller installed on a board with some useful accessories. You can program it like a computer to do specific tasks.

[gregc]

the use of some sensor on the turntable bridge and pit wall seems to require precise location.

a somewhat older approach is to have a disc under the benchwork that also turns and an optical sensor near its' edge.   Cardboard or brass flags can be attached to the disc and one side of the flag aligned with the optical sensor when the bridge is aligned with the corresponding track.   The flag can be nudged a little for precise alignment.

the controller (e.g. arduino) can be triggered to rotate clockwise or CCW to the next flag/track.   If it approaches the flag from the opposite side (e.g. CW), it can overrun and backtrack.

on the older designs, a motor with a rubber friction wheel is pressed against the under bench disc to move the turntable.   PWM can be used to control it's speed.   One advantage of this approach is if something impedes the turntable above, the friction wheel can slip, avoiding any damage.

[JoeinPA]

B. Bryce

Whatta da heck is Arduino???

 

 

Try this link: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/what-is-an-arduino/all

Joe

[B. Bryce]

Whatta da heck is Arduino???

[khier]

and another nice guy with a link to the program:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O-Xqz-H9-k

[khier]

Found it:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/78578-dcc-controlled-peco-turntable-project-using-a-arduino-uno/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsKdb_QYrfg

 

 

[khier]

Unfortunately I cannot find the link anymore.....

There was a WIP of a turntable powered by a stepper moto and Arduino. The code was also included in the thread. It was fairly simple construction and basic code. You will need a turntable, a stepper motor of your choice (probably a NEMA 17) and a suitable stepper motor driver from spark fun, and of course an Arduino or the micro controlelr of your choice.

Regards

Walid

 

[RR_Mel]

I made my turntable indexer using LEDs by simply tripping a relay to open the circuit.  I installed a LED on the pit wall in the center of each track and a pair of sensors under the bridge.  I set a rotary switch to illuminate the correct LED and turn on the power to the turntable motor.  The relay is in series with the go switch and drops out when it sees the LED.  Super simple.  I wanted more connections to the bridge so I went berserk with a slip ring for the sensor and bridge lights.

 

I had planned on using an Arduino but the LED sensors was much easier with very accurate positioning and no code to write.   I wanted more connections to the bridge anyway so I intended to make the slip ring assembly.  Never liked the way the power to the rails on the bridge is done on any of the store bought turntables, so I made my own.

  

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[BigDaddy]

to the forum

I suppose YTMB is a reference to a youtube channel.  I have seen Arduino, but that is the sum total of my knowledge.  I found a thread which may or may not have the code your need.  I can't tell.

https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/28501?page=3#comment-272281

[Rleg]

I recently watched a YTMB video which showed a turntable controlled with Arduino but the code was not published. The code author was Greg Heinz from Minnisota I think. I have tried to contact YTMB to request if the code was available anywhere but have not received a reply. Does anyone know of this code?