Comments for CerebralMeltdown.com http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:28:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Comment on Open Source Arduino Sun Tracking/Heliostat Program by Gabriel Miller http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/05/30/open-source-arduino-sun-trackingheliostat-program/#comment-6908 Gabriel Miller Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:28:50 +0000 http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/?p=2866#comment-6908 Oh, well in that case you will need the linear actuator calculations. The movement is not a "linear change" when linear actuators are involved since the linear motion of the actuator has to be translated to an angle. Oh, well in that case you will need the linear actuator calculations. The movement is not a “linear change” when linear actuators are involved since the linear motion of the actuator has to be translated to an angle.

]]> Comment on Open Source Arduino Sun Tracking/Heliostat Program by Bill Kichman http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/05/30/open-source-arduino-sun-trackingheliostat-program/#comment-6903 Bill Kichman Sat, 18 Feb 2012 05:11:09 +0000 http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/?p=2866#comment-6903 The vertical axis IS a linear actuator, acting at an angle. Don't know whether the movement creates a linear change along with the linear motion variable, that's why I asked.... The vertical axis IS a linear actuator, acting at an angle. Don’t know whether the movement creates a linear change along with the linear motion variable, that’s why I asked….

]]> Comment on Open Source Arduino Sun Tracking/Heliostat Program by Gabriel Miller http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/05/30/open-source-arduino-sun-trackingheliostat-program/#comment-6900 Gabriel Miller Sat, 18 Feb 2012 03:10:55 +0000 http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/?p=2866#comment-6900 If your machine doesn't use linear actuators for its pan and tilt, then no, you don't really need the leadscrew calcs. Of course, it won't hurt anything to leave them there. If you don't have them turned on in the settings, the code won't even be uploaded to the Arduino, so it won't take up unnecessary space if that's what you are worried about. It's entirely up to you I guess. :) If your machine doesn’t use linear actuators for its pan and tilt, then no, you don’t really need the leadscrew calcs. Of course, it won’t hurt anything to leave them there. If you don’t have them turned on in the settings, the code won’t even be uploaded to the Arduino, so it won’t take up unnecessary space if that’s what you are worried about. It’s entirely up to you I guess. :)

]]> Comment on Open Source Arduino Sun Tracking/Heliostat Program by Gabriel Miller http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/05/30/open-source-arduino-sun-trackingheliostat-program/#comment-6899 Gabriel Miller Sat, 18 Feb 2012 03:03:39 +0000 http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/?p=2866#comment-6899 I have found the output to always be within a degree. There is more info about this on this page of the forums, reply #69. http://cerebralmeltdown.com/forum/index.php?topic=293.60 I have found the output to always be within a degree. There is more info about this on this page of the forums, reply #69. http://cerebralmeltdown.com/forum/index.php?topic=293.60

]]> Comment on Open Source Arduino Sun Tracking/Heliostat Program by Bill Kichman http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/05/30/open-source-arduino-sun-trackingheliostat-program/#comment-6884 Bill Kichman Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:16:35 +0000 http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/?p=2866#comment-6884 Wait, just thought of something. Can I scrap all the leadscrew calcs, I mean are the move motor variables linear, coming from the solar position calc, can i just covert a variable to a motor on timed event or is there some trig still involved? Wait, just thought of something. Can I scrap all the leadscrew calcs, I mean are the move motor variables linear, coming from the solar position calc, can i just covert a variable to a motor on timed event or is there some trig still involved?

]]> Comment on Open Source Arduino Sun Tracking/Heliostat Program by Bill Kichman http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/05/30/open-source-arduino-sun-trackingheliostat-program/#comment-6882 Bill Kichman Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:05:12 +0000 http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/?p=2866#comment-6882 It's making more sense now. Looking at this, despite my newness to programming, it actually looks like a small and easy application. Limit switches, timed motor relay outputs, and a solar core position calculator. Oh, and an RTC. I am using the DP8573, which needs a ton of port pins (16) but I have a ton of them so might as well use them, a MEGA has plenty of spare IO pins anyhow. And setting up a graphics display since I have a bunch of surplus units, might as well boilerplate them for future projects. Can you tell me the approximate accuracy you cna get with your calculations in positioning, using your simplified lookup table? I mean can I expect a degree or 2 accuracy during the day if I get the motor movement distances correct overall? It’s making more sense now. Looking at this, despite my newness to programming, it actually looks like a small and easy application. Limit switches, timed motor relay outputs, and a solar core position calculator.
Oh, and an RTC. I am using the DP8573, which needs a ton of port pins (16) but I have a ton of them so might as well use them, a MEGA has plenty of spare IO pins anyhow. And setting up a graphics display since I have a bunch of surplus units, might as well boilerplate them for future projects. Can you tell me the approximate accuracy you cna get with your calculations in positioning, using your simplified lookup table? I mean can I expect a degree or 2 accuracy during the day if I get the motor movement distances correct overall?

]]> Comment on Open Source Arduino Sun Tracking/Heliostat Program by Gabriel Miller http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/05/30/open-source-arduino-sun-trackingheliostat-program/#comment-6877 Gabriel Miller Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:39:02 +0000 http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/?p=2866#comment-6877 In general, the programs your write from scratch don't have to be in the library folder. It's only if you want to access code from anywhere on your computer or from multiple different programs that putting it in the library folder makes the most sense. Files with ending in .h or .cpp need to be in the library folder while files ending in .pde ( or .ino for Arduino IDE 1.0 and beyond) can be opened from anywhere on your computer. If you can't see these extension, do a quick search for "How to turn on file extensions" so that you can view them on your computer. You can have multiple sketch files that are all just part of one larger program, which is how I have it set up with the sun tracker program. In my case, the multiple sketch files were just the result of me organizing program using the "new tab" feature in the Arduino IDE. In general, the programs your write from scratch don’t have to be in the library folder. It’s only if you want to access code from anywhere on your computer or from multiple different programs that putting it in the library folder makes the most sense.

Files with ending in .h or .cpp need to be in the library folder while files ending in .pde ( or .ino for Arduino IDE 1.0 and beyond) can be opened from anywhere on your computer. If you can’t see these extension, do a quick search for “How to turn on file extensions” so that you can view them on your computer.

You can have multiple sketch files that are all just part of one larger program, which is how I have it set up with the sun tracker program. In my case, the multiple sketch files were just the result of me organizing program using the “new tab” feature in the Arduino IDE.

]]> Comment on Open Source Arduino Sun Tracking/Heliostat Program by Bill Kichman http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/05/30/open-source-arduino-sun-trackingheliostat-program/#comment-6860 Bill Kichman Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:43:52 +0000 http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/?p=2866#comment-6860 Thanks for the reply. Regarding files, I think i understand now, it isn;t clear how the Arduino IDE works (or doesn't). I now know I need to put most of the example codes I find into the libraries subdirectory, and call them from there. Before I was dumping everything into a sketch directory for ease of use, and the IDE wasn.t finding them correctly, the compiler was stopping all over the place. So am I correct that I am to put the entire project like for others, into its own subdirectory in the libraries folder, then set up a sketch to call the appropriate files...and insert references as appropriate? Thanks for the reply. Regarding files, I think i understand now, it isn;t clear how the Arduino IDE works (or doesn’t). I now know I need to put most of the example codes I find into the libraries subdirectory, and call them from there. Before I was dumping everything into a sketch directory for ease of use, and the IDE wasn.t finding them correctly, the compiler was stopping all over the place. So am I correct that I am to put the entire project like for others, into its own subdirectory in the libraries folder, then set up a sketch to call the appropriate files…and insert references as appropriate?

]]> Comment on Open Source Arduino Sun Tracking/Heliostat Program by Gabriel Miller http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/05/30/open-source-arduino-sun-trackingheliostat-program/#comment-6841 Gabriel Miller Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:29:43 +0000 http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/?p=2866#comment-6841 It doesn't really matter which version you use in your case, but I would go with the one on this page just because there is a little less code to wade through. (Try to use the Arduino IDE 1.0 version if at all possible.) http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/08/16/single-machine-sun-tracking-heliostat-electronics-set-up/#more-3063 Both versions are mostly identical, but there are slight differences because they are set up to be used with slightly different circuits. The stepper.h library is built into the Arduino IDE, and the Adafruit library is something that only needs to be installed if you want to use the Adafruit driver board. In your case, you could just comment out everything related to stepper motors since you aren't using them, or even just leave it in and don't use the pins, it doesn't really matter. When you first downloaded the program, you should have had several different files inside the main Arduino_SunTracker folder. If they don't open automatically as a row of tabs at the top when you open just one of them, go ahead and click and open each one individually, and you can edit them from there. I am 98% percent certain that I left you a comment before on how you might do drive your motors, but it seems to have disappeared. Forgive me if I am repeating something that I already told you. Anyway, I think the easiest way for you to accomplish what you want to do is to go to the top of the functions.pde tab/file and just go ahead and comment out everything inside of the moveToPosition() function. Then I think the easiest thing to do would be to turn the altsteps and azsteps variables into the the number of revolutions each motor needs to take. Something like, altrev = altsteps/steps;, azrev=azsteps/steps; Then you would somehow have to figure out how long it takes your DC motors to turn one revolution and then I guess just multiply that number by azrev or altrev, and you will have the amount of time the motor needs to stay on to move the specified distance. Pseudo code might look something like this for one motor able to move one direction. altrev=altsteps/steps; onTime=altrev*timeForOneRevolution; digitalWrite(altMotorClockwiseRelay, HIGH); delay(onTime); digitalWrite(altMotorClockwiseRelay, LOW); I guess the findLimit function would also need to be edited too for your set up. That's what I can think of so far. I'd do it for you if I could, but I am very strapped for time right now. In any case, I don't have the same set up as you, so you would have to do all of the testing anyway. It's probably going to take some finagling to get this to work, but I'm sure that it would still more accurate than an optical system regardless. It doesn’t really matter which version you use in your case, but I would go with the one on this page just because there is a little less code to wade through. (Try to use the Arduino IDE 1.0 version if at all possible.)
http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/08/16/single-machine-sun-tracking-heliostat-electronics-set-up/#more-3063
Both versions are mostly identical, but there are slight differences because they are set up to be used with slightly different circuits.

The stepper.h library is built into the Arduino IDE, and the Adafruit library is something that only needs to be installed if you want to use the Adafruit driver board.

In your case, you could just comment out everything related to stepper motors since you aren’t using them, or even just leave it in and don’t use the pins, it doesn’t really matter.

When you first downloaded the program, you should have had several different files inside the main Arduino_SunTracker folder. If they don’t open automatically as a row of tabs at the top when you open just one of them, go ahead and click and open each one individually, and you can edit them from there.

I am 98% percent certain that I left you a comment before on how you might do drive your motors, but it seems to have disappeared. Forgive me if I am repeating something that I already told you.

Anyway, I think the easiest way for you to accomplish what you want to do is to go to the top of the functions.pde tab/file and just go ahead and comment out everything inside of the moveToPosition() function. Then I think the easiest thing to do would be to turn the altsteps and azsteps variables into the the number of revolutions each motor needs to take.
Something like, altrev = altsteps/steps;, azrev=azsteps/steps;

Then you would somehow have to figure out how long it takes your DC motors to turn one revolution and then I guess just multiply that number by azrev or altrev, and you will have the amount of time the motor needs to stay on to move the specified distance.
Pseudo code might look something like this for one motor able to move one direction.

altrev=altsteps/steps;
onTime=altrev*timeForOneRevolution;
digitalWrite(altMotorClockwiseRelay, HIGH);
delay(onTime);
digitalWrite(altMotorClockwiseRelay, LOW);

I guess the findLimit function would also need to be edited too for your set up.

That’s what I can think of so far. I’d do it for you if I could, but I am very strapped for time right now. In any case, I don’t have the same set up as you, so you would have to do all of the testing anyway.

It’s probably going to take some finagling to get this to work, but I’m sure that it would still more accurate than an optical system regardless.

]]> Comment on Open Source Arduino Sun Tracking/Heliostat Program by Bill K http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/2011/05/30/open-source-arduino-sun-trackingheliostat-program/#comment-6832 Bill K Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:01:03 +0000 http://www.cerebralmeltdown.com/?p=2866#comment-6832 Additionally I see references to MoveMachine, Machine on, etc...where are thee functions? It appears you generated the .pde app as standalone, but at first glance there is lots missing? Maybe I am missing something. Additionally I see references to MoveMachine, Machine on, etc…where are thee functions? It appears you generated the .pde app as standalone, but at first glance there is lots missing? Maybe I am missing something.

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