Getting started with PCB hardware for beginners

OH…

My…

God…

I’ve been at this for months… and the motor just started moving for the first time! I would have never worked that out.

I cannot thank you enough, seriously. If you let me know how to get one to you, I will send you a bottle of something nice.

Going to have a dram myself, toast you and assemble the complete circuit, but I really think you have cracked it.

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I am so sorry.

I saw your comment, but did not understand what you meant.

You were correct.

Can I send you a bottle too? :wink:

I realize i should of explained it better! Just glad you got it.

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Thank you so much. I’m serious about that bottle if you want to PM me some details.

I’ll let you know how I get on with this.

@Admins: I intend to apply this to a completely different field (if you’ll excuse the pun). My interest is in history and I am aiming to turn this into an automated ground penetrating radar attached to an electrical vehicle.

Would it be worth putting up a section on “Alternative Projects”, or something?

I can think of 1,001 uses for this technology.

platineneu

the next pcb version 2 is on the way. i hope it comes with a pretty box with place for motorcontroller and f9p and 12 to 24 v converter. all soldered and ready…

if anybody in europe have interrest please use this form. you get information after it is ready.

https://www.autosteer.cc/produkt-kategorie/elektronik-teile/

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@bluerabbit The topic says getting started with PCB hardware for beginners. If you place you questions under appropriate headings, it can make it easier for people to find relevant information at a later date.

Were you using Brians PCB? If you were, would your issue have been avoided? Were you using the standard AutosteerPCBv2.ino? I’m thinking… but not 100% sure that you didn’t have a ground connected to D6 (switch circuit that stops steer motor spinning when steer motor is away from steering wheel) which would not allow current to flow to motor driver? I’m thinking if you had have put a photo up of your breadboard setup someone would have noticed that D6 was not going to ground? Also I think you owe MylArti £200. :grinning: :grinning:

Cool! Always neat to see how this software finds alternative uses. By all means we would love to see what the project looks like. Just post it in the About the Project ideas - in progress category. Glad you got it working!

Thanks for the info. This is a project for people that are interested in tinkering and exploring, so no surprise there are a lot of different directions and options. I’m still really happy that this has opened up a low cost option for those that are interested but can’t afford/justify the commercial solutions.

I’ll start looking over the PCB board options. Have all the other equipment. I may even resurrect my project from the winter of 2018 in using two GPS units and calculating heading. I was sing two reach units at the time and they just weren’t stable enough in holding rtk. I think the F9P has fixed that. I’ve had good luck with the ublox F9P-C099 modules last year. Theoretically can get heading from them, maybe even tilt.

I use relatively small (~100 HP) equipment. I think it bounces around more in the field than the larger tractors so it gets more noise into the signal, so dampening out the noise is a fun challenge.

With this story and the solution wwfarm and mylarti found, I would suggest Brian to add a line like this in the supplied autosteerpcbv2.ino setup zone, (below the other 3 info lines), to point out how it works with the AOG program
// set to 0 to use steer switch as switch
// set to 1 to use steer switch as button
// Button/switch pulls pin low to activate
//When set to 0, switch must be closed to let AOG activate steering

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My problem, the one thing that lead to me spending countless hours and almost giving up many times was my confusion over the switch.

As far as I saw things, I didn’t need a switch for this (and I’m still a little unclear on what this switch is for. Is it a deadman?) so I ignored it assuming any defaults would be “switch on”.

But yes, please make this explicit, I think this may be a stumbling block for some.

After my experience, if I were to write a tutorial for this, I would begin with, “Are you using a switch? If not, don’t be like Bluerabbit, ensure you short PD6 before you continue.

In fact, might it be useful to do a component by component installation guide, “First, lets get the motor working.” [instructions and tests]. “Next the GPS” [instructions and test]? Dunno, but it would have definitely helped me.

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Basically the steer switch turns autosteer on when you push your steer motor against the steering wheel ( via some sort of micro switch for example) or is a physical switch that turns on hydraulic operation If it is being done that way.

That way it (automatically) stops the steering motor from spinning (wildly) when you flip it away from steering wheel, could also be done manually by clicking autosteer button in AOG.
Could also be a safety switch in the seat(in series with steer switch) so when you get up the autosteer shuts off.
I use button .ino with hydraulic steering, and have a foot pedal and every time I press it AOG shifts between on and off. I have also an inductive encoder (But could be optical encoder or magnetic encoder or reed switch) the encoder turns off AOG if the steering wheel is turned. Others have a pressure switch to turn off AOG (reacts when you turn the steering wheel which makes higher oil pressure in oil trapped between orbitrol, and the valve that shifts between automatic and manual steering)

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Now that makes sense, thanks.

Of course, you guys all have drills, etc strapped to your steering wheels. My motor is attached directly to the steering So it’s effectively always on.

My device is a small electric scooter, so I can carry it into place, I don’t really ever need to disengage this.

Thank you for this post.
What is the goal of the magnet and the sensor?
Is it to avoir the delphi steering angle sensor?

Magnets + reed switch work as a steering wheel encoder. When steering wheel is turned manually, it disengages autosteering.

A little help is needed.
I’ve got it all connected and up and running. PCB v2, brick on the roof, mma8452 on the board, ardusimple and my own base station, everything is fine. But after following the AB line for a minute or so, everything freezes. When I looked at the serial port from arduino I think it seems awkward. It shows the following: https://photos.app.goo.gl/DhDMcmnuHXufHLjMA
I think I saw one of Brian’s videos where his serial monitor shows numbers instead of all these signs. Is there something wrong here, or any ideas what else I should search for?

I’m just starting with my hardware but have some arduino IDE experience. In your IDE serial monitor check you baud rate. I believe the AutoSteer code prints at 38400 Baud rate. Not sure if that will help with freezing but will fix the serial monitor issue.

Baud Rate

Thanks, will try that

Interference from DC motor? If nothing help, should one optocoupler between arduino and motor driver and cut GND and 12V line between motor driver and arduino (PCB).

There’s surely some sort of interference. When powering on the PCB there’s noise on the radio. Will try that tomorrow. I’ve also suspected the original was from the tractor, cause when I used the rover one for a short period until my mount broke, there wasn’t the noise on the radio.