Using the Keya Encoder as the Wheel Angle Sensor

Hardware Autosteer
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Hi Everyone,

I’ve had a lot of headaches trying to figure out how to install the wheel angle sensor on different machines. The Keya motor has a built in encoder that I believe you could read the steer angle from but I’m not totally sure.

Has anyone thought about this or has done it successfully? Can anyone point me to where the software using the wheel angle sensor output?

Let me know your thoughts,
Thanks!

1 Like
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There is already some keya code out there that does what you want and does away with a WAS.
I’ve no idea where the code is or came from
Maybe search keya wasless or something

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Thanks for sharing
How successful is this?

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There’s a few people using it successfully. I haven’t spent much time on it. I set a tractor up last fall that I wanted to use it but I didn’t get it working. I just installed a linear was instead

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I’ve been playing around with a branch of the code also to use the Keya encoder as a WAS. Looks promising on both the v3 and v4 keyas. Still some more testing work to do but has been looking promising on the bench. trying to make it where it can be selectable and configurable through AgOPen. If you select Differential as the A/D is activates the Keya encoder code (if single, it looks for standard WAS). Current limit give the ability to adjust the drop out behavior for grabbing the wheel and counts per degree lets you adjust the ratio between steerring wheel turns to tire angle. (divided by 10, so 100 would be turning the steering wheel 10 deg = 1 deg tires). Have used this with a F9P based system.

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Good stuff
Which imu are you using?
The few videos ive seen of the keya without was are steering ok and probably using the bno085. Wondering if the tm171 imu would increase the preformance of this even more

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I’m using the BNO085 IMU in this code. My next step is to use this with a dual antenna system.

I personally believe that an IMU in a tractor cab will always be a problem. Hence the pursuit over the last 5 years to find a better IMU will never solve the problem. My main system still uses a DOG2 angle sensor for roll. There’s just too much bouncing and movement. Early on, I tried some high end IMU’s from KVH and True North. After talking to both companies, I came to the conclusion the the IMU is doing what is can, but being an inertial sensor, it will always be subject to the vibration and bouncing that occurs in a tractor cab. If you hit a hole and it shift the tractor, the steering can not physically react fast enough, so I quit trying to have a system react to everything. An IMU is only useful for average roll compensation and change of heading on a ~1 second scale, nothing faster.

2 Likes
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Id like to try your code if you do adapt it for dual antenna and ksxt messages :+1:
Ive had some good results with dual and its certainly on par with the tm171 imu
What disengage are you using on the keya? Ive tried the 5amp version and not found it very successful but believe there is now another updated version. The lazy kickout keya firmware from gunicsba does indeed work very well

1 Like
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Hi,

Are you using the AIO v4.5 board?

Would I put the UM981 on the headers that are normally the “Moving Base”?

Thanks

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I’m using the 4.5 micro with a um982
Setup the 981 the same as f9p

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Have you tested this with dual yet?

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I didn’t get it working in the short time limit I had

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I’ll take another shot at it this spring

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Hey!

I am curious about your firmware for the Virtual WAS and wanted to bench test it myself.

When I uploaded it to the Teensy, in AgIO I was not getting the “green box” from the F9p.

This is on the AIO v4.5 board, the RTK LED was not red after uploading your firmware.

Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks,
Davis

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Keep us updated id like to know how this preforms :+1::crossed_fingers:

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Motor model: I bought the KY173DD01005-08-v1 (V4.0)
Encoder: 17-bit multi-turn absolute encoder
Is it available?