Project Journals > RossW
Tracker Controller
Wolvenar:
Just so we are on the same page.
Are you thinking along the lines of an antenna like wire with it's lower part inside of a pipe, with a ball of some sort on top thats just large enough to catch the proper amount of wind.
When there is enough wind to flex the wire into the pipe a connection is made.
The PIC would need some logic for how many times this needs to happen or not happen over a certain time period to change between the park, and normal operations.
Am I anywhere close?
rossw:
--- Quote from: Wolvenar on July 17, 2012, 08:03:34 pm ---Just so we are on the same page.
Are you thinking along the lines of an antenna like wire with it's lower part inside of a pipe, with a ball of some sort on top thats just large enough to catch the proper amount of wind.
When there is enough wind to flex the wire into the pipe a connection is made.
The PIC would need some logic for how many times this needs to happen or not happen over a certain time period to change between the park, and normal operations.
Am I anywhere close?
--- End quote ---
Thats about exactly what I was thinking, yes.
ksouers:
Ross,
How about thinking a little more like a CNC mill or lathe?
Say, a Gecko driver board and some NEMA 23 stepper motors and toothed belt drive. You'll need some sort of positioning sensor, like you say maybe a pot and an AD converter or even an encoder for a feedback loop.
All readily available and reasonably cheap.
Simple plot for a curve, say about 20-30 points, should put you very close.
Program says "It's 10:15AM, where should I be?", look at the pre-plotted table and go there.
Kevin
rossw:
--- Quote from: ksouers on July 17, 2012, 10:03:52 pm ---Ross,
How about thinking a little more like a CNC mill or lathe?
--- End quote ---
*WAY* more expensive and complicated than the vast majority of people want/need.
MOST people just use a conventional linear actuator. They're cheap, weatherproof already, and designed for the job. Don't require any fooling around.
The controller board I've already got 5 or 6 of them around my place, running 24/7 for more than a year.
I've got 30 or 40 of them out on other sites also running 24/7, in all sorts of environments, and have never had one fail. Only ever had one that has spontaneously rebooted (although I'm still not sure it wasn't something else that caused that). That's the sort of reliability I want. And for under $60 for the board, there are not too many other options around that include ethernet.
tomw:
the Sat jacks have encoders on them or all mine have. Either a microswitch or a mag pickup. So feedback is possible with those.
I am currently using time based tracking track 8 seconds every hour between my shade areas. I don't get as many hours of sun as I would like but trees grow and create shade. The curse of living "in" the timber.:o
Tom
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