Helicopter/Howard Community College/Fall 2011/501 Helicopter

Week 0 Activities

Give instructor top 3 project choice list

For my third project, I chose my top three preferences in the exact order. 1. Helicopter 2. Illuminate Clothing 3. Cavitation

Write problem statement

I chose to stay with the same project once again. This time i am continuing on working with the Arduino Uno and a DC Motor. I will try to retrace the professor's stimulation of an Arduino Duemilanove with a ESC computer and a motor.

Assign Task 1

I will continue working with the motor shield and try to solve my problem with why the DC Motor is not working with the code i am trying given provided by ladyada.net

Week 1 Activities

Compare actual work done to Task 1

After the demonstration, I wanted to incline more on working with a motor and an ESC with the Arduino just like the professor showed in class as a demonstration. So this week I stopped working with the motor shield and started to work on a motor that i had to put together and connect an ESC to it. Well working with the motor brought up some frustration since i have never before worked with a motor yet alone put one together.

Week 1 Narrative

So in my first week, i was given a brand new Hacker Brushless Motor A10 13L and a brand new ES Thunderbird 9. So as i started working with the motor, i noticed that the manual did not teach you by steps how to put the motor together. So i researched online under this motor and i found a few websites, the most helpful was [[1]] were i found the actyal motor online and what it includes incase i might be missing something. Also, i found a really helpful website with an actual image of my ESC that im using with a motor and how it is setup [[2]] In addition, I also found on the web another guy who is using a very similar motor with the same ESC and I plan on using this image sort of as a guide for what my connections should look like [[3]].

Motor Parts Ready for Assembly

Motor Put Together

ESC Thunderbird 9

Motor and ESC

I also ran across an issue. I have three wires from the ESC; a white, red, and black wire. On my motor I also have three wires but none of them are labeled nor colored to show which wires I should connect together. I looked online but was not able to find anything and the closest I got to finding an answer is the link #2 where it shows the wiring of the ESC and a motor. In addtion to this, I want to bring up in engineering class of how I should come along with mounting this motor on a board. The reason being is that as you can see by the picture, it looks like what I will have to do is create a hole on a piece of wood that way the bottom of the motor will basically be inside the wood and only the propellers will be sticking out and visible. Maybe hearing what my classmates have to say I might be able to come up with a better solution.

Week 1 Peer Review

I added good reviews on my classmates wiki pages and i am also up to date with what they are doing as far as our new project on this team.

Assign Task 2

For my next task over the weekend I plan on testing the wires to see if i have connected the wires to each other correctly. I will also mount these parts to a 2"by4" piece of wood that way i wont loose anything and will make my work easier.

Week 2 Activities

Compare actual work done to Task 2

For my second week, I proposed my problem to the class during a presentation. That problem was that I did not not if it mattered what 3 wires I would connect from the motor which has 3 wires and the ESC which also has 3 wires. So in class, the professor told me it did not matter because the ESC programs itself to know which wire is which when it is connected and powered. So using but splices, I connected the wires together and mounted this onto my board. But at first I mounted the motor onto the board, and as you read from week one I would have to make a hole through the board in order to get my motor on. So I did that, I drilled a whole through a board in order for my motor to spin freely on it without being disrupted or contacted. I didnt use any screws to keep the motor in place, what I used was epoxy, which I mixed carefully and applied to the motor, and I let it set for a few hours before it hardened. Now the motor will not come off at all, which is what I wanted from the beginning. Next I had to mount the ESC to the board, and to do this i would have to drill 2 small holes and strap the ESC to the board, the only problem is that I do not have a drill at home so I will drill these holes in the class room. In addition, im also adding the Arduino to the board and I will strap it onto the board, not glue it. Rationalize differences

Week 2 Narrative

After letting the epoxy set, I connected the motor and ESC, as you can see in the pictures. I only have a small problem but nothing major, I will have to take the but splice off the red cable because it doesnt give that much room for the motor's wire to go in. That I will take care of in class since it is nothing major and only takes a few seconds. I also took a picture of the Arduino on the board just to have the sense of exactly how my project is going to look like and how my wiring is going to be set up. I now also need to strap the Arduino onto the board so that is more holes that I now need to make on the board and again I will strap the Arduino just as i will with the ESC.

Motor and Board

Motor/ESC and Board

Motor, ESC, and Arduino

Week2 Peer Review

I looked at both of my team mates wiki pages on Sunday and I found nothing under their second week. I added on their discussion pages that I didnt see anything and saved that on their page.

Assign Task 3

For my next task, I will plan on getting some current over to the ESC to see if it will power the ESC. The ESC should make a noise if the wires are connected to each other correctly. I will also strap the Arduino onto the board and proceed with my attempt to mock the professor's project.

Week 3 Activities

Compare actual work done to Task 3

Rationalize differences

Week 3 Narrative

Upload photos to wikimedia. Upload video to youtube. Convert all spreadsheets, documents, and presentations to wiki format and create wiki subpage of your page for each of them. Link to them here in a narrative that tells a story. High light the problems (engineering problems) you had and how you solved them.

Week 3 Peer Review

Go to each team mates weekly summary wiki page. Read their activities and narrative. Then go the associated discussion page. Say something positive on this page. Try some constructive criticism. Add your name and a signature ~~~~ by entering four tildes in a row to create a time and date stamp. Create a new category if another team mate has already commented here.

Assign Task 4

Record what you are planning on doing for the team during the weekend between week 3 and week 4 of the project here.

Week 4 Activities

Compare actual work done to Task 4

Rationalize differences

Week 4 Narrative

Upload photos to wikimedia. Upload video to youtube. Convert all spreadsheets, documents, and presentations to wiki format and create wiki subpage of your page for each of them. Link to them here in a narrative that tells a story. High light the problems (engineering problems) you had and how you solved them.

Week 4 Peer Review

Go to each team mates weekly summary wiki page. Read their activities and narrative. Then go the associated discussion page. Say something positive on this page. Try some constructive criticism. Add your name and a signature ~~~~ by entering four tildes in a row to create a time and date stamp. Create a new category if another team mate has already commented here.

Complete Project Page

Follow the "project done" format.

Start Next Project Week 0 activities

During this week you will perform the Week 0 activities of the next project.