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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby rustyjames » 03 Jun 2015, 23:49

Did I mention that I have no RC experience :oops: ? It might be possible that because of my limited hand function I'm not able to set the Omni into joystick calibration mode because It's difficult for me to push the setting button and the power button at the same time, as the instructions indicate.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby woodygb » 04 Jun 2015, 00:05

I'm no expert on the OMNI ....have you read the OMNI Manual?

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/pdf-files/omni.pdf

Just read your previous post ...that could be the problem....
BUT I have only ever seen one OMNI ...and that was the one B.M. lent me...so my experience is very limited.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby rustyjames » 04 Jun 2015, 00:27

I'll go over the Omni manual and your instructions again. But it should work without having a joystick pod connected to the controller, correct? To clarify, I unplug the j/s pod and plug in Omni/interface in its place.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby rustyjames » 06 Jun 2015, 22:20

Woody, good news, I got it working! I had another Omni so I hooked it up and after playing around with settings for awhile it fired up. So I'm very happy :D . I must say it works very nice and smooth too! Thanks!
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby woodygb » 06 Jun 2015, 23:12

Excellent! :)
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby mous3 » 13 Jun 2015, 22:15

Id just like to say my Vr2 is still a joy to drive via my radio control gear shame I cant replicate the control I get from Rc direct off the joystick
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby woodygb » 13 Jun 2015, 23:01

Have you setup the RC with exponential output etc to make it better for you ...or is it just the RC joystick itself with lighter springs that makes control easier?
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby mous3 » 13 Jun 2015, 23:05

I have exponential on my Rc but full throws +/-100%
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby woodygb » 13 Jun 2015, 23:07

I'd like to try and identify what makes the RC control a joy to use as compared to the standard VR2 joystick.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby mous3 » 13 Jun 2015, 23:28

1 I know how to programme my rc gear I'm stuck s I cant right or read the controller for some reason its not password protected and I did it before once.
2 the spring pressure is next to zero on the rc good for dislocating thumbs.
3 you can drive left or right handed at the flick of a switch no tools needed.
mostly its the programing the Vr2 with the p&g software I need to learn and fast as my new chair is on its way and I can guarantee it will dive badly the vr2 will operate as my attendant control so I will still have my rc unit but with new 8 week old puppy I will have my lap full for the next few months. then my nephew is getting to the age where he needs a ride but is not big enough for a buggy board on the back
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby Burgerman » 14 Jun 2015, 01:51

I'd like to try and identify what makes the RC control a joy to use as compared to the standard VR2 joystick.


She uses expo, so the centre of the sticks travel is not very sensitive. I do too, when driving by RC, to smooth it out with an empty chair, but prefer not to have it if sat in the chair as its too "vague" around neutral for accurate rapid correction.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby mous3 » 14 Jun 2015, 07:56

Burgerman wrote:
I'd like to try and identify what makes the RC control a joy to use as compared to the standard VR2 joystick.


She uses expo, so the centre of the sticks travel is not very sensitive. I do too, when driving by RC, to smooth it out with an empty chair, but prefer not to have it if sat in the chair as its too "vague" around neutral for accurate rapid correction.


yep spot on but only 8% on left and right as the shop rider is only 40cm center of rear wheels to front caster I make going in a straight line easyer
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby Burgerman » 14 Jun 2015, 10:11

I make going in a straight line easyer


That shouldn't be a problem. You need:
Turn rate (low and high turn speed) setting lower.
And...
Turn acceleration, turn deceleration, min turn acc, min turn acceleration, all set to 100.

And if it wanders, increase motor compensation with care... It can run away.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby gcebiker » 21 Oct 2015, 05:34

Hi woody,

I have one of these VSI joystick controllers on my backup/traveling folding chair that runs on RC car hard cells packs.

Could i purchase - cable/arduino combo ?
Could i then stick the Nintendo Wii Receiver on it and drive it with a Wii Nunchuck ? I'll just add to your sketch (for receiver).

While i am working out the Shark Bus, i may as well get started on the sensor thing too.
Ive some GCDuiNode's here and a bunch of RF24 modules, i could work on the 'avoid scraping walls' project.

Cheers
Tony
Gold Coast, Australia
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby gcebiker » 21 Oct 2015, 05:47

Oh, happy co-incidence...your VSI chair has the same joystick as the Qlogic (JC2000), you did point that out the other day but it slipped my mind.

I can plug it into the Qlogic and check as you requested at the same time as i do the VSI
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby gcebiker » 08 Nov 2015, 14:37

Woody, Got your package on Friday.

If the rain holds off and i can get to my garage with out getting a short...ill hook it up to the folding chair with JC2000
What pics are you looking for and did you want any video ?
http://greenmobility.com.au/rc-wheelchair-controller/
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby woodygb » 08 Nov 2015, 18:50

Anything that you can document about the procedure would be helpful.
Cheers Woody.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby gcebiker » 22 Nov 2015, 13:10

Video of Woddy's Smartphone Bluetooth wheelchair controller.

This is my travel chair that runs on car RC Batteries, hard case packs.

The range on my phones bluetooth is quite short , hence holding the Arduino/bluetooth module up with a bit of fishing rod.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSqNKhaaMpg
http://greenmobility.com.au/rc-wheelchair-controller/
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby Burgerman » 22 Nov 2015, 13:26

For slow chairs, and close by, BT will be OK. Say for loading into a van, or moving one room to another.

For anything heavy, or faster, or further than about 50 feet I wouldn't trust BT alone. Esp bad if the antennas are low down or surrounded by metalwork as on a powerchair. Like driving up and down your street for fun. I think its too much. Most phone or embedded device BT is limited to and expected to be used under 10 meters.

Using my signal boosted/modded RC system, which are much easier to control than a phone by the way, I get around half a mile through buildings and cars etc in heavily congested built up areas.
And around 4 to 6 miles in the air. (Yes powerchair don't fly very well, but my Quadcopter and Airplanes do!)

See here: http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/12x.htm
With a 2 watt WIFI booster added. Now upgraded to a 3 watt booster which is slightly "over run" to give around 4 watts RF output.

That's with a DSMX system. A high sensitivity encoded Transmitter/Receiver using dual channel, wide band, while simultaneously frequency hopping across all 23 channels. And using 4x receivers for better reception and in different planes (polarities), to also cover null areas/multipath errors etc.

The BM2 and BM3 use this system with 4 DSMX spektrum receivers in different places on the chair to be "seen" from all angles. inc one high up in the backrest where theres no metal. And one behind plastic rear lights.
And so no dangers/problems around the town a long way away, inside metal shelled vehicles etc. And huge range.

The problem with 2.4ghz today is that *everything* has decided to use the free band. Its so congested its unreal. E.g. Here alone in my own house, 2 phones, wireless network router using wide band, door camera using a wide band and on 100% of the time (high pulsewidth percentage), BT on desktop computer and laptop, wireless network on laptop, phones, and carers phones using BT and wireless, 3 chargers use BT to communicate to my PC always powered, my RC planes systems intermittently, even my gopro and my Nikon cameras use it to send pics to PC, and my vans OBDII is always on and left plugged in. Then there's the microwave which pukes out about 4 times more pure noise over the whole band, and a wireless repeater in the hallway... My alarm system (12 more devices), and a baby alarm I use to talk to carers. And almost every house is the same.

How many 2.4 sources in a typical street? Probably 100!

You need to have a strong secure setup for safe powerchair control, they are heavy, and will run into cars, the inside of your van/house or a person before the failsafe can stop it.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby Jamona » 27 Nov 2015, 16:40

@ Woody: To be able to interface the wheelchair, it's enough to send the appropriate voltage to the SPEED and DIRECTION pin? With an AnalogWrite?
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby Burgerman » 27 Nov 2015, 16:59

Should be. That's how my old non digital RC interface works for 15 years.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby BOGGIT » 11 Dec 2015, 17:12

Hi
Has any one perfected a plug and play unit that a RC dummie like me could fit ?
We have a Alber A10 Adventure
Cheers in advance
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby Burgerman » 11 Dec 2015, 17:56

Well yes. But that depends on your definition of dummy!
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby woodygb » 11 Dec 2015, 18:17

I have recently installed a R/C interface on a Alber E motion ...
This was for the "Army" as part of an inter dept challenge that involved building a remote control mobile platform with a spud gun attached.

The Alber joystick ... on this ...was a different model type to that used by Penny and Giles ...still a JC2000 but has an opposite sense on the X,Y axis necessitating the use of an additional piggy backed digipot.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby BOGGIT » 11 Dec 2015, 18:29

Burgerman wrote:Well yes. But that depends on your definition of dummy!

That would be me lol as never done a thing RC other than a small boat kit when I was a kid ( long time ago lol )

At the moment use the chair with the control at the back to get our son out and about when walking the dogs
The position is far from used friendly, and was wondering about RC as an alternative, but having no experience of conversation was looking for a reliable plug and play unit

woodygb wrote:I have recently installed a R/C interface on a Alber E motion ...
This was for the "Army" as part of an inter dept challenge that involved building a remote control mobile platform with a spud gun attached.

The Alber joystick ... on this ...was a different model type to that used by Penny and Giles ...still a JC2000 but has an opposite sense on the X,Y axis necessitating the use of an additional piggy backed digipot.


Most of that went way over my head lol as I say I'm total beginner at this sort of thing lol
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby Burgerman » 11 Dec 2015, 18:36

Well you dont need to be a rocket scientist (are rockt scientists really that clever?). But you do need some basic skills and understanding, as while its kind of plug and play its not exactly user freindly to set up or install.

Find yourself a hobbyist. That said I wouldnt want to rely on this as a control system wih a human on board if they were not able to hit a stop button in case anything fails.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby woodygb » 11 Dec 2015, 18:37

Well ...I can make something that is fairly simple IF you don't require remote ON/OFF and don't mind taking the joystick pod apart.

NOTE installation also requires the cutting of a small nick in the plastic of the joystick pod to allow a 6mm/1/4" cable to enter/exit.

Also note that control via Android phone is available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0selHNr ... e=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSqNKhaaMpg

But as B.M. say's this is NOT intended for driving someone about via remote control.... but is really for moving an EMPTY chair.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby BOGGIT » 11 Dec 2015, 19:04

Am fine with anything engineering wise just US at electronics
What is the main concerns with using RC with a passenger on board ?
Wouldn't be further than 10feet away just to give the passenger more personal space while out and about
Or would it be better to get a longer cable ? Just that the controls are a bit bulky to hold and operate
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby Burgerman » 11 Dec 2015, 19:10

Well in the event of a radio signal being blocked, if set up correctly it just stops. But in the event of some electrical failure of something odd happening with phone software, or the code or hardware in WoodyGBs RC interface, its possible that you could get a runaway chair. Backwards, forwards, spinning, possibly under a bus.

Its very unlikely. But theres always some possibility. Never happened to me yet. I drove my dog, and exGF miles like that, as well as empty chairs. But it remains a tiny possibility. So its best that any occupant knows this and has a stop button just in case.
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Re: Plug & Play PGDT for Radio Control

Postby ex-Gooserider » 22 Dec 2015, 08:05

As BM said, the potential for a 'runaway' in any form if something goes wrong... Radio interference, controller hardware failure, etc... An 'attendant stick' at least will (if working properly) return to zero giving an immediate stop if you let go of it - awkward at times, but safe....

ANY sort of RC control removes that (though some controllers do stop on signal loss) so our standing recommendation is that one should NEVER use RC on an occupied chair UNLESS the occupant has the physical and mental capabilities of operating an emergency kill switch 100% reliably...

ex-Gooserider


BOGGIT wrote:Am fine with anything engineering wise just US at electronics
What is the main concerns with using RC with a passenger on board ?
Wouldn't be further than 10feet away just to give the passenger more personal space while out and about
Or would it be better to get a longer cable ? Just that the controls are a bit bulky to hold and operate
T-5, ASIA-B
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