Any Robotic/electronic/control gurus here?

[mopar_mudder]

I am completely new to motor controls so forgive me if it sounds like I don't know what I am talking about, because I probably don't. And it is way off topic for here but I thought someone might know something or know of a good place to ask.

I need a motor to control something that I am building. I need to be able to control it with an IR remote. I need to have 7 programmed positions in it that can be called up by the remote. Hit a button on the remote and it goes to the preprogrammed position, so it needs to know where it is starting from.

Also if possible I would like it to have some sort of speed control when starting and stopping. So it would ramp up to full RPM when starting and ramps down when stopping.

I could run it off a PC and then have the PC recieve the IR commands and tell it what to do.

To give you and idea I am using a hacked and modified TV antenna rotor to do this now.

Specs the motor needs to meet:
20 RPM Max (would like to use some sort of gear motor)
50 pound inch of torque (min)
Needs to beable to hold 15 pound inch of force when not running


Seems like a gear motor would be a good choice but don't know if a stepper gear motor is a common thing. Other wise a gear motor with a position control would be another option. I could put the parts that I took out of the rotor control on to a gear motor and make it work but I was looking for a little more elegant solution.

Any ideas to get me going in the right direction would great.

 

[wesalbert]

Just throwing things out there.
Look at an Arduino board Arduino - Hardware
and look for a project that involves servos.

I think that would be your best bet, but depends if your up to learning a new programming language.

 

[wesalbert]

can you use microswitches for your 7 positions? To tell if it has reached a position or not?

 

[Ironhead]

is this an ac or dc motor ,,actually for either one you can use a VFD (variable frequency drive ),,depending on how you set it up you can stop and start it at different speeds and positions ,,the bad thing is they are not cheap and the more functions you want the higher the price

 

[mopar_mudder]

can you use microswitches for your 7 positions? To tell if it has reached a position or not?

I could if need be but would be nice not to have to do that.

 

[mopar_mudder]

is this an ac or dc motor ,,actually for either one you can use a VFD (variable frequency drive ),,depending on how you set it up you can stop and start it at different speeds and positions ,,the bad thing is they are not cheap and the more functions you want the higher the price

Don't have a motor yet so can go either way. Cheap is what I want, cheaper the better

From my reading a stepper motor with a gear box would do what I want, and the motors don't seam to be to bad of price. But I have no clue what to do with the controller and programming part of it.

 

[Ironhead]

Don't have a motor yet so can go either way. Cheap is what I want, cheaper the better

From my reading a stepper motor with a gear box would do what I want, and the motors don't seam to be to bad of price. But I have no clue what to do with the controller and programming part of it.

the problem you will run into is there are a bunch of different controllers that do the same thing but the programing for them is not them same for each manufacturer ,,each one has their own setup and programming ..basically there is no standard program ,,,most have the manuals online so if you buy a used one and research the maker you can find what you are looking for