aheadbehind

I'm new to Max and I'm working on a project where I want Max to send servo motor control data out the USB port of my Macbook Pro. I've looked around and can't find a Max object that will output data straight out my USB port (in whatever format I want). The serial object is not going to work well since it requires a USB to serial adaptor and my motor control board (where the data is headed) receives USB.

The closest thing that I've found so far is the Making Things mc.usb object, but this only speaks OSC and my control board has its own protocol.

Anyone know of a generic USB output object or someone who could write one for me?

usb-object-for-servo-motor-control

> I'm new to Max and I'm working on a project where I want Max to send

> servo motor control data out the USB port of my Macbook Pro. I've

> looked around and can't find a Max object that will output data

> straight out my USB port (in whatever format I want). The serial

> object is not going to work well since it requires a USB to serial

> adaptor and my motor control board (where the data is headed)

It is likely, that the USB interface for your motors is nothing else

than a USB to serial converter. These electronic guys don't know

Does serial see the interface? Did you try?

> Anyone know of a generic USB output object or someone who could write

If there would be something like that, you still need to know all the

Jack West schrieb:
> I'm new to Max and I'm working on a project where I want Max to send
> servo motor control data out the USB port of my Macbook Pro. I've
> looked around and can't find a Max object that will output data
> straight out my USB port (in whatever format I want). The serial
> object is not going to work well since it requires a USB to serial
> adaptor and my motor control board (where the data is headed)
> receives USB.

It is likely, that the USB interface for your motors is nothing else
than a USB to serial converter. These electronic guys don't know
anything else than serial (usually...;-)
Does serial see the interface? Did you try?

> Anyone know of a generic USB output object or someone who could write
> one for me?

If there would be something like that, you still need to know all the
glory details of the communication...

-- 
Stefan Tiedje------------x-------
--_____-----------|--------------
--(_|_ ----|-----|-----()-------
-- _|_)----|-----()--------------
----------()--------www.ccmix.com

Thanks for the input. I have not tried the serial object yet as the control board USB implementation is currently under development. But this is a great suggestion. I'll discuss with the company designing the board and see if they can figure out a way to have the serial object see the board as a serial port.

Do you saw this?
http://www.makingthings.com


Yes. Thank you. I've already got a control board under development. I'm hoping that the control board will be able to communicate directly with the serial object.

I think it should, I used USB with the Arduino and Max saw it just fine. At that level it's not really Max anyway, as I understand it, the FTID (sp?) drivers allow the operating system to see/use the ports, so then Max piggybacks on that via the serial object... of course that's a simplification, but that's the whole point of using preexisting code/drivers/hardware. :)

Some issues I ran into were based upon sending and receiving indexed lists---being able to parse through them at either end was a little tricky, as you get the "carriage return" and "new line" ASCII characters in addition to the raw data. (Probably there is a different way to do this.) However, I just selected out ASCII 10 and 13 and things were fine at the Max end.

I'd like to do some servo stuff via the Arduino, to control a disco ball's speed and direction for my band :) am working on it.... What servos are you using, and where should I look to buy something inexpensive that could support handgng a moderately heavy disco ball from it? Thanks!

I think it should, I used USB with the Arduino and Max saw it just fine. At that level it's not really Max anyway, as I understand it, the FTID (sp?) drivers allow the operating system to see/use the ports, so then Max piggybacks on that via the serial object... of course that's a simplification, but that's the whole point of using preexisting code/drivers/hardware.  :)

I'd like to do some servo stuff via the Arduino, to control a disco ball's speed and direction for my band  :)  am working on it.... What servos are you using, and where should I look to buy something inexpensive that could support handgng a moderately heavy disco ball from it? Thanks!

Thanks for the heads up on ASCII issues. I'm going to be getting the first beta control board soon, so I'll keep an eye out for this kind of thing.

I'm using some high-end Maxon motors as my application is very demanding in terms of torque. However, you should be able to get by with any low-cost hobby servo. Try googling or searching around some of the hobby supply houses. You may also want to check out the Yost Engineering controller:

http://tech.yostengineering.com/servoFolder/

USB Object for Servo Motor Control