knotian

Controlling more than 8 motors in large display

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Each IR receiver uses 4 frequencies,each receiver controls 2 motors.

Is there any way to remotely control more motors in a model and stay completely Lego?

I'm guessing I could add two powered up train motors and a controller, but I don't want to use short life batteries on a large display. I use rechargeable batteries always plugged in.

 

 

Edited by knotian

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hello,

there is a difference between controlling:

- more than 8 motors individually

- controlling more than 8 functions based on a max of 8 motors

With gear box you could imagine 1 motor for shifting 7 gearbox dispatching up to 14 functions.

Look at 8043 setup, maybe it may help ;)

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I need more than 8 motors. The display is spaced over a 12 x 6 baseplate area. The biggest moving model has 4 motors. The rest are scattered over the area. I can use switches for some.

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So you have multiple models with multiple motors spaced over a relatively large area? Do you want to control all the models remotely at the same time? Can any of it be automated (like multiple modules of a car factory) or do you need full control (like battlebots)?

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2 hours ago, knotian said:

Each IR receiver uses 4 frequencies,each receiver controls 2 motors.

Is there any way to remotely control more motors in a model and stay completely Lego?

I'm guessing I could add two powered up train motors and a controller, but I don't want to use short life batteries on a large display. I use rechargeable batteries always plugged in.

 

 

 

How about this all LEGO solution with PUP to get more battery life and power?   You can also do things with Mindstorm to control multiple motors.

 

 

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Hi,

you colud use PoweredUp, each controller can handle 5 hubs with two outputs , but there might be more than one controller to use different networks.

But: number of type of motors is only three of them.

 

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I'm interested to see what a mammoth display this is! I think it would be possible to achieve full control by connecting motorised switches to the receiver outputs.

@Sariel diagrammed a similar set-up here at 9:00 :

Although I'm not entirely sure those two particular examples work, as I think an IR receiver is "on" no matter what position any preceding switch is in.

I believe you could instead use all 4 receivers followed by X switches (one for each of X motors) connected to 6 of the outputs. The two remaining outputs and motors would be used to operate said switches. This allows 2 motors on each of 6 outputs, a total of 12. If the switches were operated via one of the various stepper type mechanisms developed for mechanical gearboxes, I think up to 4 motors could be run off one output, increasing the total to 24! The drawbacks: you need miles of wiring and the control system would be mind-boggling. It's just a theory; I have no idea how practical or useful it is, as I have no experience of this scale.

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Thank you all!!!

I had forgotten to think "outside the box". I can use the IR for the moving models ( 8 motors), switches for as many as I need PF for and then, if necessary, use my EV3 with touch sensors as on off switches utilizing the Mindstorm motors that I have. That should do it. I just completely ignored the possibility of mixed Mindstorm/PF environment.

ColletArrow - It is a Blast Furnace and skip hoist, with associated Coke facility, Blower motor and hot air furnaces, a ore ship unloader (see my Hulett posts) a Bessemer furnace, Overhead crane, various conveyors. The Hulett and Overhead crane will use up the IR capabilities.

Again Thanks to you all:classic:

Ed

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Not to mention that if you don't need some of the motors to turn in both directions, you could implement a direction splitter with a differential, meaning one direction turns one output and the other direction turns another output.

 

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