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    PWM Servo IO Board

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    • Zachary Lowell 0Z
      Zachary Lowell 0 ModalAI Team
      last edited by

      @valvarez said in PWM Servo IO Board:

      @valvarez that is correct you should power your servo from another power source capable if giving off 5V - if the servo has an operational range though of 3.3-5 then you can power it from the IO board.

      Thanks
      Zach

      VinnyV 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • VinnyV
        Vinny ModalAI Team @Zachary Lowell 0
        last edited by

        Hi @Zachary-Lowell-0 , @valvarez
        ModalAI has no design capable of powering servos directly.
        Every servo requires independent power.

        Thanks!

        V 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • V
          valvarez @Vinny
          last edited by

          @Vinny Thanks @Zachary-Lowell-0 @Vinny !!

          V 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • V
            valvarez @valvarez
            last edited by valvarez

            @valvarez Hello everyone!
            I have received the IO Board, but I can't find a way to connect it to the Sentinel. I understand that you have to follow the connections in this image, but I'm not sure.
            Could you give me some light?
            Thank you!
            alt text

            I understand that the connection indicated goes on those 4 pins, but this sensor is already connected.
            4BA03A0C-E880-4EA7-8762-5998EFE49316.jpg

            4DB7F3EB-1994-4647-A394-59A3C95E019E(1)(1).jpg

            Eric KatzfeyE 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • Eric KatzfeyE
              Eric Katzfey ModalAI Team @valvarez
              last edited by

              @valvarez The IO board was created to allow builders of custom drones who need to use PWM ESCs and / or SBUS RC units to be able to connect to a VOXL 2 which has neither PWM nor the ability to configure UARTs for SBUS. So, for example, if you wanted to use PWM ESCs instead of our UART based ESC then you would attach the IO board to the UART that normally is connected to the ESC. Or, for RC, you would connect (as in that diagram) to the UART that normally is connected to an RC receiver. If you still want to use our ESC, the current RC and GPS then you don't have a spare UART for the IO board. One possible way to do this would be to move the GPS from it's current connector to a UART on the applications processor side and then attach the IO board to the UART that has the GPS now. This would require an add-on board that exposes such a UART.

              V 3 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • V
                valvarez @Eric Katzfey
                last edited by

                @Eric-Katzfey Thank you very much for the response. The kit I have purchased is the most complete one here: https://www.modalai.com/products/voxl2-io?variant=40905411035187
                Would what you mention be possible with this hardware?

                Eric KatzfeyE 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • Eric KatzfeyE
                  Eric Katzfey ModalAI Team @valvarez
                  last edited by

                  @valvarez That is the IO board. Yes, that's part of what I was talking about. Perhaps I don't quite understand your question. I would suggest creating a wiring diagram of your proposed system and including that in this thread. We can take a look and see if looks feasible. What you are proposing is a customization to the platform that we have never attempted so the best we can do is to take a look at your proposed design and provide some feedback on it.

                  V 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • V
                    valvarez @Eric Katzfey
                    last edited by

                    @Eric-Katzfey First of all, thank you for your patience.
                    My intention is to be able to connect a servo that allows a load to be released during the flight based on a signal sent by the VOXL itself (we will be connected to the drone through MAVLINK)
                    Seeing that there was no possibility of connecting a servo to the VOXL, I purchased the IO Board, to which I would connect the servo.
                    The thing is that when I see the connection diagram of the IO Board, I see that it is connected to a connector already used in the VOXL.
                    Is there any option that the device that is connected to the IO Board location can be connected to the IO Board, maintaining the option of using the RC that is supplied with the Sentinel and having the extra of being able to connect a deployment servo?

                    Or failing that, if I wanted to send a signal through Mavlink to be able to release a load through a servo, what would the operation be like?

                    Thank you so much

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • V
                      valvarez @Eric Katzfey
                      last edited by

                      @Eric-Katzfey I think it has to do with this: https://forum.modalai.com/topic/1826/voxl-2-i-o-and-gps
                      Is it possible to connect the IO Board in parallel with the GPS connection?

                      Eric KatzfeyE 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • Eric KatzfeyE
                        Eric Katzfey ModalAI Team @valvarez
                        last edited by

                        @valvarez No, you cannot connect two separate devices to the same UART.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • V
                          valvarez @Eric Katzfey
                          last edited by

                          This post is deleted!
                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • V
                            valvarez @Eric Katzfey
                            last edited by

                            @Eric-Katzfey said in PWM Servo IO Board:

                            @valvarez The IO board was created to allow builders of custom drones who need to use PWM ESCs and / or SBUS RC units to be able to connect to a VOXL 2 which has neither PWM nor the ability to configure UARTs for SBUS. So, for example, if you wanted to use PWM ESCs instead of our UART based ESC then you would attach the IO board to the UART that normally is connected to the ESC. Or, for RC, you would connect (as in that diagram) to the UART that normally is connected to an RC receiver. If you still want to use our ESC, the current RC and GPS then you don't have a spare UART for the IO board. One possible way to do this would be to move the GPS from it's current connector to a UART on the applications processor side and then attach the IO board to the UART that has the GPS now. This would require an add-on board that exposes such a UART.

                            Understood. And could you give me the reference of the add-on board to expose that UART?

                            Eric KatzfeyE 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • Eric KatzfeyE
                              Eric Katzfey ModalAI Team @valvarez
                              last edited by

                              @valvarez Some examples include: https://www.modalai.com/collections/expansion-board/products/m0151?variant=47083939791152 and https://www.modalai.com/products/m0141?variant=46829445513520

                              V 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • V
                                valvarez @Eric Katzfey
                                last edited by

                                @Eric-Katzfey I already understood what you mean. What if that connector to which we connect the board that exposes the UART is occupied by the Sierra 5G Modem?
                                https://www.modalai.com/products/mdk-m0090?variant=40594936463411
                                I see in the datasheet that the J9 connector is a UART/i2c. Could the GPS be connected here to free it from the VOXL 2?
                                I'm starting to see the light...
                                Thanks @Eric-Katzfey 🙏

                                modaltbM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • modaltbM
                                  modaltb ModalAI Team @valvarez
                                  last edited by

                                  @valvarez

                                  A bit hidden but it's /dev/ttyHS2

                                  https://docs.modalai.com/voxl2-linux-user-guide/#devttyhs2---hsb2b-connector-uart

                                  We ship a little helper tool that you can do a loop back test real quick if you make a cable that shorts pins 2/3:

                                  qrb5165io-uart-test -d /dev/ttyHS2
                                  
                                  V 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • V
                                    valvarez @modaltb
                                    last edited by

                                    @modaltb I don't think what you're telling me is useful to me, or I haven't understood you correctly.
                                    That connector that you tell me is occupied by the M0090 -5g Add-on board, since it is a Sentinel with 5G.
                                    My question is if there is a connector in that add-on to put the GPS and thus free up the VOXL connector where the IO Board will be connected.

                                    tomT 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • tomT
                                      tom admin @valvarez
                                      last edited by

                                      @valvarez In the link that Travis shared you can see that the UART is exposed on J9 of the M0090 add-on board: "M0090 - 5G Add-On Board J9 Pins 2/3 (Tx/Rx)"

                                      V 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • V
                                        valvarez @tom
                                        last edited by

                                        @tom @modaltb I had not understood the nomenclature, but with what you have told me I understood it. Thank you so much!!!

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                                        • V
                                          valvarez @modaltb
                                          last edited by

                                          @modaltb
                                          Hello.
                                          I have tried this command following what you mentioned and it doesn't work.
                                          Is there anything special I have to try?
                                          Is it possible to connect the IO Board to the UART /dev/ttyHS2 taking this into account in the firmware update bash script?
                                          WhatsApp Image 2025-02-14 at 18.46.24.jpeg WhatsApp Image 2025-02-14 at 18.46.26.jpeg
                                          03b6bbbf-7d37-4977-a3ce-712c6ecc54a3-image.png

                                          Alex KushleyevA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • Alex KushleyevA
                                            Alex Kushleyev ModalAI Team @valvarez
                                            last edited by

                                            @valvarez , the usage for the test tool is as follows:

                                            voxl2:/$ qrb5165io-uart-test -h
                                            Description: runs hardware loopback test on specified bus
                                            
                                            Usage: qrb5165io-uart-test
                                            
                                                -d <device ID> (eg 3 for /dev/ttyHS3)
                                            

                                            So you should run your test as:

                                            voxl2:/$ qrb5165io-uart-test -d 2
                                            [INFO]: success!
                                            
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