Please help me - school project!!

[ineedhelp123]

Hey guys im doing a school project and need your help on the electronics side. I just dont get any of it

Basically, i'm making a plane which tilts left and right (to emulate air flight). The circuit will drive a motor, which turns some gears, which then pulls down a hook. There are two of these mechanisms on both sides. this is what i need help with:

1. The switch is pressed
2. motor spins for 1. - left wing moves down
3. motor spins for 2. - left wing moves up, right wing moves down
4. this is repeared until button is stopped
5. there is a 5 second time difference between the movements

I have no idea how I could go about doing this. I need to use these components:

555 astable timer
motor
pulley hook thing
gears


Im using the normal components such as resistors etc etc

Here is a pic of what im trying to do:
**broken link removed**

do i neeed to start the plane on a tilt?
Any help will b appreicated so much, basically i need help making the circuit diagram! Thanks all!!

 

[ineedhelp123]

anyone

 

[shimniok]

Your description doesn't really make sense to me.

Are you saying the plane tilts more every time you press the button on a given side? What if you press it 100 times? Will the motor tear the wing off?

When you press the opposite button, the plane tilts the opposite way. But -- under what condition does the plane ever return to the level position?

I don't understand "there is a 5 second time difference between the movements" -- to me this means that one movement lasts, for example, 10 seconds, and the other lasts 15 seconds (5 seconds difference between one movement and the other)

Michael

 

[think_ed]

why have two motors ?
One motor with the "cord" winds left side and unwinds the right side - reverse the motor and right winds, left unwinds.
Otherwise you would have to match the 2 motors relly well or it would eventually pull the wings off.

The circuit is reasonably simple.

Push button - plane tilts back and forward with a 5 second "swing time" and continues to tilt from left to right until the button is released

So you need 2.5 second forward motor ( tilts plane to left down.)
then a 5 second reverse (tilts plane left comes up 2.5 seconds, right goes down 2.5 seconds)
then a 2.5 second forward motor to end up back at the start - plane level.

If button is still presed then start again.

You would need to work out the pully ratio to get the desired effect for 5 second on time.

 

[mbarazeen]

Than deciding the swing in seconds you better limit the swing by some limit switches on the string both sides, variable motor speed drive can adjust the swing time.
also one motor with a mechanism can work better

to implement push button on-off (for touch switch) use a flip-flop IC.

razeen

 

[think_ed]

Have to agree with that - If the timings off - broken plane. Very hard to get the timing right with the different times.

Though if you did start the plan off tilted, you could have one 555 generating the 5 second pulse and another as a flip flop off that to switch the polarity of the motor signal.


You have not said what voltage the motor is - or what sort.

Also -as you have a 555 timer listed - is it part of the project to use this ?
If so have you been taught about it ?

 

[shimniok]

The easy way to do this is with RC servos, by the way...

 

[kakabunny]

Thanks for all the help so far guys.

When the button is pushed, the plane automatically tilts to the left (this motion has to be slow or it could snap the pulley). Then after a 5 second or so delay the plane tilts fulley from the left to the right. Then after another 5 seconds it tilts back to the left. This motion is repeated until the switch is turned off. I must use a 555 timer in the circuit, i havent been taught about flip flop IC's so i dont think i can use them

thx guys, im gonna try to do a circuit diagram but im sure i will get stuck sooner or later. damn electronics

 

[think_ed]

The 555 is a very versatile little chip. It can be setup in various configurations, one of which is the "flip flop".

But what are the limitations on this project ?
Can you use relays ?
Can you use radio control servo motors ?

All the posts are very helpful but I think we are all working in the dark a bit without knowing the design or project specifications.

I like Shimniok's idea of the servo motors - but it sounds a bit like you have been given the motors already ?

More Information required I think

 

[Planelover93]

You cant use a spring, Like another person mentioned, you should just use one motor, and reverse it when needed. But when you reverse it, the spring will go to the side instead.

 

[ineedhelp123]

The 555 is a very versatile little chip. It can be setup in various configurations, one of which is the "flip flop".

But what are the limitations on this project ?
Can you use relays ?
Can you use radio control servo motors ?

All the posts are very helpful but I think we are all working in the dark a bit without knowing the design or project specifications.

I like Shimniok's idea of the servo motors - but it sounds a bit like you have been given the motors already ?

More Information required I think

We can use realys, but only if i can certainly know how to use them and make them work. I cant use Servo motors i'm afraid and yes we have been given motors to work with

maybe I should just do two circuits with 2 switches which you have to operate manually? I really need to get this done as we need to print to PCB soon

 

[think_ed]

Cant you use a stiff bit of wire to the plane wing ?

then you just need one motor, with a screw on the pully, put a ring on the end of the wire around that.

The the pully will push the wing up for half a turn, pull the wing down for the rest of the turn.

Then you just need the 555 to turn on for 5 seconds if the button is pushed and continue if still pushed.

 

[shimniok]

So... one motor pulls the plane in one direction then turns off and freewheels, while the other motor pulls it the other direction...

You can set up the 555 to output an arbitrary length pulse. It can pulse repeatedly or once. So that can be used to run a motor, sure.

The problem is that if the plane starts in the center, then the first pulse has to be half as long as all the subsequent pulses. Does that make sense?

The other thing a 555 can do is act as a delay timer... that's probably a better way to go

Michael

 

[ineedhelp123]

So... one motor pulls the plane in one direction then turns off and freewheels, while the other motor pulls it the other direction...

You can set up the 555 to output an arbitrary length pulse. It can pulse repeatedly or once. So that can be used to run a motor, sure.

The problem is that if the plane starts in the center, then the first pulse has to be half as long as all the subsequent pulses. Does that make sense?

The other thing a 555 can do is act as a delay timer... that's probably a better way to go

Michael

Yup, i need to get the circuit done by tommorow and im just starting.

how can i use it to delay?? thxx for helping

 

[ineedhelp123]

Do i have to use a DPDT switch? I've read about them and im sure i can use them in this project

Edit: I think im going to do two circuits. one for each motor. that way it is simple and it will work (hopefully), although if i do it like this the user would have to manually alternate between the switches when pressing them.

 

[ineedhelp123]

Ok i have an idea which i think may work. tell me guys

i'm only gonna use one motor with a DPDT switch. There is going to be a reed switch connected to it with a magnet on the wing. So when the wing touches the reed switch the motor will go the other direction (by the means of a dpdt switch). There will be another reed switch on the bottom too which would make the motor spin the other way so the wing moves up

Is this a plausible idea guys??? really need help fast

 

[KMoffett]

With a couple of relays and a couple of limit switches, this should work.

Ken

 

[ineedhelp123]

Sorry for such a late reply, ive been working hard on this but have had other school work get in the way, and thank you for your diagram up there mate ^

Well now I have decided that im going to use the idea up there ^^

"i'm only gonna use one motor with a DPDT switch. There is going to be a reed switch connected to it with a magnet on the wing. So when the wing touches the reed switch the motor will go the other direction (by the means of a dpdt switch). There will be another reed switch on the bottom too which would make the motor spin the other way so the wing moves up"

I feel two motors is gonna be really difficult, so i'm only gonna use one. I don't want to mess this up as I only have once chance at it, or no grade

Is that idea a good one? I can use reed switches etc etc and DPDT switches. Is there any other way of reversing the DPDT switch (you could do it manually but, i want it automatic, becasue if they dont reverse it in time, it could ruin the plane)

I have deicded to use the 555 timer on the flashing lights instead ( there are gonna b flashing lights beside the plane)

thanks 4 all comments so far

EDIT: i really need help on how to do this circuit mainly. thanks

 

[KMoffett]

i really need help on how to do this circuit mainly. thanks

It would be difficult to do automatically with DPDT "switches" as they require a lot of force to switch them...that's the reason for the DPDT "relays". Do you have access to relays for this project? Do you understand how relays work?

Ken

 

[ineedhelp123]

It would be difficult to do automatically with DPDT "switches" as they require a lot of force to switch them...that's the reason for the DPDT "relays". Do you have access to relays for this project? Do you understand how relays work?

Ken

yes i have acess to relays, i sort of know how they work but not in the context of this project.

great, i really thought dpdt switches were gonna work on this one