Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline
|
quote:
In hobbyist grade remote control cars/planes/boats/etc. the electronics (receiver, speed controller, servos) need a power source. With engine powered craft, a small 6V battery pack was used to power the electronics. When electric motors became more popular, people wanted to use the large motor battery packs to power the low-power electronics. Typically, the electronic speed controller absorbed this function, and it became known as a Battery Elimination Circuit (BEC). With battery packs usually in the 9V-11V range, the electronics would probably need 5-6V to be happy.
Evidently there has been a push to use higher voltage battery packs (10V-25V), probably to take advantage of the brush-less motors. As a result, if the servos draw any appreciable current, a linear regulator would burn a lot of power. Obviously, when your flight/driving time is based on how efficiently you use your battery, a linear regulator is not what you want. Ultimate Battery Elimination Circuits are basically separate regulators (usually switch-mode) that deliver 5V-6V at hopefully high efficiency.
|
neil h
Member
Registered: 28th Sep 06
User status: Offline
|
I wasn't arguing the fact linear regulators are quite inefficient. What I was saying is they don't use mini transformers.
|
Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline
|
Fair point, id never really studied the actual components of one, only really read about why they are used, I was basing that comment really on me giving one a quick look, and seeing what looked like a copper coil such as a transformer would use
|
neil h
Member
Registered: 28th Sep 06
User status: Offline
|
Yeah that's the inductor you stick on the output. If you look at the output of a switching regulator you'll see a pulse train, all the inductor does is smoot it out a bit.
|
ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by neil h
quote:
Originally posted by ed
Where can you get PCB's made for free?
I'm in the process of getting one done through spirit circuits. They'll do free 'naked' pcbs (I.e. no solder mask, component ids etc) for free. I don't know what sort of quantities they do but for the average person wanting a one of then I don't see it matters.
That's pretty cool. Is there a size limit for freebies? I've got quite a large design and getting it prototyped through the usual sources is expensive!
|
DaveyLC
Member
Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
User status: Offline
|
I think if you are 100% upfront about whats inside your products and dont try and pretend you developed them its not a problem  but it appears you are trying to make out you developed these ideas when they have been around pretty much since teh AR was released.
|
Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline
|
I spend a lot of hours putting them together so I think am allowed some credit. Granted the code was developed by someone else, but it is open source and everyone is well aware where it came from, even the code I have altered to suit
|
DaveyLC
Member
Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
User status: Offline
|
Someone elses hardware..
Someone elses development..
GNU code.
Your soldering iron..
|
Nath
Member
Registered: 3rd Apr 02
Location: MK
User status: Offline
|
Might go round sticking my initials on BMW cars claiming they're developed by me.
|
Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline
|
So now I'm obliged to list all my component's? Who does that?
What your saying is I must declare credit for spark fun for the arduino and logic level converter, orange for the rx, rs components for the plugs, ebay for the wires, maplin for the solder. Don't be absurd
I remove the orange casing purely to save weight not to claim its mine, iv stated nowhere I have developed the receivers, I came up with the method of putting my particular components together, the only credit I think could be due is to the guy that wrote the code.
My card insert is there purely for cosmetic reasons and is informative as it labels the rx inputs
[Edited on 20-01-2013 by Steve]
|
DaveyLC
Member
Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
User status: Offline
|
If the stuff isnt sold to you under an OEM agreement then you cant brand it as your own gear.
|
Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline
|
I'm not branding individual components as my own, I'm putting my name on a collection of components that I have put together into a device
|
DaveyLC
Member
Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
User status: Offline
|
But you are removing the branding and replacing it. Its missleading..
Anyhoo you do what you like
|
neil h
Member
Registered: 28th Sep 06
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by ed
That's pretty cool. Is there a size limit for freebies? I've got quite a large design and getting it prototyped through the usual sources is expensive!
Dunno, you'll have to give them a ring and ask. Apparently they offer the service as a way to fill space on panels, rather than just writing it off as wastage.
|
DaveyLC
Member
Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
User status: Offline
|
Have you seen Team Black Sheep steve? Their shop is very similar, off the shelf stuff with mods and a heafty price hike
|
