Looking for control unit for 1/8 scale all metal model

[Jib]

I’m talking about the DasMikro. It appears to me that the DasMikro is plugged in between the ESCs and TCB. Is this correct?

ESC -> DasMikro -> ESC ports on TCB -> TCB SBUS/IBUS -> RX

The DasMikro has a number of servo ports. I’m going off of a YouTube video here (DasMikro’s site seems to be down right now?)

LS
PORT1
PORT1
PORT2
PORT3
PWM1
PWM2
OUT1+2
OUT3+4

I’m just wondering how everything connects and how you get things that don’t have a direct line to the DasMikro like machine gun sound, start up sound, main gun firing sound, etc.

[tankme]

The link I send shows how the Benedini Mini connects to the TCB. What you are describing is how it would be setup if there were no TCB in the middle. The DasMikro is a clone of the Benedini. The TCB takes over sending the signals to the DasMikro telling it what sound to produce. "Prop" stands for proportional. The prop outputs proportionally send the signal based on engine speed or rotation speed or elevation or cannon sound or the MG.

It should be:

TCB servo port 1 to Motor ESC1
TCB servo port 2 to Motor ESC2
TCB servo port 3 to Rotation ESC
TCB servo port 4 to Elevation servo
TCB servo port 5 to Recoil Servo
TCB servo port 6 to Dasmikro Prop3
TCB servo port 7 to Dasmikro Prop2
TCB servo port 8 to Dasmikro Prop1

[LukeZ]

Hi Jib, yeah, you need to spend more time reading the Wiki, all the connections for ESCs and the sound card are clearly shown there. Derek has summarized it correctly. The TCB has its own connection scheme that is different from the standard Benedini connections that are intended for people just using a radio and no control board. We have a control board, so that needs to be taken into account. Read the wiki!

As for your question about the Syren controllers, yes you could use those, but instead of buying two Syrens for a total of $100, just buy one Sabertooth 2x5 for $60. The Sabertooth can control two motors, so it can take care of turret rotation and elevation in a single device. Details on using a Sabertooth for turret control are in the wiki. You don't need to worry about the regenerative thing, the TCB will not use that feature.

[Jib]

Okay, I didn’t know if the sabertooth could be used for two separate components (traverse, elevation) or if it had to be something paired (drive motors)

I will try to go over the wiki better and find the information there.

[Jib]

The link I send shows how the Benedini Mini connects to the TCB. What you are describing is how it would be setup if there were no TCB in the middle. The DasMikro is a clone of the Benedini. The TCB takes over sending the signals to the DasMikro telling it what sound to produce. "Prop" stands for proportional. The prop outputs proportionally send the signal based on engine speed or rotation speed or elevation or cannon sound or the MG.

It should be:

TCB servo port 1 to Motor ESC1
TCB servo port 2 to Motor ESC2
TCB servo port 3 to Rotation ESC
TCB servo port 4 to Elevation servo
TCB servo port 5 to Recoil Servo
TCB servo port 6 to Dasmikro Prop3
TCB servo port 7 to Dasmikro Prop2
TCB servo port 8 to Dasmikro Prop1

Great, this helps a lot.

One question, if I can, does the elevation input expect an ESC or a servo. I thought that they were one and the same, but I am finding out they’re not. I’ve never used ESCs before, so I’m trying to wrap my head around all of this.

Thanks for your help!

[Jib]

Okay, I think I’ve got everything ordered that I’ll need.

40v 100A Dual Motor Drive ESC
2x12 Sabertooth (up to 24v and 12A for traverse and elevation)
40v automotive relay
DasMikro Mini with programming cable
48v to 24v buck
24v to 12v buck
12v to 7.4v, 5V, and 3.3V bucks
2A rated slip joint

The receiver I want to use only has PWM, so I got a PWM to PPM decoder

[tankme]

Since an ESC runs on a servo signal, it doesn't matter. You just set the mode in the motor screen.

From the Wiki:

Turret Elevation Motor
The Turret Elevation Motor has all the same options as the Turret Rotation motor, with one extra called Servo - Pan Effect. This one assumes that barrel elevation will be controlled by a standard, unmodified hobby servo (not a continuous-rotation servo, and not a hobby ESC). The “pan effect” describes the way in which transmitter stick movements will be translated to servo movements. If you select the RC Output option and use a standard servo, the servo movement will be as you expect - it will match the stick movement. When the stick is at the center, the servo is stationary in the center position. As you move the stick one way or another, so the servo will move one way or another, and return to center when you let go of the stick. With the Pan Effect the servo will respond differently. Stick movements will actually be converted to speed commands, not absolute position commands. If you move the stick a very small amount in one direction, the servo will start moving very slowly in that direction and keep moving in that direction until you return the stick to center. Stick centered means “zero speed,” but it does not mean the servo will return to center. For that you will have to move the stick in the opposite direction to bring the servo back. The farther away from center you move the transmitter stick, the faster the servo will move in the specified direction. When the servo reaches its mechanical limit, it will stop. If this explanation is hard to follow you can watch this video to see a demonstration of the difference. Or try both RC Output and Servo - Pan Effect with a standard servo and quickly experience the difference yourself.

Note: If you do select a servo for turret elevation, you may also want to set custom end-points on your servo travel. But because the radio's turret stick is used for more than direct control of the turret motors, it is not practical to use the transmitter's end-point settings to do so. Never fear, you can do it much more easily using the TCB's servo-setup menu, see the Barrel Elevation Servo page for more information.

[Jib]

So recently I tried hooking up an ESC I got of of Amazon to the traverse servo output on the TK8.1 (same as the TK7.1). I expected it to behave either like a servo or like the standard motor driven elevation, but instead it behaves like the Servo - Pan Effect option you just described.

Do you know why that is? I was a standard 12v ESC with F/B, F/B/R, and F/R options. I had it in F/R. Or do you know a good resource to learn about the differences between ESCs and servos. I thought that an ESC hooked up to a motor would just drive the motor forward and reverse, and stop when the stick is returned to neutral, but this was not the case here.

Thanks for your help!

[tankme]

F/B - forward only with brake function when you release the throttle
F/B/R - Forward to reverse with brake function in the middle
F/R - forward with immediate reverse without braking. This should be used for tanks.

The ESC you used may have also had a momentum feature. A lot of the Quicrun ESCs have a programming card that can control a bunch of other functions like momentum.

[LukeZ]

A servo/ESC will act in whatever way the signal sent to it tells it to. As you describe it, it sounds like the TK8/7 elevation signal is sending something akin to the Pan Effect. If you attached that ESC directly to your receiver (not the TK8) and just controlled it directly from your RC radio, I suspect it would act in the way you expected, namely, just regular forward/reverse.

I would be interested in knowing what "40v 100A Dual Motor Drive ESC" you found.