The Raspberry Pi neighborhood has a wealthy historical past of integrating the basic SBC right into a plethora of robotic initiatives and this new RP2040 motor driver board developed by maker Taylor Alexander is paving the way in which for much more awe-inspiring Pi-powered robots. The board was unveiled earlier this week over at Twitter with an up-close take a look at its open-source design.
This credit-card-sized board makes use of the RP2040 microcontroller as the principle driver for as much as two motors utilizing encoders at 45 A per motor supporting as much as 60 V. We reached out to Alexander who confirmed the RP2040 handles all the motor management however gate drivers are used to guard in opposition to shoot-through which might quick circuit the facility provide.
Alexander has a historical past specializing in robotics with an affinity for DIY microelectronics-based initiatives. This RP2040 motor driver is simply part of that historical past and serves as a brand new addition to a earlier robotic we coated for automated farming referred to as Acorn. What’s cool in regards to the new board is that it’s not solely a brand new growth for the Acorn challenge but in addition an open-source device for anybody who needs to combine it into their very own challenge.
In line with Alexander, an enormous aim with its design was to make use of elements which might be simple to supply so makers may order it as one unit with out having to acquire elements individually. Every thing from the gate drivers to the MOSFETS are all obtainable by means of JLCPCB however the uncooked recordsdata can be found for anybody who needs to order the board by means of any PCB producer of their selecting.
The RP2040 motor controller was designed utilizing KiCad, an open-source software designed for makers to create PCBs from scratch, however the file might be edited utilizing different purposes as properly. Customers can get a more in-depth take a look at the board design and related recordsdata on the official GitHub web page. Along with its integration with Acorn, Alexander additionally plans to make use of it as a driver for this spectacular 3D-printed four-axis robotic arm challenge.
If you wish to use this board in your personal Raspberry Pi challenge or simply get a more in-depth take a look at its design, try the unique thread shared to Twitter. This challenge, in addition to Acorn, was funded by Daniel Theobald who has a weblog referred to as Twisted Fields which highlights extra farming-based robotics initiatives. Make sure to comply with them each for extra updates and funky developments sooner or later.