Setting Default positions of Servos on ServoDog controller

[ArlenAhl]

I received all of my LOR equipment from the Mad Grab sale in April.  I have 2 ServoDog controllers, and I have set them up and created musical sequence for my animatronic.  My biggest problem is how do I get the servos to adjust to a certain default positions,  and can different servos on the same ServoDog have different default positions.  I thought that was done in the ServoDog utility, configure it then 'send' to the controller, but they never keep the config.

 

Currently I'm only using 4 servo channels right now. I want channel 1 to default to one full left (or right) position and channels 2-4 to default to a neutral position (centered). Is that possible?

Channel 1 is the mouth and 2-4 are head movements.  I want it to start up with the mouth shut, but the head movements shoud all be centered.

 

Otherwise, things are working well! 

 

[bobschm]

Not near my computer but I believe there are MANY defaults that need to be set. As in, default on power up, default for sequence end, default for lost data steam. Be sure you set all of them. Pretty sure you can get it to do what you want.

[trkeenan]

Did you get your servo positions figured out?  I am having the same problem.

 

Tim

[ArlenAhl]

Tim,

Sorry for the late post.  I 'kind of' figured this out... The default and Neutral settings just don't seem to save in the Servo Dog for me.  I'm not at my LOR software right now, but I think I ended up setting the servos to  'use last setting' (or something like that)  I'll repost the accurate settings later today.  It seems to work better.

 

This is my first year doing this and I of course jumped in  preety deep.  I've built 3 life sized mannequins and two 'head only' elves. The mannequins have 3 servos each,head L/R & U/D movement plus the mouth.  The two elf heads only have the mouths plus a servo to spin the head (they are inside gift packages). Getting the right servos has been a nightmare. I keep having to replace the servos as I undersized most of them.

 

I noticed you are in Denver.  Sort of neighbors - I'm in Firestone  (N I25 by the Longmont turnoff)!

I'd love to see and hear more about your display.

Arlen

[ArlenAhl]

Tim - Just got home.

The commands I found that worked for me are:

In the ServoDog utility, set the Power Up parameters to Start Pulse on First Command,

In the Lost Communications Parameters, set to Hold at Current Position.

 

Then, I make sure that the servos start and end at the same position in my sequences.
So far this has worked for me.

Let me know how it works for you.

 

Arlen

[thebaronn]

Tim - Just got home.

The commands I found that worked for me are:

In the ServoDog utility, set the Power Up parameters to Start Pulse on First Command,

In the Lost Communications Parameters, set to Hold at Current Position.

 

Then, I make sure that the servos start and end at the same position in my sequences.

So far this has worked for me.

Let me know how it works for you.

 

Arlen

I to am having issues with the "default position" that I set. When I break communication, all the servos go crazy!

I have tried every setting and with the exception of start/stop pulse, they still all go crazy....

Although there is nothing better that restarting the utility and clicking "send" instead of "get"

[thebaronn]

I have yet another question. Is there a way to have the servos revert to the "default" positions when there isn't a sequence going?

For example, when I am sequencing and "control Lights" is clicked, when I am not playing the sequence, the servos do not go to their default positions, I guess they go to the servo default (but not the default I set in the servodog utility)

Any thoughts?

Thank you

Eric

[bobschm]

You not only have to declare a default position, you also have to tell the servodog when to use that position. In the hardware configuration there are all kinds of check boxes on what you want to do in an initial power up, lost communication, and other scenarios.

If I remember, choices are go to default, freeze where you are, etc.

Be sure you go through ALL of them.

[thebaronn]

You not only have to declare a default position, you also have to tell the servodog when to use that position. In the hardware configuration there are all kinds of check boxes on what you want to do in an initial power up, lost communication, and other scenarios.

If I remember, choices are go to default, freeze where you are, etc.

Be sure you go through ALL of them.

Yes, I had everything clicked on "go to default" but when communication was lost, they went crazy.

Now, default, is the position I set, correct?

Between sequences the servos go to a strange position, then when the sequence starts they go to normal sequence positions.

I need them to just hold their positions between songs. (I have everything clicked for start/stop positions)

I think I will have to put the whole system on a AC channel and turn it on before I will use it.

Really not that important for this year, but next year this will be an issue.

May have too look into controlling the servos another way if this doesn't do what I want.

Thank you