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Stepper motors: RTA Pavia GMD 04 [[http://www.rtaeurope.com/rta/PROD/gmd.HTM|website]] [[attachment:GMD stepper motor data sheet.pdf|uninformative datasheet]] Stepper motor controller: RTA Pavia GMD 04 [[http://www.rtaeurope.com/rta/PROD/gmd.HTM|website]] [[attachment:GMD stepper motor data sheet.pdf|uninformative datasheet]]

Description

At some point in the past, Physics purchased an old RAN Bofors gun mount and bolted a dish to it and attached some motors and stuff to move it, but didn't succeed in writing code to control the thing. So there's a several hundred kilo gun mount sitting on the roof of Physics doing nothing, when it could be looking for UFOs or doing VLBI on a really small scale with the other radiotelescope.

Mostly, it's a cool project that will require input from all members of the UCC, whether what you care about is microcontrollers, operating systems, mechatronics, data storage/analysis, or the web.

It's also a great opportunity to learn about science and help out Physics, a cool but underfunded section of the University.

It's important to note that 1) The Radiotelescope will remain the property of the School of Physics and 2) We'll be giving it to them when it's 'working', along with the code to make it work and display the data.

Creation date: 15 March 2010

Location of source:

Project leader

List of people involved

Basically everyone.

Project plan

Overall

  • Initial inspection (./)

  • Find or buy the motors
  • Talk to physics about getting a receiver installed

Gun mount

  • Give it a good lube
  • Design and build a proper base to replace the pallet - MarkTearle has some ideas

  • Test position sensors (pots)
  • Select and move to final location
  • Manually test movements (either by driving motor or with a big lever)

Control system

  • Check power supply for safety before supplying power
  • Inspect existing electronics and try to identify capabilities
  • Test existing electronics
  • Label all cables
  • Identify current remote control capabilities
  • Decide whether to use existing equipment or replace totally

Software

  • Identify control system remote capabilities
  • Look for existing control software

Other info

Control chips:

  • 74LS22 - dual 4-input NAND gate
  • 7407 - Hex inverter and buffer
  • 555 - timer IC
  • 2 x LM319N - dual voltage comparitors (?wired to potentiometer)
  • LM348 - quad 741 op-amp
  • OP07CN - very low offset single bipolar op-amps

3 x relays are dual-pole, dual throw: photo with block diagram

Stepper motor controller: RTA Pavia GMD 04 website uninformative datasheet

Photos