Pololu Simple User Manual
Page 39
speed by summing the throttle and steering channels (CH1+CH2) while right mixing mode obtains motor speed
by taking the difference of the throttle and steering channels (CH1-CH2). To see why this makes sense, consider a
differential-drive robot (a robot with a motor on each side) with a left motor driven by a Simple Motor Controller
in left mixing mode and a right motor driven by a Simple Motor Controller in right mixing mode. When throttle is
full forward (CH1=max) and steering is neutral (CH2=0), left- and right-mixed motors are both driven forward at full
speed and the robot goes forward. When throttle is neutral (CH1=0) and steering is full right (CH2=max), the left
mixing results in motor forward at full speed while right mixing results in motor reverse at full speed, so the robot
turns right.
As demonstrated above, using both RC channels in mixing mode makes it possible to combine two RC-controlled
Simple Motor Controllers to achieve single-stick (mixed) control of a differential drive robot. The following diagram
shows how to connect two such motor controllers together:
Wiring diagram for pairing two Simple Motor
Controllers with RC channel mixing.
You should configure the controller that drives the right motor as “mixing mode right” and the controller that drives
the left motor as “mixing mode left”. You can splice together your own cables or use premade
to connect channels 1 and 2 from your RC receiver to channels 1 and 2 of both
controllers as shown in the diagram above. You can also connect the ERR lines of both controllers together to ensure
that both controllers stop if either controller experiences an error. The following pictures show a
being driven by two Simple Motor Controllers in mixed RC mode as
depicted in the above wiring diagram:
Pololu Simple Motor Controller User's Guide
© 2001–2014 Pololu Corporation
4. Connecting Your Motor Controller
Page 39 of 101