so i've decided to put some old junk i have lying around to good use and build a WiFi RC car. this being the first in a long line of questions:


can i use the printer/serial port to control the car, or do i need a microcontroller? the steering is controlled by 6 wires, which i believe to be a “DC motor connected to a potentiometer for encoding.” (to quote the Wi-Drive web site). And the drive is just a DC motor which I believe is varied in voltage to control speed.

that’s pretty much where im at, trying to pick a starting point. Any ideas ot insight would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

so i've decided to put some old junk i have lying around to good use and build a WiFi RC car. this being the first in a long line of questions:


can i use the printer/serial port to control the car, or do i need a microcontroller? the steering is controlled by 6 wires, which i believe to be a “DC motor connected to a potentiometer for encoding.” (to quote the Wi-Drive web site). And the drive is just a DC motor which I believe is varied in voltage to control speed.

that’s pretty much where im at, trying to pick a starting point. Any ideas ot insight would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Your question does not make a great deal of sense to me. Do you intend to connect a cable from the printer/serial port on your PC to the car? Isn't WiFi and RC redundant or at least an oxymoron? Do PC's even have serial ports anymore?

I'm guessing you'll need something in the car to receive the signals, run the motor, and move the steering. If that's not a microcontroller then maybe a dedicated receiver/controller chip.

 

Do you intend to connect a cable from the printer/serial port on your PC to the car? Isn't WiFi and RC redundant or at least an oxymoron? Do PC's even have serial ports anymore?

yes, i was thinking of useing my serial port pins to control the car, but since i've confermed that the steering is a dc moter with a pot on it for encoding im leaning twords a microcontroller.

wifi rc: im takeing a rc car and making controlible over a wifi network. in the long run ill have the car run as a server and i can control it from anywhere theres a WiFi signal from my laptop, using a xbox controller. with gps tracking and live video and such, but for now i jsut want to get it working.

note, old junk. some of said junk is a '99 compaq presario laptop running linux, GO TUX!!!