ELE1017 Radio Controlled Car Project

Submission date 10/05/2013 Module Owner: Dr John Montgomery Design Project Supervisor: Dr David Linton

Ruairi McAloran 14397056

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

Abstract
This report will examine the design and assembly of a Radio Controlled car. From the charger to the receiver, each part will be dismantled to see how it works. It will inform the reader about the different types of components used to build an RC vehicle and analyse these to see what improvements can be made to enhance their performance.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

Declaration of Originality I state that the following report is that created by myself. I have all references noted throughout the report and a reference table at the end.

Glossary Term PCB RC EMF A.C D.C SOGA EU Approx. PWM ABS PE V Ni-MH Definition Printed Circuit Board Radio/remote Control Electro Motive Force Alternating Current Direct Current Sales Of Goods Act European Union Approximately Pulse Wave Modulation Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene Polyethylene Volt Nickel Metal-Hydride

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

Introduction
RC cars also known as "radio controlled" or "remote controlled" cars date back to the early 1940's [1]. A remote controlled car uses a cable that connects the remote to the car and enable the car to receive signals from the remote. This systems has advantages and disadvantages, the car can be powered from the remote, more than one person can use the same vehicle in the vicinity ,the car will always receive the signal being sent from the remote (unless the cable is severed). The length of the cable will limit the operator as to how far the car travel within a set radius, if more than one person are playing together, the cables maybe become entangled. A radio controlled car in the other hand uses a wireless controller to send signals to the car and the car receiver in turn decodes the signals and operates the controls. Advantages are the distance between the radio and the car can be greater than that of the cable type. No cables to get entangle by the operators. Disadvantages are the car can lose signal and wont operate or if the batteries in the radio become flat the car will not work.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

Overview
In this report the concept of the Radio controlled car will be introduced along with an outline of how the device can be designed and constructed. The RC car replaces that of a car with a remote that is attached by a long cable which is used to send signal to control the vehicle. RC leaves the user more flexible to move about and concentrate on operating the vehicle rather than studying where the cable are to stop them from getting tangled. An RC car is made up of four main components: Transmitter Receiver Motors Power source

Each of these key components will be analysed in greater dept later in the report.

Section 1: will cover the remote control and how this is designed and constructed, it also covers the materials used and signals produced.

Section 2: provides information the car and the main components that build up the vehicle. These include the motor, battery, receiver, steering and wheels.

Section 3: takes a look at the charger and how its designed to convert A.C voltage to a useable D.C voltage to charge the Ni-MH battery.

Section 4: The legal aspect of the car is reviewed to observe the laws and safety requirements when constructing and manufacturing toys for the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

1. Remote Control
The remote is constructed from rigid plastic and is one of the essential parts required to operate the car. Plastic is used as it is cheap, light and easily moulded, the remote is designed to ensure that both adults and child can easily hold and operate it, it uses a simple layout of 2 buttons and the controller is turned left and right to steer. It contains a transmitter circuit, an antenna and a power source. The circuit can be seen in figure [] , the circuit is made up from electrical components which include resistors, an on/off switch, a 27.145MHz crystal and tilt sensors. All the components on the PCB for the transmitter are PTH components and are soldered to the PCB. The PCB is a dual layer, through hole board, this helps to reduce the size, cost and complexity of the PCB whilst ensuring that it fits neatly into the remote.

The output lead from the transmitter circuit is connected to the antenna, this is a sub wavelength antenna made from a coil of wire, it is 21 cm long, but if the coil was stretched out this would be a much longer antenna. The antenna is flexible and located at the top of the remote, covered in a plastic protective sheath and fitted with a plastic end cap to protect users from injury. The forward and reverse buttons are simple push to make switches, they don't give the user any control over the speed of the vehicle, the user therefore has to operate the buttons repeatedly on and off to maintain speed of the vehicle.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

The steering uses tilt sensors to switch on the steering motor, again the user has no control over the steering. This can make it harder to maintain control of the vehicle. These tilt sensors are made form a round cylinder with a round ball placed inside, one end of the sensor has two poles which are soldered to the PCB . When the sensor is tilted so that that end is downwards, the ball rolls onto the poles and shorts them, acting as a switch.

The 27.145MHz crystal is used to define the operating frequency signal sent from the remote to the vehicle, changing this would result in a change of operating frequency. These are usually made from Quartz and enclosed in hermetically sealed package. [2] 27 MHz is the frequency range associated with RC hobbies, usually those on land. It is also used by Citizens' Band radio to transmit broadcastings of short-distance radio communications between individuals on a selection of 40 channels within the 27-MHz band. [2]

A spectrum analyser measures the frequency range of a signal, and can display which frequencies appear stronger relative to others. The analyser is set up with the centre frequency in the correct range and the volume (dB) is adjusted to show complete peaks. The centre frequency is set at 27.15MHz. The car kit works at a single band at 27.145MHz and the bandwidth is approx. 10kHz. Frequency changes when buttons are pressed are difficult to observe due to the low sweeping speed of the signal analyser. Looking at the simple transmitter and receiver circuit design, this system most likely works on PWM. The transmitter sends out a series of pulses depending on which control button is activated. Each button sends out different pulse widths, the receiver is able to convert these signals into usable information to tell the vehicle which command is required. The range of the controller was approximately 3 metres, this was mainly due to the cheap antenna used to transmit the signal, if a better antenna was used a transmitter range of this type should be approximately 10-20 metres.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

It can be seen on the oscilloscope figure[], the output of the antenna is at a fixed frequency, with some noise associated with it. When buttons on the remote are pressed, pulses of high and low frequencies are transmitted at a higher power than the background noise. The output power is at -23.88dBm.

Multipath is a main factor when designing a transmitter, it requires specialised simulation software and hardware to measure the multiple paths the signals can follow. Concrete walls, floors and ceilings all reflect the signal transmitted and the signal would escape through doors and windows. The effects of multipath could be either a reinforcement, destruction and phase shifting of the signal, depending on the path considered. [3]

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

2. Radio Controlled Car

The RC car consists of a chassis on which the gearbox, motor, circuit, battery , steering rack and wheels are connected to. Everything within the car is enclosed by a thin plastic shell. The car itself is constructed mainly from plastic, this is probably of type ABS or PE. Usually the parts have letters stamped on the inside to denote the type of material used, but in this case they didn't. Plastic is the main choice for weight and malleability, different types of plastics have different properties. These properties are the deciding factor when choosing the correct type for the application. The main outer shell would need to be flexible to absorb any impact that is inflicted on it from crashing on obstacles. It also acts as a safety feature to reduce injury if a human or animal was hit by the vehicle. The type of plastic chosen for chassis would require more rigidity as it is the main body to house all the all the other components. The wheels used a plastic rim cover in a rubber/plastic composite style tyre, this felt harder than the tyres usually found on RC car. The hard composite would help the tyre to last longer on hard surfaces like tarmac or indoor flooring, but the disadvantage was, there was no grip. The wheels couldn't acquire traction on shinny surface, which made it hard to control and steer. The steering figure [] contained a motor and a miniature gearbox which when activated drove the steering rod left and right. A spring figure[] was used to centralise the steering rod and an adjuster below to offset the steering angle if alignment was required. A spring loaded overload device figure[] is used to stop the motor burning out when the steering is activated, it also allows the wheels to absorb impact if they hit a hard stop.

At the heart of the car is the 9V motor figure[] used to drive the vehicle, a metal heast sink is attached to the motor to dissipate heat from the motor to keep it cool. The torque from the motor

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

is transferred via the gearbox to the rear wheels. The gearbox consisted of 1 gear that drives the differential, in which a series of small gears are used to rotate the output shafts. The differential figure[]allows the car to drive around bends while maintain grip on both of the rear wheels, by allowing the inside wheel to rotate at a different speed to the outside wheel. The overall gear ratio from the motor to the output shaft can be calculated by counting the number of teeth on each gear and using this to work out the ratio between each gear. The motor gear had 10 teeth and the large ring on the idler reduction gear had 30 teeth, this gave a 3:1 ratio. Then the small ring on the idler reduction gear had 14 teeth and the differential gear had 42 teeth, this also gave a 3:1 ratio. These ratios are multiplied to gain the overall ratio of 9:1.

A 9.6V Ni-MH rechargeable battery figure []is used to power the vehicle, it is stored in a compartment along the bottom of the chassis. This battery is a 600 mAH meaning it can provide 600mA of current for 1 hour. These types of batteries are commonly found in the RC vehicles due to high energy density and the use of environmentally friendly metals [4]. Being rechargeable makes it more cost effective than having to replace them with alkaline batteries.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

The length of the antenna is 58cm long piece if wire, this is connected directly to the receiver circuit mount in the centre of the car. A plastic tube is used to keep the wire vertical on the car and to stop it getting tangled in the wheels. The circuit uses a cheap FM receiver figure[] to receive the signal being transmitted from the remote.

The 5W0R5J ceramic resistor is used to dissipate heat in the circuit that may be caused from the motor becoming jammed. Molex connectors are used to connect the motor and the battery to the circuit.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

3. Charger
The charger mainly consists of a transformer connected to a rectifier and a dc smoothing circuit enclosed in a plastic housing. The transformer is usually made from an iron core built up from laminates with 2 sets of windings wrapped around either side, these are known as the primary and secondary windings.

A varying current (A.C) in the primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the Iron core and consequently a varying magnetic flux through the secondary winding. This magnetic flux induces a voltage in the secondary winding [2].

The transformer can be used to step up or down the voltage that is received via its input, in this case its 240V A.C. and it's being stepped down to approximately 19V A.C. as the battery cannot be charged using A.C. voltage. The output is then passed through a bridge rectifier as shown in figure [] which consist of 4 diodes arranged in a particular sequence to enable the A.C voltage to be converted to D.C voltage by changing the direction of the negative cycle of the A.C wave and changing it to a positive voltage.

A smoothing circuit as shown in figure [] is then used to smooth off the ripple effect in the output, this contains a smoothing capacitor in parallel with the load. The capacitor charges up as the wave

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

rises to its peak voltage, then as the wave declines, the capacitor releases its power to maintain a steady voltage level between the cycle.

Usually the battery in the car requires to be charged for 8 hours to ensure the power level has reached its maximum. The battery in the remote is disposable and just requires a new one when being replaced.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

Bill of Materials
Parts List Box Charger RC car antenna tube body shell wheel rim tyre 70mm diameter battery cover 9.6v Ni-MH battery front bumper chassis receiver circuit Drive motor cover Drive motor Drive motor housing Drive motor heat sink 10t motor gear 30t - 14t idler gear 42t rear differential spindles 10t gear 14t gear drive shafts front steering rod steering gearbox 30t - 12t gear 32t gear to steering rod steering overload mechanism steering centralizer Battery RC controller Battery PP3 Circuit Board Push to make switch Antenna Gyroscopes ON/OFF switch Crystal No. of items 1 1 No. of screws

1 1 4 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 4 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1

4 screws 4 screws 1 screws

2 screws 3 screws 2 screws

2 screws

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

4. Legal
The car is designed by a company called, Scientific Toys Ltd Room 1108, 11/F., Block B, New Mandarin Plaza, 14 Science Museum Road, TST, Kowloon, Hong Kong They provide the plans for the vehicle and it is then produced in China where the labour production costs are a lot cheaper. The car body shell and logos are license by Subaru, Subaru and Impreza names, emblems and body designs are properties of Fuji Heavy Industries and are used under license. This provides Scientific Toys Ltd with the copyrights to uses names and logos on their cars with the permission from the owners. There are three main protection laws provided in Europe and the UK to protect the consumer and ensure the product id fit for its purpose, these are: The Sales Of Goods Act 1979 (SOGA)

If the car breaks down, Argos is responsible for the repair or replacement of the car under this regulations as stated: If the buyer requires the seller to repair or replace the goods, the seller must (a)repair or, as the case may be, replace the goods within a reasonable time but without causing significant inconvenience to the buyer; (b)bear any necessary costs incurred in doing so (including in particular the cost of any labour, materials or postage) [3]. The Consumer Protection Act 1987

Under this act, the consumer is protected for the liability for defective products. This provides protection for injury or damage caused by a deficiency in the car. (1)Subject to the following provisions of this Part, where any damage is caused wholly or partly by a defect in a product, every person to whom subsection (2) below applies shall be liable for the damage.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

(2)This subsection applies to (a)the producer of the product; (b)any person who, by putting his name on the product or using a trade mark or other distinguishing mark in relation to the product, has held himself out to be the producer of the product; (c)any person who has imported the product into a member State from a place outside the member States in order, in the course of any business of his, to supply it to another [3]. The Toys (Safety) Regulations 1989

Toys bearing the EC mark denoting conformity with relevant national standards, this ensures that the car has passed safety regulations and is fit for sale in the EU. The packaging has the stamp CEC Mark CE0681 to let the consumer see this. Any toy supplied for the first time in the Community on or after 1st January 1990 which bears the EC mark denoting conformity with the relevant national standards where those standards relate to all matters covered by the essential safety requirements applicable to the toy shall be taken to satisfy the requirement in regulation 4, unless there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that the toy does not satisfy that requirement. [3]

Even though the product meets safety standards, injuries could be caused by driving into people or misuse of the controls whilst holding the car could cause burns to the skin from the wheels. Due to this and the possibility of a choking hazard the product is marked with an age limit of 6 year olds plus. Elderly people may also find it hard to control the car as the controller is very sensitive to movement and their reactions times maybe slower and could cause injuries.

Recycling of some of the packaging of the car is possible by placing the cardboard box in the recycling bin, the polystyrene is currently unable to be recycled locally, so it is therefore placed in the blue bin. The car and remote can also be recycled when they are ready to be cast off. Both items can be placed in a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment bin at the local council, where some of the parts may be dismantled and reused as electronic components for new projects.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

Discussion
After a close analysis on the RC car, a number of improvements could be made to develop the car into a more controllable and practical model these include: Speed control: A circuit with a variable speed controller would enable the user the ability to vary the speed depending on the conditions or space they have. The current on/off state doesn't allow the user to manage the speed efficiently. This controller would add extra cost to the final price, but this shouldn't be a large cost. Steering: a servo would be a better practical solution for the steering, this would provide the user with more control and manoeuvrability and allow the wheel to gradually turn rather than full left or right movement. Tyres: A softer compound of rubber for the tyres instead of plastic would be a sensible resolution to the problem of grip. Elastic bands were tested over the original tyres and these proved to provide the car with better grip and control. Motor: For racing purposes, a higher watt output motor could be used to replace the current motor. This would provide the car with a higher speed output. A modification of this type would be futile unless the above modification were carried out initially, as the extra speed would cause a greater safety issue.

These cars retail at approx 25 from Argos [5] and are built for approx 5-10, this leaves the manufacturer and the retailer both profitable from the sales. The end market is generally younger children entering the world of radio controlled vehicles. It is accurate to say that the car is a very cheap and inexpensive toy to mass produce. Due to this factor the radio antenna's signal doesn't span any further than 3 metres. Comparing this to a professional style car the signal range is approx 10-20m. Looking at the electric motor and gearbox assembly, the design and build quality is relatively good for a inexpensive car, the use of a differential added cost, but is very effective when racing the car.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

Conclusions
Based on the information in this report, it is clear to see that this RC car is a very basic and economical entry level car in RC toy world. The materials and components used are inexpensive and produced at a fraction of the cost of more reliable parts. The circuit designs do not provide a viable solution for using the car in a large area, as the range is much smaller than those of similar types. The conflicting signal issues would cause problems for more than one child playing with the same RC car. The main objective for this product is to build a very cheap RC car that is capable of providing fun for younger children without incurring a high cost. Mass production will provide the manufacturer and the retailer with an excellent profit. Improvements that have been discussed would make this a much more practical car for both indoor and outdoor use and could also provide the user with more control and ability to gain a great deal more fun from racing with other identical models. Ultimately the design and specification required is critical when building any type of radio controlled vehicle, with profits in mind a compromise has to be made between overall production cost and the final retail sale price.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project

References

[1] "RC Car Guide," [Online]. Available: http://rccarguide.com/history-of-rc-cars/history-of-rc-cars/. [2] "Wikipedia Crystals," [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_oscillator. [3] "Wikipedia multipath," [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multipath_propagation. [4] "Battery University," [Online]. Available: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/whats_the_best_battery. [5] "Wikipedia transformers," [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformer. [6] legislation.gov.uk, "legislation.gov.uk," [Online]. Available: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1275/regulation/5/made. [7] "Argos," [Online]. Available: http://www.argos.co.uk/.

All pictures were created by my lab partner Joe Quinn and I.

Ruairi McAloran |14397056 | Radio Controlled Car Project