HOOKINGUPTHESSC32

Let'sgetstarted...
First,youshouldbelookingatyourSSC32board.Itlookslikethis:

Youwillneedsomewaytoconnectthistoyourcomputer.IthasajackforaSerialcable.They
looklikethis:

Gettingoneofthoseisyourbestbet.Theyareplentifulandcheaponebay.
However,ifyourcomputerdoesnothaveaserialoutput,youmayneedaUSBtoSerialadapter
(shownbelow:

Thesealsoaboundonebay.

thenextstepistomakesureyouhaveallyourjumpersinplace.Tomakeiteasierthanlookingat
theactualboard,hereisadiagramoftheboardwithNOjumpersinplace:


Yourboardwillcomewithjumperson,butyoumaynotwanttokeepthemallinplace.
FirstthingistobesurethattheBaudRateissetcorrectly.Otherwise,yourcomputerwillnottalk
totheboard.
TheBaudRateisdeterminedbythejumpersinthecenteroftheboardinthearealabeled"10"

Withthejumpersinthisposition,yourboardwillbesetforaBaudRateof115200,whichiswhat
thecomputershouldexpect.
Youwillnoticethat2jumpersarealsoinplaceinarea13inthelowerrighthandcorner.They
shouldcomelikethat.
Thesehavenothingtodowiththebaudrate,butjustleavethemthereinplaceinthemanner
shown.


Now,youshouldmakesurethatbothVSAandyourcomputeringeneralhavethecomportthat
youareusingsettothesameBaudRate.
Let'scheckyourcomputer'sComPortfirst.Wewillassumethatyouhaveastandardcomputer
withoneserialoutputwhichiscalledbydefault,"COM1"
First,clickthe"Start"buttononyourcomputerdesktop.(Bytheway,VSAwillnotrunonaMac,
soweareonlytalkingWindowsmachineshere).
AfterClickingStart,clickonthe"RUN"icon.Youwillgetadialogbox.Typeinthefollowing
exactlyasitappearsonthenextline,thenclickOK:
devmgmt.msc
ThatwillopenupyourDeviceManager,whichshouldlooklikethis:

Asshownabove,expandthe"Ports(COM&LPT)sectionbyclickingonthesmallplussign(+)
totheleftofit.Thendoubleclickonthe"CommunicationsPort(COM1)

Thatwillgiveyousomethingthatlookslikethis:

ClickonthetabatthetopofthePropertiesboxthatsays,"PortSettings".Nowitshouldlooklike
thepicturebelow:

Asshownabove,makesurethatthe"Bitspersecond"linesays115200.Ifitdoesnot,changeitso
thatitdoes,andclickOK.

Now,openupVSA.Goto"Tools"andthen"Settings".Youshouldseeaboxthatlookslikethis:

Youwilllikelyhaveotherdevicenamesinthereandmaybeinadifferentorder,butthatisnot
importantrightnow.
Justbesurethatthe"Port"columnsays"COM1"andthe"Type"columnsays"SSC32Servo"for
allthetracksthatyouareusing.
NowClickonthe"PortSettings"tabacrossthetopofthisbox.
Youshouldgetanewboxthatlookslikethis:

Again,makesurethatCOM1issettotherateyouseeabove(115200).Ifitisnot,doubleclickon
thenumberitissetforandselect115200fromthedropdownmenuthatappears.

OK,nowwearereadytohookuppower.
Let'slookattheboardagain:

Thereare3separateVoltageinputareas.InthecenterontheleftisVLandislabeledNumber4.
ThisstandsforVoltageLogic,orthepowerthatwillruntheactualboarditselfandpowerupthe
chipsontheboard.Thisinputwillacceptanyvoltagebetween6and9VDCandrequiresonly
abouthalfanampofcurrent.Theothertwovoltageinputsareatnumbers6and2.TheyareVS
inputswhichstandsfor"VoltagetoServos"TheVS1inputcontrolsalltheservosintherow
acrossthebottomoftheboard.TheVS2inputcontrolsalltheservosacrossthetopoftheboard.
VOLTAGESFORVS1ANDVS2MUSTBEEITHER5VDCOR6VDC.NEVERCONNECT
ANYOTHERVOLTAGEAMOUNTHIGHERTHAN6VDCORLOWERTHAN5VDCTO
THESEINPUTS.
DOINGSOCANDAMAGEYOURSERVOSANDPOSSIBLYBURNTHEMUP.
Thegoodnewsisthatyoudonotneed3separatepowersupplies.It'sallinhowyousetthe
jumpersandwhatkindofpowersupplyyouuse.
Let'sexplainthosejumpersnow.

ThemostcommonjumperwewouldapplyistheVS2=VS1jumperlabeledasnumber3inthe
diagrambelow:

Actuallyitis2jumpers,andIknowthatitsaysVS1=VS2inthediagram,butwhenIlookatthe
realboard,itisprintedtheotherwayaround.Whicheverwayitsaysit,thosearethejumperswe
aretalkingabout.
Thissetofjumpersissimple.Allitdoesistietogetheralltheservooutputsontheboardtorun
fromasinglepowersupply.
Towirethiscorrectly,youwouldputthe2jumpersinplaceasshownaboveandhookupa5or
6vdcONLYpowersupplytoEITHERtheVS1ORtheVS2input.NOTBOTH.

Makesureyourpowersupplyprovidesenoughcurrenttodrivealltheservosyouareusing.Arule
ofthumbisthatyoushouldhave1/2anampperservo.Soifyouareusing12servos(forexample)
youshouldhaveapowersupplythatproduceseither5or6VDCatATLEAST6amps.Itcanbe
ratedformorethan6amps,butnotless.

Ineedtorepeatthattheservosweusearemeanttorunonavoltagebetween4.8and6volts.
NEVERanymorethan6VDC.Itishardtofinda4.8voltpowersupply,but5VDCpower
suppliesareplentiful,soyouwillmostlikelyusethat.

Anoteaboutcurrent.Ihavehadseveralcallersaskmeiftheyusea5voltpowersupplywithtoo
muchcurrent,willtheyburnuptheservos.

TheanswerisNO!Thereisnosuchthingastoomuchcurrent.Youcanhavetoomuchvoltage,
butnottoomuchcurrent.Currentisameasureofavailablepower.Theservoswillusewhatthey
needofthatpoweruptothetotalavailablepowerofthesupply.Soifyoursupplyisratedat4
ampsand(liketheexampleabove)youhave12servosallpulling1/2anampeach,youwillbe

tryingtoget6ampsoutofa4ampsupply.Thepowersimplywon'tbethere.Thatcancause
problemsliketheservosnothavingenoughpowertomovetheweighttheyaresupposedtomove.
Insomecases,itcanevendragdownthepowersupplyandcauseittooverheat.
Inthesameexample,ifyouhadapowersupplythathasanoutputof5VDCat50amps,your
same12servoswoulduse6ofthose50ampsleavingyouwith44ampsleftovertorunadditional
servosorwhateverelse.Everyoneleavesthatpartyhappy!

Nowbacktothediagramabove.
Thissetupasitisassumesthatyouareusing2separatepowersupplies.
OnefortheVL(whichcanbeanyvoltagefrom6to9VDC)
AndanotherforthePowertoALLtheservos(either5or6VDC)

Now,let'scomplicatethingsabitforthemoreadventurousamongus.

Let'ssaythatyouwanttosimplifythingsabitandonlyuseONEpowersupplyforeverything.I
willtalkabouttheadvantagesanddisadvantagesalittlelateron,butfornow,let'sassumeyou
wanttorunthewholething(SSC32boardANDalltheservos)fromonesinglepowersupply.

Hereishowitisdone.
First,makesureyourpowersupplyhasanoutputwithenoughcurrent(amps)toruneverything.
AllyourservosANDtheboarditself.(Add1/2anampjustfortheboard).
Gobacktotheruleofthumb.1/2anampperservo+1/2anampfortheboard.
Intheexampleweusedearlierwith12servos,thatwouldbe6ampsfortheservosand1/2anamp
fortheboard.Youwouldneedapowersupplythatcanprovide6.5ampsofcurrent.
Ifyouareusingeveryservooutputontheboard(32ofthem)youwouldneed16ampsjustforthe
servosand1/2anampfortheboard,soyourpowersupplyshouldbeATLEAST16.5ampsor
anyamountgreaterthanthat.

Nowhereistheproblem.
Theservoswillrunon5or6volts,buttheinputtotheSSC32boardmustbeaMinimumof6
VDC

Sinceyoucan'tuseMOREthan6VDCfortheservosandyoucan'tuseLESSthan6VDCforthe
board,thatmeansthatyouhavetouseapowersupplythatwillgiveyou6VDCatwhatever
current(amps)youneedaccordingtotheformula.
Thesedoexist,buttheyaremuchhardertofindandpricierthanthe5VDCpowersupplies.

Inanycase,letmeshowyouhowyouwouldhookupyour6VDCpowersupplytotheSSC32
boardtoruneverythingfromthisonesupply.Refertothepicturebelow:

HereyouwillseethattheVL=VSjumperisnowinplace(labeled#5).Thisjumpertakesthe
voltagethatisgoingintoVL(Alwaysbecarefultogetthepolaritycorrect)andsendsitdirectlyto
theVS1ANDVS2inputs.
Withtheconfigurationabove,youwouldneedthesupplyhookeduptotheVLinputsonly.
That'sit!
Butitwouldhavetobea6VDCPowersupplywithenoughcurrenttorunallyourservosandthe
board.

Nowforadvantagesoreachsetup....

1.Advantagesofthesinglepowersupplysetup:
a.Onelessthingtoplugin
b.Slightlysimplifiedwiring
c.Ifyoufindagooddealitmaycostlessthantwoconventionalvoltagepowersupplies

2.Advantagesofthe2powersupplysetup
a.Youhavemorechoicesofpowersuppliestobuyandtheyarecheaper
b.Youhavetheoptiontoturnoffpowertotheservoswhilenotinusetherebyextendingthelife
oftheservos

Stillhavequestions?
PleasereadthebookletHERE

Stillhavequestionsevenafterreadingthemanual????
GivemeacallandIwillbehappytohelpyouasbestIcan.
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