Tangible compass, part 2: using a stepper motor
This is an iteration following part 1 of the tangible compass project.
To obtain a full 360 degres and limitless rotation for the pointer, I decided to swap the servo motor for a stepper motor. The stepper motor I have is relatively small, but still much bigger and bulkier than the initial servo. It also requires a driver circuit to easily and properly control with the Arduino.
What it does: the pointer (blue tape on the shaft) maintains a specific heading obtained from the compass module. Arduino runs from battery power, stepper driver from 9V regulator.
Build note: the EasyDriver board has a secondary ground pin that is not very well documented. See this post.
Next step: see how this could fit in a handheld format. Maybe I’ll have to try something else if compactness is required.
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