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Subject: 
Get 8 Outputs from RCX: A Pure-Lego Solution
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Thu, 11 Mar 1999 01:20:48 GMT
Viewed: 
1031 times
  
More precisely, here I am going to describe the way to make a 4-way power
splitter. You can connect two splitters to the RCX to get 8 outputs in total.
Within each of the two splitters, you can have one output among the four
working at one time. This is better than the usual "1 among 8" argument.

Due to the lack of parts I did not actually construct a working model. Please
tell me if you think this design will work.

First, you build a 2-way power splitter. The design is posted separately in
lugnet.cad.dat . This 2-way power splitter is controlled by a polarity switch.

Next, build another 2-way power splitter. Connect the axes of the polarity
switches of these two splitters together, with 45 degrees of difference in the
"phase" of the polarity switches. Also connect the two inputs together. This
way you make a 4-way power splitters.

Next, build another 4-way power splitters. Connect these two splitters to the
RCX to get 8 outputs in total. Connect a motor to the third RCX output and use
it to control these two splitters. There are several possibilities:
1) You may use one direction of the controlling motor to control the
splitters, while using the other direction for something else, to have 8 1/2
outputs in total.
2) You may use one direction of the controlling motor to control one splitter,
while using the other direction on the other splitter, to get more flexibility.

You may need a angle sensor or a touch sensor to have a precise control over
the controlling motor, but there are tricks to do away with this sensor. For
example, the control motor can realign itself when it changes direction.

You can use this design in, say, a robot arm, where there are lots of joints
to control, but you need only one or two among them working at one time.

Hao-yang Wang



Message has 3 Replies:
  Re: Get 8 Outputs from RCX: A Pure-Lego Solution
 
I'm not sure if the 4-way would work, but it it did you could put a 4 way on each of the outputs of the first 4-way, yielding a 16 way splitter. Of course this would require 10 polarity switches. Dave (...) (26 years ago, 11-Mar-99, to lugnet.robotics)
  Re: Get 8 Outputs from RCX: A Pure-Lego Solution
 
I didn't look at the 2-way you mentioned but went into a 4-way specific which uses only electric cables, polarity switches, gears, axles and technic beams for a base. It worked! not only that but there is only a need for one 45 degree meeting of (...) (25 years ago, 3-Mar-00, to lugnet.robotics)
  Re: Get 8 Outputs from RCX: A Pure-Lego Solution
 
In lugnet.robotics, Hao-yang Wang writes: [...] (...) [...] For the platform-challenged (like me), has someone rendered this and put it up on a webpage somewhere? This sounds really cool. -Tim (25 years ago, 4-Mar-00, to lugnet.robotics)

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