COMPONENT RESEARCH
Determining compatibility, feasibility, and general operation of prospective components
RC SERVOS
Servos are commonly used in radio controlled systems. Using PWM signals, a small gear box, and a motor, these little devices allow precise control of a radio controlled boat's rudder. Some varieties are digitally operated for faster response to control signals and a number of servos on the market are encased in a waterproof housing.
BOAT FRAME
After exploring several options such as wood, plastic or prebuilt parts; We decided to build the boat’s frame out of closed-cell Foam Insulation Board with a fiberglass coating to ensure stability and strength. It will house a waterproof box with the electrical components of the system.
DATA LOGGING SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE
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To log the data we will read the inputs from the transducer and GPS using a python program and write them to an excel spreadsheet containing the depth measurements at each specific coordinate. Once this data is compiled we will be able to upload it to the Reefmaster software and create a depth chart of the lake.
CONTROLLING RC COMPONENTS WITH PWM
PWM (pulse width modulation) controls work by driving the motor with a series of “ON-OFF” pulses and varying the duty cycle of the pulses while keeping the frequency constant. The power applied to the motor can be controlled by varying the width of these applied pulses and thereby varying the average DC voltage applied to the motors terminals. The wider the pulse width, the more average voltage applied to the motor terminals, the stronger the magnetic flux inside the armature windings and the faster the motor will rotate.
The Arduino's programming language makes PWM easy to use; simply call analogWrite(pin, dutyCycle), where dutyCycle is a value from 0 to 255, and pin is one of the PWM pins (3, 5, 6, 9, 10, or 11).
PROPULSION OPTIONS
The boat is going to have to be powered by some type of motor to navigate through the water. Two possible options are the hobby-grade RC motors and speed controllers or a fishing boat trolling motor. Factors to consider include vessel total weight, cost, max. cruising speed, and motor size.
