Summary of Double RC servo tester with OLED display
### Summary The author developed a reliable RC servo and ESC tester to replace a previous version plagued by poor-quality potentiometers. This second iteration utilizes two rotary encoders with RGB LEDs, a monochrome OLED display from Adafruit, and an Arduino Nano Pro clone. Designed for testing standard control protocols, the project offers a stable interface despite a higher bill of materials cost, specifically aiding in the development of a ball balancing device.
Parts used in the Double RC servo tester:
- 2 rotary encoders from Sparkfun
- 1 monochrome OLED from Adafruit
- An Arduino nano pro clone from eBay
This is something I’ve already worked on but was never really happy with the result, mainly because the potentiometre that I used was of poor quality and hence non linear and “jumpy”…
The problem is simple: I need to have a reliable and easy to use servo tester, that I can use to test/play with a standard RC servo or ESC or anything else that uses the same control protocol.
This necessity has arisen again quite recently, while working on the 2nd iteration of my ball balancing device.
So here’s my 2nd (and hopefully last) attempt at making something nice and functional…
There’s not much to this project, except some patience for the wiring and a quite expensive BOM for what it does 🙂
Again, not many bits went into it:
- 2 rotary encoders from Sparkfun (with RGB LED on them, but unused)
- 1 monochrome OLED from Adafruit
- an Arduino nano pro clone from eBay
For more detail: Double RC servo tester with OLED display
- Why did the author create this new servo tester?
The previous attempt failed because the potentiometer used was of poor quality, resulting in non-linear and jumpy performance. - What types of devices can this tester be used on?
It is designed to test or play with standard RC servos, ESCs, or anything else using the same control protocol. - Which specific components are required for this project?
The project requires 2 rotary encoders from Sparkfun, 1 monochrome OLED from Adafruit, and an Arduino nano pro clone from eBay. - Are the RGB LEDs on the rotary encoders utilized in this build?
No, the article states that the RGB LEDs on the encoders are unused. - What motivated the recent need for this project?
The necessity arose while working on the 2nd iteration of the author's ball balancing device. - How does the author describe the difficulty of building this unit?
The build requires patience for the wiring but involves very few bits. - Is there a downside to the parts list for this project?
The author notes that the Bill of Materials is quite expensive for what the device actually does. - What is the status of this design according to the author?
This is described as the 2nd and hopefully last attempt at making something nice and functional.
