WiFi Remote Control Spool

Wifi Remote Control Spool

Download at Printables

Access Code

IMAGES FOR DESCRIPTION ARE AT https://www.alien3d.us/july-2024-ufo/

This project was suggested in Discord and I've modified it by designing it to be 100% printable. It uses the same code as the PanJan project. The original project by PanJan is designed to use an actual spool of certain dimensions and I thought that would be too much of a PITA for subscribers to hunt down a spool of the correct size.

I've had a lot of fun driving it around my living room, I hope you do too =)

Items included:

• 2 x Geared Motor
• 1 x DRV8833 Dual Motor Driver
• 1 x Power Toggle Switch with wires
• 6 x 623ZZ Bearings
• 4 x M3 x 30 Bolts
• 12 x M3 x 10 Bolts
• 1 x 4 AAA Battery Pack
• 10 x M to F Jumper Wires

Wiring:

https://www.alien3d.us/july-2024-ufo/ for diagrams.

Click wiring diagram or any photos below for a larger version to see better.

1. Slide and press in the toggle power switch from the inside of the electronics mount cylinder so that the switch is inside the cylinder and the prongs are on the outside.

2. Battery pack red wire to power switch (doesn't matter which prong). Twist the wire from the battery pack to one of the pre-connector wires and secure with electrical tape. If you want to shorten the wires, be sure you leave enough so you can still remove the battery pack from the electronics holder so you can swap out dead batteries.

3. Connect the other wire from the power switch to 2 jumper wires. Use 2 wires and leave them as long as possible, just cutting off the male end on one and the female end on the other. Twist the 3 wires together and secure. Run the wires through the hole in the pointy tab. The male ended wire needs to be soldered to the motor driver board marked VM. Te female ended wire connects to VIN on the control board.

4. The battery pack black wire needs the same treatment, male and female ended wires. Again, run through the opposite hole through the pointy tab and solder the male to the GND on the motor driver and the female end to the control board GND.

5. Bolt the geared motors to the electronics 3D printed part. The motors are mounted on the side of the motor mount tabs with the motor facing the flat side of the tab and the little nub on the motor pointing up. After mounting the motors you can press on the gears. They're a tight fit. Be sure to not press them on all the way against the motor as it will prevent the motors from spinning freely.

6. Solder the red wires from the motors to AO1 and BO1 on the motor driver.

7. Solder the black wires from the motors to AO2 and BO2 on the motor driver

8. Solder 5 males ends of jumper wires to the motor driver on pins AIN1, AIN2, STBY, BIN1, BIN2

1.  
   • AIN2 to D32
   • AIN1 to D33
   • STBY to D25
   • BIN1 to D26
   • BIN2 to D27

9. Slide the control board into the electronics holder and the motor driver into its slot as well.

10. Due to all of the movement and the loseness of the wires to the control board, I used hot glue to keep them in place.

11. The electronics ring can then be bolted to the electronics holder to keep the boards and battery pack in place.

12. On each end of the electronics holder there are 3 holes to bolt 3 bearings in place. Screw the bolts all the way in and then back off 2 full turns to loosen them up.

13. Glue in place the WallFilament pieces to the Walls. They push in from the inner side to the out to give the illusion of it being filament =P

14. There are 2 inner ring parts that go inside the center of the electronics mount. This is the biggest PITA (other than the soldering lol) but I couldn't figure out a better way to do this as it creates a channel for the bearings with the outer moving spool sides. I've added keys to align them with the spool sides that makes it easier.

15. Holding the inner ring on one size against the bearings, align one of the walls with the keyed slots and then bolt the wall to the inner ring using 2 M3x10 bolts.

16. The huge filament ring... start 2 M3x10 bolts into the big pointy tabs on the electronics holed in opposite directions. The tabs inside the big filament ring are off centered to match up with the mounts on the electronics holder, and there are holes in the filament ring to screw in the bolts.

17. Screw in the 2nd wall to an inner ring on the opposite side.

Programming and use:

1. In the code, find the lines for the SSID name and password...
   // Add your local network SSID and Password here
   const char* ssid = "";
   const char* password = "";
2. Add your local WiFi information for the control board to connect to.
3. Upload the code to the control board and keep an eye on the Serial Output as it will output the IP address of the RC Spool.
4. Enter the IP address into your browser on your phone/laptop/PC and you will be presented with a simple interface with movement buttons to control the spool.

One thing of note, and I'm not quite sure how to solve - maybe it's because I tried to make everything symmetrical instead of putting all the weight on one side.. anywho... if you're moving in a straight direction and then immediately reverse, the inertia will cause the center to spin for a bit before things catch up and then start rolling the opposite direction.

I still had a lot of fun with this project and I hope you do too =)