Vex for ROV

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1

I have been teaching a class in robotics with the Vex system for a number of years. This has transitioned from the PIC controller to the Cortex controller. I am looking for a way to control underwater ROV’s using the Vex system (either one) connected to a sabertooth 2X5 motor controller. I would like to send the signal over a tether to the controllers and possibly the microprocesssor sealed onboard of the ROV.

  1. Is it possible to run the motor controllers with either system?

  2. Is it possible to program them with EasyC? My students have EasyC v2 for the pic and EasyC v4 for Cortex.

There is a group from Stockbridge, Michigan that uses the old style controller (PIC RC remote control) connected Rx port on the back sent through the tether.

2

I think you could take the PWM motor signal from the Cortex and use that as your input signal to the sabertooth. You could send PWM signals from each port to different sabertooth boards I would think.

http://www.dimensionengineering.com/products/sabertooth2x5

see page 10.
[http://www.dimensionengineering.com/datasheets/Sabertooth2x5.pdf

But I am not sure of the specs of the Vex 2-3 wire h-bridge versus what this board wants. You may need to roll your own there.

Another way could be serial connections to the device coming out of the cortex. That would seem to be harder to do.](http://www.dimensionengineering.com/datasheets/Sabertooth2x5.pdf )