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Need some help from the auto-rotating monitor experts...
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nitz:
OK, after sitting on the parts for a few months, I'm finally getting a start on this and I'm stoked, but also pretty lost.

I'm one of those guys who can do the software side of things no sweat, but give me something like this and I feel a bit like a monkey working on a math problem.

I have all the parts from DNA Dan's shopping list in reply 13 of this thread http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=112424.0. (Well, I don't have the hinge and the casters yet, but I may not need them as I'm planning a pacman style laydown monitor setup.)

I've looked through the documentation on the Pololu site, but I'm really lost as to how to wire this baby up. Also, it sounds like I need an external power supply...I was hoping it could just run off the PC's power via usb.

So if any of you rotating monitor gurus out there (*cough* TopJimmyCooks *cough* DNA Dan *cough* DaOld Man :lol) could help me out with some step-by-step instructions, that would be great! :cheers: And don't be afraid to dumb it down to me - I'm a total noob at this and am probably really gonna need stuff spelled out. ;)
paigeoliver:
There is NO WAY you are gonna rotate a monitor using teeny amount of 5 volt power you can pull from a USB slot. I have read nothing about the setup you are doing, but you are gonna need more power than a USB slot can provide.
Nephasth:

--- Quote from: paigeoliver on March 03, 2012, 01:42:48 pm ---There is NO WAY you are gonna rotate a monitor using teeny amount of 5 volt power you can pull from a USB slot. I have read nothing about the setup you are doing, but you are gonna need more power than a USB slot can provide.

--- End quote ---

Well, that was helpful.


--- Quote from: nitz on March 03, 2012, 01:27:10 pm ---So if any of you rotating monitor gurus out there (*cough* TopJimmyCooks *cough* DNA Dan *cough* DaOld Man :lol) could help me out with some step-by-step instructions, that would be great!
--- End quote ---

Definitely the guys to ask on this one!

Your motor controller will be connected to your computer via USB, but you'll also have to bring supply voltage to the controller's "VIN" terminal, most likely 12V from a molex connector from your computer's power supply (yellow wire), and hook up ground (black wire from the molex connector you took 12v from) to the "GND" terminal of the controller. "OUTA" and "OUTB" on the controller to the the motor terminals.

Software wise... you'll have to wait for the powers that be to chime in.

nitz:

--- Quote from: paigeoliver on March 03, 2012, 01:42:48 pm ---There is NO WAY you are gonna rotate a monitor using teeny amount of 5 volt power you can pull from a USB slot. I have read nothing about the setup you are doing, but you are gonna need more power than a USB slot can provide.

--- End quote ---

I kind of figured as much as I know a usb port doesn't put out much power, but I don't see anyone else using a battery so I wasn't sure how they were powering it then.


--- Quote from: Nephasth on March 03, 2012, 02:09:39 pm ---Your motor controller will be connected to your computer via USB, but you'll also have to bring supply voltage to the controller's "VIN" terminal, most likely 12V from a molex connector from your computer's power supply (yellow wire), and hook up ground (black wire from the molex connector you took 12v from) to the "GND" terminal of the controller. "OUTA" and "OUTB" on the controller to the the motor terminals.

--- End quote ---

And now I see. ;) This is why I need so much help...I would have never thought of this, and don't know how to do it. And, unless that's fairly idiot proof, I feel I might be better off powering it with a battery. I don't want to wreck anything, and especially not my PC.

This gives me some food for thought though while I wait for the powers that be to chime in...
darthpaul:
It looks like you are going to need a 12v power supply with about 4 or 5 amps to play it safe, I'm using an Ebay special with no problems. I'm auto-rotating my 20" CRT using a windshield wiper motor. The Pololu motor controller I'm using is now out of production but the hook-up should be similar to yours. Since I am using DaOld Man's MRotate3, I had to use the PC printers port and a parallel cable for the auto-rotating feature. 
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