Getting Started with the Pololu Maestro Servo Controller

[@jps99]

Very handy products for model builders!

[@dex3k]

Wow, finally, thank you people of bright mind. This is super handy.

[@pololu]

In this short video, Pololu engineer Emily shows how easy it is to get started with Maestro servo controllers. Getting Started with the Pololu Maestro Servo Controller

[@RogerSeeberger]

good product

[@kavorka8855]

A board with awesome features!

[@adamfilipowicz9260]

These things are awesome!

[@ProtoMan137]

Wow, great video! I think I'm going to buy one along with some cheap servos right now for my first project :) Edit: you're offering a Linux version of your software on your website! I love you!

[@alessandrocernuzzi]

These looks really good! it mght be just what I could use for a couple of ideas on my astrophotography rig :)

[@aphex4000]

Thank you for putting links in the video description!!! great video too :)

[@johannesstoll4583]

Great video! Keep up the good work!

[@anthony5971]

Would you guys be able to send a link to a tutorial for how to use a motion sensor with this. I am trying to make a puppet that moves when someone walks by it. Thanks.

[@sandrosanimatronicworkshop335]

I have 3 Questions now. can you use every servo? how long can you make a frame max? (like 5 seconds?) and how many frames can you make in a sequence?

[@LarsBaeter]

Great Tutorial 🙂👍I am really impressed by the possibilities of the Pololu Maestro controller and I use it to control a complex landing gear. Is the documentation also available online, then my Chrome Browser could easily translate it into German. That would be helpful. Thanks in advance for your support

[@pololu]

All of the Maestro documentation is available online. You can find its User's Guide and other useful documentation, links, and sample projects on the Resources tab of any of the Maestros' products pages, for example: www.pololu.com/product/1350/resources

[@vishark6247]

@@pololu When I plug 2 jumper cables in and try to move the motors with the app. My micro controller started smoking. Can you help here?

[@pololu]

For troubleshooting assistance, please contact us directly or post on our support forum: forum.pololu.com/

[@whisper024]

do you have a video showing how to connect buttons and switches? Both toggle and momentary?

[@nunosilva76214]

don´t forget pololu. the Emily exprience is very good and wonderfull the swiths touchs with mini maestro 18 channel, for the servos.

[@pachuquin5196]

hello, congratulations is a very interesting project. only have a question: You Might I say that you feed all your servos? recently bought a mini 12-channel master, but I have problems with feeding eventhough connect to a power 5v/15 A. if I connect more than 4 servos, misses the connection with the PC and I lose control of the servos. regards

[@ayebee1207]

Are you sure your power supply current is 15amps, not 1.5 amps? A household vacuum cleaner pulls around 12 amps of current. It sounds as though your power supply is incapable of supplying needed current. Or if indeed 15 amps, a current limiting resistor is needed in the controller output.

[@pololu]

Hello. It is possible to use a Java or C++ program to interface with a Maestro, but you should email us directly or post on our forum if you need more information about how to do this (we do not want to use youtube comments for technical support).

[@Zxenmusic]

How do I program multiple sequences so I can make my robot dance to a bunch of different songs? How do I switch between these sequences from a phone? How do I force the arms into a position and save as a frame? I have a mini maestro 24 and mini maestro 6.

[@sarieletronica]

could use subtitles in portuguese Brasil? I enjoyed the product, I think we will have many application in my country!

[@alexvargas106]

hello , I purchased a Mini Maestro 18-Channel USB Servo Controller and I´ve got a question , could you please tell me wich is the maximum current that it could handle ? It would be really helpful.

[@Zxenmusic]

I have 24 NINE AMP servos plugged into my mini maestro 24. Is it safe to power it all from USB or will this harm my computer? I usually power the board from six 50a 7.5v power supplies without any trouble. You never mention the amp draw from this board, which is probably an extremely massive oversight given that 24 servos can require a lot of current.

[@三有熊猫]

Hello! What is the name of the white board where the motors are mounted at 1:53 in the video? Where could I get it? Thank you.

[@RonALampman]

Hi, I would like to know how to make a servo go from no movement at a low PWM to a fast back and forth movement with a high PWM. Can you help me?

[@ediinatiion]

its possible to control two servos at the same time or synchronized? im thinking about buy one. thanks and greetings from MEXICO!

[@pololu]

Yes, the Maestro can control servos on all of its channels at the same time. It has several control methods, including internal scripts, TTL serial, and USB, which are all capable of updating the channels many times per second. For details about the control options, see the User's Guide.

[@Noon1263]

Is there a way you can instead of moving a slider press a button while recording it and then save it as a frame? If not could you ad that, if you don't u derstand me could we have a talk? I would like to use this but I wish you added a record feature.

[@pololu]

There is no record feature like what you are describing for the Maestro, but there are some example scripts in the user's guide showing how to use buttons or switches to control servos: www.pololu.com/docs/0J40/all#6.c If you need more help, please post to our forum: forum.pololu.com/

[@Noon1263]

@@pololu OK thank you.

[@bobmixon6021]

Can I ask where can I get that prototyping board? The white one all the components are attached to.

[@pololu]

That's one of our RP5/Rover 5 Expansion Plates: www.pololu.com/category/69/pololu-rp5-rover-5-expansion-plates

[@emilioguzmanvenosa7309]

excuse me emily . how can i transmit signal from the micro 18f4550 to mini maestro 12 channels ? i have serius problems , i read the mini maestro user guide but i dond't know how can i write en c code for conect the 18f4550 to mini maestro by compact protocol , can you help me please

[@henryraymond8676]

is it possible to connect a much larger, say 6 volt motorcycle battery, or permanent power supply to these units so that they last for a long time etc.

[@pololu]

Yes, a 6V battery should be fine for powering the Maestro and servos (so long as the servos are able to be run at 6V).

[@patjefpv6825]

is it possible to do just one sequence and then hold the last position of the servo's under power? instead of keep the loop running

[@pololu]

If you are using the sequencer, make sure "Play in a loop" is not checked. When the sequence ends, the Maestro Control Center shouldn't send any more commands to change the servo targets, so they should just keep holding position. If you are copying your sequence into a script, adding the "quit" command at the right place should work. If you need any more help with this, please post to our forum: forum.pololu.com/

[@NathanJohnson815]

I can't get my controller to show up in the control center program on Windows XP. It has Service Pack 3. When I plugged it in the first time I installed the drivers but it still doesn't show up in the control center. Any ideas?

[@Zxenmusic]

At 3m20, you say that you can use the sliders to move your servos, but can I use the servos to move the sliders so I can simply put my robot into poses and save the frames? Also, when the arms go back down, they fall very quickly compared to ascending against gravity. How do I prevent this - do I need to incorporate springs somehow? Also, how do I prevent the arms from falling when power is shut off? Also, how do I make sure all servos arrive at their frame position at the same time, so that servos can react to the rhythm of a song?

[@pololu]

Unfortunately, regular RC hobby servos do not report their positions, so poses cannot be captured without additional sensors or modifications to the servos. For your more detailed technical questions, please post to our forum: forum.pololu.com/

[@Zxenmusic]

It takes three weeks to get a reply on the forum. KZbin has more members.

[@pololu]

Specific technical questions about our products are addressed right away on our forum. For more general engineering questions, our forum (or some other targeted discussion group) is still more likely to give you useful results than comments on a KZbin video.

[@Zxenmusic]

These questions are the first questions anyone using a microcontroller would ask. I have posted many questions on your forum and then weeks later I still have no response. Please answer my beginner questions Anywhere, then paste them here or the link. Its very rude to answer questions with 'Google it.'

[@pololu]

Ok, here is one reply: forum.pololu.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=8895&p=40594#p40594 If your goal is to get free expert advice from strangers, perhaps you should reconsider your approach and attitude.

[@qzorn4440]

I wish people would make a servo controller for the Orange Pi-5.

[@pololu]

Hi, q zorn. What are you looking for beyond what the Maestro has?

[@charliepotatoes001]

I would like to know if I could connect to a Maestro under Linux. I see you are using windows in the tutorial video but I don't see Linux support. I am running the Ubuntu / Lubuntu 14.10. Your Linux package refuses to install (Package is not Deb). Is there a command line option for your controller to connect by USB and test/operate servos? Any information or links would be greatly appreciated since I would like to use a RazberryPi in the future to interface with your controller.

[@pololu]

Robert Davidson Yes, the Maestro supports Linux and there are instructions for getting started in the user's guide: www.pololu.com/docs/0J40 We do not use KZbin comments for technical support. If you would like help, please see this page: www.pololu.com/support

[@nunosilva76214]

Hello pololu tell one thing? i need to know who the resistor number is 10k, 1k resister or outhers for the swiths and the true color for exprience.? best regards.

[@jmsiefer]

Where can I see more information on that animatronic display? Looks SWEEEEEET.

[@oldfarmhand7714]

Hello I have purchased 2 of the maestro mini 12 and they are fun to play with but I can't seem to get any help from pololu on a problem i'm having with a sketch, I have tried to use the forum and contacted technical service,I was wondering if maybe you could answer my questions?

[@pololu]

Questions like this are best suited for our forum. We notice you have already posted there, and we have replied to your post. Please continue the discussion there.

[@buddysteve5543]

Instead of using the software described in this video, is there a SDK or API for Microsoft .Net C#? Thanks!

[@pololu]

Yes; please see the Pololu USB SDK, which includes libraries and examples for the Maestro: github.com/pololu/pololu-usb-sdk

[@buddysteve5543]

Thanks! I read that your servos should not be stopped while it's turning. Do you have a servo that would be good for force feedback like what would be found in a joystick with force feedback? Thanks again!

[@pololu]

Most servos (ours included) should not be stopped while turning. We do not have any particular servos to recommend for an application like that. If you have further questions, please continue this discussion on the forum on our our web site: forum.pololu.com/

[@MrKees78]

Hello, hey I was wondering how would I wire a servo to operate off a toggle switch using a 12v battery. If you can help I would greatly appreciated it...

[@ayebee1207]

Your going to need a voltage divider circuit to cut your 12v in half to operate the servo. The servo needs 5-7.5 volts to operate. A basic voltage divider is made up of resistors in series. One 300 ohm resistor, and one 500 ohm resistor connected in series will give you 7.5 volt output for the servo. You could use a 12v relay with your toggle switch to latch or unlatch your servo and have a limit stop and return micro-switch at the end of it's travel. I don't know what you are trying to do so these are just suggestions.

[@ayebee1207]

Aye Bee Since I now see your possible motivation is a license plate flipper, after clicking on your avatar. Your the reason I bought .380 Beretta's for my daughters.

[@MrKees78]

Aye Bee What? Huh... What you trying to say?

[@ayebee1207]

Sorry man, I am not dissing you. I just saw you clicked on license plate flipper, but then I scrolled down and saw the Minister you follow. jumping to conclusions and the Internet makes that look bad. my apologies.

[@MrKees78]

Aye Bee No worries, I'm just trying to understand what the plate flipper got to do wit your daughters? It's for when you speeding (Police)...

[@tumitoto]

Anyone know what is that white mounting plate/board called? I need one, thanks!

[@pololu]

Hi, That's our RP5/Rover expansion plate: www.pololu.com/product/1533 We laser cut them out of 1/8" acrylic. If you are comfortable using a vector graphics editor such as Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator, you might consider designing your own plate customized to your project and having it laser cut with us: www.pololu.com/laser

[@tumitoto]

Cool, thanks! @@pololu

[@nandingpanelo]

Nice do you have resellers in Asia?

[@pololu]

Yes, you can see a full list of our authorized distributors here: www.pololu.com/distributors

[@nandingpanelo]

@@pololu they dont have maestro they said yesterday

[@pololu]

If you can't find the product you are interested at one of our distributors near you, you can always order from us directly. You can find information about our international shipping options here: www.pololu.com/ordering#international

[@joemariesantua2473]

mam good day,if i purchase a maestro servo controller,how about the software?it is included together with the servo controller or i need to purchase both,thank you......

[@pololu]

Software for the Maestro is available for download under the "Resources" tab of any Maestro product page. (The software is free to download.) You can follow along with Emily as she downloads the Maestro drivers and Maestro Control Center in this video at 1:03.

[@EerieAcresCemetery]

Can anyone point me in the direction of how to add a sensor to trigger the script on maestro like she does at the end of the video?

[@pololu]

+Eerie Acres Cemetery Like Emily said in the video, you can look at the user's guide to find that kind of information. In particular, you can refer to the "Attaching Servos and Peripherals" section of the guide for how to add the hardware, and the "Example Scripts" section for code that reads voltages on the Maestro channels to trigger a subroutine within a script. If you have specific questions about how to achieve that kind of control, or if you have additional technical questions, please refer to our support page: www.pololu.com/support

[@michaelzanoff67]

Can you link servos with the maestro servo controllers

[@Broman186]

I am fairly new to this. Could you tell me what the blue piece on the board is and where I can get it?

[@Broman186]

thank you. I had no idea what it was called haha.

[@aashishagarwal7187]

will i still face servo jitters if i use this i m currently using arduino uno

[@dylandogpromotions4542]

hi please can you tell me what i need to run servos with a joy stick using the maestro thank you

[@pololu]

+DylanDog promotions Generally speaking, you do not need to add much more to the setup you described than a power supply and maybe some prototyping hardware, like jumper wires or a breadboard. However, you will need to write some code to get the servos to respond to your joystick input how you want, and this is not an appropriate place to start a discussion about how to do that. Emailing us, or posting to our forum are much better ways to get that level of support: www.pololu.com/contact forum.pololu.com/ By the way, when you contact us, it would help if you tell us more about your system (e.g. what servos you are planning on using, and specifically what kind of joystick you have in mind).

[@webheadjp0986]

Hello,How can I add those push buttons ? I want to know the details.

[@pololu]

Hello. You can find details and resources for adding buttons in the following forum thread: forum.pololu.com/t/adding-switches-to-the-servo-controllersv/13454/2

[@pololu]

Hi, we are sorry you are having problems with your Maestro. If you contact us directly for support, someone from our technical support team should be able to help you. Please see the support tab on our web site for information about our technical support.

[@tylermcbride2807]

And can u tell me if u can use stepper motors and electric actuators plz

[@pololu]

+Tyler McBride The Maestro generates standard RC servo pulses, so unless you have a special stepper motor or electric actuator that takes RC servo pulses, the Maestro will not control them directly.

[@pierremataias3221]

Which battery pack do i use for 5 TowerPro SG90 9gr Micro Servo ?

[@MAVROCKIS]

My Micro Maestro 6-Channel USB controller is not connecting to my computer and is not showing up in the Pololu Control Center. Anyone have any ideas on what the problem may be?

[@tylermcbride2807]

Thank u so much

[@martyang705]

YOUR SERVO CONTROLLER CAN BE USED FOR Mitsubishi servo？

[@pololu]

If it uses a standard RC servo control signal, the Maestro should be able to control it.

[@martyang705]

@@pololu but Mitsubishi servo is SSCNET communication,,and my Mitsubishi servo is MR-MD08,MULTI-axis servo.,your controller surpport it?

[@pololu]

@@martyang705 The Maestro is for these kinds of servos: www.pololu.com/blog/12/introduction-to-servos It sounds like you are talking about a completely different kind of servo.

[@martyang705]

@@pololu maybe can not fit .,because Mitsubishi servo communicates in sscnet with servo.

[@batter8178]

Is there an option to adio whilst programming tysm

[@pololu]

We're not really sure what your question is. If you are asking about using the channels on a Maestro as a general IO lines, that is possible, and you can find information about that in the Maestro's user's guide: www.pololu.com/docs/0J40 If you still have questions, please contact us directly or post to our forum: forum.pololu.com/

[@batter8178]

@@pololu ty I was asking if you could add audio ty

[@pololu]

If you want to add audio to your Maestro-based project, you can use something like this MP3 Trigger: www.pololu.com/product/2744

[@notefghsjswufpv5053]

I have everything connected and all the proper lights flash but the servos never move.

[@pololu]

This might be a power issue, but without knowing more about your setup, it is difficult to be certain. In general, the comments section of a KZbin video is not an appropriate place for troubleshooting. Please contact us for technical support: www.pololu.com/contact

[@ManuManitoo_t]

Link of the program?

[@sifterbox]

Can you write arduino code and upload it to this to run it and say a rc helicopter or a diy rc plane. What would be the best way to add wireless to this and put it in a RC plane or car?

[@sifterbox]

sifterbox I guess I could but an arduino nano in with it and use that to trigger the servos? do they accept pmw ins from a nano?

[@pololu]

sifterbox No, you cannot upload Arduino code to a Maestro and it cannot be controlled with PWM signals. However, you can control a Maestro from an Arduino over its serial interface. You can learn more about that inside the "Serial Interface" section of the Maestro's user's guide, which is located under the "Resources" tab of its product page. For example: www.pololu.com/product/1350/resources As for your question about making a wireless system that includes the Maestro, this is not an appropriate place for discussing that. You might try posting in our technical support forum for more help: forum.pololu.com/

[@rafaelh.reynoso4594]

How can I communicate the maestro to an Arduino microcontroller?

[@pololu]

+Rafael Reynoso We have an Arduino library that allows you to control Maestros via TTL serial. You can learn more about that under the "Arduino library" section of the Maestro user's guide, and you can find a link to the GitHub page for that library (and the user's guide) under the "Resources" tab of any Maestro's product page. For example: www.pololu.com/product/1350/resources If you have any additional questions, emailing or posting to our forum is a much more appropriate way to contact us: www.pololu.com/contact

[@ufiqbambr8791]

Can ı use a java or c++ for it?ı mean sdk?thank you.

[@hagozabi]

이거 뭔가 멋진데 !!!

[@ManuManitoo_t]

do you have the program for windows 8.1?

[@ManuManitoo_t]

or another program?

[@pololu]

manuel torres maureira The Maestro Control Center program works in Windows 8.1, and you can find download instructions in the user's guide: www.pololu.com/docs/0J40

[@ManuManitoo_t]

sorry, but I had not read that part :) I downloaded, now, I need buy the materials

[@mutazdabeast6843]

what type of usb are you using

[@pololu]

Hello. It is not clear what you are asking. Our forum is a better place to ask technical questions like yours. Can you post your question there with more details? forum.pololu.com/

[@danielleksy4645]

Hello I have 180degrees servo and i cant reach 180, can anyone help me?

[@pololu]

We would be happy to help you troubleshoot your issue on our forum: forum.pololu.com/

[@pololu]

Hi! Information about the products and projects seen in the video can be found in the expanded About section above.

[@DoItExtreme]

in my project i used 6 channel servo controller i connected all servo but it is not working i spend 2000 indian rupees on it but it is not working

[@pololu]

We are sorry to hear that your system is not working. Please read our support page to get started troubleshooting: www.pololu.com/support

[@christiangasore3114]

482/5000 First time start by initializing the pololu module, install the drivers on your computer, with the necessary libraries. After connecting your maestro module and launch the maestro controller program. if it does not work to mount the external power supply because the usb power supply only the microprocessor and the servos they need a separate power supply! Watch: www.pololu.com/docs/0J40 it does not work on Apple computers!

[@tylermcbride2807]

Nice vid can u send me something to show me how to hook up buttons

[@pololu]

+Tyler McBride Thank you for the compliment. You can learn how to add a button to the Maestro under the "Attaching Servos and Peripherals" section of the Maestro's user's guide, which you can find under the "Resources" tab of the Maestro product pages. For example: www.pololu.com/product/1350/resources

[@yxhankun]

work under i2c and arduino?

[@pololu]

The Maestro does not support I²C, but we do have an Arduino library for the Maestro that supports TTL serial. You can find our Maestro Arduino library here: www.pololu.com/product/1350/resources

[@tylermcbride2807]

Np do u guys have a servo that can move a paintball gun lol just wondering

[@pololu]

+Tyler McBride We carry servos that you could use in a system that does that, but you would have to design and build the system yourself. You can find all of the servos we carry here: www.pololu.com/category/23/rc-servos

[@aburizwan5797]

good

[@PrintermanBln]

no support for MAC?????!!!!!!

[@NSResponder]

That UI makes baby Jesus cry. It's positively tragic how many people in the robotics industry would find this acceptable. -jcr

[@pololu]

+NSResponder Can you explain what you do not like about the Maestro Control Center GUI? Can you also give us an example of what software GUI you think is acceptable?

[@yxhankun]

I found out... Any servo will not work properly without the servo control board. Any direct control via mcu is totally wrong. Any implementation eg human exoskeleton will result in broken arm or leg and all servo must stop its movement by itself via internal switches else such continuous movement will result injuries. People who create sketch to move a servo are liar n plane which are built under such limitation are likely to fall from the sky. You can notice any 3d printer or any ordinary printer has a good control over her servo motors via a servo controller.

[@Fromers]

What is the name of the white base where all the stuff are pleced? Thanks a lot!

[@pololu]

That's one of our RP5/Rover 5 Expansion Plates: www.pololu.com/category/69/pololu-rp5-rover-5-expansion-plates

[@tylermcbride2807]

hi again can u use solinoid valves and if u can how would you hook it up

[@pololu]

+Tyler McBride Hello, again. Like we already told you, the Maestro generates standard RC servo pulses. So, unless you have a special solenoid that takes RC servo pulses, the Maestro will not control it directly. If you want ideas about how you could build a system involving solenoids, we recommend posting a more detailed question to our forum: forum.pololu.com/