Avionics Bending: Mechanical Synchro Signal Producer (Part 5)

Mechanical Digital to Synchro Convert

Here is the first printed and assembled version of the mechanical digital to synchro converter motor assembly. It's a pretty simply assembly and together with the stepper motor and the synchro transmitter and the optical sensor I am about $22 into the project. In the image below you can see the proposed location of the optical sensor.  Next will be to design the plate that holds the Beagle Bone to drive the stepper motor with.

Mechanical Digital to Synchro Converter

Once I get a little further with the design I will put the CAD files on grabcad and the code on github. 

Avionics Bending: Mechanical Synchro Signal Producer (Part 4)

Mechanical Digital to Synchro Assembly

Here is the first design draft of the mechanical digital to synchro converter. The stepper motor on the bottom turns the Synchro Transmitter on the top of the design. The gear ration between the NEMA 17 motor and the Synchro should allow for very fine adjustment of the Synchro. The next rendering shows the the top plate and the Synchro Transmitter removed.

Mechanical Digital to Synchro Assembly

The picture below shows the assembly with the holder on the left hand side for the optical zero detection.

Mechanical Digital to Synchro Assembly

Another view of the prototype assembly from below. Here you can see the cutout for the NEMA 17 motor.

Mechanical Digital to Synchro Assembly

The entire assembly will be 3D printable. I will print the first prototype in PLA and then see how rigid the design is. The next step will be to add the design for the Beagle Bone Black holder and the 400Hz 26VAC  connections into the design.

Mechanical Digital to Synchro Assembly

Avionics Bending: Mechanical Synchro Signal Producer (Part 3)

L-1011 Project - Mechanical Synchro Converter

Modeled the motor and synchro components to go into the design. Here is how I currently envision the device to work .... it's actually quite simple. Above is a block diagram of initial idea for the device.

Let's take an example of the Airspeed indicator:

1. The device initializes by rotating the assembly until Zero Detection is reached. We have now stablished the starting point. 
2. Indicated Airspeed (IAS) is sent from X-Plane via UDP across the Ethernet to the Beagle Bone Black (BBB). 
3. The BBB translates the airspeed into angular information around the airspeed indicator dial. 
4. The BBB instructs the Stepper Motor Controller to move a computed number of steps forward or backwards. 
5. The linked Synchro Transmitter takes a 26V 400Hz input sources and creates the 3 Phase Synchro output needed by the L-1011 Airspeed Indicator. 

Avionics Bending: Mechanical Synchro Signal Producer (Part 2)

Mechanical Digital to Synchro Converter - Modular Mounting Plate Back

Mechanical Digital to Synchro Converter - Modular Mounting Plate Front

Working on the design of the motor mounting plate for the Stepper and the Synchro. This modular plate should accommodate a single stepper motor and a single Synchro Control Transmitter. The modular motor holder. I am also working on an alternate design that can accommodate the Coarse and Fine CTX for Altitude encoding. 

Once getting closer to a more practical design of the holder I will make it available as an Open Hardware project.