Integrated circuits

[Alexander Rhodes]

I need help finding a new Integrated circuit.
I seem to have cooked the old one in my custom wheel. It was out of a Thrustmaster RGT FFB wheel, and I'm wanting the same outputs and inputs for the new one.

I need 10 button inputs, 6 axis inputs (5 would be ok) and 1 FFB motor output. So does anyone know what I would need and where I'd get one?

Thanks folks

 

[Brian Clancy]

Well, we will need more info tbh, chances are it will have been programmed unless its a very basic Logic gate IC and part of a more complex circuit. Its almost certainly a 'specialist' component made to order. Why do you think you have 'cooked' the IC and what details/markings are on it?

More info the better

 

[Alexander Rhodes]

It's not the IC I cooked, it's the components on the PCB. The board is made from some strange material making ordinary heat soldering near impossible. On trying to correct my first attempt I've now lost all signal from the pot, when before I had a partially received signal. Also the board had begun to melt before the solder sank into the joint, which never helps.

The original board had 2 IC's, 1 to control inputs, communicate to the PC and the 2nd IC, the 2nd IC was, by the looks of the circuit, an IC designed to interpret commands and send a PWM signal. I'm guessing the main IC has some form of firmware, and because of the original setup, I was thinking along the lines of an arduino, but don't know if an arduino would be able to handle data output to the motor. I was kind of hoping to find something similar to leo's BU0836 boards, with an added IC for the motor, but haven't found anything at all.

To be honest, running the buttons and pot's isn't the biggest worry, it's how I get the FFB motor to work with the games.

 

[Brian Clancy]

To be honest, running the buttons and pot's isn't the biggest worry, it's how I get the FFB motor to work with the games.

Damn right! Ive no idea how to even start that one, especially with a board like yours :S

 

[Alexander Rhodes]

Yeah, thats why I'm now planning on ditching it, why bother with more Thrustmaster trouble after all I've had already lol. The only parts I need to use are the motor (for now), pot (for now), axle, gears and bracket. Everything else made by Thrustmaster is being binned, apart from the buttons themselves lol. Since I can't work out the wheel board, nor the routing on the central board, I see no point in it as it can't be soldered.

So really I just need a solution of how to marry a FFB circuit to something like a BU0836. And I have no idea what it takes to run the FFB circuit since I'm not up to scratch on how PWM goes from data to signal. I am passing this by the arduino guys, I know they've done some mad stuff with that board, so I hope they can come up with something, but then I'd be stuck on software and firmware as the ardunio is just basically a blank canvas.

 

[Brian Clancy]

Its a big ask

In theory its pretty simple.... in reality, well....its not! As you say, its the firmware thats the real issue

 

[Alexander Rhodes]

Indeed, theory is always easy lol. Arduino users have created all sorts of firmware for their boards, some of which to drive motors and servo's, though I don't think they've dealt with drill motors before lol.

 

[Jim Cole]

Only because I am curious, is the board coated with lacquer or epoxy? If so, have you tried using a razor knife to clean off the trace to see about soldering a wire to it?

 

[Alexander Rhodes]

Not sure what the coating is, it's green and comes off like a rubber coating. I did try to remove the excess solder with a stanley knife, under neath the coating it looks to be metallic. I have tried a few times to get a good joint, and so has a friend of the family, who happens to be one of the best electricians I know. It's just not going to work with a regular soldering Iron. The datasheet from the main IC recommended wave soldering, I'm guessing that goes for the entire board.

 

[Jim Cole]

Most likely a shellac then. With traces you have to be very careful of the heat applied as you have found out. I use a soldering iron that is temperature adjustable and set it to where I don't have to apply heat for very long at all in order to get the solder to bond. If you keep an iron on the trace too long it will burn it and create more issues. If you have access to it, try and use a soldering iron that is capable of running at around 800 to 850 degrees Fahrenheit. Also make sure that you have tinned the iron properly and that the solder is the right solder for electrical circuits. I know it can be a pain at times, but it can be done.

 

[Alexander Rhodes]

Yeah, a real pain. Unfortunately, I don't have any great kit. The soldering Iron I have is just a basic OEM starter iron. When I come to making the new board though, I'll be having my friend solder it, since he has all the pro kit lol.

Arduino have responded to my questions aswell, They reckon I'd need arduino and a MOSFET H-Bridge to drive the motor, what is a MOSFET H-Bridge? And where would I get a hold of one?

 

[Kris Vickers]

Quick google produced THIS

And YouTube produced

 

[Alexander Rhodes]

The youtube vid is great, but I'm gonna have to do some studying it seems, never been introduced to a lot of the stuff used to make this H-Bridge. The google looks simple enough provided I can get some of the right components and get the board right. But it definitely looks possible to do