Station start without the "hand of God"

[T0ny]

I have managed to overcome the reluctance of DC motors to start by using an Arduino to give a very short pulse of full power, <500ms (you will need to experiment to find the lowest setting) before resorting to normal power. This seems to give the motor an initial jolt before it settles down and continues turning. Please note I AM NOT AN EXPERT on Arduinos and I am just playing around at the moment.

Edited May 18, 2021 by T0ny
typo

[ikcdab]

10 minutes ago, T0ny said:

I have managed to overcome the reluctance of DC motors to start by using an Arduino to give a very short pulse of full power, <500ms (you will need to experiment to find the lowest setting) before resorting to normal power. This seems to give the motor an initial jolt before it settles down and continues turning. Please note I AM NOT AN EXPERT on Arduinos and I am just playing around at the moment.

Isn't this just what a feedback controller does? It increases the current and as soon as it senses the back EMF, the current is turned down.

Is this a problem for both DC and DCC? Does DCC handle starts any better?

[T0ny]

Isn't this just what a feedback controller does? It increases the current and as soon as it senses the back EMF, the current is turned down.

Is this a problem for both DC and DCC? Does DCC handle starts any better?

 

Thanks for the reply. I have no idea about how a feedback controller works. I am just playing about with an Arduino and this is a solution I have hit upon. There will be better, and other, solutions no doubt.

[AdamsRadial]

8 hours ago, ikcdab said:

Isn't this just what a feedback controller does? I

Feedback control is more appropriate for when the motor is actually running. Until it is turning at a certain rpm there will be no back-EMF worth measuring, but slugging it with too much current wouldn't be healthy.