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Motor Control for Red Rover's Camera Head and Antenna

When Red Rover is on the Moon, an operator needs to be able to control the camera head and high-gain antenna. Precise control of the camera head and antenna is crucial for obtaining video footage and staying in contact with Earth. To achieve such precise control, stepper motors will be utilized. The stepper motors will control the pan and tilt of the camera head and movement of the high gain antenna. Stepper motors differ from regular motors in that they move in ‘steps’, in which the motor axle rotates a certain number of degrees per step. The stepping motion allows precise control for positioning the camera head and antenna. These motors need stepper motor controllers to operate. A SPMD150 stepper controller was selected due to phase, voltage, and current compatibility. The control circuit provides direction pins, which determine the direction the motor turns, and a clock signal, which signals the motor to turn one step per clock tick. Two motor controllers control the movements of up to six stepper motors. Currently, two motor controllers have been integrated into the motor control processing unit. This allows computer control of the stepper motors. Primary testing of the controllers and the motors produced favorable results: stepper motors turn without missing steps and there were no heat build-up issues. The SPMD150 stepper motor controller
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