advice needed for haptic device

Agile ARK

hi all

am trying to connect an http://arduino.cc/en/Main/arduinoBoardUno

a haptic driver (board) - http://www.fairchildsemi.com/an/AN/AN-FEBFAH4830.pdf

and actuators (small motors) - https://catalog.precisionmicrodrives.com/order-parts/product/c10-100-10mm-linear-resonant-actuator-3-6mm-type

to create a small haptic device that I can control with the the arduino to give users of a web application haptic alerts.

I'm a complete noobie (cant even read the literature because I dont know what the symbols mean) and dont want to plug things in and see smoke!

Just wondering if anyone could offer any practical advice or could help with the project? (you would be paid for you time if needed)

thanks

A.

Chet T16

How many actuators are you looking to run?

How do you intend communicating between the app and arduino?

Agile ARK

hi. thanks for the response.

am hoping to run just one actuator (will be attached to user's index pointing finger to provide them with feedback) and app and arduino communicate via USB.

(so maybe I need to use a separate power source for haptic driver?)

I suppose what I'm trying to achieve isn't a million miles from the example in link below. (think I are trying to do something very similar to example 4 - the PWM to LRA)

http://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/articles/2013/10/sophisticated-haptic-drivers-pwm-signals

Chet T16

There doesn't look to be anything too complicated with the hardware. From a quick read of the driver board info it looks like you program it with a couple of i2c commands and the actual drive signal comes from the pwm input.

The uno arduino will take commands over a virtual serial port so once you have your app sending something over that you'll be grand.

If yyou're stuck I can have a deeper look into it for you.

Agile ARK

I suppose the fact is I'm a complete noobie and cant even read the documents properly because I dont know what the symbols mean

I have a friend who is a programmer and who has a little experience so once it gets to the stage of code I think i will actually be ok.

Thing is I'm stuck right at the start with the basis connections because I dont want to do something silly with the power and burn something out.

The arduino and haptic board have standard dupont connections so I can use pre-made leads (no soldering, which suits me fine) but I'm not sure if the arduino can power the haptic board or if it needs its own supply

Agile ARK

might be worth mentioning:

also posted for some advice for to another forum and one of the members responded with:

Attached is the datasheet for the FAH4830 IC. I have only briefly scanned it, but I think that it says the IC will operate with a supply voltage up to 5.5V, but it recommends a 3.3V supply. I do not see on the operating instructions for the evaluation board any facility for supply voltage regulation, so I assume that it requires a regulated supply voltage.

It seems that the Arduino Uno will operate directly from a 5V USB supply, or from a 7-12V supply via its on-board 5V regulator. So, yes it seems that you could use a 9V battery as the power source (although a 9V battery won't last very long.) Further, I think the Arduino Uno has an on-board 3.3V regulator, and if that is correct, that is where I would get the power for the FEBAH4830 evaluation board.

http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?p=687628&posted=1#post687628

Chet T16

You can use the Uno 3.3v output but the driver board might not be tolerant of the 5v logic levels from the arduino.

Agile ARK

ok. great thanks. your comments have been really helpful

seems both you and member of other forum seem to think it's ok to use 3.3v output from arduino to power haptic board.

(and that it is best to give arduino it's own power - either mains or battery)

I also notice there seems to be a capacitor built in to board, presumably to prevent the power "feeding back" to Arduino. Someone mentioned to me that it might also be wise to have a capacitor on line between haptic board and actuator (motor), again to prevent feedback..

just wondering do you work in electronics or have you studied it somewhere?
also are you based anywhere around dublin area?

thanks again!

Chet T16

I'm in the final year of my electronic engineering masters and spend most of my free time working on my own projects.

I will have a decent look at this for you and try draw up a diagram.