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A lil' history ...
This project shows you how to build your own servo optoisolator. What the
heck is an R/C servo optoisolator you ask? A servo optoisolator literally isolates
the power AND signal connections between your R/C receiver and the servos.
How does it do this? Optoisolator ICs are used which optically isolate the
servo control signals. The servos are also powered from a separate battery
from that of the R/C receiver. Why use an optoisolator? R/C gear is
susceptible to noise from such sources as gas engines, electric speed
controllers, switching power supplies and and other sources you probably don't
know or thought about (i.e. spurious interference). In larger aircraft,
long servo leads are used to connect the servos to the receiver. These can
often be on the order of 2-3 feet, sometimes even more. If not properly
routed and/or protected (i.e. cokes/ferrites), these long leads can often act as
"antennas", picking up spurious interference, inside and outside your plane.
Because these are connected directly to your receiver, this interference is
propagated back into your receiver, potentially causing degradation of your
receiver's ability to properly decode RF being transmitted by your transmitter.
An optoisolator COMPLETELY eliminates this potentially devastating and often
tragic event (it's happened to me twice... I'm not waiting for a 3rd).
09/06/2008
This project shows you how to build your own servo optoisolator. What the
heck is an R/C servo optoisolator you ask? A servo optoisolator literally isolates
the power AND signal connections between your R/C receiver and the servos.
How does it do this? Optoisolator ICs are used which optically isolate the
servo control signals. The servos are also powered from a separate battery
from that of the R/C receiver. Why use an optoisolator? R/C gear is
susceptible to noise from such sources as gas engines, electric speed
controllers, switching power supplies and and other sources you probably don't
know or thought about (i.e. spurious interference). In larger aircraft,
long servo leads are used to connect the servos to the receiver. These can
often be on the order of 2-3 feet, sometimes even more. If not properly
routed and/or protected (i.e. cokes/ferrites), these long leads can often act as
"antennas", picking up spurious interference, inside and outside your plane.
Because these are connected directly to your receiver, this interference is
propagated back into your receiver, potentially causing degradation of your
receiver's ability to properly decode RF being transmitted by your transmitter.
An optoisolator COMPLETELY eliminates this potentially devastating and often
tragic event (it's happened to me twice... I'm not waiting for a 3rd).
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