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Arduino Forum Arduino NANO controlling two digital potentiometers independently
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Related

Arduino NANO controlling two digital potentiometers independently

alanthom
alanthom over 6 years ago

Fellow colleagues

 

A buck/boost device comes with two 10 turn trim pots; 50k for voltage and 10k for current limiting.  Having to panel mount these I had to replace the trim pots with std linear single turn pots.

Yes, the my work around causes a less user friendly adjustment.

Solution - I would like to use a Arduino NANO to control two digital potentiometers.

Being a total beginner with Arduio....

1) can the NANO handle two dig pot adjustments independently?

2) must I use one NANO for each adjustment?

 

Your advice/guidance will be appreciated.

Apologies in advance if something has been posted/answered already............ just soooo much good info on the site.

 

Thx

 

AT

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  • Gough Lui
    Gough Lui over 6 years ago in reply to dougw +3 suggested
    Even with the same I2C address, throwing in an I2C expander/mux would allow them to be addressed independently. - Gough
  • michaelkellett
    michaelkellett over 6 years ago +2 suggested
    You need to post the schematic of the buck/boost circuit. Can't advise you without because it matters exactly how the pots are used. One Arduino can easily control two pot chips but only if certain conditions…
  • alanthom
    alanthom over 6 years ago in reply to michaelkellett +2 suggested
    Dear MK Thank you for taking the time to guide me. Unfortunately the buck/boost is a proprietary device - no cct is available. GREAT - confirming once micro controller can do the job. The buck/boost cct…
  • michaelkellett
    0 michaelkellett over 6 years ago

    You need to post the schematic of the buck/boost circuit.

     

    Can't advise you without because it matters exactly how the pots are used.

     

    One Arduino can easily control two pot chips but only if certain conditions re. common earth or reference voltage are met (and there are ways round these problems too .....)

     

    MK

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  • dougw
    0 dougw over 6 years ago

    You can control multiple digital pots from one microcontroller. If the pot uses I2C for communication it usually has some address pins that allow each pot to have a unique address. If the pot uses SPI, the chip select pin on the pot allows the MCU to use a different MCU pin to select each pot.

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  • Gough Lui
    0 Gough Lui over 6 years ago in reply to dougw

    Even with the same I2C address, throwing in an I2C expander/mux would allow them to be addressed independently.

     

    - Gough

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  • alanthom
    0 alanthom over 6 years ago in reply to michaelkellett

    Dear MK

     

    Thank you for taking the time to guide me.

     

    Unfortunately the buck/boost is a proprietary device - no cct is available.

    GREAT - confirming once micro controller can do the job.

     

    The buck/boost cct is inexpensive so I can play around.  My Arduino UNO and NANO kit will be arriving soon.

    Whilst waiting. I'll order the two dig pots and start with some basic Arduino projects.

    During my tertiary education, "modern" programming was in its infancy.....Olivetti Basic, Fortran and did a bit of assembler for Z80 chip.

    Did not love it and continued with analogue electr eng.

     

    How the wheel has turned..... Now, at the ripe age of 57.... I have to get to understand Arduion code.....lol

     

    Thanks

     

    Alan

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  • alanthom
    0 alanthom over 6 years ago in reply to dougw

    Hello Douglas

     

    Thank you for your time.

     

    I checked, the dig pot avail to use is a MCP41010-IP; a 10 k dig pot having SPI interface.

    So thanks, I'm then good to go.

     

    Kind Regards

     

    Alan

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  • alanthom
    0 alanthom over 6 years ago in reply to Gough Lui

    Hi Gough

     

    Ah, thank you for that piece of info - will definitely help.

    Thanks for your timre.

     

    Kind Regards

     

    Alan

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  • dougw
    0 dougw over 6 years ago in reply to alanthom

    it should be pretty similar to this example:

     

    MCP41010 Digital Potentiometer Arduino Users Manual | Henry's Bench

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  • alanthom
    0 alanthom over 6 years ago in reply to dougw

    Hi Douglas

     

    I'm gobbed smacked........the info is always there! :

    Just need to know where to look.  While I have you on line - what would be the approach to connect two dig pots?

    Just duplicate the whole cct for the other dig pot, but using another ??  on the UNO/NANO board?

     

    Thx

     

    Alan

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  • michaelkellett
    0 michaelkellett over 6 years ago in reply to alanthom

    You're thinking of using an MCP41010 - beware - this part needs a 5V power supply and to share ground reference with the Arduino.

    None of its other pins must be connected to a voltage exceeding supply + 1V or it will  be damaged.

    None of the other pins must be connected to a voltage above 5V or iot won't work correctly.

     

    If, as I suspect, your buck boost is a bit like this one in this article:

     

    https://wiki.beyondlogic.org/index.php?title=WD2002SJ_LTC3780_Synchronous_Buck_Boost_Converter_Ebay_Automatic_lifting_pr…

     

    where the voltage and current control features are described, then the voltage control pot is connected to Vout and you could not use an MCP41010.

    (the actual value of the pot is not very important, since the other resistors can be scaled to suit.)

     

    You can't just drop a digital pot in place of a real pot in any circuit and expect it to work.

     

    Unless you have the schematic you are setting yourself up to fail (in a smokey way !).

     

    If all else fail then trace the circuit board out yourself and draw the schematic - it will ensure that you really know what you are working with.

     

    Or post some pictures and someone on E14 may be able to identify it.

     

    MK

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  • alanthom
    0 alanthom over 6 years ago in reply to michaelkellett

    Hi Michael

     

    Ooohh.... thanks for the heads up with the 5V issue.

    "My" buck/boost is very similar to the one in the URL you gave.  Here is the exact one I want to modify:  https://www.droking.com/dc-buck/60w-power-supply-module-dc-5-30v-to-0.5-30v-automatically-boost-buck-voltage-regulator-d…

     

    I would prefer not to have a smokey experience...... but curiosity killed the cat. image
    The cct is a double sided pcb and without soldering all components, I will most certainly not be able to translate the cct diagram.

    I understand your comment about simply not just plugging in a dig pot.............. but it would have solve dmy problem perfectly

     

    Necessity is the mother of invention......

     

    Thank you very much.  Do have a look at the buck/boost

     

    Alan

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