Hi everyone,
I'm a new inductee into the world of robotics and would like to get some advice on the following issue.
Basically, I need to be able to control 30 servos simultaneously. This is achieved through the use
of the Basic Stamp 2, and two Parallax Servo Controllers which will be able to control up to 32 servos
at the same time.
However, I have a question regarding the power requirements. My servo is the Hitec 785HB, and at 6V, it
has a rated no-load current draw of .25A. The stall current for the servo is 1.8A.
My question is this: if I am going to have 30 servos, that will ramp my power requirements all the way
up to 54A if I were to calculate it based on the stall current. That's a lot of current and I wonder if
I'm doing this calculation right. Additionally, my 30 servos will not be lifting heavy loads at all - they will
just be turning a lightweight rod attached directly to the output shaft. Does this mean I can get a power supply with a lower rating? (If I assume that each servo will draw just .5A, that will mean getting a power supply of 15A)
I've read about how servos can 'spike' the current draw, and would like some help and advice in my picking
of a reliable power supply. It would be great help if anyone can provide some experience with dealing with these matters.
My current preference for solving this problem is looking at those enclosed AC-DC switching regulated power supplies on
www.jameco.com.
Thanks!