Current Part:
HS-645MG
PIC 18F452
PICkit 2
2x 7805 +5v Regulator
10kΩ Resistor
47uF Capacitor
20 MHz Crystal
Breadboard
Jumper Wire
SIPS
Servo Screws / 4-40 Bolts, Nuts
1/4" MDF
Power Drill/Epoxy
Parts List Details
The parts list for this tutorial is very short, and that should be welcome because it means less time spent assembling electronics and more time building!
HS-485HB || HS-645MG
These are the two main servos that will make the pan and tilt system for the animatronic neck. One servo will act as the rotator for left and right, and the second servo will be the tilter for up and down movement. Because of how the mechanics will be constructed, the more powerful servo (HS-645MG) will be used to move the animatronic head up and down, as that action requires more torque. The HS-485HB will be used for rotating left and right.
PICkit 2
In order to get your compiled .hex code from MPLAB to the PIC you need to have a programmer. The one I recommend because of low cost and flexibility is the PICkit 2. It's what I use and it works very well.
PIC 18F452
In order to properly control the animatronic face's movements we need some intelligence, this is where the PIC 18F452 comes into play. The PIC 18F452 will be used to control all the servo motors independently. Pre-programmed movements will be set into the PICs memory and it will follow them accordingly.
20 MHz Crystal
20 MHz is chosen as the clock speed for no specific reason. Any clock speed in the MHz range would work just fine, but you need to make sure you alter the timing in the firmware to reflect your different clock speed.
7805 +5v Regulator
This is the system's power supply regulator. Everything should be running at +5v, even the servos. Typically servos should run straight from the battery, but in this case they are low power and there will be no difference if we connect them to the regulated supply or the batteries.
Jumper Wire & Breadboard
All of the electronics will be done on a simple tried and true breadboard. Luckily there aren't many connections to be made so the electrical side of this project should be a breeze.