*http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_listCategoriesAndProducts.asp?idCategory=61&curPage=2&v=&sortlist=

~$8 for a "20 amp" controller, its hard to beat.


*piclist@ian.org wrote:
> I am trying to build a persistance of vision hard drive clock based on the 
> idea here... 
>
> http://hackedgadgets.com/2006/04/25/top-5-uses-for-a-dead-hard-drive/3/
>
> Everything was going well, I got my 16F88 programmed with my shiny new 
> PICkit2 (Thanks guys!) and the hardware was installed and I JUST got it 
> all working where it would display hands in various static positions, and 
> a bit of metal shorted out something in the hard drive controller board 
> which means the motor no longer spins.  Dang!  Troubleshooting showed the 
> 3.2 and 2.5 voltage circutry was dead, so none of the vips would function.
>
> Does anyone have a suggestion on what the easiest way to spin this thing 
> back up would be?  It's a standard, brusless and sensorless three-phase 
> motor that all new hard drives use.  I'm open to building it if it's not 
> too involved, or buying an off the shelf driver if a cheap one exists.
>
> I know it's possible to use a PIC and a three-phase inverter to run one.  
> I have seen source code for a 16F84A to output PWM to drive one, but no 
> schematics and I still need to build or buy a three phase inverter.
>
> RC people make and sell controlers that look like they would work, but I 
> don't need a $50-$200, super tiny light weight controller.  
>
> I certainly don't need anything industrial. :-)
>
> Finding another drive is my current option, but many will spin down 
> without a computer hooked up or if the read/write heads are moved off of 
> the drives, which is required for this project.  Plus not all drives have 
> the space to get everything installed and so it will take a while to find 
> another suitable drive.
>
> Having a source for simple or cheap drivers for these types of motors 
> would be great in general.  Those motors are plentiful but useless without 
> the complex drivers needed.
>
> Thanks!
>
> --
> Ian Smith
>   

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