A throttle is a device that controls the speed of an electric motor by varying the amount of power supplied to it.
A throttle can be used to adjust the speed of an electric bike, scooter, or any other vehicle that uses an electric motor.
There are different types of throttles, such as thumb, twist, or foot pedal, and they can have different features, such as LED voltage display or ignition key.
In this article, we will show you how to make a simple and cheap throttle for an electric motor using an Arduino and a potentiometer.
What you will need:
1 An Arduino board (any model will do)
A potentiometer (a variable resistor that can be turned by hand)
Some wires and connectors
A breadboard (optional)
A computer with Arduino IDE software installed
An electric motor controller (either brushed or brushless)
An electric motor and a battery
How To Make A Throttle For Electric Motor?
1. Connect the potentiometer to the Arduino board. The potentiometer has three pins: one for power, one for ground, and one for output.
Connect the power pin to the 5V pin on the Arduino, the ground pin to the GND pin on the Arduino, and the output pin to any analog input pin on the Arduino (such as A0).
2. Connect the Arduino board to the computer using a USB cable and open the Arduino IDE software. Write a simple code that reads the value of the potentiometer and converts it to a PWM signal.
PWM stands for pulse-width modulation, which is a way of controlling the power output by switching it on and off rapidly.
The PWM signal can be sent to the electric motor controller to control the speed of the motor. Here is an example code:
// Define the potentiometer pin
#define POT_PIN A0
// Define the PWM pin
#define PWM_PIN 9
// Define the minimum and maximum values of the potentiometer
#define POT_MIN 0
#define POT_MAX 1023
// Define the minimum and maximum values of the PWM signal
#define PWM_MIN 0
#define PWM_MAX 255
void setup() {
// Set the PWM pin as output
pinMode(PWM_PIN, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
// Read the value of the potentiometer
int pot_value = analogRead(POT_PIN);
// Map the value of the potentiometer to the value of the PWM signal
int pwm_value = map(pot_value, POT_MIN, POT_MAX, PWM_MIN, PWM_MAX);
// Write the PWM signal to the PWM pin
analogWrite(PWM_PIN, pwm_value);
}
3. Upload the code to the Arduino board and test it. You can use a multimeter or an oscilloscope to measure the voltage of the PWM pin. You should see that it changes from 0V to 5V as you turn the potentiometer.
4. Connect the PWM pin of the Arduino board to the signal input of the electric motor controller. Depending on your controller type, you may need to use a different connector or adapter.
For example, if your controller has a servo-style connector, you can use a female-to-female jumper wire to connect it to the Arduino.
5. Connect the battery to the power input of the electric motor controller and connect the motor to the output of the controller.
6. Turn on the battery and test your throttle. You should be able to control the speed of your motor by turning your potentiometer.
Tips and tricks:
1. You can use different types of potentiometers, such as linear or logarithmic, depending on your preference and application.
2. You can add more features to your throttle, such as a switch, a button, or an LED display. For example, you can use a switch to turn on and off your motor, a button to change modes or settings, or an LED display to show your battery voltage or speed.
3. You can use different types of Arduino boards, such as Nano or Pro Mini, depending on your size and power requirements.
4. You can use different types of electric motors and controllers, such as brushed or brushless, depending on your performance and efficiency needs.
