LEGO EV3 Controlling Power Functions Motor
Why Bricks Stack Exchange recommends it
Bricks Stack Exchange users link it when asked how to run Power Functions motors or other ordinary motors from an EV3, since it shows a DIY resistor-based cable.
Recommended by 2 people across 2 different months, 2014 to 2018.
What it is
A short demo from the TechnicRobot channel showing how to build a conversion cable that lets a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 brick drive Power Functions and RCX motors. The EV3 software then treats the cable as an EV3 Large Motor and controls it with the Unregulated Motor block.
What people said
Recommends guestguy123 · 2014-03 · Bricks Stack Exchange · on “How to use Power Functions with Mindstorms EV3?”
this explains how to make a conversion cable: [this video] You take a cable from the EV3 and a power functions cable, add some resistors and solder it up. Not a tough mod, but you do have to sacrifice two cables to the cause. Although, the possibilities are worth it imo, as you can now control a lego train or other power functions sets with EV3.
Recommends David Lechner · 2018-10 · Bricks Stack Exchange · on “How can I get the EV3 to control an ordinary motor with PWM?”
The hardware solution is to simulate the motor circuit on pins 5 and 6. [LINK] There is a [this video] by TechnicRobot that shows one way to do this. [LINK] I'm not sure I understand completely the logic behind this wiring. Personally, I would just connect pin 6 to pin 3 directly and connect pin 5 to pin 3 using a 3.3k resistor so that it exactly matches one of the 4 possible states of an EV3 Large motor. When you do this, the EV3 will detect your motor as an EV3 Large Motor. However, you shouldn't use the Large Motor blocks in the EV3 software. Since this hardware hack won't provide a position feedback signal, those blocks won't work correctly. Instead, use the Unregulated Motor block (one of th
Cites Allan Xu · 2018-03 · Bricks Stack Exchange · on “Power Function Converter Cable for LEGO MINDSTORMS”
This is a follow up to this question: How to use Power Functions with Mindstorms EV3? [LINK] The question was asked in 2013 (5 years ago). Fast forward to 2018, the product that was suggested in the answer is retired: [LINK] Is there a replacement for the retired product? Is there any better option, other than what is shown in this video? [this video]