Chapter 4
Making Things Move
IN THIS CHAPTER
Moving things with Python
Understanding DC motors and software
Using a servo motor
Making a stepper motor step
Making things move around with Python is undeniably cool. With motors, physical computing goes to a whole new level.
Robots, microwaves, refrigerators, and electric cars use electric motors to move around, blow air, pump coolant, and take you at 60 mph wherever you want to go. Electric motors are everywhere — they consume more than half the electric energy produced in the United States.
At its simplest, an electric motor is a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. In this chapter, we talk about DC (direct current) motors. A direct-current motor is a single, fixed voltage, such as 9V, 5V, or 3.3V. Alternating current (AC), on the other hand, is what you get out of your house outlets.
To download the code for this chapter, go to www.dummies.com/go/pythonaiofd3e, scroll down to the Downloads link, and click the link for the Book 6 code.
Exploring Electric Motors
All motors use magnets to create motion. ...
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