Remotely Control a DC Motor Over WiFi With Raspberry Pi Pico W

In this video lesson I will show you how you can control a remote DC motor using your Raspberry Pi Pico W. The Pi Pico is set up as a server, and is connected to a DC motor, and TA6586 Motor Controller. The motor is controlled by a client Python program running on your desktop PC. On the client side we create a Graphical Widget, which will allow you to control both the speed and direction of the motor. the schematic for the Raspberry Pi Pico W side is shown below:

Motor Controller — Schematic for TA6586 and Raspberry Pi Pico DC Motor Control

Then in the video, we developed the following software for the server side on the Pi Pico

import network
import usocket as socket
import secrets
import time
from machine import Pin, PWM
icPin1=Pin(14,Pin.OUT)
icPin2=Pin(15,Pin.OUT)
fPWM=PWM(icPin1)
rPWM=PWM(icPin2)
fPWM.freq(1000)
rPWM.freq(1000)

wlan = network.WLAN(network.STA_IF)
wlan.active(True)
wlan.connect(secrets.SSID,secrets.PASSWORD)

# Wait for connection
while not wlan.isconnected():
    time.sleep(1)
print("Connection Completed")
print('WiFi connected')
print(wlan.ifconfig())

# Set up UDP server
server_socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
server_socket.bind((wlan.ifconfig()[0], 12345))
print("Server is Up and Listening")

while True:
    print('Waiting for a request from the client...')
    # Receive request from client
    request, client_address = server_socket.recvfrom(1024)
    request=request.decode()
    print("Client Request:",request)
    print("FROM CLIENT",client_address)
    cmdArray=request.split(',')
    motorState=cmdArray[0]
    speed=int(cmdArray[1])
    rPWM.duty_u16(0)
    fPWM.duty_u16(0)
    if motorState == 'O':
        rPWM.duty_u16(0)
        fPWM.duty_u16(0)
    if motorState == 'F':
        rPWM.duty_u16(0)
        fPWM.duty_u16(int(speed/100*65535))
    if motorState == 'R':
        fPWM.duty_u16(0)
        rPWM.duty_u16(int(speed/100*65535))
    # String to send
    data =request +" CMD PROCESSES+D"
    
    # Send data to client
    server_socket.sendto(data.encode(), client_address)
    print(f'Sent data to {client_address}')

import network

import usocket as socket

import secrets

import time

from machine import Pin, PWM

icPin1=Pin(14,Pin.OUT)

icPin2=Pin(15,Pin.OUT)

fPWM=PWM(icPin1)

rPWM=PWM(icPin2)

fPWM.freq(1000)

rPWM.freq(1000)

wlan = network.WLAN(network.STA_IF)

wlan.active(True)

wlan.connect(secrets.SSID,secrets.PASSWORD)

# Wait for connection

while not wlan.isconnected():

time.sleep(1)

print("Connection Completed")

print('WiFi connected')

print(wlan.ifconfig())

# Set up UDP server

server_socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)

server_socket.bind((wlan.ifconfig()[0], 12345))

print("Server is Up and Listening")

while True:

print('Waiting for a request from the client...')

# Receive request from client

request, client_address = server_socket.recvfrom(1024)

request=request.decode()

print("Client Request:",request)

print("FROM CLIENT",client_address)

cmdArray=request.split(',')

motorState=cmdArray[0]

speed=int(cmdArray[1])

rPWM.duty_u16(0)

fPWM.duty_u16(0)

if motorState == 'O':

rPWM.duty_u16(0)

fPWM.duty_u16(0)

if motorState == 'F':

rPWM.duty_u16(0)

fPWM.duty_u16(int(speed/100*65535))

if motorState == 'R':

fPWM.duty_u16(0)

rPWM.duty_u16(int(speed/100*65535))

# String to send

data =request +" CMD PROCESSES+D"

# Send data to client

server_socket.sendto(data.encode(), client_address)

print(f'Sent data to {client_address}')

Then for the client side, the following program runs on Python on your PC:

import socket
import time
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import *
from PyQt5.QtCore import *
import sys
speedF=0
speedR=0
motorStatus='O'

# Set up UDP client
client_socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
client_socket.settimeout(1)
server_address = ('192.168.88.19', 12345)  # Adjust IP address and port as needed

app=QApplication(sys.argv)
window=QWidget()
window.setWindowTitle("Big Boss Motor Controller")
window.setGeometry(100,100,800,600)
mainLayout=QHBoxLayout(window)
leftLayout=QVBoxLayout()
rightLayout=QVBoxLayout()

def updateMotor():
    global motorStatus,speedF,speedR
    try:
        print(motorStatus)
        if motorStatus=='F':
            cmd=motorStatus+','+str(speedF)
        if motorStatus=='R':
            cmd=motorStatus+','+str(speedR)
        if motorStatus=='O':
            cmd=motorStatus+','+str(0)

        client_socket.sendto(cmd.encode(), server_address)
        data, addr = client_socket.recvfrom(1024)
        print('Received data:', data.decode())
        
    except:
        print("Server Did Not Respond, Try Again")


def updateForSpeed(value):
    global speedF
    speedF=value
    print(speedF)
def updateRevSpeed(value):
    global speedR
    speedR=value
    print(speedR)
def motorGo():
    global motorStatus
    motorStatus = 'F'
    print("GO")
def motorRev():
    global motorStatus
    motorStatus = 'R'
    print("REV")
def motorStop():
    global motorStatus
    motorStatus = 'O'
    print("STOP")


sliderLabelF=QLabel("Forward Speed")
sliderLabelF.setStyleSheet("font-size: 20px;")
leftLayout.addWidget(sliderLabelF)

sliderF=QSlider(Qt.Vertical)
sliderF.setMinimum(0)
sliderF.setMaximum(100)
sliderF.setValue(0)
sliderF.valueChanged.connect(updateForSpeed)
sliderF.setStyleSheet("QSlider::handle:vertical {background-color: rgb(0,255,0);}")
leftLayout.addWidget(sliderF)

sliderLabelR=QLabel("Forward Speed")
sliderLabelR.setStyleSheet("font-size: 20px;")
leftLayout.addWidget(sliderLabelR)

sliderR=QSlider(Qt.Vertical)
sliderR.setMinimum(0)
sliderR.setMaximum(100)
sliderR.setValue(0)
sliderR.valueChanged.connect(updateRevSpeed)
sliderR.setStyleSheet("QSlider::handle:vertical {background-color: rgb(0,0,255);}")
leftLayout.addWidget(sliderR)

greenButton=QPushButton("GO")
greenButton.setStyleSheet("background-color: rgb(0,255,0); border-radius: 50px; min-height: 100px; font-size: 20px; color: black;")
blueButton=QPushButton("REVERSE")
blueButton.setStyleSheet("background-color: rgb(0,0,255); border-radius: 50px; min-height: 100px; font-size: 20px; color: white;")
redButton=QPushButton("STOP")
redButton.setStyleSheet("background-color: rgb(255,0,0); border-radius: 50px; min-height: 100px; font-size: 20px; color: black;")

greenButton.clicked.connect(motorGo)
rightLayout.addWidget(greenButton)

blueButton.clicked.connect(motorRev)
rightLayout.addWidget(blueButton)

redButton.clicked.connect(motorStop)
rightLayout.addWidget(redButton)

timer =QTimer()
timer.timeout.connect(updateMotor)
timer.start(200)

mainLayout.addLayout(leftLayout)
mainLayout.addLayout(rightLayout)
window.setLayout(mainLayout)
window.show()
sys.exit(app.exec_())

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import socket

import time

from PyQt5.QtWidgets import *

from PyQt5.QtCore import *

import sys

speedF=0

speedR=0

motorStatus='O'

# Set up UDP client

client_socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)

client_socket.settimeout(1)

server_address = ('192.168.88.19', 12345) # Adjust IP address and port as needed

app=QApplication(sys.argv)

window=QWidget()

window.setWindowTitle("Big Boss Motor Controller")

window.setGeometry(100,100,800,600)

mainLayout=QHBoxLayout(window)

leftLayout=QVBoxLayout()

rightLayout=QVBoxLayout()

def updateMotor():

global motorStatus,speedF,speedR

try:

print(motorStatus)

if motorStatus=='F':

cmd=motorStatus+','+str(speedF)

if motorStatus=='R':

cmd=motorStatus+','+str(speedR)

if motorStatus=='O':

cmd=motorStatus+','+str(0)

client_socket.sendto(cmd.encode(), server_address)

data, addr = client_socket.recvfrom(1024)

print('Received data:', data.decode())

except:

print("Server Did Not Respond, Try Again")

def updateForSpeed(value):

global speedF

speedF=value

print(speedF)

def updateRevSpeed(value):

global speedR

speedR=value

print(speedR)

def motorGo():

global motorStatus

motorStatus = 'F'

print("GO")

def motorRev():

global motorStatus

motorStatus = 'R'

print("REV")

def motorStop():

global motorStatus

motorStatus = 'O'

print("STOP")

sliderLabelF=QLabel("Forward Speed")

sliderLabelF.setStyleSheet("font-size: 20px;")

leftLayout.addWidget(sliderLabelF)

sliderF=QSlider(Qt.Vertical)

sliderF.setMinimum(0)

sliderF.setMaximum(100)

sliderF.setValue(0)

sliderF.valueChanged.connect(updateForSpeed)

sliderF.setStyleSheet("QSlider::handle:vertical {background-color: rgb(0,255,0);}")

leftLayout.addWidget(sliderF)

sliderLabelR=QLabel("Forward Speed")

sliderLabelR.setStyleSheet("font-size: 20px;")

leftLayout.addWidget(sliderLabelR)

sliderR=QSlider(Qt.Vertical)

sliderR.setMinimum(0)

sliderR.setMaximum(100)

sliderR.setValue(0)

sliderR.valueChanged.connect(updateRevSpeed)

sliderR.setStyleSheet("QSlider::handle:vertical {background-color: rgb(0,0,255);}")

leftLayout.addWidget(sliderR)

greenButton=QPushButton("GO")

greenButton.setStyleSheet("background-color: rgb(0,255,0); border-radius: 50px; min-height: 100px; font-size: 20px; color: black;")

blueButton=QPushButton("REVERSE")

blueButton.setStyleSheet("background-color: rgb(0,0,255); border-radius: 50px; min-height: 100px; font-size: 20px; color: white;")

redButton=QPushButton("STOP")

redButton.setStyleSheet("background-color: rgb(255,0,0); border-radius: 50px; min-height: 100px; font-size: 20px; color: black;")

greenButton.clicked.connect(motorGo)

rightLayout.addWidget(greenButton)

blueButton.clicked.connect(motorRev)

rightLayout.addWidget(blueButton)

redButton.clicked.connect(motorStop)

rightLayout.addWidget(redButton)

timer =QTimer()

timer.timeout.connect(updateMotor)

timer.start(200)

mainLayout.addLayout(leftLayout)

mainLayout.addLayout(rightLayout)

window.setLayout(mainLayout)

window.show()

sys.exit(app.exec_())

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Remotely Control a DC Motor Over WiFi With Raspberry Pi Pico W

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