812-R8
@ March 17, 2010
- Actuators / output devices: 2 GM3's
- CPU: Parallax Propeller
- Power source: 4x AA 1.5V cells
- Programming language: Spin
- Sensors / input devices: Parallax Ping)))
- Target environment: indoors
Here goes 812-R8. I really wanted to get something posted as this bot has been sitting here for almost a week now. More details and photos will be added later (along with a video, if I ever get around to making one). 
Instead of my usual arduino knockoff this on is built on the Propeller Platform from Gadget Gangster. The Prop Platform has both 3.3V and 5V regulators on board so no special power supplies were needed to run everything.
The drive motors are a pair of GM3's from Solarbotics with their GM series wheels. 
Sight comes from a PING))) ultrasonic sensor. The Ping is mounted to an inverted Dagu micro servo via a polymorph bracket.
Motor control is a SN754410 h-bridge. Three-pin headers for the servo and PING))), and the h-bridge are soldered to the Platform Prototyper Module, also from GG. 
Power comes from a 4xAA battery box mounted below the motors. This puts 6V to the VIN pin of the Prop Platform. (no photo)
Build time for the Prop Platform was probably about 45 minutes, and is included in the 2 hour (estimated) build time. Not included in the build time was me breaking a solder tab off one of the GM3s, or the time spent locating a suitable replacement motor (pirated from one of my dead wowwee robots). Build time also does not include time spent reading the Propeller documentation and figuring out how to program a different microcontroller.
Cost to build includes motors, wheels, prop platform and proto module, PING))), servo, and Prop Plug (the programmer doowhackey).
The code uses the PING object from the Object Exchange. I think it is included in the Windows package of the Spin Tool but I don't recall for certain. I also used somebody else's servo driver. The h-bridge control is nothing special, just putting the right pins low or high. I'll probably end up using an h-bridge object eventually to be able to match the motor speeds to each other.
I can't attach .spin files (I'll fix that another time) so here's the code hosted elsewhere.
@ Fri, 2010-03-19 12:32
Nice
Still on basic stamp here but have a prop board ( USB prototype ) laying if I ever get daring. Waiting for video.
@ Sat, 2010-03-20 08:47
Get daring? LOL Writing in
@ Wed, 2010-03-17 20:07
Awesome!!!
Your code looks very good! I like how you've organized the code, making each direction for the robot as a method.
One tip - you can create an archive of your code and it will put all your object files into a single zip;
What's holding up the back end of the robo?
@ Wed, 2010-03-17 21:58
I spotted the archive
I spotted the archive thingie but so far it's not quite working out for me. I think I just don't have things (various objects) organized correctly is all. It just gives me an error "could not find object" or something. By the way, I'm using BST on Ubuntu instead of the "real" spin tool. I guess it's possible, though not likely, that BST doesn't handle the archiving thing as well.
I still figure to do a blog or Tip about using the Prop Platform on Linux, not that it was remotely tricky to accomplish. I also plan on playing more with the Spin Tool in a virtual WinXP with VirtualBox.
There's nothing holding the back end up. For now it just drags its battery box arse along the ground ;)
@ Fri, 2010-03-19 07:51
Archiving