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RC car->robot mini project: motor/micro controller?

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dunk:
hey timstirling,
so the PC parallel port can handle inputs as well as outputs.
some pins are outputs. some inputs and some bi-directional.
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Coffee-3.html

so if you are looking at programming a microcontroller and connecting that to your laptop to handle IO you have a few options.
were you were asking if an AVR can communicate with a PC while running it's program or if that Mr-162 board can do it?
an AVR definitely can and i'd be surprised if a board built using one couldn't. it's all down to how you program the AVR.

most of the AVR range has analogue input pins as well as digital but if you end up with a controller without analogue input A/D (analogue to digital) converter chips are relatively straight forward to use. they do use up a lot of input pins though.

here's a link explaining how to connect an AVR directly to the PC serial port.
significantly cheaper than £80 but possibly a steeper learning curve:
http://homepage.hispeed.ch/peterfleury/avr-uart.html
i've used this method with great success with PIC microcontrollers but i'm new to AVRs so couldn't comment on how easily you can make them play with the serial port.

and since you mention USB controllers, here's a link to a project i'm just about to start working on for my own bot:
http://www.obdev.at/products/avrusb/index.html
again, all the components are far cheaper than any of the premade controllers you can buy.
i'll let you know how it goes when i get time to start building.

dunk

timstirling:

--- Quote from: Nyx on August 01, 2006, 03:53:43 PM ---Surprises me that you can't get it for less than 80 pounds. The site I showed you says 100$ CAN for the 0/16/16... That's about 48 pounds.

--- End quote ---

That surprised me as well, the UK really is a rip-off country though.
What you pay in dollars we have to pay in pounds, e.g. a $29 motor in the US sells for 29 pounds here..., $50 STAMP controller sells for 50 pounds... your $1000 computers sell for 1000 pounds.... so much for the 1.8 dollar->pound exchange rate!

heres the prices.
http://www.active-robots.com/products/phidgets/phidgets-interface.shtml

robotvisionary:

--- Quote from: Admin on July 31, 2006, 02:31:13 PM ---Typically any robot would cost an unavoidable MINIMUM of $100 . . . mine usually cost $400-ish . . .

And wood sucks, use HDPE!
http://www.societyofrobots.com/materials_hdpe.shtml


--- Quote ---Yeah, my main intention is to use computer vision and run algorithms such as neuro SLAM for naviagtion/mapping etc. and using neuro-controller evolved through genetic algorithms as the control software, and then experimenting with artificial life.

--- End quote ---

Yea, a microcontroller is out of the question for that.



--- Quote ---Can you provide any more info/links on the motor driver IC? That would be very helpful.

--- End quote ---

Go to digikey.com and search for LMD FET. There are many types of motor driver IC's out there, they are extremely common. These in particular I have used, and offer higher than normal current.


--- Quote ---So, even if I use a laptop/PC I would neeed a microcontroller.

--- End quote ---

You could also make the microcontroller wirelessly controlled by a PC. So the robot gets the brains of a PC without having to lug it around.

Here is a thread that might help for that:
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=104.0

I am currently designing a wireless robot microcontroller setup, and will post all details (schematic, code, parts list, etc) when I finish it . . . another 2+ months probably . . .

--- End quote ---

Can you get that in Puerto Rico?

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