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Author Topic: biped help  (Read 5091 times)

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Offline maayub15Topic starter

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biped help
« on: February 21, 2007, 02:24:16 AM »
hi,

my name is Ayub, age 18 from Singapore. I'm currently doing a project on a Biped robot under the Sinagpore Robotics Group. I'm relatively new to robotics and am facing some tough challenges. Firstly, i'd like some help on how i can learn basics of c programming. next, i'm using 196KC boards in my biped project. i'd like to know how i can program it using a pc to create a program to send , say about 10 character to it. thereafter, the character must be displayed in the display on the board itself, one by one. the LED display on the board is capable of showing a maximum of 4 characters at any one time. the characters should be displayed in the same manner they were transmitted to the microcontroller. i'm also attaching a copy of the program that was designed for it by someone else and would be really helpful if someone can assist me in understanding it.also, the biped robot is utilising 4 196KC boards (each with its very own AMD controllers)and 10 dc motors, 4 worm gears and potentiometers to provide angle feedback for every joint.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2007, 02:31:39 AM by maayub15 »

Offline hgordon

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Re: biped help
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2007, 08:25:59 AM »
The code you attached is well written and well documented, but there's a lot going on, so if you are not familiar with C programming, it probably looks quite challenging.  However, if you have worked with other programming languages before, you should be able to figure things out.  I would suggest the following -

1.  make a list of all of the functions in the program, and for each function, try to write an explanation for yourself of what it does, e.g.
    void main()
    unsigned int HEXtoASCII()
    void DigitSel()
    void Delay()
    ...

2.  study the main() function - that is the function that controls what is happening in any C program.  in this program, you can see the following sequence -
    disable()  - this  disables interrupts
    ActiveBoard = 4  -  this selects which of the boards will receive commands
    print ...    - this prints the sequence "KC-4"
    delay  -   
    print ...

if you aren't certain what a function does, perhaps you can ask someone

3.  finally, get a book on C programming.  the classic book is "The C Programming Language" by Kernighan and Ritchie, originally published in 1978.  it's the only C programming book I've ever owned, and C is my main programming language.

Good luck !
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Offline Admin

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Re: biped help
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2007, 06:35:40 PM »
I suggest taking a deep breath before reading on . . .

Is this your first robot? The reason why I say this is that making a robot is hard. Bipeds are considered very hard even for those veterans that have already made many robots (including me). If you have never made a robot before, and you are attempting a biped . . . well, you get the picture. The point I am trying to make is, you might want to start with a simpler project using the parts that your biped will use.

For example, a photovore that uses your 196KC boards and two of your DC motors. This way you can get the basics working and test it quicker, then transfer your code and experience and circuits to your much more complex biped. You wont waste time, you wont waste money, and yet you learn faster by tackling smaller sub-problems one at a time.

If you dont know C, you might want to start off with simpler C source code, too. There are some fairly advanced concepts to understand in that source file . . .

Sorry for the discouragement! I wish you best of luck!

Exhale! :P

and a link to that book hgordon mentioned,
C Programming Language
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