Society of Robots - Robot Forum
General Misc => Misc => Topic started by: mklrobo on March 21, 2015, 11:44:46 AM
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;D Hello! ;D
In this thread, I will explore the Axon MCU series. If you have any questions
about the programming, testing, software, pinouts(ADC, I/O), motor hookups,
or special projects, hopefully, this thread can help you.
When I address a specific topic, I will label the mail at the top of the post,
so when you are looking back through this thread, you can find the subject
you would like to use.
I just received my Axon II today, so the fun now begins.The tutorial section in this forum provides you with information to start.
I will search out documentation of the processor and applications, and work through them in this thread.
Programming, construction, and applications are quite a task, to me,
to integrate, and so, presentation of the "work - through" of projects may benefit everyone.
I will approach the task, first, by working through some projects, and then
by focusing on component coding/construction, where necessary.
Projects to tackle, but will skip around;
<1> Axon II, - What is this thing, and how can I check it out to make sure it is working?
<2> Axon series - Component coding and construction.
<3> Axon II - Serial Datatrain assimilator
<4> "Star Trek" Tricoder. (hp calculator to Axon)
<5> Axon Mote - What is this thing, and how can I check it out to make sure it is
working?
<6> Axon series - voice commands for the Axon II robot
<7> Axon II & Axon Mote - Building your own droid Army(flying, walking, Etc,.)
If anyone has comments or questions, please jump in. Any information that
you have will help everyone. Thanks for your participation! Let's have fun! ;D ;D
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Hi mklrobo,
Just a suggestion- Maybe Webbot studio would be a good way to document and share your project. As a lot of the heavy lifting is already done.
Look forward to seeing what you can come up with.
Mallster
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:) Great idea, mallster!
Also, any mechanical drawings that need to be done, I plan to
put them in Inventor autodesk software. The tutorials are good
reference; but, as I look into the forum, I do not see many people
sharing code for their robots, in the Axon series. It will take awhile
to get to the end project, but it will be fun! (have to save up money too!)
Thanks! ;D ;D ;D
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Axon series: What is this thing?
:o Whew! reviewed the datasheet, and, oh my! :o
Here are some of the features;
Features
• High Performance, Low Power AVR® 8-Bit Microcontroller
• Advanced RISC Architecture
– 135 Powerful Instructions – Most Single Clock Cycle Execution
– 32 x 8 General Purpose Working Registers
– Fully Static Operation
– Up to 16 MIPS Throughput at 16 MHz
– On-Chip 2-cycle Multiplier
• Non-volatile Program and Data Memories
– 64K/128K/256K Bytes of In-System Self-Programmable Flash
Endurance: 10,000 Write/Erase Cycles
– Optional Boot Code Section with Independent Lock Bits
In-System Programming by On-chip Boot Program
True Read-While-Write Operation
– 4K Bytes EEPROM
Endurance: 100,000 Write/Erase Cycles
– 8K Bytes Internal SRAM
– Up to 64K Bytes Optional External Memory Space
– Programming Lock for Software Security
• Peripheral Features
– Two 8-bit Timer/Counters with Separate Prescaler and Compare Mode
– Four 16-bit Timer/Counter with Separate Prescaler, Compare- and Capture Mode
– Real Time Counter with Separate Oscillator
– Four 8-bit PWM Channels
– Six/Twelve PWM Channels with Programmable Resolution from 2 to 16 Bits
(ATmega1281/2561, ATmega640/1280/2560)
– Output Compare Modulator
– 8/16-channel, 10-bit ADC
– Two/Four Programmable Serial USART (ATmega1281/2561,ATmega640/1280/2560)
– Master/Slave SPI Serial Interface
– Byte Oriented 2-wire Serial Interface
– Programmable Watchdog Timer with Separate On-chip Oscillator
– On-chip Analog Comparator
– Interrupt and Wake-up on Pin Change
• I/O and Packages
– 51/86 Programmable I/O Lines (ATmega1281/2561, ATmega640/1280/2560)
– 100-lead (ATmega640/1280/2560)
A lot of features on the chip. Does the endurance feature mean that I can only program it 10,000 times? ???
Anyway, I also reviewed the programs involved with it, and it is all in
C language. Specific sensors commands are encased in header files, in which
you have to have in order to control I/O from the sensor. I downloaded
AVR Studio, and that has the datasheet in the help section, with all the other
products in that MCU line.
I have been spoiled by programming the Parallax propeller, in which I could
immediately start programming, and enjoy the accessories.
In the Axon series, I will have to find the commands allowed in building
the code, along with getting copies of the header files, in order to learn
how they are called. I have found some demo code, which is in C, but have
to find out exactly how they are used, in order to use them in my programs.
Accessing a single pin, seems to be linked to a port, in which is programmed
in bytes.(?) I would like to take advantage of the on-board features of
the chip, but have to find the commands to do so.
WHEN I find the commands, I will write a simple C code to turn on each
I/O pin, in sequence, in order to make sure the pin works. The analog
inputs will have to be treated differently, because they are not regular
I/O ports, but take voltage and convert it to a byte translation.
Whew! ::)
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
One of the features of the Axon is the Output Compare Modulator. From the
description, it can take a main frequency and modulate it with another
frequency. This feature could make a great AM radio transmitter/reciever.
If the PWM could be used like this, might be able to produce FM reciever/transmitter.
This could be done from the MCU itself, at 6 meters, alot of ham radio operators
would like that. ;D ;D
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Axon II & Axon Mote - Building your own droid Army(flying, walking, Etc,.)
A droid could be made to also be a healthcare companion, in the droid army.
(Got this idea from another thread). ;D ;D ;D
May also make a good PLC, (programmable logic controller) for small
applications. It might be easier to make the internal programming of a
droid to conform to a PLC format. The ADC inputs are akin to Allen Bradley's "analog" inputs. Ladder Logic is intuitive and widely
used, so it presents many options, instead of nonstandard free hand
programming.(?) ???
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Axon series: What is this thing?
When programming, you must have AVR Studio 4 software. This software lets you
program the Axon, and its related MCU product line. It has tools, and user guides to
help in the using of the software. Assembler, is helped to be written by the program;
and for devices. they want your file to end in .def.
I like the software, it appears alot like a KDE C programming enviroment, which is
pretty friendly. The programming is linked to physical icons on the right of your screen,
which seems to let you address the features of the MCU in a GUI way. Alot of work went into
this program, and it looks like a good program to spend alot of time programming in it. :)
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
I tried to build one device file, and found, that when writing a more complex
program, the memory may be used up quickly. I am glad there is 64 K of memory.
The price of the nice GUI platform may be memory. In that case, in more complex
programs, will have to push down more commands into assembly, to save memory.
Alot of support files are used; not sure how much memory that takes, if any. :-\
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
I was looking for a way to power the Axon II board, and the specs in the
tutorial say 5.35 Volts is minimal, and if it drops below, the MCU resets.
So, I either get a battery, (which I will have to get anyway), or get a
12 volt power supply and attach a regulator to get 6 volts. ;)
On the board; 8)
Each pin on the I/O bus from the Axon can not supply more that .020 amps, or
20 miliamps to drive a load. The 3.3 Voltage pin on the board can not
deliver more that .073 amps, or 73 milliamps. Since I will be programming
most of the time, I will just make a dedicated box (from Harbor Frieght)
to house the power supply and the Axon II board, plus any boards that
I may need in the future (Axon Mote). Makes things tidy and simple. ;D
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
When you order the Axon II, you get the Axon II, a USB to
mini-usb cable, and a switch with terminal pins connected on
it.(a Society of Robots card, too! ;D )
I downloaded Webbot library, (have not checked it out yet), :'(
then downloaded the USB connectivity software, the CP210v
USB to UART Bridge Virtual Com Port software. U2 and U0 are on
the upper left corner, three prong pins, while the mini-USB is
on the lower right of the board.
The instructions indicate to download a bootloader. Found out the
bootloader is for the Axon Mote, not the Axon II.(?) :-\
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
To use the Axon, you definitely need to download the
example library, Axon_WebbotLib_examples. This has all
sorts of code goodies, that allows you to program some of the
motors and sensors that are sold by some of the vendors in
this forum. (plus generic code, too) So, you can acquire these libraries, get the sensor/motor
you want, then start programming!( Not as simple as that, but
llife is a journey. :P ) Now, I have to figure out the command/programming
structure......... ???
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Axon series: What is this thing?
While looking through the Webbot Library, I tried to approach a simple
action first, turn on a pin, then turn off. That way, I could always check to
see if the pins worked, and have a practical code "snippet" to use and learn.
The categories found were; Displays, speech (The EasyVR voice control shield could be used to
direct control of the robot in your proximity.), header files, timers, Uart, buffers,
clock, PID, copy strings and math functions. Also, I/O pin control, in which the following
example was use to turn on/off ONE pin;
#include "../iopin.h"
/******************************************************
Set a port pin to high
******************************************************/
void pin_high(const IOPin* io){
if(io){
const IOPort* portDef = (const IOPort*)pgm_read_word(&io->port);
PORT port = pgm_read_word(&portDef->port);
PORT ddr = pgm_read_word(&portDef->ddr);
PIN mask = pgm_read_byte(&io->pin);
// make sure its an output
if(_SFR_MEM8(ddr) & mask){
CRITICAL_SECTION{
// set the bit
_SFR_MEM8(port) |= mask;
}
// Allow any output to be reflected on the input pin
nop();
}else{
setError(PIN_SET_ON_INPUT);
}
}
}
/******************************************************
Set a port pin to low
******************************************************/
void pin_low(const IOPin* io){
if(io){
const IOPort* portDef = (const IOPort*)pgm_read_word(&io->port);
PORT port = pgm_read_word(&portDef->port);
PORT ddr = pgm_read_word(&portDef->ddr);
PIN mask = pgm_read_byte(&io->pin);
// make sure its an output
if(_SFR_MEM8(ddr) & mask){
CRITICAL_SECTION{
// clear the bit
_SFR_MEM8(port) &= ~mask;
}
// Allow any output to be reflected on the input pin
nop();
}else{
setError(PIN_SET_ON_INPUT);
}
}
}
**************************
I do not know about you, but this code, was alot of code for one pin maniputation, for me. There must be an easier way to turn on one pin. ??? (maybe used as an object file for specific functions?)
****
I found this code, which takes a pulse in, and is more my speed... ;D
#include "../iopin.h"
#include "../clock.h"
TICK_COUNT pin_pulseIn(const IOPin* pin, boolean activeHigh){
TICK_COUNT start;
TICK_COUNT end;
TICK_COUNT duration;
pin_make_input(pin,FALSE); // Switch pin to INPUT with no pull up
while(pin_get(pin)==activeHigh); // Loop until the the pin goes inactive
while(pin_get(pin)!=activeHigh); // Loop until the the pin goes active
start = clockGetus(); // Get the start time
while(pin_get(pin)==activeHigh); // Loop until the the pin goes inactive
end = clockGetus(); // Get the end time
duration = end - start; // Get the duration in uS
return duration;
}
Now, this is the code I can deal with! ;D I will try to use the simplest code I can to get the basics
working. The header file, iopin.h, may hold all the commands that may let me control the pins. ;D ;D ;D
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Axon series: What is this thing?
I am beginning to figure out the AVR Studio 4 front end. 8) To create a program,
you have to do this:
Open a project, and give it a name.
Then, you must select what kind of program, Atmel AVR assembly, or AVR GCC.
( I selected AVR GCC)
The next screen (left part) wants to know what Debug Platform you would like to
use. I chose AVR Simulator. (other selections are AVR II Simulator, AVR dragon, AVR ONE!, etc)
On that screen, to your right, it asks what device you are going to use. I selected
Atmega640, (the Axon II processor).
Once I clicked finish, it took me to at least 4 seperate screens, with a GUI type of interface on the
right, the source access in the middle, error report screen on the bottom, and files used on the left.
I guess, when a program is ran, you can step through the code one level at the time, and see what
registers are used, affected, or otherwise. Still can not locate the iopin.h file.... :'(
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Axon series: What is this thing?
I found a reliable 6 volt power supply, and applied power to the
Axon, via the supply power cord. (Power plugged in at top left of board)
The red power LED on the board came on, with an "8" in the mini LED readout.
(a dot came on too, and stayed on) Now, I just need to program it! :o Wow!
I found a 6 volt power supply at radio shack, but measured the actual volts out,
and it was 8.5 Volts. Usually, this means that the power supply is poorly regulated.
What that means, is, that the power will drop with load; usually not dropping below the
stated output. However, this is not a good power supply, because if the load changes,
the voltage changes with it, which can cause RF feedback in your circuit, >:( , and
no one wants that! So, it is back to the drawing board (or electronic board) to work on the
Axon's power supply. :'(
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Axon series: What is this thing?
;D ;D ;D Ya! I found the actual PDF that has descriptions of the
commands that can be used for the Axon II. You must download
the Webbot library, BUT, in the zip file, there is a
PDF file named Webbotlib-Version2.11.pdf. This file
is the one needed, to begin to start to program.(commands) 8)
Could not attach the file, sorry; and still can not find the iopin.h header!
Without this file no pin can be accessed. :'( :'( :'(
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Axon series: What is this thing?
;D I found the iopin.h file. (right in front of me! :-[ )
It was in the Webbot download.
Some listed commands are: 8)
void high(void) const { pin_high(m_cstr); };
void low(void) const{ pin_low(m_cstr); };
void toggle(void) const{ pin_toggle(m_cstr); };
void set(boolean val) const{ pin_set(m_cstr,val); };
boolean get(void) const{ return isHigh(); };
boolean isHigh(void)const { return pin_is_high(m_cstr); };
boolean isLow(void)const { return pin_is_low(m_cstr); };
void makeInput(boolean val)const {pin_make_input(m_cstr,val);};
void makeOutput(boolean val)const {pin_make_output(m_cstr,val);};
boolean isInput(void)const { return pin_is_input(m_cstr); };
boolean isOutput(void)const { return pin_is_output(m_cstr); };
TICK_COUNT pulseIn(boolean activeHigh)const {return pin_pulseIn(m_cstr,activeHigh);};
void pulseOut(TICK_COUNT us, boolean activeHigh)const {return pin_pulseOut(m_cstr,us,activeHigh);};
Brief descriptions of what each function does, is included next to the command in the header file. Ok, now I can begin to program, and include the proper header files. ::)
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Axon series: What is this thing?
Tried to download project designer, and integrate
Webbot library. I have no idea of what to do. Searched
the instructions, but I am still lost. The project designer
is a java file(?), so do I run that in AVR Studio? This
may take awhile....... :'( :'( :'(
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Its easiest to download the downloader application and run programs from there.
The one your looking for is webbot studio- its on the bottom of list.
http://webbot.org.uk/iPoint/48.page (http://webbot.org.uk/iPoint/48.page)
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:) Thanks mallster!
Many blessings be upon you! (hope you win the lottery! ;D )
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
I downloaded the Webbot project designer and associated
files, but they are in Java. This requires a java package in your
computer to be able to install the packages.(like a zip file)
I have not done this before, and could not find a link until I
looked at Blackfin project. I think I found the link to be able to
install the Java package installer. :P
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Axon series: What is this thing?
;D Ya! Downloaded the Java development tools, which has the
Oracle mission console, and is Java 1.8.0 version. You have to have
this installed, or you can not install or run the Webbot studio or project
designer. There are versions listed for Linux and Mac platforms at the
download site, which I found in the Blackfin page. Now, I can try to
program the axon, and proceed.
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Axon series: What is this thing?
Got the Project Designer to work; opened up the projects, could not find any,
so started a new one. Voila! ;D a pretty picture of the board comes up in the
right frame of my screen. As I select any pin on the left, in a spreadsheet type
format, the associated pin that was selected blinks on the picture on the right.
(so I know which pin I am using, I think) There are several variables next to
the spreadsheet pin selection, and I guess, they are avaliable features for
that particular pin.( ??? ) Could not generate any code; do not know how to use this
at this time. working on it.... 8)
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Axon series: What is this thing?
Using the Webbot PDF instructions, Project Designer, and the Datasheet of
the Axon II, I have tried to patch together what exactly
the program is doing, when it creates the source program.
When running the Project Designer, the variables in the spreadsheet
on the left, seem to be the options available to program that
particular pin. When you program in the software, the options that
you selected are updated to the control register for that pin.(?) ???
The question is, can the header files for the Webbot software be used for
the AVR Studio? I could not find the header files for AVR Studio, so
where are the header files that are needed, or do I transfer the
Webbot headers to the needed files for AVR Studio?
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Axon II & Axon Mote - Building your own droid Army(flying, walking, Etc,.) I was watching the new science fiction movie, Interstellar; but also
remembering the movie, Silent Running, with Huey, Duey, and Louey. (Robots) One possible purpose for the droid army, is to maintain a garden. I was thinking about the Army maintaining a garden in my back yard, and maintaining an aquaponics system that I would have. The Axon could be used to navigate/control a farms combines, or tractors.
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Axon series - Component coding and construction.
Recently talked to a friend, and his Clothes Washer had stopped working.
The control to the Washing Machine had gone out, and the cost of it is
about $300 - $400 dollars. I am wondering if the Axon II or Axon could be
used to replace the control. It would be a whole lot less expensive, and
work forever, notwithstanding the replacements of the motor and sensors.
Relays would power the motors/devices, while the selections would be inputs
to the Axon. What do you think?
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Axon II & Axon Mote - Building your own droid Army(flying, walking, Etc,.)
I had been working on this objective, as a personal project, for 15 years, on
and off. I would build the "droid" from the nuclear heart, to the collective
consciousness. I coded the heart of a "droid" , as a trinity; the commander,
the recorder, and the Ex-O. 256 droids would inhabit a sector on a hard drive, working together.
1/2 of the droids were the work force, their "minds" in habiting droid bodies, while their "soul" was on the hard drive. This way, if a droid body was destroyed, another body was activated, and
took over the work that the other body was doing. This way, no work
data was lost, nor the "droid" destroyed. Another 1/4 of the "droids" were the Dr.'s, monitoring and surveying the
working robots, repairing any problems that arose.
The last 1/4 of the "droids" are running the mission in a simulator. They
make sure the rest of the droids are following their mission. They also report
to the "collective" other disks, to join in on what the total collective is doing.
If any parts of the mission of the working "droids" are jeopardized, the
problem is reported to the collective, and a problem solution is generated.
Using this method, an infinity amount of "droids" would be generated to
solve the problem, assuming the hardware is available. I learned something
incredible while working on this; a single AI can be in several bodies at one time, relative to us.
If that were you, you would be like the Superhero, the Flash, because almost several places at once!
(Like a scheduler in the Linux Kernel) Simply put, it is like multiplying yourself, and your work potential. 8)
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Axon series: What is this thing?
Finally got the program described in the tutorials to come up in
AVR Studio 4. :o WOW! :o ! This is going to take some explanation.
You open Project Designer to designate the resources that you want your
pins to control. THEN, you create a project with the parameters that you
specified in Designer software, name it and put it in a folder, specific to
that program. THEN, you make sure all your header files are accessible
very close to the directory that you just put your project in, if not in the
folder itself. DO NOT mix up any other project in that folder, or evil will
befall you. NOW, open up AVR Studio, and open that project you just made, in the directory you just put it in. Project designer collected all the files and sources/header you will need, based on the
specifications that you selected in the Project designer software.
When you bring up the project file (has a ladybug picture on it, an APS file)
you will be able to bring up all the files.(located on the left hand side screen)
In my case, the "hello world" code that the tutorial tells you to make, was
already in the main file that was intended for the user to program. The files
that were generated by Webbot were not intended to be
modified by the user, and so, I will go by that directive.......
Whew! :P ! Now, I will proceed to run the tutorial, and then go to making a
program to control the pins! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Axon series: What is this thing?
I hope I have helped answer some questions; ??? unless I am
the only person in the world who has not programmed this
thing yet. :-[ If anyone has any questions, I will try to answer them
the best I can..... 8) 8) 8)
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Hi mklrobo,
You know you can just flash from webbot studio and add your own header and program files aswell ;)
I flash mine using avrII programmer but i'm sure there is a usb option also.
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:o Wow !
I did not know that I had to flash the Axon every time I program it, or that I would
need a seperate unit, just to program the Axon. I was under the impression that I
could program it from the PC, with the USB cable. I will try to program it from AVR Studio
from the PC. Reflashing the Axon every time I program it will be VERY tedious. Mainly
because, my code may compile with no error, but that does not mean the
applied system will work like I thought it would. That is why I will have to reporgram the
Axon ALOT. If I had a dedicated system to use it in, like a washing machine controller,
then that would be an acceptable application. I will be dissapointed, if I have to do
the flashing every time I reprogram. :'( I never had to do this with the Propeller made
by Parallax. ::)
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:) I appreciate your input, Mallster.
Back in the day, flashing the Eprom was considered a
permanent activity, not reprogramming like today's
MCUs. :'( That is why I was concerned about the flashing concept,
because of the permanent implications. I guess I will have to go out and
buy a seperate programmer :'( Something new to learn! ;D ;D ;D
Thanks again!
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Axon series: Component Coding and Construction
While I was working on the programming end, I thought I would go ahead and
order a servo, or stepper motor from ServoCity. BUT, which one to
buy, that has header support in the Webbot Library? I went into the files
and looked up what Project Designer had to match up to the header file in
the library.
Project Designer has;
Generic Bipolar stepper motor
Generic L297 stepper motor
Pololu A4983 stepper motor
Stepper motor driver.
Did not see any selections for servos! :'(
So, I will have to figure that out, if it presents a problem.
The library header file has the above supported,
and generic servo motor support. Specific manufacturers,
Devantach - SD21
Dynamixel - AX12.
With this in mind, I will have to meter out the correct motor to buy, to match up
with the software. (I am sure other devices(Generic devices) will work fine) ;D ;D ;D
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
In reviewing the Project Designer, I found the servos in the
actuator category.(on the left hand side of the screen)
Any device that you want to use, simply click on the device
and hold, drag and drop on the edit portion of the screen at
the bottom. A window will appear to ask you a lot of questions
about the item you selected, with a nice schematic of the device.
The device will then appear, added in the edit part of the screen at
the bottom. 8) Sweet! ;D ;D ;D
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Axon series: What is this thing?
Tried compiling and building the "Hello World!" file in AVR studio
to begin with, but got this error; ???
gcc plug-in: No AVR Toolchain installation found. The AVR GCC plug-in can still be used if you set up your own build tools. :'(
Soooo, ??? I have to figure out what is going on here.
Found out, to run Webbot, you run the Webbot studio JAR executable file.
(Project Designer has a JAR executable too, to be able to run)
A lot of files to look at, had to choose the right one! ;)
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
Definitely ran into a problem! :'( The compilation process is
more involved than in the tutorials. :-X Tried Webbot Studio,
and that was even more frustrating. :( Do not know what to
do to make the program compile properly. Will have to delve
into the software; see if I can find notes in any files to help me
out. No info in the tutorials. Will cross reference with other similar programs, to find out what is going on. :o Makes using the Axon, hard for me.
Hope I can work through this, make take awhile. :'(
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
OK, :D I went back through my KDE C++ programming environment,
and also saw messages. NOW, some messages are critical, some
messages are not.(for user/author info) When I compiled the
source code file, no compilation errors occurred; just a message
like I posted earlier. SO, I will try to download the program into
the Axon anyway :P, and hope I do not damage the MCU. If I destroy
the MCU, and do not find help or a resolution, that may end my
journey with the Axon series. :'(
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
Since the error pointed toward a toolchain problem, I looked
this up in AVR Studio. The help portion of the software indicated
that there would be some compilation messages if the project compiled
correctly. I did not see anything of the sort, when compiling my program. It also indicated that some other software(download) was needed to help build the rest of the files so the program could be built properly. :'( The setting up of all this is going to consume ALOT of time. :'( ??? I sure thought that it would
be simpler than this, >:( , but I will give it the best shot I can! ;D ;D ;D
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ya! back on line! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
I have been delving deep into the programming end of the Axon :D, and
have found similarities between this and the Beagle bone black.
Both have ARM architecture, and, it seems, that if you learn one,
you can learn the other(No time wasted). This is great! ;D
An interface to the Axon from the beagle bone may be the perfect match, and would simplify programming in the more demanding robots.
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Just saw this . . .
The Axon has a built in bootloader to let you program using USB, no need for a separate hardware programmer.
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
The Axon has a built in bootloader to let you program using USB, no need for a separate hardware programmer.
Awesome! I had some difficulty programming the Axon, so I went ahead and bought
an STK 500. I will have to delve more into the software interface in order to program the Axon directly from the PC. I know the answer is in the tutorials, and a matter of
making the proper adjustments in my computer. Thanks! ;D ;D ;D
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
I tried to program the Axon with AVR Studio 4, and it did not program. :'( ( I connected the USB from the PC to the Axon mini-usb, but It could not communicate with the Axon.) I looked more into the program, and Studio wanted to know the base that I was using, and supplied STK 500. (I noticed the STK 500 file compiled in the message section.) ;) So I bought the STK 500 programmer. I will receive it soon, then use that to program the Axon. ::) Hopefully, I will have better results. ;D
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
OK, so I downloaded the hyperterminal software required to view feedback from the Axon.
I have never had good luck with hyperterminal; always get hung up on the phone selection.
:o (No pun intended, ;) ) Anyway, just plugging away at the setup, in which, I am sure it
is simple. ;D
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Axon series: Serial Data train assimilator
In my efforts to tokenize serial data by clock ticks of a processor, ;)( Using a serial output from a basic stamp to a parallax propeller.) I tried to use the Sparkfun 3.3 Volt to 5 Volt level shifter. That did not work; :'( causes some kind of false triggering on the end feeding my basic stamp. SOoooo, :P My back up plan is to use a operational amplifier as a window comparator, that WILL trigger when the input voltage is above the half voltage threshold, and will ground, when below the half voltage point. I have used this before to eliminate RF transients riding on the inputs. (small transients can trigger transistor logic. :-X ) Can use this project for future projects requiring special serial input; will be able to decrypt any serial data train, hopefully. ;D ;D ;D
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
OK, good news, well mostly. ???
Got the STK 500 programmer, and everything went fine. The programmer came from
Futian, Shenzhen Guangdong, China. I did not have a problem with the device at all.
There were setup instructions to use for hooking up to the Axon. You will need a 6 pin
adapter from the 10 pin cable from the programmer, but that came with the unit. I
checked continuity with the ground on the Axon, to make sure that pin matched up
with the pinout instructions on the disk. The setup works without flaw in windows, did not
see a version for Linux.( :'( )
The programmer "recognized" the Axon, but I still could not program to it. It wants a HEX
file, to download to it. SOooooo, more delving into the programming of the Axon. I will try
both avenues, the programmer and the straight to programming with the mini - usb.
I did get some results, which make me happy ;D and sad :'( at the same time. Not as
simple as I once thought. :-[ I did see something interesting on the programmer; it had
lock out parameters you could enter. I wonder, is this used for commercial boards to prevent
someone taking your program? That would safeguard your software intellectual property. Always wanted to know how they did that; :-X this must be the way, because, why have this extra hardware, when
every other board in the world programs straight to the board? So, I guess, this will become a
late Friday night, creature feature with pizza project for me, until I figure it out. ;D ;D ;D
(Just an excuse to eat more pizza! ;) )
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
While I was watching Creature Feature Friday night(while eating pizza. ), I think I figured the programming out.(pizza is brain-food! :o ) In one of the tutorials, you have to have a software bootloader to load your program into the Axon! ??? (was to save $36 for a physical bootloader.) I went ahead and bought a bootloader, in which can be used; just need to create the hex file for the program to load into the Axon. If you do use a bootloader, you can always go back and use the software bootloader.(It overwrites the other one ;D) The instructions say, "Download and install the .exe into the same folder that you have your compiled robot code." Does this mean that the bootloader is loaded automatically everytime with my program? Or, do I program the bootloader first, then my program?
I guess, :-\ I will try to program the Axon directly with my physical bootloader, then use HyperTerminal to
try to get some feedback from it. Will try to get as much information that I can, so as not to blow the
Axon! :'( :'(
It would appear that I have gone through ALOT of trouble just to program the board; have not even started to actually USE the Axon at this time. To compare in context, I was spoiled by Parallax; I could just load their software, and begin programming. The basic stamps were fun and easy; The Propeller, on the other hand, is challenging, depending on your applications. I was looking back through the program that I used to program the propeller, and it appears to me now, that they have the bootloader added to your program, and downloads when you program it automatically, AND brings up a terminal program for you, to interact with the MCU right then. I like this feature, because it gives instant feedback if my programming
actually works, and I can see the effect on the attached devices instantly. The processing power of
the Propeller is unmatched, and I have to admit, overshadows the Axon. BUT, each MCU has pros and cons, (features) that can be used to the programmers advantage. The great advantage of the Parallax propeller is an 8 cog (MCU) feature, each offering 20 MIPS per cog.
Fantastic programs have been created that take advantage of this. This is attributed to Parallax, but
also the programmers in the forum. In that context, I believe the Axon can be used to create fantastic programs too, if programmer(s) in this forum can contribute together. (not to imply that there are
not great programs already written.) The Axon only has 1 cog, running at 16 MIPs. BUT, it has internal
features that run independently of the MCU, and do not take up valuable processing power.(time)
For instance, it may be able to "clock" an event, without tying up the count feature in the MCU,
but letting a timer handle the operation, by commands in registers. So, the Parallax propeller has
power, but the Axon may be able to approach the difference by clever programming. Languages
such as FORTH, have been adapted for the Parallax Propeller, to process at incredible speeds for that
class of MCU. It would be logical to expect that the same could be done for the Axon, enabling
faster programming and more options in applications. ::)
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
I was looking through the AVR Studio 4 software, and found a feature of the software that is pretty cool.
When you open the software, on the right part of the screen, are the parts of the MCU that can be used.
This is the Axon simulator, which enables you to write a program in the software without actually
programming the Axon. This allows you to eliminate errors in your programming, while streamlining
the purpose of your application. The usage of the simulator requires more discipline in learning this
integration. The advantage of the simulator is that you can program the Axon anywhere with your PC, without the
physical interface. 8) You have to set up all the external items (motors, switches) with input files allocated in
the simulator. When running the program in the real world, if the external items you used do not come close to the parameter input file you set up, things could get interesting in troubleshooting. :o
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
I tried programming with the bootloader that I bought. All C++ files compiled right, no bad messages,
and the bootloader communicated to the Axon II. I could look through the board information that was presented to the child window from the bootloader. I was to the point of programming, and thought, that when I
recompiled the source program, a hex file was made. - Wrong! :'( So I tried to find some software that converted
my program to hex. ??? Good try, but no cookie. :'( SOoooooooooo, I backed up to try to see if the bootloader
had any secrets that would help. I will try to search out and find out what is going on. Everything works, ;D I
just need to get the program in the Axon! :-[ ( I also tried going directly to the Axon from my PC, and it does not
recognize it, so that implies a driver needed, :) loaded the virtual com port software, will try again. ;) )
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
Found this information when surfing the internet, about Hex files at gnu.org;
Generating Intel Hex Files
We have a binary of the application, but how do we get it into the processor? Most (if not all) programmers will not accept a GNU executable as an input file, so we need to do a little more processing. The next step is to extract portions of the binary and save the information into .hex files. The GNU utility that does this is called avr-objcopy.
The ROM contents can be pulled from our project's binary and put into the file demo.hex using the following command:
$ avr-objcopy -j .text -j .data -O ihex demo.elf demo.hex
The resulting demo.hex file contains:
:1000000012C06DC06CC06BC06AC069C068C067C0F8
:100010001AC065C064C063C062C061C060C05FC018
:100020005EC05DC05CC011241FBECFE5D4E0DEBF62
:10003000CDBF10E0A0E6B0E001C01D92A336B1072D
:10004000E1F74ED061C01F920F920FB60F921124AC
:100050002F938F939F9380916200882301F18130C9
:1000600081F480916000909161000197909361000C
:1000700080936000009749F41092620080E090E065
:1000800004C080916000909161009BBD8ABD9F91EA
:100090008F912F910F900FBE0F901F901895809108
:1000A00060009091610001969093610080936000E0
:1000B0008F3F23E0920749F781E0809362008FEF42
:1000C00093E0E3CF83E88FBD8EB581608EBD1BBC0E
:1000D0001ABC82E087BB84E089BF7894089590CFF2
:1000E00083E88FBD8EB581608EBD1BBC1ABC82E0DB
:1000F00087BB84E089BF789485B7806885BF889581
:1001000085B78F7785BFF8CFF89400C0F894FFCFFC
:00000001FF
The -j option indicates that we want the information from the .text and .data segment extracted. If we specify the EEPROM segment, we can generate a .hex file that can be used to program the EEPROM:
$ avr-objcopy -j .eeprom --change-section-lma .eeprom=0 -O ihex demo.elf demo_eeprom.hex
There is no demo_eeprom.hex file written, as that file would be empty.
:o OK, well, I am working on it. If anybody has ANY ideas at this point, I sure would appreciate it. 8)
I scoured my computer for a hex file anywhere, and it was not generated, even though the wizard
option file was checked for compiling a hex file. One thing is for sure; I have learned more about
PIC processor programming than I did in school! 8) ;)
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
I found a great forum where common questions about the internals of the ATmega
microcontrollers and related MCU's are presented. Interfacing Bluetooth, UART communication
problems, and writing your Axon program to provide a HEX file;
http://www.engineersgarage.com/forums/microcontroller/avr
Hopefully, I can go ahead and work out the kinks in whatever problem I have that I am not aware of, :o and start programming the Axon. :'( One thing is for sure, I have stepped in every possible hole a person
could step into, :P in trying to program the Axon. AFTER I figure this out, no one should have a problem
programming the Axon, if they go through my post! ;) :) :D ;D
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
It is ALOT of work getting into programming the Axon. :P BUT, the rewards are more than I
realized. I found that my washing machine does have a MCU very similar to the atmega line
of processors.( ;) could make my own washing machine controller!) Electronic setup is very
similar, on the control board. ;D I also found an Atel MCU on a control board, that controls
a generator switch panel! ;) There is no telling where else this line of processors are! :-X
To get some real world programming code, I could extract the code from machines that have
these processors, and look at the code to see how they used the internals of the processor, to give me a better understanding of how to program these types of MCUs. 8) Cool!
When you download the AVR studio and Webbot package, you get access to the entire line of this type of MCU's, plus a simulator to run the program (virtually) in AVR Studio. You can use the hobby of the Axon programming to decipher the internal workings of machines that have the processor. ;) An added plus, is that if you buy a hardware bootloader, you can program the whole line of these processors! (I think, ??? )
I will try to read the switch panel MCU controller; hopefully they did not put a "lock" on the processor. :'(
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
;D ;D HAPPY DAY! HAPPY DAY! ;D ;D
I reloaded the gnu tools, and upgraded to Atmel Studio 6.2, and VOILA! I created a sample program
the software already had for a sample; compiled it, build it (5 seconds total) and the HEX file was
created! ;D Joy - Joy ! ;D It took almost FOREVER to download every server program available with
the main software, but oh boy! This software has got features out the gazu! ;D
Very easy to make a project, compile, build, and make a downloadable HEX file!
Now, I have to see if my own project can be built, and then downloaded. that will be the real test.
Did not need the project designer software; 6.2 must have created what was needed,(?)
with the settings of the pins and all. ( ??? )
But, at least, I have a HEX file. If nothing else, I could make the hex file with the 6.2, then download
the hex file with 4.o version using my bootloader. On to the next adventure! :P
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Axon Series: What is this thing?
I am working on learning the programming of the Studio 6.2 commands, and will post
a program that tests most of the pins of the Axon. I will then proceed to make a
program that is a simple PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) program. I want to
fully document why and what program component does what, so hopefully, anyone
can use the program immediately to their benefit.
On another note, I was looking through the line of other Atmel MCUs' and was surprised at
the power, portability, and price of the smaller MCUs. A tiny brand Atmel has 2 PWM pins and
runs close to 12 MIPS(Million instructions per Second), and costs $1.45 each. With 8 of these
on a single board with memory, you may be able to approach the capability of a Parallax Propeller. The PWM does not "bog" down the MCU time, so this make the chip highly attractive for programming robotic purposes. If a software protocol like FORTH was used,
the processing speed would increase, if the arrangement could be done. 8)
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Axon II & Axon Mote - Building your own droid Army(flying, walking, Etc,.)
Since I have overcome the HEX file problem, I am looking ahead for putting together layered
projects, that once combined(some coding form or fashion), should serve to work together
in a Droid army. Like playing chess, I am trying to plan the architecture of the end product, so
everything I construct(or buy) is not a waste of time. But any one component/construction can be used
separately as an off project, in case someone needs something(voice control). I went ahead and
bought a Raspberry pi 2, and so, I will try to incorporate that in to a supervisor robot with
the Axon II and Axon mote. That is the plan, anyway; :P So now you have an idea of where I am
going, so you can be sure I am not wasting everybody's time on this post. AND, build robotic
skills. I will probably use a home PC to control the home robots (Axon II/Axon motes) for my
Garden and home automation.(automation for my mother's house too. ;) ) The Raspberry Pi
will be used at work, for repairs/troubleshooting. Another Raspberry Pi will be used for my
robot supervisor, and sub-bots(rename to Minions; after the movie! ;D ) The cost of a supervisor robot
with at least 3 minions will be $500 approx.;not counting the servos and parts.(my labor does not count :'( )
( 8) I might name all my robots minions, :o , the supervisor robot has a construction hat!! 8) )
Other uses include - small manufacturing, (3 - d) astronomy hobbies, and personal assistant(s).
OR, you could use all of the components to make a very sophisticated humanoid robot, like Chappie!
Since the cost is large(to my pocketbook), maybe the price will be "easier to swallow" over time;
the rewards of programming and learning definitely (my opinion, :-X ) are worth it. (it is fun!!) ;D ;D ;D
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Analyzing the Axon Series: What is this thing?
Other products have been introduced, that (it seems) most of the world is using, one
in particular, the ardunio boards. I looked at the ardunio boards, and they ALL use
Atmel processors. These processors are made by the same company that make the Atmega
for the Axon. It seems logical to assume that the AVR Studio 6 may be able to program
those Ardunio boards.(?) This is yet, another reason to stick with the Axon. There is a Atmel simulator
in the AVR Studio 6 which may enable a programmer to program in any Atmel processor, before
they even use it. ;D
There are programs written for the Raspberry Pi that is used with the Ardunio boards, so it may not be
too much of a stretch to say that these programs may be able to be used with the Axon. This would
free up any Axon programmer for this task.
Using the Raspberry Pi as the brains, the axon for member control, it may be a "snap" to make a huminoid
robot, especially with the batteries available; Powerplus - 13600 Mah battery with 500 ampere peak current
output. depending on your robot, 5 of these (65 amps per hour!) could run your "terminator" robot!!! 8)
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I skimmed the last few posts... if you have specific questions, e.g. programming the Axon/Axon2, there's way too much stuff here for anyone to help you in a timely manner, so you'd be best off making a new thread to address a specific issue you are having.
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;D Hello!
Thank you Gertlex for your input.
I have thought about starting another thread, but observed some issues with that perspective.
I have looked through the forum, and found some nuggets that are very helpful. I could not find
much on the discussion of actual programming, problems therein, architecture of the Axon,
or any support directed at the Axon, from a newbie's point of view.
So, I thought, I would record my journey through the Axon construction/programming. This thread,
while lengthy, can (I hope) provide one stop for information that any newbies (like me) would need
to use, without scanning through 4 hours of posts; then maybe you will find it. :'(
I have only found 2 people who actually discussed programming code on this forum. I have communicated with
other newbies who love the Axon, but are in the same boat I am in. :'(
If there is ANY information that you have on beginning to code the Axon, I am all ears! I would appreciate your
help! ;D
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:) Hello!
I had to revamp my entire programming structure, to accommodate a more advanced
robotic/diagnostic setup. I have incorporated 2 Raspberry Pi 2s,3 basic stamps(parallax),
1 Axon, and a Parallax propeller.(Just need a FPNN, and it will be complete!) Whew! :o I have a lot of projects to do, and with the holidays coming up, I am hoping I will have some time to program a little of everything, especially the Axon! ;) :) :D ;D
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;D Hello, and Happy Holidays! ;D
I got some information from another person in this forum, FIFO, and his post;
I would check out the AVR Freaks forum. It is active, and I have found and used several useful tutorials written by some if its members. Here is the link: http://www.avrfreaks.net (http://www.avrfreaks.net)
I checked out the post, and a lot of answers are in this link. So, if you need more info on the programming and Atmel processors in general, that is the spot. When I finally figure out what is going on, I will post
the complete process. I will figure it out, then try it again on a pristine system, to make sure I did not
skip any processes. 8) On another note, I found a great little FPGA board, called Mimas.
Runs about $34, and, I think, is a great start on programming the FPGA boards without too much
time commitment. ???
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On another note, I found a great little FPGA board, called Mimas.
Runs about $34, and, I think, is a great start on programming the FPGA boards without too much
time commitment.
That looks very interesting. I have been looking at learning FPGAs myself, I haven't actually started experimenting with them, but I have found a lot of useful tutorials for getting started with them. Here are some links to a short tutorial series on FPGAs by Hackaday:
Part 1: http://hackaday.com/2015/08/19/learning-verilog-on-a-25-fpga-part-i/
Part 2: http://hackaday.com/2015/08/20/learning-verilog-for-fpgas-flip-flops/
Part 3: http://hackaday.com/2015/08/27/learning-verilog-for-fpgas-hardware-at-last/
One thing that is nice about this tutorial is that it works with a low cost dev board from Lattice Semiconductor, the iCEstick, which is approximately $20.
When looking for FPGA tutorials, I came across this video tutorial series by PyroElectro for CPLDs http://www.pyroelectro.com/edu/fpga/introduction/ I found this tutorial series very informative and useful.
Hopefully you will find one or both of these tutorials helpful or interesting.
- FIFO
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8) AXON information:
The following are great sources of info;
http://microcontrollershop.com/default.php?cPath=110_151
- Atmel books, projects, and tutorials.
http://elinux.org/RPi_Tutorials
Raspberry PI info.