Society of Robots - Robot Forum

Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: bsamuels on November 12, 2010, 12:24:45 AM

Title: question about arduino+axon
Post by: bsamuels on November 12, 2010, 12:24:45 AM
why does the axon have all male contacts and the arduino has all female contacts?
Title: Re: question about arduino+axon
Post by: rbtying on November 12, 2010, 12:40:07 AM
Female headers are easy to plug breadboard wires into, thus good for beginners.  However, if you want to eliminate the breadboard, you usally end up having to build a shield.
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Male headers are good for servos, sensors, and other related robotics peripherals that usually come with female headers.  It's also a lot easier to work when power buses are easily accessible - with a 1x3 pin female cable, you get all the parts needed for data and power in one piece.  Try hooking up a servo on an Arduino - the three wires go almost randomly onto the board.
Title: Re: question about arduino+axon
Post by: bsamuels on November 12, 2010, 01:45:33 AM
Female headers are easy to plug breadboard wires into, thus good for beginners.  However, if you want to eliminate the breadboard, you usally end up having to build a shield.
u
Male headers are good for servos, sensors, and other related robotics peripherals that usually come with female headers.  It's also a lot easier to work when power buses are easily accessible - with a 1x3 pin female cable, you get all the parts needed for data and power in one piece.  Try hooking up a servo on an Arduino - the three wires go almost randomly onto the board.

How would you go about hooking up a servo with an arduino? Do you cut off the female head and put the wires in the correct slot, or is there a male-male part that can be bought?
Title: Re: question about arduino+axon
Post by: billhowl on November 12, 2010, 03:44:38 AM
You can build something like this call the Servo-bus to plug into arduino
Title: Re: question about arduino+axon
Post by: Ro-Bot-X on November 12, 2010, 06:18:43 AM
To make building robots easy with Arduino, I have created the Robot Builder's Shield. You can get it from here:
http://robotxdesigns.ca/2010/11/08/the-robot-builders-shield-v2-kit/ (http://robotxdesigns.ca/2010/11/08/the-robot-builders-shield-v2-kit/)

This Shield lets you connect 2 DC motors, up to 6 servos and up to 6 analog or digital sensors and has a nice prototyping area where you can experiment with other stuff. On top of the prototyping area you can mount a Mini Breadboard for non soldering experimenting. You can use the built in Power switch to turn on your Arduino at the same time as the motors.

I have also created a smaller microcontroller board called uBotino, that has the same features as the Shield but without the prototyping area and with a smaller size (2x2"). You can program this board like a regular Arduino or you can use Webbotlib Project Designer. See it here:
http://robotxdesigns.ca/2010/11/08/the-ubotino-v2-kit/ (http://robotxdesigns.ca/2010/11/08/the-ubotino-v2-kit/)