Society of Robots - Robot Forum

Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: Bubbles on January 08, 2008, 04:45:23 AM

Title: ATMega Control Board?
Post by: Bubbles on January 08, 2008, 04:45:23 AM: Hi everybody!

I am brand new to robotics and haven't the faintest clue about much anything electrical. I have been searching the internet for a good control board to get me started with autonomous robots and found this one:

http://www.futurlec.com/ATMegaControlBoard.shtml

Has anyone used it or formed an opinion about it?

Do you think it would be suitable for a complete beginner?

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: ATMega Control Board?
Post by: ed1380 on January 08, 2008, 03:27:10 PM: at the top of teh page there is a link called robot tutorials. read anything you find form there.

http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/study.htm
is also a great site
read everythign there too
Title: Re: ATMega Control Board?
Post by: Bubbles on January 08, 2008, 06:37:18 PM: Thank you for the links, they look very informative and i think i will be reading for a while. But does anybody know anything about the board?

Actually. Come to think of it, does anybody know of any good controller boards to start off with? I have looked at the Arduino however i would prefer something i could just plug my actuators/sensors into directly.
Title: Re: ATMega Control Board?
Post by: Admin on January 12, 2008, 11:29:48 PM: well . . . I don't like that fact that it doesn't have a power bus . . . but its really cheap for what you get . . .

For beginner boards, you want code done for you. If you can find sample code for it, you should be ok.

I like ATmega in general . . .
Title: Re: ATMega Control Board?
Post by: Bubbles on January 17, 2008, 12:09:31 AM: Quote from: Admin on January 12, 2008, 11:29:48 PM
well . . . I don't like that fact that it doesn't have a power bus . . . but its really cheap for what you get . . .

what do you mean? what is a power bus? i was under the impression that they were the pins you use to plug actuators/sensors into without having to remove the plugs they come in.
Title: Re: ATMega Control Board?
Post by: Admin on January 17, 2008, 08:02:24 AM: You need three pins to plug something in - power, ground, and signal.

A power bus has power and ground.

But it doesnt have a power bus, just a signal pin, meaning you have to make your own power bus to use it. :(
Title: Re: ATMega Control Board?
Post by: cooldog on January 17, 2008, 11:04:35 AM: i couldn't find the price.

but why not just build the $50 robot circut and have it work with a different micro controller
Title: Re: ATMega Control Board?
Post by: Bubbles on January 23, 2008, 06:36:01 PM: Quote from: cooldog on January 17, 2008, 11:04:35 AM
i couldn't find the price.

but why not just build the $50 robot circut and have it work with a different micro controller

because i could not find either of the required programmers in my country :'(
Title: Re: ATMega Control Board?
Post by: ed1380 on January 23, 2008, 08:11:04 PM: heres another link for you
http://rapidshare.com/files/84939931/Wiley_-_Electronics_For_Dummies_-_2005_-__By_Laxxuss_.pdf

you can try to build your own programmer
Title: Re: ATMega Control Board?
Post by: Trumpkin on January 23, 2008, 09:00:28 PM: you could also buy the Arduino http://www.moderndevice.com/diecimila.shtml and it takes no special programmer! ;)