Sneak Peek: The Scribbler 2's Propeller Board and Hacker Port!

[Maddie the Intern]

Hey everybody-

Here's a sneak peek into the upcoming Scribbler 2!

Parallax has the Scribbler 2 currently in production- and this robot does much more than it's predecessor, the Scribbler!

MULTICORE Programming

Featuring a multi-core programming method that provides encoder feedback on the motors, it is now possible to make straight lines and precise drawing patterns!

EXPANDED Hacker Port

The S2 is designed to be released open source, and the hacker port means you'll want to take the cover off right away.

Take a look at the upper right hand corner of the PCB- you'll see several rows of three-pin headers. Each of these sets of header has an I/O pin, power, and ground.

MANY Uses

The extra Propeller I/O's can be used for ultrasonic sensors, RF devices, servo-based pen lifter, cameras...



Maddie the Intern

[Whit]

My mouth is offically watering...

[Tony B.]

Is the hacker port open through the top?

[erco]

Silly Parallax.

They should have just left the top off! The first thing people will do is remove the top.

With the money saved in plastic, screws, and assembly labor, they could have easily paid for that USB adapter!

Now seriously, this will be a great robot. One serious suggestion: beat WowWee at their own game. Polish the molds and offer some limited edition S2s, a clear body and a chrome (vacuum-metalized) version. You can charge more for these.

Additionally, Parallax could sell some upgraded wheel & tire combinations at a premium price. People will customize & bling out these S2s given the opportunity. I will if you don't!

[erco]

Looks like standard Vigor gearboxes on the wheels. So where are the encoders? At 480 PPR, I figured they must be motor encoders, but me no see 'em.

[Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)]

Erco,

Here's where the encoders are located:



But your eyes are very sharp, indeed -- for an old guy! The gearmotors in this photo are lacking the extended shafts and encoder disks! (I suspect the photo was taken with some alternate motors that were being tested.)

-Phil

[Maddie the Intern]

Hey Tony B.,

No, the hacker port on the S2 is not open through the top


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[erco]

Tricky, Phil! So is the encoder "disk" actually a half black/half white cylinder, or something along those lines?

[Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)]

The encoder "disk" is actually a four-bladed piece of flat plastic (like a four-leaf clover) with a hole for the motor shaft. It interrupts the beam in one of those U-shaped transmissive sensors, which you're looking down on in the photo. (They're the smallest transmissive sensors I've ever seen.)

-Phil

[Martin_H]

Tony B., people deal with the hacker port on the old Scribbler in many ways, all of which will likely work on the S2.

One way is to cut a small hole in the side of the pen port and route cables out through it to the top or bottom.

I saw one web site where a guy glued the motors in place and left the top off. But you lose the CDS cells when you do that. Which might be fine if you are using those pins for something else.

The approach I took on my Scribbler was to cut a hole in the bottom of the Scribbler, attach headers to a perfboard glue it to the hole. I then ran a cable back to the hacker port. I then had the headers available on the bottom of the Scribbler.

[Tony B.]

Thanks for the replys.

Sounds like it is good thing I own some Deremel tools with cut off wheels.

Nurse! Hand me the Deremel!