Boe-Bot, Receive Instructions from INI file - Help Needed

JimmyTheGreat

I have a Parallax Boe-Bot Rev B (the one with a USB) and I would like it to do one of the following things.

1. Get instructions from a INI file. If this can be done with BASIC Stamp that would be great. If it is not possible is there any other way of reading instructions from a INI file and having the Boe-Bot follow them?

This is what the INI file will contain:

[noparse][[/noparse]Commands]
Command=0



2. Have VB.net read the INI file and then control the Boe-Bot. I would have already done this, but unfortunately I don't know how to interface with the Boe-Bot threw VB.net.



Thanks for your help.

Franklin

Any serial communications to the port the bot is connected to can be received by the bot and it can then act upon them. There are forum posts and N&V articles on sending serial commands to the stamp so you should be able to work this out.

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- Stephen

JimmyTheGreat

That's not really the answer I was looking for. I have been googling for hours.

allanlane5

Yes, the BOE-Bot can read the "programming" serial port from the PC with:

MyValue VAR WORD

SERIN 16, 16468, [noparse][[/noparse]DEC MyValue]

Now, in VB.NET, you have to send "MyValue" as a string, followed by a vbCR.

The BOE-Bot then should do an IF or something against MyValue

IF MyValue = 0 THEN GOSUB DoZeroStuff

Unsoundcode

Hi JimmyTheGreat, the following link discusses communication between VB Express and a Stamp and may help get you started.

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=671804

Jeff T.

kenwtn

Here is some sample code from VB express I wrote that works:
Also attached copy of the program to receive it on the stamp

·· Private Sub Timer2_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer2.Tick
······· Dim Cmd As Integer
······· Dim CmdParm As Integer
······· Timer2.Enabled = False
······· Cmd = 0
······· If PanChg = Yes Then
··········· PanChg = No
··········· Cmd = 2
··········· CmdParm = HS_PanLR.Value
······· End If
······· If TiltChg = Yes Then
··········· TiltChg = No
··········· Cmd = 1
··········· CmdParm = VSTiltUD.Value
······· End If
······· If TrottleChg = Yes Then
··········· TrottleChg = No
··········· Cmd = 11
··········· CmdParm = TrottleUD.Value + 750
······· End If
······· If HeadingChg = Yes Then
··········· HeadingChg = No
··········· Cmd = 21
··········· CmdParm = Heading.Value
······· End If
······· If SteeringChg = Yes Then
··········· SteeringChg = No
··········· Cmd = 31
··········· CmdParm = Steering.Value + 23
······· End If
······· If Cmd <> 0 Then
··········· SerialPort1.WriteLine("++^++" & Cmd & vbCr & Format(CmdParm, "G"))
······· End If
··· End Sub

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Keep buying replacement parts and sooner or later you will get it RIGHT!

JimmyTheGreat

Thanks for the informative posts I did get it working with your help.

I have attached all the code needed for someone else who might want to do this.

Post Edited (JimmyTheGreat) : 7/17/2008 3:12:30 AM GMT

JimmyTheGreat

I have one last question.

I want my Boe-bot to act like a switch for connecting two wires together. Is this possible and if so how would I go about doing it? The Voltage threw the switch would not go over 5v.

If the Basic Stamp can't do this then I will just do some mechanical action to connect the switch.

Mike Green

If you want the BoeBot to act like a switch, use a reed relay. Get one, like the 5V coil relay from RadioShack, which can be driven directly from a Stamp I/O pin (maximum current less than 20mA). You'll need a diode connected backwards (cathode to + end of relay, anode connected to - end of relay coil). You could connect one end of the relay coil to ground (with the diode anode) and the other end of the relay coil to a Stamp I/O pin (with the diode cathode) and make the I/O pin HIGH to turn the relay on.

If you don't want to use a relay, you could (depending on what you want to switch) use a switching transistor like a 2N2222 or 2N3606 NPN transistor. You'd have to talk about what you want to turn on and off because the connections depend on what you're switching.

JimmyTheGreat

Is this the relay your talking about? Also, I am not very familiar with hardware so what kind of diode would I need.

If I got all this working all the coding would be is: 'HIGH pinNumber'?

Basically I want to stimulate a mouse click. I know I could do this programmatically, but for what I need it for I cannot. The mouse could either be a USB or PS/2.

Mike Green

These diodes will work fine: www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062576&cp=2032058.2032230.2032269&parentPage=family.

The relay you found is the one I was talking about.

Yes, all you have to do is do a HIGH pinNumber to turn the relay on and LOW pinNumber to turn it off. I suggest you turn off the relay in the initialization portion of your program.

There are other solutions for doing this, but the reed relay is the simplest and most straightforward.

JimmyTheGreat

Thank you very much for your help. I will be trying this out once I get the parts.

JimmyTheGreat

I got it working.. There is only one thing wrong. When I do LOW pinNumber it closes. When I do HIGH pinNumber it opens. Open being no connection, closed be connection.

Mike Green

You probably connected one end of the relay coil to Vdd and the other end to the I/O pin.· That's the only way you could get the relay to close with a LOW and open with a HIGH.· That should work fine, but I had suggested connecting one end of the relay coil to ground (Vss) and the other end to the I/O pin.· That way, it would close with a HIGH and open with a LOW.

Do make sure you have the diode connected properly across the relay coil with the cathode towards (+) or Vdd and the anode towards (-) or ground.· When you do a HIGH, the I/O pin gets connected internally to Vdd (+5V).· When you do a LOW, the I/O pin gets connected internally to Vss (ground).

JimmyTheGreat

I did have one end in the Vdd.

Which side of the diode is + or -, Im guessing the black side is -?

Mike Green

There's always a band around the cathode end. That may be what you're seeing as the black side.

JimmyTheGreat

Works wonderfully! Thanks a lot!