NEWBIE needs help with BALANCING ROBOT !!!

Botdocter

Hello everyone,

i just bought:

msr1 robot controll board (stingray)
memsic2125 accelerometer/gyro
parallax ping)) ultrasone sensor

i want to make a balancing bot but am a total newbie to spin.
Trying out the different code in the propeller tool was fun, but would like to get started now. I have the ping)) and the memsic setup, just don't know where to go from here.

Does anyone have allready done this and have the code for me?

hover1

An excellent resource is the brand new book: Programming & Customizing the Multicore Propeller Microcontroller: Official Guide

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Books/Propeller/tabid/171/ProductID/637/List/0/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName

Chapter 5 goes through the making of a self balancing robot. Chapter 6 expands on vision control with the robot.

Sample programs are available at:

ftp://ftp.propeller-chip.com/PCMProp

Humanoido

I posted some information in this thread which you may want to follow.
It may give some ideas, even if the processor is different.

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=875122

humanoido

Searider

Here are some ballancing bot links that might be useful

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=776943

http://geology.heroy.smu.edu/~dpa-www/robo/nbot/

http://www.tlb.org/scooter.html

http://www.parallax.com/dl/docs/article/ROBOT-Fall06-BalancingBot.pdf

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Searider

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Botdocter

Thank you so much for this info. it was helpfull. I have been looking over al the files (not the book yet $$) and read most of the info that you gave me. Allthough i didn't answer every question.

I need to know some basic things that i can't seem to find...:

How to combine different pieces of code.

Why can't i find clear pin assignments for hardware like micro SD card reader

Where can i find a clear documentation for building a or any bot using the "MSR1 Controller Rev A" Balancing bot is even better! (this board is used in the stingray bot.) The code seems to be out there, but no explanation about how to set it up on the msr1.

i have a camera module from a Nokia 7650 with 13 pins on the back is has the code PD0630 on the back. does anyone know a pin out for this cam and maybe know some code to run it through the msr1 and to viewport?


Thanx Again!!

localroger

botdoc -- to answer one of your questions, the reason you can't find clear pin assignments is that there aren't any. There are a few semi-standards (such as the Hydra and Demoboard pinouts for video, keyboard, and mouse) but really the whole point of the Propeller is that you can scatter-assign the I/O; there are no special-purpose pins and any pin on the chip is capable of doing the same job as any other pin. So most folks end up either aping one of the semi-standards or just wiring stuff up to minimize the runs and then deal with the pin assignments in software. On most CPUs you can't do that because certain pins are dedicated to the SPI, the UARTs for serial, and so forth, but on the Prop any pin can do anything. It's part of what's so wonderful about the chip.

Botdocter

Thank you, i understand.

But for examples (and newbies) it would be handy as a lot of us don't even know what we're looking at! ;0)

Getting into some motor controll mode now. Not working yet...

Hanno

Hi,
I recommend starting with easy projects and building up to a balancing robot. It's much more fun celebrating success that way!

The book is a great resource and shows lots of projects that you can build with the Propeller. I wrote the chapters on the DanceBot and would love to help- if you have specific questions please ask away... The DanceBot was my introduction to the Propeller, but it certainly wasn't easy [noparse]:)[/noparse]
Hanno

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Co-author of the official Propeller Guide- available at Amazon
Developer of ViewPort, the premier visual debugger for the Propeller (read the review here, thread here),
12Blocks, the block-based programming environment (thread here)
and PropScope, the multi-function USB oscilloscope/function generator/logic analyzer

Botdocter

I got the motors to work! It was a problem with one of the motors. It had some kind of short in it. Luckily i didn't break anything.

I'm using cordless powerdrill motors that i got out of the shell.
But is it true that when i use the adapter power IN, the motor has less power then when i connect the power to the battery connector?

Thanx for your offer to help. will do...

Botdocter

So now i want to order some new motors.

Should i take geared motors or normal gearless motors.
And if geared; How much ratio must it be? 1:60?

I found these:

www1.conrad.nl/scripts/wgate/zcop_nl3/?~template=pcat_product_details_document&object_guid=AD11773BDAEB615AE10000000A010220&master_guid=&master_typ=&no_brotkrumennavi=&ownrow=20&p_load_area=1230010&p_artikelbilder_mode=Ein&p_sortopt=object_description&page=1&p_catalog_max_results=20&cachedetail=

or

www1.conrad.nl/scripts/wgate/zcop_nl3/?~template=pcat_product_details_document&object_guid=A30A773BDAEB615AE10000000A010220&master_guid=&master_typ=&no_brotkrumennavi=&ownrow=53&p_load_area=1210060&p_artikelbilder_mode=Ein&p_sortopt=object_description&page=2&p_catalog_max_results=20&cachedetail=

Hanno

From the "book":
"For the motors, we’ll use the Lynxmotion Geared Motor (GHM-16). It runs on
12 VDC and has a 30:1 metal gear for an impressive stall torque of 4.6 kg-cm. At 12 V,
with no load, it turns the axle at 200 RPM. This combination of high torque and good
speed enables your robots to recover from hard pushes or uneven terrain. Lynxmotion
also sells rubber wheels for this motor, so let’s use the 3.6" diameter Dirt Hawg tires."

Yes, you need geared motors to provide decent torque.
Your links don't work.
Hanno

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Co-author of the official Propeller Guide- available at Amazon
Developer of ViewPort, the premier visual debugger for the Propeller (read the review here, thread here),
12Blocks, the block-based programming environment (thread here)
and PropScope, the multi-function USB oscilloscope/function generator/logic analyzer