Sorry about not posting much this week, my internet is via satellite dish and was spotty at best.
Mr. KIbler, about how heavy are the wheels you have now? You said you told the rubber off right, so it would be possible to put some sort ofm foam in the plastics place, correct?
And also what exactly were you asking me about the circutry? I didn't fully grasp what the question was.
To answer your question Mr. Kibler about platform materials I possess, I have lots of wood, cardboard (most likely not), glass, and plastic. That's all I've found so far and I don't think any of those are an improvement over what the ASP already has so I'll keep looking.
Has anyone else found any lightweight, decently strong material we can use?
Also Jake, or Emily, can you send me a blueprint of the release mechinism you have in mind so I have a better idea of what you are thinking?
Ok that's it thanks. (remember the next meeting is now a week away)
-Obie
I would like an update on where the movement subroutine stands and how close you are to integrating it into the main program. I haven't seen any information about it on the forum for a while.
You have two goals for the next practice:1) Download your program, send the robot across the ground (indefinite distance), and collect temperature, humidity and CO2 data all at once.
This was a goal for last practice but I never did see the robot move with the program installed. That's why I gave you a BOE and servos,Dylan, and a BOE-BOT, Andrew: so you can figure the program out and get it working.
2) Dowload your program to last year's ASP, put it into the vacuum chamber, then see if your program will activate a servo AFTER the vacuum chamber returns to 1 ATM (= 1 atmosphere, or air pressure at ground level.)
Your goal for having your final program fully operational is four weeks from our next practice. We're planning on launching in Nevada in mid-June and we also need your skills on the parachute release subsystem team, and on the robot "build" team (Obie and I.)
I'll look for an update from you on the forum. Please include an updated program.
Jake, I cut the wheel in half to make two thinner, lighter wheels. It worked like a charm. How the wheels will connect to the ASP-BOT remains the same.
Obie and Emily, are you there...?
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
Mr. Kibler,
Thank you for clarifying our "sub-goals," which are going to be completed in time for the next practice. I haven't spoken to Dylan recently as to where he stands with completing our tasks, but the reason little progress has been made in regards to the altitude-activated movement subroutine is due to the fact of our continued confusion of how the original "MAWD_get" subroutine works. Specifically, we believe the program may not be functioning correctly because it depends on the fact that the variable "feet" is actually an accurate representation of altitude. It should be, according to the note where the variable is declared, but since we don't understand the MAWD_get subroutine works, we aren't positive on this (see post #1234 made by Dylan and I on page 62).
I'll let Dylan post his own opinion of where we stand, but I believe between the both of us, we should definitely have our subsystem goal completed before the deadline. However, I will try not to get ahead of myself as past experience has shown that seemingly "simple" tasks can be quite challenging.
...the reason little progress has been made in regards to the altitude-activated movement subroutine is due to the fact of our continued confusion of how the original "MAWD_get" subroutine works. Specifically, we believe the program may not be functioning correctly because it depends on the fact that the variable "feet" is actually an accurate representation of altitude.
Andrew and Dylan,
You're at the point where you need to be reading the "What's A Microcontroller? book critically and carefully, communicating regularly, testing programs on your BOE or BOE-BOT, and most importantly reaching out for help on the forum. Yours is a very important task and it requires that you work on it regularly, not "a little bit here and a little bit there." It WILL take time and I suggest that you immerse yourselves in your work sooner rather than later if we plan to launch again in June.
Ask for assistance on the forum as you work to solve the problem yourselves.
Sorry that I haven't posted in a while. I was interested in seeing what everyone would say without me or Andrew, and see how they would operate as a team.
Jacob-
Mr. Kibler wasn't stating how you would put it on the wheel. But more or less how you would build around the new wheel in the idea. Sort of how you would make it with the wheel in the mix to put it plainly.
I will also be able to come to your and Emily's meeting tomorrow. Is it alright that I come? I already have the directions from Emily.
I'm going down to school tomorrow to enter some grades, etc. and I'll drop the new wheel mechanism off at your house. It has a parachute attached. I talked with your Dad earlier today and he said if you aren't there, to leave it on the ping-pong table. I will.
Please bring the wheel to school on Monday and please don't make any changes to it, etc. It's just to examine and consider right now. We'll drill holes (add your mechanism, etc.) later.
Have fun figuring it out and ask for assistance when you need it.
I hope that one of you will read this before you meet this afternoon. If you do, please reply back to let me know that you did and then share this e-mail with your teammates when you meet.
The tire and parachute mechanism I'm leaving at Jake's house is a starting point. The bolts holding the two rims together can be moved around; that's why there are extra holes in the rims. Also, larger holes can be drilled to accomodate wires, springs, etc. from your release mechanism. The location of the eyebolts can also be moved.
So that the rover lands on its two wheels, not upright, you could use just one eyebolt instead of two, and position it on the outer edge of the yellow rim so the rover lands at an angle. That way the rover should land on both wheels. My point is: the location of the bolts and the eyebolts can be moved to accomodate your parachute release mechanism.
Please don't take the wheel mechanism apart but do study it carefully as you design and build your device. Simpler is better and your device has to be 100% fail safe in releasing (and holding!) the parachute. Enjoy one another's companionship but make the most of your limited time today. Your mechanism should be ready at next Sunday's practice.
Keep in mind that the wheel mechanism was made from parts I scavenged: a lawn mower tire that I cut in half, a piece of thin plywood I salvaged, and some bolts I had laying around. The cost for the materials was $0.00 so be creative and cost effective as you design and build your mechansim. I doesn't have to be a new invention; it simply has to work.
Jake, please bring the wheel mechanism to school with you tomorrow. You can work on your mechanism during science class so bring any parts you have, and anything you may need.
Andrew and Dylan, I would like to see you post your program to the forum and ask for help in getting it working... sooner rather than later. Have you been programming at home and testing your program on your BOE? Are you communicatiing your results back and forth and here on the forum so your project partners know what's happening? Please do.
Mr. Kibler,
I have just read your post. The idea of the eye bolt sticking out to make the ASP-Bot land at an angle is impressively simple. That is how we are going to have to think at the meeting today to e able to design our mechanism. I will print the post and bring it to the meeting.
Mr. Kibler,
I have just read your post. The idea of the eye bolt sticking out to make the ASP-Bot land at an angle is impressively simple. That is how we are going to have to think at the meeting today to e able to design our mechanism. I will print the post and bring it to the meeting.
Thanks Dylan. Have fun and make the most of your time together today.
. Some alternate ideas for a parachute deployment mechanism: Mechanically, Idea #1 is a simple device but it requires dual-deployment capability, which the MAWD has, and black powder. How we would get the parachute to detach ONLY after it has landed? Program the BOE to output an electric signal that ignites the black powder AFTER the ASP-BOT has landed, after it reads ten (twenty, etc.) 0's. Or send a signal from the BOE to heat up a wire that burns through the "string" holding the parachute. Other ideas...?
(hope I'm not too out of date on this)
Frankly, if it were me, I'd try something like that last idea first, burning through a monofilament fishing line to release the parachute. I do know people who have used devices like that tether from Apogee, though not that particular one, and in fact the big project I helped out with last October used a similar tether.
I'm concerned about any idea using a servo that the servo's ability to turn will not be enough to release whatever you're using to hold the parachute in position. However, if you have the time for thorough testing you should be able to get it working. Are you aware that different servos have dramatically different turning forces (that is, torque)? If you're working with a servo for the release mechanism you should investigate that. I think that different servos of roughly the same size different in torque by more than a full order of magnitude. While you're at it, you might also want to pay attention to the construction of the servo. Ideally your design will not require the servo's internal teeth to hold against the pull of the parachute when it opens (which will be a very significant jolt), but things can go wrong there. A "drop test" might be a good idea.
Sylvie, what do you think? How would you rank these in order (1-5) from most practical to least practical?
#1 - should work for sure.
#2 - looks very iffy to me. Remember that your weight is going to be quite a bit more than in something like that.
#3 - should work, if it's strong enough to hold against the shock of the chute opening. If it does, that should be easily the most simple way to do it, though it's expensive, and coming from outside the U.S.
#4 - no idea how you'd release that.
#5 - should work, and a simple, inexpensive idea - except that you'll need a lot of testing to make sure that you can supply enough current to burn through.
#6 - This is another version of the tether release in #1, and should work for sure as well. I know people using this one too.
.
How's Spain? I see that Barcelona beat Arsenal 3-1, a good win for the "home" team. Are you able to watch any football in Spain?
Mark
In fact I watched that match in an Irish pub near the Plaza Mayor. That was fun. We watched a couple other matches the next night, including the home clubs for two of my classmates (Milan and some small town in Germany). Still, I'm eager for baseball.
Quick note - congratulations to the rocketeers for their acceptance into good schools and other academic programs. I just had two of my favorite students accepted to good programs, and it's one of the best feelings.
Jake,
I really like Mr Kibler's 2nd idea, its simple and elegant. Also it looks like there is less room for error then in our design, which could prove difficult to program.
Mr. Kibler, Thank you for the alternative ideas.
Sylvie, Thank you very much for checking in even when your in Spain, Have you scene what Jake and I are trying to make yet? Also do you have an ideas?Attachment not found. if not I'll attach it just in case.
We (Jake and I) are going to replace the pneumatic actuator with a metal bar a servo motor, the servo motor will turn and push the bar and in turn the bar with push the two lever apart and the spring will send the disk that is attached to the parachute off. Again your thoughts would be greatly appreciated
Emily
See my notes above about torque and servo construction. If you are planning to use a servo you will definitely want to think about those things, and do some reading online. I don't know that much about the details, but people here or on the R/C forums certainly do. You will want to keep in mind that when your parachute inflates it will pull with a very strong jerk on the shroud lines, and your mechanism will need to be "proof" against that (strong enough to hold together when it happens). Testing will be very important. There are certainly a lot of ways to get the thing to release: whatever you put together will need to release, but also will need to NOT release accidentally when the parachute opens (which would drop your entirely payload 10,000 feet to the ground!).
I think that what you're designing there is a version of what used to be referred to as a "bayonet mount" (for camera lenses). It seems like a good idea, though of course "the Devil is in the details" (do you know that expression?).
Today during practice we were able to review the five ideas for parachute release mechanisms.
1.) This one we discovered actually is meant to open a parachute. Due to a pull from a tether line the parachute will open up.
2.) This one could possibly work, although from my stand point it seems risky, although possible. We would have to make modifications to get it to work in our situation, such as size reduction etc....
3.) This certainly looks like it would work. Although it exceeds one of our constraints, our budget. It is 195 US dollars, well over our budget.
4.) From the information provided, this looks like it could work. Although I couldn't find any more information on the product. I looked at the manufacturer's website and I couldn't even find the product itself, even when I put in the product number and/or the exact name. More research would be required to see if this would truly work or not.
5.) I could not actually find the release mechanism. I found the website to be more about the actual team then the device. Was it a team that used it?
6.) This seems like a very possible choice for our release mechanism. Although, there are two drawbacks. One, is the price. At around 90 dollars it surpasses our comfortable budget. The second, is that it uses a small explosion to eject the clip. This could be a problem due to many reasons, the fire could somehow ruin our components, same with the force from the explosion.
We are quickly making a modified version of the 2nd idea. Just because we want to be able to have some thing to work with at the end of this practice. We decided that that was the best one to create because it seemed practical at today's meeting. I will post again before the end of the meeting.
Today during practice we were able to review the five ideas for parachute release mechanisms.
.
Emily, Jake, and Dylan,
Sounds like you covered a lot of ground today. Did you get the mechanism built? You should be well past the "review" phase and well into the building phase. Remember that, according the the GANTT chart, you will be bringing your mechanism to our next practice on Sunday, March 20th.
Please read, consider, and then respond to Sylvie's detailed post above. Also, please see the information below about the presentation to the Bedford Rotary a week from Wednesday.
I just wanted to give you an advance reminder of our next two team
activities. First, we have practice next Sunday, March 20th at the
Kibler's from 1-4 PM. As always, plan to arrive a few minutes before 1
PM because practice starts promptly at 1:00. Arriving late = 1/2 of an
absence and you are allowed three absences. We have a "new" candidate
joining us for the next three practices. I say "new" because Justin
DaCosta was involved in another one of our projects a few
years back. Dylan and Andrew will meet and talk with Justin to
familiarize him with team expectations.
We also have an important fund-raising presentation to make to the
Bedford Rotary on Wednesday, March 30th at 7:30 AM and this will be an
early morning. Dylan's Mom put us in touch with them. The meeting
STARTS at 7:30 AM and we present at 8:00 AM, right after breakfast.
Breakfast is included and team members will sit with different
Rotarians in groups of two during breakfast. The Bedford Rotary has a
substantial budget to work with and so it's important that we make a
dynamic presentation. We will be asking them for a substantial
donation, between $1,500 and $2,500 dollars. Considering that we have
no money at all in the account the presentation is even more important
if we hope to get to Black Rock, Nevada. Dylan and Andrew, please
start working on a presentation and I'll'll assemble a budget sheet.
Both events are considered team events and so attendance is expected
even though it is an early day, and a school day (I have to get
permission to miss school, too!) Please e-mail to let me know if you
plan on attending the Rotary presentation or not so we can arrange
transportation and PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR PARENTS.
See you on the forum. Let me know if you have any questions.
Hello,
I am Justin DaCosta. I look forward to working with all the team, and especially with Andrew again as I worked with him when I was on the team with TARC a few years ago. I will be able to attend the March 20th meeting and the 30th presentation. I have never worked with microcontrollers before, so I will need a little coaching/mentoring on the subject. I have, however, dowloaded the book What's a Microcontroller? and have started to read through it. Do you have any requirements, design, or project plan documents I should get familiarize myself with to get myself up to speed quicker. If you do please let me know how I can get to them. I have had a little bit of robotics experience working with Robolab in First Lego League. I was the head project lead and lead the team to the third place award in states. I know that is not even close to the level of programming and engineering that you guys do, but that is my background. Again I look forward to working with you all toward a successful launch.
Mr. Kibler,
I might be mistaken but I believe that in an earlier post you said we had practice on saturday, not sunday. If practice is on sunday, I'm unfortanitly unable to attend. Please get bacl to me on this so I can send you and dylan an absence email.
Thanks,
-Jake-
Mr. Kibler,
I might be mistaken but I believe that in an earlier post you said we had practice on saturday, not sunday. If practice is on sunday, I'm unfortanitly unable to attend. Please get bacl to me on this so I can send you and dylan an absence email.
Thanks,
-Jake-
ROCKETEERS,
I'm pretty sure we decided that our next practice is THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 20th from 1-4 PM. Dylan and Andrew, please confirm. All subsequent practices will be on Sunday from 1-4 PM so please mark your calendars ahead of time. Practices are typically 2 weeks apart.
Recall that if you are unable to attend a practice it counts as an absence. You are allowed a total of three absences and only one of those can be unexcused. Coming late or leaving early = 1/2 an absence.
I'm pretty sure we decided that our next practice is THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 20th from 1-4 PM. Dylan and Andrew, please confirm. All subsequent practices will be on Sunday from 1-4 PM so please mark your calendars ahead of time. Practices are typically 2 weeks apart.
Mr, Kibler
:cool:
I did check a few pages back and it looks like we did agree to meet THIS SATURDAY, March 19th at 1:00 PM, NOT SUNDAY.
Is everyone OK with meeting this Saturday from 1-4 PM? All practices from here on out will be on Sundays from 1-4 PM, approximately 2 weeks apart. Please put this on your calendars ahead of time.
Hello again, glad to hear your mini-meeting went well Jake, Emily, and Dylan. Sounds like you learned a thing or two about the release mechanism.
I've been looking around for materials we could use on the ASP-bot and I'm thinking I can get some fiberglass for the ASP-Bot. About how big are the dimensions we have for the payload bay?
Also I've decided on using two BoE's for the robot as Andrew has said we would need it for GPS navigation due to then other slots being filled up. I may be wrong about this, but it also solve the problem of running the servomotors and collecting data at the same time. I was also thinking about how we should attach the servo motors. If we just mount it on one of the flat surfaces a whole list of events could happen, mostly variations of different parts being lower or higher. In other words some parts would be closer to the ground and would be more prone to collateral damage. So I believe it would be best to intergrate the motors into the platform itself.
Ok I thought they meeting was on Saturday, when you said Sunday my heart skipped a beat. By the way, thank you for being my project advisor this year Mr. Kibler, I really appreciated it. You would also be happy to hear that my court of honor was yesterday and now I am officially a 1st class scout.
I think that's it for now. See everyone in T-minus 5 days.
-Obie
I've been looking around for materials we could use on the ASP-bot and I'm thinking I can get some fiberglass for the ASP-Bot. About how big are the dimensions we have for the payload bay? ~ Obie
The minimum dimensions should be about 4 x 6" x 1/8 thick (if it's solid G10 fiberglass.) We could use a couple of pieces.
Also I've decided on using two BoE's for the robot as Andrew has said we would need it for GPS navigation due to then other slots being filled up.
Better run this by Dylan and Andrew before making a firm decision. Here's first problem we encounter if we use two BOE's instead of one: 1) How do we signal the ASP-BOT to start moving? 2) How will it "know" when it's landed without the MAWD attached? If we use two BOE's that means the software design team has to write two programs (as if one wasn't challenging enough...)
Ok I thought they meeting was on Saturday, when you said Sunday my heart skipped a beat.
Yes, practice is on SATURDAY at 1:00 PM, not Sunday. Nice catch, Jake. :thumb:
By the way, thank you for being my project advisor this year Mr. Kibler, I really appreciated it. You would also be happy to hear that my court of honor was yesterday and now I am officially a 1st class scout.
CONGRATULATIONS Obie, on earning the rank of First Class Scout! You are officially halfway to Eagle Scout. Let me know how I can help out as you climb the Trail to Eagle (I'm our troop's Eagle Court Chairman, by the way.)
Obie,
Me and Andrew have both agreed that using two BoE's is our best bet. Although Mr. Kibler brought up some very good questions...
1) How do we signal the ASP-BOT to start moving?
2) How will it "know" when it's landed without the MAWD attached? If we use two BOE's that means the software design team has to write two programs (as if one wasn't challenging enough...)
Both of these questions can be answered at the same time. We could signal the ASP-BOT to start moving with another MAWD, one MAWD for each board. Now I am not saying that we WILL use two MAWDs, but I think that is my safest bet. I will run this through Andrew, as well as you Obie before finalizing it.
It's good to have a new possible member for the team Justin!
You will next practice learn how the team runs and operates, and ultimately what our team is. I'm sure Mr. Kibler has already told you a little bit about our team, and I look forward to possibly having on it for this year.
Hello,
I am Justin DaCosta. I look forward to working with all the team, and especially with Andrew again as I worked with him when I was on the team with TARC a few years ago. I will be able to attend the March 20th meeting and the 30th presentation. I have never worked with microcontrollers before, so I will need a little coaching/mentoring on the subject. I have, however, dowloaded the book What's a Microcontroller? and have started to read through it. Do you have any requirements, design, or project plan documents I should get familiarize myself with to get myself up to speed quicker. If you do please let me know how I can get to them. I have had a little bit of robotics experience working with Robolab in First Lego League. I was the head project lead and lead the team to the third place award in states. I know that is not even close to the level of programming and engineering that you guys do, but that is my background. Again I look forward to working with you all toward a successful launch.
Justin
Justin,
It's good to talk to you again! I'm glad you found our forum thread and posted so quickly. As you have probably figured out by now, this is where nearly all of the discussion and work gets done outside of practice. I'm not sure how much you have already familiarized yourself with the ARLISS project, but a good place to start would be the ARLISS website (www.arliss.org) and by reading the past few pages of discussion here. I'd be glad to bring you up to speed on where we currently are, or if you have any questions in general. Just let me know if you need my current e-mail address.
Obie,
Me and Andrew have both agreed that using two BoE's is our best bet... If we use two BOE's that means the software design team has to write two programs (as if one wasn't challenging enough...)
Yes, if you use two BOE's then you will have to write two separate programs. You will also need two independent power supplies for the BOE (= weight), two MAWD's, and two separate power supplies for the MAWD.
I think it may be much simpler to activate the "movement" subroutine at landing using the same BOE (though I haven't seen that program yet.) There's not much more program code to write in order to do activate movement at touchdown. You're 90% of the way there.
If you have to write two programs we're taking a step backwards I think. Is there enough time to write and figure out two programs before mid-June's launch? Remember that GPS navigation is a stretch goal to be worked on after you have the main program, including movement, is fully operational.It's important that we stay focused on primary missions and you only have one: Mission goal #5.
2011 MISSION GOALS:
1) Launch and recover the ASP-BOT safely and intact. “Safely” means that no one was injured from the time the team entered the launch area until the time they left the launch area. “Intact” means that the payload can be launched again within 24 hours.
2) Achieve an altitude of at least two miles (10, 560 feet or 3,219 meters) AGL.
3) Measure and record temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration, altitude, and flight time from launch to touchdown at a minimum sample rate of 1 sample/sec.
4) Detach the parachute free and clear of the ASP-BOT within 5 seconds of touchdown (*NOTE: This is a change from 2 seconds.)
5) Measure and record temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentration from the touchdown spot to a spot at least 100 meters from the touchdown spot at a minimum sample rate of 1 sample/sec.
STRETCH GOALS:
1) The ASP-BOT will navigate itself back to the launch pad using internal GPS navigation.
2) The ASP-BOT will collect and store five soil samples taken at least 10 meters apart for analysis back in the laboratory.
I'm eager to see your program on the forum at mid week. Please keep us posted.
Hi Justin
I'm Emily. I look forward to meeting you Saturday.
Mr. Kibler has Jake showed us our design we built? if so what do you think of it?
Also I was thinking if we use an IF command wont that single to move? something like IF MAWD = 0000000000 Then...? maybe?
you guys have probably already thought about this just putting my two cents in.
Emily
Hi Justin
I'm Emily. I look forward to meeting you Saturday.
Mr. Kibler has Jake showed us our design we built? if so what do you think of it?
Also I was thinking if we use an IF command wont that single to move? something like IF MAWD = 0000000000 Then...? maybe?
you guys have probably already thought about this just putting my two cents in.
Emily
Emily,
I'm eager to see the parachute release mechanism you designed work on Saturday. You and Jake (and I may pair Justin with you) will have one hour from the start of practice to work on it and fine tune it. Then, at 2:00 PM, we'll put it through a series of experimental trials. If it works consistenty then you can move ahead and make a final version to mount on the platform the circuitry goes on. If it doesn't function 100% flawlessly then we'll need to move on to another idea.
In Nevada you really only get one "try" and so your mechanism has to work perfectly. That one try is your rocket launch. Either the parachute detaches or it doesn't. If it doesn't work perfectly on the ground it may not work in flight. We can't risk the entire mission and risk smashing the ASP-BOT to pieces by having a mechanism that may or may not work. We'll see what happens on Saturday and go from there.
I'm glad to hear that you're interested in going to Harvard to work with the SEDS project. Stay tuned for details.
Today during practice we were able to review the five ideas for parachute release mechanisms.
6.) This seems like a very possible choice for our release mechanism. Although, there are two drawbacks. One, is the price. At around 90 dollars it surpasses our comfortable budget. The second, is that it uses a small explosion to eject the clip. This could be a problem due to many reasons, the fire could somehow ruin our components, same with the force from the explosion.
My comment here is probably moot, as I don't think you're seriously considering a pyrotechnic release mechanism, but you should be aware that such a thing not only puts the BOE at risk from the force of the explosion, but the residue from black powder is very corrosive to electronics. We use black powder (explosive) charges in rocketry, and always have to be very careful to keep our electronics sealed away from the powder charge.
In addition, setting off a charge like that would probably affect your gas measurements.
My comment here is probably moot, as I don't think you're seriously considering a pyrotechnic release mechanism, but you should be aware that such a thing not only puts the BOE at risk from the force of the explosion, but the residue from black powder is very corrosive to electronics. We use black powder (explosive) charges in rocketry, and always have to be very careful to keep our electronics sealed away from the powder charge.
In addition, setting off a charge like that would probably affect your gas measurements.
Sylvie,
Your input certainly isn't moot. Heck, you're an advanced HPR rocketeer that probably knows more about this stuff than all of us collectively!
We actually haven't considered a pyro device; that's way down the list. It looks like they're building a servo-activated release mechanism of some sort. We'll see how well it works on Saturday. I think that's the direction I'm leaning in, too. The second idea down the list is melting through monofilament, then maybe a pyro device as a next-to-last option.
What are your (renewed) thoughts on a servo-activated release mechanism versus a pyro charge?
Harvard University asked me to help mentor their SEDS rocketry groups. SEDS's mission goals are a lot like ARLISS's goals: 3,050 meter target altitude, 4 kg payload, etc.
Attached are sketches of three different ideas for parachute release mechanisms. Two of them use a servomotor but none uses pyrotechnic releases (an explosive charge.)
These are sketches of ideas modified from the six ideas/ links that were previously posted. Give these three ideas a good look and think about what order you would put them in if we have to choose a different idea on Saturday.
I have looked at all of the mechanisms, and to me the one that looks like it would be the best is the third option simply because it is the simplest design from what I could tell. Just remember Murphy's law, " If it can go wrong, it will". I know I do not have much experience with this type of parachute release mechanism( in TARC we just used pyrotechnic charges), so keep that in mind. I still need to understand more about the overall design. I have been reading the microcontroller book. Is there a particular section I should focus on? I look forward to seeing all of you on Saturday.
Justin
I have looked at all of the mechanisms, and to me the one that looks like it would be the best is the third option simply because it is the simplest design from what I could tell. Just remember Murphy's law, " If it can go wrong, it will". I know I do not have much experience with this type of parachute release mechanism( in TARC we just used pyrotechnic charges), so keep that in mind. I still need to understand more about the overall design. I have been reading the microcontroller book. Is there a particular section I should focus on? I look forward to seeing all of you on Saturday.
Justin
Justin,
Below is an assignment that I gave Jake and Stephanie when they were trying out for the team. It was one way to assess their aptitude for the work we do. It would be good if you could read through ithe assignment and do as much as you can before Saturday. They're using the program they wrote to activate the parachute release mechanism, I believe. You' can find the same information on or around page 59 (?) on this forum.
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
Your assignment for the week is attached as a file. Its a modified version of the program we wrote at the dining table on Sunday (but its not exactly the same.) As soon as you finish the assignment, send me the answers to the questions.
Then write the program and e-mail it to me. Ill test it to see whether it works and report back to you like I did to Emily, Obie, Andrew and Dylan last week.
Heres your Procedure:
1. Go to the Robotics with the BOE-bot book on the Parallax website:
2. If you think you will be staying with the ARLISS team its worthwhile to print the entire book and keep it in a 3-ring binder. Its a valuable resource and its free.
3. READ p 76-80 on the pages shown on the computer screen (p. 90-94 on the PDF file.) These pages explain how an electrical impulses pulse width controls speed and direction (thats the title of the section.) You may need to read a few pages before page 76 to find all the information you need to complete the assignment.
4. Once youve completed the assignment send me the answers to the questions.
5. Then e-mail me the program you wrote and Ill test it to see whether it works.
Below is an assignment that I gave Jake and Stephanie when they were trying out for the team. It was one way to assess their aptitude for the work we do. It would be good if you could read through ithe assignment and do as much as you can before Saturday. They're using the program they wrote to activate the parachute release mechanism, I believe. You' can find the same information on or around page 59 (?) on this forum.
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
Your assignment for the week is attached as a file. It’s a modified version of the program we wrote at the dining table on Sunday (but it’s not exactly the same.) As soon as you finish the assignment, send me the answers to the questions.
Then write the program and e-mail it to me. I’ll test it to see whether it works.
1) Go to the “Robotics with the BOE-bot” book on the Parallax website:
2) READ p 76-80 on the pages shown on the computer screen (p. 90-94 on the PDF file.) These pages explain how an electrical impulse’s “pulse width controls speed and direction” (that’s the title of the section.) You may need to read a few pages before page 76 to find all the information you need to complete the assignment.
Justin,
Let me clarify the assignment: Write a simple computer program that makes a Parallax continuous rotation servomotor turn for exactly 33 seconds. This will require some careful reading in the “Robotics with the BOE-bot” book, and some careful calculations. The Parallax "What's a Microcontroller?" book is a good source too. Find the section where it discusses "programming a servomotor for time". The book Is available on the Parallax website as a free download (or you can save paper and just read from the computer screen.)
Good luck!
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
These are the first commands you will need to write to start your program. They are specific to Parallax PBASIC program code:
Comments
Mr. KIbler, about how heavy are the wheels you have now? You said you told the rubber off right, so it would be possible to put some sort ofm foam in the plastics place, correct?
And also what exactly were you asking me about the circutry? I didn't fully grasp what the question was.
To answer your question Mr. Kibler about platform materials I possess, I have lots of wood, cardboard (most likely not), glass, and plastic. That's all I've found so far and I don't think any of those are an improvement over what the ASP already has so I'll keep looking.
Has anyone else found any lightweight, decently strong material we can use?
Also Jake, or Emily, can you send me a blueprint of the release mechinism you have in mind so I have a better idea of what you are thinking?
Ok that's it thanks. (remember the next meeting is now a week away)
-Obie
Mr. Kibler,
Thank you for clarifying our "sub-goals," which are going to be completed in time for the next practice. I haven't spoken to Dylan recently as to where he stands with completing our tasks, but the reason little progress has been made in regards to the altitude-activated movement subroutine is due to the fact of our continued confusion of how the original "MAWD_get" subroutine works. Specifically, we believe the program may not be functioning correctly because it depends on the fact that the variable "feet" is actually an accurate representation of altitude. It should be, according to the note where the variable is declared, but since we don't understand the MAWD_get subroutine works, we aren't positive on this (see post #1234 made by Dylan and I on page 62).
I'll let Dylan post his own opinion of where we stand, but I believe between the both of us, we should definitely have our subsystem goal completed before the deadline. However, I will try not to get ahead of myself as past experience has shown that seemingly "simple" tasks can be quite challenging.
-- Andrew
Andrew and Dylan,
You're at the point where you need to be reading the "What's A Microcontroller? book critically and carefully, communicating regularly, testing programs on your BOE or BOE-BOT, and most importantly reaching out for help on the forum. Yours is a very important task and it requires that you work on it regularly, not "a little bit here and a little bit there." It WILL take time and I suggest that you immerse yourselves in your work sooner rather than later if we plan to launch again in June.
Ask for assistance on the forum as you work to solve the problem yourselves.
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
Jacob-
Mr. Kibler wasn't stating how you would put it on the wheel. But more or less how you would build around the new wheel in the idea. Sort of how you would make it with the wheel in the mix to put it plainly.
I will also be able to come to your and Emily's meeting tomorrow. Is it alright that I come? I already have the directions from Emily.
I'm going down to school tomorrow to enter some grades, etc. and I'll drop the new wheel mechanism off at your house. It has a parachute attached. I talked with your Dad earlier today and he said if you aren't there, to leave it on the ping-pong table. I will.
Please bring the wheel to school on Monday and please don't make any changes to it, etc. It's just to examine and consider right now. We'll drill holes (add your mechanism, etc.) later.
Have fun figuring it out and ask for assistance when you need it.
Eating Jello,
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
Good morning Dylan, Emily and Jake,
I hope that one of you will read this before you meet this afternoon. If you do, please reply back to let me know that you did and then share this e-mail with your teammates when you meet.
The tire and parachute mechanism I'm leaving at Jake's house is a starting point. The bolts holding the two rims together can be moved around; that's why there are extra holes in the rims. Also, larger holes can be drilled to accomodate wires, springs, etc. from your release mechanism. The location of the eyebolts can also be moved.
So that the rover lands on its two wheels, not upright, you could use just one eyebolt instead of two, and position it on the outer edge of the yellow rim so the rover lands at an angle. That way the rover should land on both wheels. My point is: the location of the bolts and the eyebolts can be moved to accomodate your parachute release mechanism.
Please don't take the wheel mechanism apart but do study it carefully as you design and build your device. Simpler is better and your device has to be 100% fail safe in releasing (and holding!) the parachute. Enjoy one another's companionship but make the most of your limited time today. Your mechanism should be ready at next Sunday's practice.
Keep in mind that the wheel mechanism was made from parts I scavenged: a lawn mower tire that I cut in half, a piece of thin plywood I salvaged, and some bolts I had laying around. The cost for the materials was $0.00 so be creative and cost effective as you design and build your mechansim. I doesn't have to be a new invention; it simply has to work.
Jake, please bring the wheel mechanism to school with you tomorrow. You can work on your mechanism during science class so bring any parts you have, and anything you may need.
Andrew and Dylan, I would like to see you post your program to the forum and ask for help in getting it working... sooner rather than later. Have you been programming at home and testing your program on your BOE? Are you communicatiing your results back and forth and here on the forum so your project partners know what's happening? Please do.
Obie, what are you up to?
Good luck, and please keep me posted,
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
I have just read your post. The idea of the eye bolt sticking out to make the ASP-Bot land at an angle is impressively simple. That is how we are going to have to think at the meeting today to e able to design our mechanism. I will print the post and bring it to the meeting.
Thanks Dylan. Have fun and make the most of your time together today.
Mr. Kibler
:nerd:
(hope I'm not too out of date on this)
Frankly, if it were me, I'd try something like that last idea first, burning through a monofilament fishing line to release the parachute. I do know people who have used devices like that tether from Apogee, though not that particular one, and in fact the big project I helped out with last October used a similar tether.
I'm concerned about any idea using a servo that the servo's ability to turn will not be enough to release whatever you're using to hold the parachute in position. However, if you have the time for thorough testing you should be able to get it working. Are you aware that different servos have dramatically different turning forces (that is, torque)? If you're working with a servo for the release mechanism you should investigate that. I think that different servos of roughly the same size different in torque by more than a full order of magnitude. While you're at it, you might also want to pay attention to the construction of the servo. Ideally your design will not require the servo's internal teeth to hold against the pull of the parachute when it opens (which will be a very significant jolt), but things can go wrong there. A "drop test" might be a good idea.
#1 - should work for sure.
#2 - looks very iffy to me. Remember that your weight is going to be quite a bit more than in something like that.
#3 - should work, if it's strong enough to hold against the shock of the chute opening. If it does, that should be easily the most simple way to do it, though it's expensive, and coming from outside the U.S.
#4 - no idea how you'd release that.
#5 - should work, and a simple, inexpensive idea - except that you'll need a lot of testing to make sure that you can supply enough current to burn through.
#6 - This is another version of the tether release in #1, and should work for sure as well. I know people using this one too.
In fact I watched that match in an Irish pub near the Plaza Mayor. That was fun. We watched a couple other matches the next night, including the home clubs for two of my classmates (Milan and some small town in Germany). Still, I'm eager for baseball.
See my notes above about torque and servo construction. If you are planning to use a servo you will definitely want to think about those things, and do some reading online. I don't know that much about the details, but people here or on the R/C forums certainly do. You will want to keep in mind that when your parachute inflates it will pull with a very strong jerk on the shroud lines, and your mechanism will need to be "proof" against that (strong enough to hold together when it happens). Testing will be very important. There are certainly a lot of ways to get the thing to release: whatever you put together will need to release, but also will need to NOT release accidentally when the parachute opens (which would drop your entirely payload 10,000 feet to the ground!).
I think that what you're designing there is a version of what used to be referred to as a "bayonet mount" (for camera lenses). It seems like a good idea, though of course "the Devil is in the details" (do you know that expression?).
1.) This one we discovered actually is meant to open a parachute. Due to a pull from a tether line the parachute will open up.
2.) This one could possibly work, although from my stand point it seems risky, although possible. We would have to make modifications to get it to work in our situation, such as size reduction etc....
3.) This certainly looks like it would work. Although it exceeds one of our constraints, our budget. It is 195 US dollars, well over our budget.
4.) From the information provided, this looks like it could work. Although I couldn't find any more information on the product. I looked at the manufacturer's website and I couldn't even find the product itself, even when I put in the product number and/or the exact name. More research would be required to see if this would truly work or not.
5.) I could not actually find the release mechanism. I found the website to be more about the actual team then the device. Was it a team that used it?
6.) This seems like a very possible choice for our release mechanism. Although, there are two drawbacks. One, is the price. At around 90 dollars it surpasses our comfortable budget. The second, is that it uses a small explosion to eject the clip. This could be a problem due to many reasons, the fire could somehow ruin our components, same with the force from the explosion.
We are quickly making a modified version of the 2nd idea. Just because we want to be able to have some thing to work with at the end of this practice. We decided that that was the best one to create because it seemed practical at today's meeting. I will post again before the end of the meeting.
From the Goldsberry home,
Jacob, Dylan and Emily.
Emily, Jake, and Dylan,
Sounds like you covered a lot of ground today. Did you get the mechanism built? You should be well past the "review" phase and well into the building phase. Remember that, according the the GANTT chart, you will be bringing your mechanism to our next practice on Sunday, March 20th.
Please read, consider, and then respond to Sylvie's detailed post above. Also, please see the information below about the presentation to the Bedford Rotary a week from Wednesday.
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
I just wanted to give you an advance reminder of our next two team
activities. First, we have practice next Sunday, March 20th at the
Kibler's from 1-4 PM. As always, plan to arrive a few minutes before 1
PM because practice starts promptly at 1:00. Arriving late = 1/2 of an
absence and you are allowed three absences. We have a "new" candidate
joining us for the next three practices. I say "new" because Justin
DaCosta was involved in another one of our projects a few
years back. Dylan and Andrew will meet and talk with Justin to
familiarize him with team expectations.
We also have an important fund-raising presentation to make to the
Bedford Rotary on Wednesday, March 30th at 7:30 AM and this will be an
early morning. Dylan's Mom put us in touch with them. The meeting
STARTS at 7:30 AM and we present at 8:00 AM, right after breakfast.
Breakfast is included and team members will sit with different
Rotarians in groups of two during breakfast. The Bedford Rotary has a
substantial budget to work with and so it's important that we make a
dynamic presentation. We will be asking them for a substantial
donation, between $1,500 and $2,500 dollars. Considering that we have
no money at all in the account the presentation is even more important
if we hope to get to Black Rock, Nevada. Dylan and Andrew, please
start working on a presentation and I'll'll assemble a budget sheet.
Both events are considered team events and so attendance is expected
even though it is an early day, and a school day (I have to get
permission to miss school, too!) Please e-mail to let me know if you
plan on attending the Rotary presentation or not so we can arrange
transportation and PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR PARENTS.
See you on the forum. Let me know if you have any questions.
Aim high,
Mr. Kibler
I am Justin DaCosta. I look forward to working with all the team, and especially with Andrew again as I worked with him when I was on the team with TARC a few years ago. I will be able to attend the March 20th meeting and the 30th presentation. I have never worked with microcontrollers before, so I will need a little coaching/mentoring on the subject. I have, however, dowloaded the book What's a Microcontroller? and have started to read through it. Do you have any requirements, design, or project plan documents I should get familiarize myself with to get myself up to speed quicker. If you do please let me know how I can get to them. I have had a little bit of robotics experience working with Robolab in First Lego League. I was the head project lead and lead the team to the third place award in states. I know that is not even close to the level of programming and engineering that you guys do, but that is my background. Again I look forward to working with you all toward a successful launch.
Justin
I might be mistaken but I believe that in an earlier post you said we had practice on saturday, not sunday. If practice is on sunday, I'm unfortanitly unable to attend. Please get bacl to me on this so I can send you and dylan an absence email.
Thanks,
-Jake-
ROCKETEERS,
I'm pretty sure we decided that our next practice is THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 20th from 1-4 PM. Dylan and Andrew, please confirm. All subsequent practices will be on Sunday from 1-4 PM so please mark your calendars ahead of time. Practices are typically 2 weeks apart.
Recall that if you are unable to attend a practice it counts as an absence. You are allowed a total of three absences and only one of those can be unexcused. Coming late or leaving early = 1/2 an absence.
Thanks,
Mr, Kibler
:cool:
I did check a few pages back and it looks like we did agree to meet THIS SATURDAY, March 19th at 1:00 PM, NOT SUNDAY.
Is everyone OK with meeting this Saturday from 1-4 PM? All practices from here on out will be on Sundays from 1-4 PM, approximately 2 weeks apart. Please put this on your calendars ahead of time.
Mr. Kibler
I've been looking around for materials we could use on the ASP-bot and I'm thinking I can get some fiberglass for the ASP-Bot. About how big are the dimensions we have for the payload bay?
Also I've decided on using two BoE's for the robot as Andrew has said we would need it for GPS navigation due to then other slots being filled up. I may be wrong about this, but it also solve the problem of running the servomotors and collecting data at the same time. I was also thinking about how we should attach the servo motors. If we just mount it on one of the flat surfaces a whole list of events could happen, mostly variations of different parts being lower or higher. In other words some parts would be closer to the ground and would be more prone to collateral damage. So I believe it would be best to intergrate the motors into the platform itself.
Ok I thought they meeting was on Saturday, when you said Sunday my heart skipped a beat. By the way, thank you for being my project advisor this year Mr. Kibler, I really appreciated it. You would also be happy to hear that my court of honor was yesterday and now I am officially a 1st class scout.
I think that's it for now. See everyone in T-minus 5 days.
-Obie
The minimum dimensions should be about 4 x 6" x 1/8 thick (if it's solid G10 fiberglass.) We could use a couple of pieces.
Better run this by Dylan and Andrew before making a firm decision. Here's first problem we encounter if we use two BOE's instead of one: 1) How do we signal the ASP-BOT to start moving? 2) How will it "know" when it's landed without the MAWD attached? If we use two BOE's that means the software design team has to write two programs (as if one wasn't challenging enough...)
Yes, practice is on SATURDAY at 1:00 PM, not Sunday. Nice catch, Jake. :thumb:
CONGRATULATIONS Obie, on earning the rank of First Class Scout! You are officially halfway to Eagle Scout. Let me know how I can help out as you climb the Trail to Eagle (I'm our troop's Eagle Court Chairman, by the way.)
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
Me and Andrew have both agreed that using two BoE's is our best bet. Although Mr. Kibler brought up some very good questions...
1) How do we signal the ASP-BOT to start moving?
2) How will it "know" when it's landed without the MAWD attached? If we use two BOE's that means the software design team has to write two programs (as if one wasn't challenging enough...)
Both of these questions can be answered at the same time. We could signal the ASP-BOT to start moving with another MAWD, one MAWD for each board. Now I am not saying that we WILL use two MAWDs, but I think that is my safest bet. I will run this through Andrew, as well as you Obie before finalizing it.
It's good to have a new possible member for the team Justin!
You will next practice learn how the team runs and operates, and ultimately what our team is. I'm sure Mr. Kibler has already told you a little bit about our team, and I look forward to possibly having on it for this year.
--Dylan Landry
Justin,
It's good to talk to you again! I'm glad you found our forum thread and posted so quickly. As you have probably figured out by now, this is where nearly all of the discussion and work gets done outside of practice. I'm not sure how much you have already familiarized yourself with the ARLISS project, but a good place to start would be the ARLISS website (www.arliss.org) and by reading the past few pages of discussion here. I'd be glad to bring you up to speed on where we currently are, or if you have any questions in general. Just let me know if you need my current e-mail address.
Stay in touch,
Andrew
Yes, if you use two BOE's then you will have to write two separate programs. You will also need two independent power supplies for the BOE (= weight), two MAWD's, and two separate power supplies for the MAWD.
I think it may be much simpler to activate the "movement" subroutine at landing using the same BOE (though I haven't seen that program yet.) There's not much more program code to write in order to do activate movement at touchdown. You're 90% of the way there.
If you have to write two programs we're taking a step backwards I think. Is there enough time to write and figure out two programs before mid-June's launch? Remember that GPS navigation is a stretch goal to be worked on after you have the main program, including movement, is fully operational.It's important that we stay focused on primary missions and you only have one: Mission goal #5.
2011 MISSION GOALS:
1) Launch and recover the ASP-BOT safely and intact. “Safely” means that no one was injured from the time the team entered the launch area until the time they left the launch area. “Intact” means that the payload can be launched again within 24 hours.
2) Achieve an altitude of at least two miles (10, 560 feet or 3,219 meters) AGL.
3) Measure and record temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration, altitude, and flight time from launch to touchdown at a minimum sample rate of 1 sample/sec.
4) Detach the parachute free and clear of the ASP-BOT within 5 seconds of touchdown (*NOTE: This is a change from 2 seconds.)
5) Measure and record temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentration from the touchdown spot to a spot at least 100 meters from the touchdown spot at a minimum sample rate of 1 sample/sec.
STRETCH GOALS:
1) The ASP-BOT will navigate itself back to the launch pad using internal GPS navigation.
2) The ASP-BOT will collect and store five soil samples taken at least 10 meters apart for analysis back in the laboratory.
I'm eager to see your program on the forum at mid week. Please keep us posted.
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
I'm Emily. I look forward to meeting you Saturday.
Mr. Kibler has Jake showed us our design we built? if so what do you think of it?
Also I was thinking if we use an IF command wont that single to move? something like IF MAWD = 0000000000 Then...? maybe?
you guys have probably already thought about this just putting my two cents in.
Emily
Emily,
I'm eager to see the parachute release mechanism you designed work on Saturday. You and Jake (and I may pair Justin with you) will have one hour from the start of practice to work on it and fine tune it. Then, at 2:00 PM, we'll put it through a series of experimental trials. If it works consistenty then you can move ahead and make a final version to mount on the platform the circuitry goes on. If it doesn't function 100% flawlessly then we'll need to move on to another idea.
In Nevada you really only get one "try" and so your mechanism has to work perfectly. That one try is your rocket launch. Either the parachute detaches or it doesn't. If it doesn't work perfectly on the ground it may not work in flight. We can't risk the entire mission and risk smashing the ASP-BOT to pieces by having a mechanism that may or may not work. We'll see what happens on Saturday and go from there.
I'm glad to hear that you're interested in going to Harvard to work with the SEDS project. Stay tuned for details.
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
My comment here is probably moot, as I don't think you're seriously considering a pyrotechnic release mechanism, but you should be aware that such a thing not only puts the BOE at risk from the force of the explosion, but the residue from black powder is very corrosive to electronics. We use black powder (explosive) charges in rocketry, and always have to be very careful to keep our electronics sealed away from the powder charge.
In addition, setting off a charge like that would probably affect your gas measurements.
Sylvie,
Your input certainly isn't moot. Heck, you're an advanced HPR rocketeer that probably knows more about this stuff than all of us collectively!
We actually haven't considered a pyro device; that's way down the list. It looks like they're building a servo-activated release mechanism of some sort. We'll see how well it works on Saturday. I think that's the direction I'm leaning in, too. The second idea down the list is melting through monofilament, then maybe a pyro device as a next-to-last option.
What are your (renewed) thoughts on a servo-activated release mechanism versus a pyro charge?
Harvard University asked me to help mentor their SEDS rocketry groups. SEDS's mission goals are a lot like ARLISS's goals: 3,050 meter target altitude, 4 kg payload, etc.
Class begins; more later.
Good morning,
Mark
:cool:
Attached are sketches of three different ideas for parachute release mechanisms. Two of them use a servomotor but none uses pyrotechnic releases (an explosive charge.)
These are sketches of ideas modified from the six ideas/ links that were previously posted. Give these three ideas a good look and think about what order you would put them in if we have to choose a different idea on Saturday.
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
I have looked at all of the mechanisms, and to me the one that looks like it would be the best is the third option simply because it is the simplest design from what I could tell. Just remember Murphy's law, " If it can go wrong, it will". I know I do not have much experience with this type of parachute release mechanism( in TARC we just used pyrotechnic charges), so keep that in mind. I still need to understand more about the overall design. I have been reading the microcontroller book. Is there a particular section I should focus on? I look forward to seeing all of you on Saturday.
Justin
Justin,
Below is an assignment that I gave Jake and Stephanie when they were trying out for the team. It was one way to assess their aptitude for the work we do. It would be good if you could read through ithe assignment and do as much as you can before Saturday. They're using the program they wrote to activate the parachute release mechanism, I believe. You' can find the same information on or around page 59 (?) on this forum.
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
Your assignment for the week is attached as a file. Its a modified version of the program we wrote at the dining table on Sunday (but its not exactly the same.) As soon as you finish the assignment, send me the answers to the questions.
Then write the program and e-mail it to me. Ill test it to see whether it works and report back to you like I did to Emily, Obie, Andrew and Dylan last week.
Heres your Procedure:
1. Go to the Robotics with the BOE-bot book on the Parallax website:
http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Do...boticsv2_2.pdf
2. If you think you will be staying with the ARLISS team its worthwhile to print the entire book and keep it in a 3-ring binder. Its a valuable resource and its free.
3. READ p 76-80 on the pages shown on the computer screen (p. 90-94 on the PDF file.) These pages explain how an electrical impulses pulse width controls speed and direction (thats the title of the section.) You may need to read a few pages before page 76 to find all the information you need to complete the assignment.
4. Once youve completed the assignment send me the answers to the questions.
5. Then e-mail me the program you wrote and Ill test it to see whether it works.
Justin,
Let me clarify the assignment: Write a simple computer program that makes a Parallax continuous rotation servomotor turn for exactly 33 seconds. This will require some careful reading in the “Robotics with the BOE-bot” book, and some careful calculations. The Parallax "What's a Microcontroller?" book is a good source too. Find the section where it discusses "programming a servomotor for time". The book Is available on the Parallax website as a free download (or you can save paper and just read from the computer screen.)
Good luck!
Mr. Kibler
:cool:
These are the first commands you will need to write to start your program. They are specific to Parallax PBASIC program code:
' {$STAMP BS2}
' {$PBASIC 2.5}