Robox Project - Recycling A Stamp Discovery Kits packaging contents
Jorge P
Posts: 385
I have been putting this of for a while but decided to post this anyways.· I am calling this a Robox, because it is made from cardboard.· You can call it whatever you want, or even a BOEBox.
This project should work with any BOE Bot software and the Packaging of the Basic Stamp Discovery Kit.· If you like me, you always keep packaging for a certain amount of time before you toss it out, incase you need to send it in for a return, or to just keep your electronics in a safe place.· Also note, dont throw out the antistatic foam pad that the stamp comes in.· You can make a home made presure sensor with it
I dont have any pictures, so I will try to capture images from my handycam.
Extra parts required, not included in the kit:
1) When you first open your Discovery Kit, you will see on the left are your electronic components and BOE.· On the right is the Basic Stamp Manual, a Cardboard riser, and underneath you have the·What's A Microcontroller book.· The cardboard riser is what I am using for a Robox Platform.
--image coming soon--
2)· The cardboard is not to sturdy so we need to make it more solid around the folding·edges and where the edges on the sides meet.· You will need some tape to hold the cardboard in place.· Then turn it upside down and apply some hot glue to the bent corners and meeting edges in the same manner you would caulk a window.· Let it dry for about 10 minutes or untill the glue is·cold.
--image coming soon--
3)· I am using 2 SV90·mini servos for the bot.· I have not been able to find a continuous rotation mini servo, so I had to hack the two servos.· I did this in the same manner you would do the hack with the bigger servos, but this time remove the circut board completely and leaving the motor wires attached to the motor by·gently desoldering them from the mini board (make note as to where they are connected), do one at a time so you can use currently unhacked one as referance for wiring for the remainder of this part and part 4 and 5 below.
· On the circut board, replace all wires with 90 degree angle pins, thereby making a 6 pin style IC.· Now attach a red and black wire, about 3 inches each, to the exact location where you desolderd the motor wires with respect to the wire colors, red and black.
· So we now have eight connection points on the removed·servo·board.· 3 of the pins will go to the normal servo connector, 3 will go to the 10K pot, and the remaining two will connect to the motor itself.· We now have an adjustable mini servo controller that can be used.· You may want to place all connections on a customized 8pin Wire Wrap·dip socket, that will help prevent tearing off the tiney solder pads we are using and making the part a little more durable and breadboardable.
· These servos have to be adjusted (in software) and they differ slightly from the Parallax servos values, use the servo calibration examples to find the right settings with the·10k pot dead center.· NOTE: Try using an AD5220 10K Digital Potentiometer
--image coming soon--
4) Measuring the servo, we need to make·two rectangular holes where the motors will go.· Dont worry about finding mini/micro nuts and bolts to hold the servos, hot glue works well enough.· On the box, the flap that point upwords (the one that holds the stamp manual in place) is the front of our Robox.· You will notice two tabs on the front folded inwords, these will help hold the mini servo in place and are the perfect size.· The servo tabs should be on the inside, not the outside.· Since the servo shaft is offset, the shaft should be closer to the ground.
--image coming soon--
5) Place the pinned servo guts in the BOE breadboard as you would a normal IC.· The 2 10K pots can be placed in any conveniant spot on the Robox.· If you used the AD5220 they would obviously go on the breadboard, you will need to make software modifications for the bot to self adjust at power on if it detects it is in motion, a project for you to ponder
--image coming soon--
6) We need to mount the BOE to the box.· I centered the board (widthwise) to the front of the box, but not covering the hole from the tab that held the book in place.
--image coming soon--
7) Wire and double check all connections.· Now load up the BOEBot software and apply changes with respect to the non parallax servos. and weather or not you used digital pots.
--image coming soon--
8) Wheels, i forgot about those till now, use any circular object that can be connected with the mini servo.· I used·2 rotor shaft gears from a repair kit for a small·RC helicopter.· The gears are just big enough for the bot.· You can recycle a bit and use cardboard as I did, I get a bit of slipping this way so use what works for you.
--image coming soon--
I will·take a day or two to get the images from my cam.· I need to buy a video cable to connect my cam to the PC and make some snapshots.· Will post them then.
I would like to see the discovery kit come with a box that is printed or perforated with cutouts for this project.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
---
http://WhatsAvailable.org Software and Gadgets for Windows 7.
This project should work with any BOE Bot software and the Packaging of the Basic Stamp Discovery Kit.· If you like me, you always keep packaging for a certain amount of time before you toss it out, incase you need to send it in for a return, or to just keep your electronics in a safe place.· Also note, dont throw out the antistatic foam pad that the stamp comes in.· You can make a home made presure sensor with it
I dont have any pictures, so I will try to capture images from my handycam.
Extra parts required, not included in the kit:
- 2 SV90 mini servos (These need to be hacked into continuous Rotation)
- 2 10k Multi turn precision Potentiometers
- 2 8pin Wire Wrap Dip Sockets
- 4 standofs
- 8 screws for the standoffs
- 4 washers that will not let the above screw heads·go through.
- some long wire of varying sizes
1) When you first open your Discovery Kit, you will see on the left are your electronic components and BOE.· On the right is the Basic Stamp Manual, a Cardboard riser, and underneath you have the·What's A Microcontroller book.· The cardboard riser is what I am using for a Robox Platform.
--image coming soon--
2)· The cardboard is not to sturdy so we need to make it more solid around the folding·edges and where the edges on the sides meet.· You will need some tape to hold the cardboard in place.· Then turn it upside down and apply some hot glue to the bent corners and meeting edges in the same manner you would caulk a window.· Let it dry for about 10 minutes or untill the glue is·cold.
--image coming soon--
3)· I am using 2 SV90·mini servos for the bot.· I have not been able to find a continuous rotation mini servo, so I had to hack the two servos.· I did this in the same manner you would do the hack with the bigger servos, but this time remove the circut board completely and leaving the motor wires attached to the motor by·gently desoldering them from the mini board (make note as to where they are connected), do one at a time so you can use currently unhacked one as referance for wiring for the remainder of this part and part 4 and 5 below.
· On the circut board, replace all wires with 90 degree angle pins, thereby making a 6 pin style IC.· Now attach a red and black wire, about 3 inches each, to the exact location where you desolderd the motor wires with respect to the wire colors, red and black.
· So we now have eight connection points on the removed·servo·board.· 3 of the pins will go to the normal servo connector, 3 will go to the 10K pot, and the remaining two will connect to the motor itself.· We now have an adjustable mini servo controller that can be used.· You may want to place all connections on a customized 8pin Wire Wrap·dip socket, that will help prevent tearing off the tiney solder pads we are using and making the part a little more durable and breadboardable.
· These servos have to be adjusted (in software) and they differ slightly from the Parallax servos values, use the servo calibration examples to find the right settings with the·10k pot dead center.· NOTE: Try using an AD5220 10K Digital Potentiometer
--image coming soon--
4) Measuring the servo, we need to make·two rectangular holes where the motors will go.· Dont worry about finding mini/micro nuts and bolts to hold the servos, hot glue works well enough.· On the box, the flap that point upwords (the one that holds the stamp manual in place) is the front of our Robox.· You will notice two tabs on the front folded inwords, these will help hold the mini servo in place and are the perfect size.· The servo tabs should be on the inside, not the outside.· Since the servo shaft is offset, the shaft should be closer to the ground.
--image coming soon--
5) Place the pinned servo guts in the BOE breadboard as you would a normal IC.· The 2 10K pots can be placed in any conveniant spot on the Robox.· If you used the AD5220 they would obviously go on the breadboard, you will need to make software modifications for the bot to self adjust at power on if it detects it is in motion, a project for you to ponder
--image coming soon--
6) We need to mount the BOE to the box.· I centered the board (widthwise) to the front of the box, but not covering the hole from the tab that held the book in place.
--image coming soon--
7) Wire and double check all connections.· Now load up the BOEBot software and apply changes with respect to the non parallax servos. and weather or not you used digital pots.
--image coming soon--
8) Wheels, i forgot about those till now, use any circular object that can be connected with the mini servo.· I used·2 rotor shaft gears from a repair kit for a small·RC helicopter.· The gears are just big enough for the bot.· You can recycle a bit and use cardboard as I did, I get a bit of slipping this way so use what works for you.
--image coming soon--
I will·take a day or two to get the images from my cam.· I need to buy a video cable to connect my cam to the PC and make some snapshots.· Will post them then.
I would like to see the discovery kit come with a box that is printed or perforated with cutouts for this project.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
---
http://WhatsAvailable.org Software and Gadgets for Windows 7.