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Code request for Robot Base Full kit - 10 Ping)) sensors — Parallax Forums

Code request for Robot Base Full kit - 10 Ping)) sensors

W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
edited 2011-06-10 15:55 in Robotics
This weekend our robotics club is having an event at the Microsoft store in Bellevue, WA. I would sure like to demo the robot base full kit there but I don't have any code to run on it yet.

I have searched without success for some code examples, probably hampered by the fact that the robot doesn't really have a name. Of special interest is the code that Ken Gracey was running on his robot but at this point anything would be great.

I've also got a stingray but I haven't assembled it or looked for code yet. But since I'm asking, Stingray code is welcomed too.

Rich H

Comments

  • schillschill Posts: 741
    edited 2011-06-02 14:25
    I haven't run this particular code, but the Stingray product page does have this example:

    http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/prod/prop/StingrayDemo.zip

    It navigates based on the input from 3 Pings - if you have the Pings.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2011-06-02 14:29
    Rich: Excellent point about the Parallax robot base having no name! Those first and highly collectible cellulose-based units MAY have been called Woody, but that's sheer conjecture on my part.

    Hope someone delivers some useful code to you. Roy Eltham has some Youtube vidz of his base in action, he may be a useful contact for you.

    BTW, congrats on winning the Quadrover at UPEW! IMHO, THAT'S the bot for which you should be asking code to run this weekend!
  • Matt GillilandMatt Gilliland Posts: 1,406
    edited 2011-06-02 14:52
    @Rich - Ken's out of the office 'til Monday - but I'll poke around and see if I can find anything - this is one of the main things on my "list of things to do and get posted" - thanks for bringing it up! I'll do what I can, but I'm not sure I can get what you want by this weekend. :-/

    -Matt
  • Matt GillilandMatt Gilliland Posts: 1,406
    edited 2011-06-02 14:56
    Those first and highly collectible cellulose-based units...
    Shoot!
    I used 'em all up for kindling this last winter :-(
    -Matt
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2011-06-02 15:00
    Thanks Matt, I look forward to it. No whitewater for you eh?

    Thanks, Schill, I do have the pings (and encoders) so I'll be sure to take a look at that.

    Erco, I've already got the code on the QuadRover, but I don't think they would appreciate it running around inside the mall. It's not exactly very quiet. I brought up the no name issue to Ken at UPEW. His response, "Name it!".

    Rich H
  • Matt GillilandMatt Gilliland Posts: 1,406
    edited 2011-06-02 15:02
    Whitewater and I parted ways a long time ago Rich. It was over after the infamous *Bear* incident.
    -Matt
  • Matt GillilandMatt Gilliland Posts: 1,406
    edited 2011-06-02 15:10
    Ahh...hah!

    I hereby create the "Give the Parallax Robot Base Kit a worthy name" CONTEST!!!

    Simple Rules:
    1) No Pllx employee can participate.
    2) Prize to be determined by Me.
    3) All entries must be posted on THIS Thread.
    4) Our Marketing Team + Me will determine the Winner
    5) erco is not allowed to participate.
    6) Winner will be chosen on Monday @ 4:00pm Rocklin Time (unless we have really bad choices to choose from, then at my sole discretion I'll extend it until you guys (and gals!) come up with something Worthy!

    Contest is NOW OPEN!!!

    Oh, OK. erco YOU CAN PLAY TOO ;-)
    -Matt
  • Tom CTom C Posts: 461
    edited 2011-06-03 04:37
    W9GFO,
    Don't hold your breath on getting code for the Robot Base Kit any time soon.

    I purchased one of the first ten kits and then waited for over two years now for some example code. So far Nada.

    Ken keeps promising to deliver, but gets off on to some other new project.

    Steve Norris at Norris Labs:http://www.norrislabs.com/ has written spin code for the CrustCrawler Nomad that uses the motors, controllers, and PINGs from the Robot Base Kit.

    You can find the spin code in this issue of Robot Magazine: http://botmag.com/issue25/

    The article is on page 32. You can only download the code from the on-line issue.

    Regards,
    TCIII
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2011-06-03 11:03
    Isn't the dearth of code likely due to the fact that isn't a dedicated processor for this base? It says Prop or Basic Stamp... so there's no standard processor or hookup. Makes it harder!

    Yikes. Someone could even mount an Arduino on it!
  • Matt GillilandMatt Gilliland Posts: 1,406
    edited 2011-06-03 15:47
    Sorry Rich, looks like I struck-out, at least until Monday.
    Isn't the dearth of code likely due to the fact that isn't a dedicated processor for this base? It says Prop or Basic Stamp... so there's no standard processor or hookup

    True, however I think it's a necessity that this happen (sample code for at least the Propeller and BS2).

    I've got this assemblage on my "to-do-sometime-in-the-near-future" list.
    -Matt
  • Matt GillilandMatt Gilliland Posts: 1,406
    edited 2011-06-10 13:17
    Hey, I didn't forget ;-)

    Daniel will be posting some of Ken's early code here below. He's also working on "cleaning it up", and once that's done, we'll post a couple of examples on the Madeusa:) Product Page, as a start.

    Correct me if I'm wrong Daniel, but I think the code you're about to post was for the Propeller Protoboard - scratch that - MSR1?

    Documentation is scarce, so we apologize for its lack in advance. More refinement will be coming, as time permits...

    I also don't see any reason why we wouldn't want to put up some sample code for the BS2 either. Hopefully, that will follow shortly :-)

    I know this is long overdue, but it's a start :)

    Thanks for your patience!
    -Matt
  • Daniel HarrisDaniel Harris Posts: 207
    edited 2011-06-10 14:44
    Matt Gilliland wrote: »
    Hey, I didn't forget ;-)

    Daniel will be posting some of Ken's early code here below. He's also working on "cleaning it up", and once that's done, we'll post a couple of examples on the Madeusa:) Product Page, as a start.

    Correct me if I'm wrong Daniel, but I think the code you're about to post was for the Propeller Protoboard?

    Documentation is scarce, so we apologize for its lack in advance. More refinement will be coming, as time permits...

    I also don't see any reason why we wouldn't want to put up some sample code for the BS2 either. Hopefully, that will follow shortly :-)

    I know this is long overdue, but it's a start :)

    Thanks for your patience!
    -Matt

    Hey guys! Yes, this has been a bit of an ongoing issue. Part of the reason why this code has never been officially released is because Ken wrote the code. Ken is a fantastic boss/manager/marketer, but when it comes to code - the man would be able to code himself out of a paper bag, but just barely. :D Ken's code does a pretty good job at keeping the robot out of trouble, but it is not immediately clear how his code works. I am posting his code as a sort of baseline "download-the-code-to-get-the-robot-going" demo.

    For this software to work on your robot, you need to connect the sensors and motor controllers to the correct pins. Pings 0 - 9 should be connected to pins P0 - P9 inclusively. Both HB-25s are connected to P15, and they are in a daisy chain configuration. The left motor/motor controller should be first in the chain, while the right motor/motor controller will be the second/last in the chain.

    Matt almost had the right control board. Its not a Propeller ProtoBoard. Instead, the robot uses an MSR1 (Propeller Robot Control Board). Its not the best board, but it gets the job done. In the future, I think I'll work with the Propeller Platform USB board (from Gadget Gangster).

    In the coming months, expect to see a complete re-work of Ken's code. The new code will implement autonomous driving, PID feedback from the sensors to the motors, complete comments, and all around better designed logic/program flow. I.E. there will be more than a few optimizations :).

    Cheers, and have fun watching your Robot Base (Madeusa) drive around randomly.
    zip
    zip
    PropBot v-1-5.zip
    27K
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2011-06-10 15:55
    Thanks!

    Rich H
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