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About to begin robotics - Page 3 — Parallax Forums

About to begin robotics

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Comments

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    edited 2014-05-10 11:08
    Happy to hear you're up & running. Maybe I'll be the first to try the the PCI serial ports after mine arrives.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-12 20:58
    i seem to be having dfficulty fiding the SCRIBBLER PROGRAMMING GUIDE FOR MY BLUE SCRIBBLER BS2 the links ive tried keep on sending me to the new scibbler docs and downlands.

    ive tried to search for tyhe right guide in the search box as well and i still get sent to the new scibbler downloads. can anyone help?

    ps. my unit is small with too many different mats and surfaces, Ive had it running about avoiding obstacles but every minute or two it gets stuck with one spinning wheel and i have to give it a nudge :)

    my next one will have to be 4WD or tracked :)
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    edited 2014-05-12 21:20
    See two files attached. Just found them online from a Yahoo search.

    There's one MIA about using the default program, do you have/need that one?
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-12 21:23
    Thank you, i should have tried a general internet search !
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-12 22:15
    erco wrote: »

    There's one MIA about using the default program, do you have/need that one?

    i dont think so at my current level !!!!
  • ajwardajward Posts: 1,120
    edited 2014-05-12 22:29
    @whiteoxe - Nice deal on the Scribbler! I found the blue beastie a blast and learned a lot about programming the BS2. It was neat to program simple routines in the GUI and look at the native code that was generated.
    Last Christmas, I sent my blue 'bot to some friends in Australia so their kids could enjoy the Parallax experience. I also sent them <shudder> an Arduino ultimate starter kit... a few young nerds in the family. :-)

    Thanks to the fine folks at Parallax, I now have a red Scribbler 2. What an awesome little 'bot! With the Propeller brain and wheel encoders, plotting a precise, repeatable course is pretty darned simple.

    Anyhow... welcome to the forums and I hope you find your Parallax experience enjoyable!

    Amanda
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-12 22:59
    Thanks amanda,
    yes i like using the picture programming , and then looking at the code after ive run the robot ! I do have an unused arduino here as well ! though i tghink i might use the prop for nxt robot :), or maybe stick with BS2 as i have all kinds of boards here with me .... ??

    ps. the arduino i have is just a clone cost about $15
    ;)
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-13 13:26
    I was curious about ebay and the price of their USB to serial connectors/adapters. I saw lots of cheap blue ones for only a few dollars, 3 or 4 and i remembered getting a couple a few years back, i think i wanted to add another serial port to that computer, but i could not get them to work. I think they came with a driver disk. I don't need another ive got my parallax one which didn't need a driver disk and my pci serial port card which ill eventually use. this is just a warning that those cheap things may not work.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    edited 2014-05-13 17:14
    I've tried several of those cheap blue serial/USB adapters and none of them worked.
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2014-05-13 19:12
    @whiteoxe - you really want the official Parallax USB to Serial (RS-232) Adapter - http://www.parallax.com/product/28030
    I
    t is only $14.99. If that is too much for you right now - send me a private message and I will send you one and a cable
    .

    Edit - Oops! Nevernind - I just re-read and see you have one!


    Also attached is one more pdf to go with erco's above.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-13 19:46
    that's a great document 4 me. thanks Witt. i just perused it...i was up half the night making an animation for my 3 year old niece. just using lego toys a green screen(cardboard)etc..., and im having a nap. and thank you for your offer to, before u looked again :) send it to erco, no don't want to see how his pci/seial ports go :)
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-13 20:08
    I am completly depressed, i just tripped on the scribbler and broke one wheel clean off. No idea if i can repair it.................. @hit.....damned .....should have put it away.

    this is the worst..... I am consering opening up the case and putting everything on a chassic i am going to buld. Ive ben looking at thre tracked robots at the onlinerobotsshop.com they have some preety cool chassis.

    But i am having trouble even opening my scribbler to see how i could repair it.
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  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-14 18:30
    These are some ideas im thinking about. What do you think :)

    http://www.robotshop.com/ca/en/dfrobot-4wd-arduino-mobile-platform.html


    http://www.robotshop.com/ca/en/tracked-vehicle-chassis-kit.html

    http://www.robotshop.com/ca/en/dfrobot-4wd-arduino-platform-encoders.html

    My idea if its not easily fixable is to someow open the scrobbler up and put on a nre better chasiss. Ethier a tracked one or a 4WD rive chassis. At least then it woinf have trouble with my mattes all over the carpet. ?
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2014-05-14 20:49
    whiteoxe wrote: »
    These are some ideas im thinking about. What do you think :)

    A lot depends on how good those tires are. There are some tires which look just like those made from a hard rubber which have very poor traction (and look ugly). The "robot" with treads only had one motor so can't be steered without a major change in design. I personally dislike all three a lot.

    I don't dislike the treads used in the one robot but that particular robot doesn't seem very useful.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-14 22:03
    Thanks all for giving me more information/ideas. I cam fence, ride little horses to catch little cattle :) fix tractors but that is aqll very diferrent to what im doing now. :)

    My 1 year older brother is in twown for a few months, he did Engerinerring major then an economicts major and is currently in north Queesland giving talks to groups of inverstors to get money for a nnew mine , gold or coal or uranium, i have no idea. Ill wait till I see ghim, if it can be repaired he can do it i hope. I always intended to build a second robot so as he will be away for a month or more I will beging with planning my second robot.

    Have a look at http://www.robotshop.com/ca/en/dfrobot-4wd-arduino-platform-encoders.html and a few others on their site and tell me your thoughts if you have the time pleasr :)

    My Budget is $120 :(
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-14 22:48
    embarrased but how do i get that case off the scribbler ?
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-14 23:44
    erco wrote: »
    I've tried several of those cheap blue serial/USB adapters and none of them worked.
    yah, thena other ones for about 14 dollars. I think the pci is the way to go., cant belive they are so cheap, i spent $20 on the same thing.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-15 05:38
    Do you think its feasible for me to take apart the Scribbler's case and mount everything on the parallax Tank Tread Kit which COSTS $35 ONLY ?
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2014-05-15 06:36
    That Tank Tread Kit is only an add-on for the BOE-BOT. The robot is not included.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2014-05-15 06:40
    whiteoxe wrote: »
    embarrased but how do i get that case off the scribbler ?

    Six screws on the bottom should do it.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-15 07:11
    So you mean to try and get rid of the scribbler case and mount the rest of the scribbler robot on another chassis is really not something I should think about ?


    I just might be able to repair by attaching the wheel with super glue. Ill try tomorrow. Its just gone midnight.

    it wont be as strong as before but it just might work. After opening, it would be a little harder than i thought to transplant to a new chassis.

    Thx Mr. Moderator :)
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2014-05-15 07:21
    Open it up and you will see that it is not going to be that easy. Not to say it can't be done, but I would get a Homework Board or BS2 BOE.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-17 15:53
    Had a lot of drama, boot loader crashed, or something did. So now I am using a fresh install of Ubuntu with Virtual Box installed running Win 7 64bit Ultimate. It has recognised the USB Serial adapter and Ive been able to download programs to the basic Stamp Home Work board. I took the case off the PC to disconnect a drive for the new insallation, I just went to put it all back but ive remembered that i need to put in my pci serial port card. There is just enough room to squeeze it in, Ill let you know shortly how it fires up, or not !

    Dont know if i already said but a robot chassis arrived in the mail, was under $20 and it come with same motors that are in the Scribbler, its got a similar third wheel. The two drive wheels look better quality than the scribbler, and it came with a board of some sort of wood or ply. I can experiment driving it with the BS2, gadget gangster or UNO R3 clone !

    I'm going to enjoy this but I can imagine the bill $$ as my need to try different sensors out expands :)

    The tilt and pan servo mechanism with an ultra sonic sensor with a PIR sensor is one thing that Im thinking about already ! and probably a camera, I have this need for it to play soccer with coloured ping pong balls. That is going to be tricky even working out what sensors are needed as a minimum.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    edited 2014-05-18 22:07
    I received my dual serial port PCI card from Ebay China in record time. It installed easily and was recognized by Win8 but it needed the drivers on the included mini CD (I much prefer it when the OS loads its own drivers). Although device manager says the ports are working properly, it can't find or program a BS2. Oh well, it was worth $4 just for the drama and experimentation.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-18 23:01
    still sorry to hear it didn't take. its a little annoying, like those damned blue things we both wasted money on. i'm no use to you at the moment, the slot i thought was pci where i tried to my card must be AGP , beats me, like a backwards pci and a different colour :) the pci slot free under anew video card and is stuffed full of wires, it looks tight and ive had too many other issues to bother. but just for interest, i don't believe my card came with any software. i took that as a good sign. should i get around to it i will post result.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    edited 2014-05-18 23:27
    Your mystery slot might be PCI Express... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-22 17:36
    Yeah, likely.... pci express x ?

    Superglue on wheel break seems to be working. it stuck my fingers together well enough :)
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-22 19:43
    I did b6y a cheap robitic kit. $15,oo , and an arduino. Also i bought a meccanno set in a case. As i wanrt to ditch the board and make this robot a steel meccano robot.

    so ill let you now how that goes.. probable use the BS2 or prop to program it. not sure yet.
  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-28 19:17
    image3.png
    This is the 12 buck kit i bought to make a second robot, probably still have to decide if ill use the bs2 or prop for brains.
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  • whiteoxewhiteoxe Posts: 794
    edited 2014-05-29 02:39
    can you direct me to a motor controller on ebay for this new wheeled robot, i saw some for about 3 buycks each, but im locked out of ebay atg the moment, my password is not working and when i ask for a new resrest to be sent to my email or phone it doestent arrive, so i cant go and check out the one i bought, and seem to have lost. The motors on the one ive build are identical to the one in the scrippler. I will probably make it prop powered.
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