I've got my Boe-Bot!
The_N3rd
Posts: 34
···· Hi, everybody!· I finally found some time to post a new thread.· As you know, I have had my boe bot for a couple weeks now, and have been having fun with it.· It's been like Christmas around here.· First I got my boe bot along with an accelerometer, I also got a SSIR module, and a video module.· I can't say thanks enough to everyone who has supported me.
···· I've been experimenting with programs, running some·neat circuits, and just having a lot of fun.· I can't remember many questions right now, but there were a few things·I wasn't sure about.· I want to try to hook it up to things around the house,·but I really don't feel like frying the stamp.· How much power can I let the stamp handle (high and low pulses), and what could be some things to try to hook it up to?· Can I hook the stamp up to electric motors·found in·remote control cars, or do they pull to much current?· I guess I want to know·to what extent the BS2 can go to.
··························
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
the NERD, Kelie B.
Post Edited (Nerdy NASA boy) : 3/30/2005 1:01:05 AM GMT
···· I've been experimenting with programs, running some·neat circuits, and just having a lot of fun.· I can't remember many questions right now, but there were a few things·I wasn't sure about.· I want to try to hook it up to things around the house,·but I really don't feel like frying the stamp.· How much power can I let the stamp handle (high and low pulses), and what could be some things to try to hook it up to?· Can I hook the stamp up to electric motors·found in·remote control cars, or do they pull to much current?· I guess I want to know·to what extent the BS2 can go to.
··························
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
the NERD, Kelie B.
Post Edited (Nerdy NASA boy) : 3/30/2005 1:01:05 AM GMT
Comments
General rule though, dont drive loads directly from the stamp. Some people even avoid running LEDs directly from stamps or for that matter any microcontroller. Better safe then sorry.
Boards like the homework have 220 ohm resistors in series with all the I/O pins. This is a good idea when your starting out because it keep the amount of power drawn from the stamp to a safe level. Till you are more familar with the stamp I would recommend putting a 220 ohm (RED RED BROWN) resistor between the stamp I/O pins and anything you are trying to control.
Bean.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
"SX-Video Display Module" Available Now.
www.sxvm.com
"A problem well defined, is a problem·half solved."
·
· Hi!· ·I think that I will go with transistors or FETs. I know that I should know this, but I don't know exactly how to identify transistors and put them into a circuit.·I do·understand how they work, but I don't know how to hook them up to the stamp.·Could I have some suggestions?
········································
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
the NERD, Kelie B.
·· =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
· "The current scenario of the origin of life is about as likely as the assemblage of a 747 by a tornado whirling through a junkyard."
It may keep you busy for a week or two, but it will equip you to do so much. It will answer many questions beginners in electronics have. Also you are welcome to check out my blog! [noparse]:)[/noparse] </shameless>
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Name: Bruce Clemens
Work:· Clemensb@otc.edu
Good Stuff on my Blog: http://theDeadBug.journalspace.com
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
the NERD, Kelie B.
·· =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
· "The current scenario of the origin of life is about as likely as the assemblage of a 747 by a tornado whirling through a junkyard."
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Name: Bruce Clemens
Work:· Clemensb@otc.edu
Good Stuff on my Blog: http://theDeadBug.journalspace.com
By the way you're website is cool! I'm working on one right now, but I have not touched it ever since I got my robot! I guess that I'm too busy now.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
the NERD, Kelie B.
·· =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
· "The current scenario of the origin of life is about as likely as the assemblage of a 747 by a tornado whirling through a junkyard."
·· I once stopped at a small Radio Shack, only to be told by the Salesman that they didn't stock that kind of stuff there.· I decided to look around anyway.· Eventually I came across this 10 drawer metal cabinet thing built into the wall.· I read the front and the drawers were labeled, "Resistors," "Capacitors," etc.· Eventually I realized there was a Catalog/Guide above the thing that was laying down.· I read it and it told me the drawer that the part I needed was in.· You should've seen the look on the salesman's face when I walked up to the counter with the part he said they didn't carry.
·· The point is, they often don't even know what they have.· Sometimes you gotta look around.· I have also found in some Radio Shacks, "Surprise Grab bags," chocked FULL of components worth much more than the $5.00 to $15.00 that they were marked.· I suppose most Radio Shack stores don't do this.· But I have often seen clearance tables, also stocked with goodies the average non-nerd wouldn't know what to do with, but that is Gold to us nerds.·
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com
thedeadbug.journalspace.com/?entryid=5
Bruce
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Name: Bruce Clemens
Work:· Clemensb@otc.edu
Good Stuff on my Blog: http://theDeadBug.journalspace.com
·· You have to give Radio Shack credit for trying to get electronics parts and more diverse items, like robotics into most of the stores,· Remember, you can't blame the store for the employees who don't care about their jobs.· That's what I think I see...I still shop there for things I need in a hurry.· Heck, I recently bought a pair of SONY Bookshelf speakers there.· They were cheaper than Circuit City, Best Buy, etc.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com
I worked at a Radio Shack while in college, and I have seen the decline. It simply frustrates me·that the company has clearly abdicated on the original idea of being an electronics do-it-yourselfer's supplier. Granted there is much more money to be made in selling cell phone plans and digital TV, but if you are going to have parts, at least try to educate your staff in what they are...
I live in the third largest city in Missouri. There used to be several places in town·where·I could walk in and buy electronics components from (at least semi-) knowlegable staff. Now Radio Shack is all that is left. My bachelors degree is in business management, so·I do understand that RS is simply reacting to the market, and the other electronics companies that are now gone didn't. I guess I don't blame RS, I just sort of lement that they haven't developed what could be a neich (sp?)·market for them now.
They are a big enough company that they could do that even if it is not a huge profit center for them. As for now, I'll just do all my electronics shopping on the web...I do love seeing that Fed-Ex truck pull up [noparse]:)[/noparse]
Bruce
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Name: Bruce Clemens
Work:· Clemensb@otc.edu
Good Stuff on my Blog: http://theDeadBug.journalspace.com
We have something in common..... I to many many moons ago worked at a Radio Shack and have seen the same decline, although when I was there we were just making the
transition to electronically process credit cards rather than paper slips and carbon copies. (grin) When I first applied at Radio Shack, I remember going into a room with about
15 other applicants, where they drilled us on math skills, electronic skills, etc. I seriously doubt that they do this anymore, at least to the degree they used to. I believe this
to be part of the decline. I understand that Radio Shack simply reacts to the market... ( The sole drive behind the name/number/address campaign that people hate ) ...but
if you do not have any intelligence behind your stock selection other than market driven reaction, eventually you end up with many "pieces" of products that are useless without
the whole which end up collecting dust and are discontinued and placed in a grab bag. For example I might "need" a specific component and find that item just fine at
Radio Shack, but because I can't find another component that should work with the specific component I would drop the component that I was able to find. A purely market
driven economy would dictate that eventually the component that I was able to find would be eliminated.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Beau Schwabe - Mask Designer III
National Semiconductor Corporation
Latest Company News
(Communication Interface Division)
500 Pinnacle Court, Suite 525
Mail Stop GA1
Norcross,GA 30071
then clicking on the 15 NPN transistors (#276-1617) http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F011%5F002%5F017%5F000&product%5Fid=276%2D1617#
then clicking on "In store: Check availibility" and my zip code (22303) shows there are 10 Radio Shacks within 5 miles that have it stocked.
Now Radio Shacks are notorious for not maintaining proper inventory of thier components, so it is a definate possibility that they don't actually have it in stock, but if you find that out, have the salesperson call the other area Radio Shacks to have them do an in store inventory check, then go there. I've found many salespeople will not physically check the stock if you call, but rather look in their computer inventory, which is frequently off, but if you have another RS sales person ask for a manual stock check they'll do it, if you ask them to. I typically say something like "Can you have them manually check the stock? Radioshack.com said you guys would have it and you don't,·I don't want to run over there and find thier computer inventory is wrong too"
BUT....the nice part of RS's up here dropping the electronic components....grab bags galore! Some junk but some good stuff!! OF course, I've got too many misc bags of old caps and inductors/chokes...that I really don't know what to do with them! lol
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
·
Steve
http://ca.geocities.com/steve.brady@rogers.com/index.html
"Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
the NERD, Kelie B.
·· =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
· "The current scenario of the origin of life is about as likely as the assemblage of a 747 by a tornado whirling through a junkyard."
"...the guy said that I could have them order parts that I needed" Instead of going to the trouble of ordering through a Third party
in this case Radio Shack.... See if you can find what you are looking for through Mouser or DigiKey you might find that they are
cheaper than Radio Shack anyway.
I think that my last straw with Radio Shack was when I bought a toggle switch for something, and the guy asked me if I could
accessorize that with a cell-phone. I really did not know how to respond to this poor sole behind the counter in a way that I thought
would make sense to him. Monkeys I tell you nothing but Monkeys!
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Beau Schwabe - Mask Designer III
National Semiconductor Corporation
Latest Company News
(Communication Interface Division)
500 Pinnacle Court, Suite 525
Mail Stop GA1
Norcross,GA 30071
Who remembers the old "Free battery of the month" program they used to have.
You used to get those red zinc carbon batteries.
Bean.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
"SX-Video Display Module" Available Now.
www.sxvm.com
"A problem well defined, is a problem·half solved."
·
Fresh from the electronics program at Cal Poly, I was thrilled. But the manager and the stereo-pushers just stared at it wondering what to do with it!
Another scheme the RS I worked at used was the promise that "If you give us your name and address, you'll be entered into a monthly drawing for this great AM FM radio!". Of course in my first 6 months I worked there, we never had a drawing. Only after I confronted my manager and told him that I would no longer ask for names and addresses under false pretenses, did he tell me to grab some receipt out of the back of my receipt book and contact them to get their &*$! radio.
Bruce
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Name: Bruce Clemens
Work:· Clemensb@otc.edu
Good Stuff on my Blog: http://theDeadBug.journalspace.com
Remember how I became interested in basic stamps? I borrowed a book about building battlebots, and it talked about basic stamps.· But before I was interested in stamps me and a couple of friends wanted to (and still do) build a battlebot. Well, the other day, we stopped at Jade's (a machine shop down the road) and I mentioned battlebots.· He said he had some DC motors somewhere.· he dug some stuff out, and gave me this big 5-10 pound motor that came out of a HUGE servo.· I turns out that it has a TON of torque, but is fairly low speed.· He also found a box of stepper motors.· Eight of them have four wires, and two of them have six wires.· These things are fairly big (a couple inches in diameter) and are obviously DC.·
The two small ones are 33 ohms, 42v, and moves 1.8 degrees a step.· The eight big ones are 1.1 ohms, not sure how many volts, and move 1.8 degrees a step.
I was wondering how I could use the stamp to control them?·Any good links?
··Once I get to radioshack I can·finally get some stuff that I need.· I think that·I am going to build a nice sized H-bridge to try and control that big·servo motor I got from Jade.·
······ Thanks
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
the NERD, Kelie B.
·· =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
· "The current scenario of the origin of life is about as likely as the assemblage of a 747 by a tornado whirling through a junkyard."
Congrats on your surplus find. If the big motor is indeed servo, then no H Bridge is required. The revolution is dictated by the PWM signal you send to the servo. If its a straight DC motor then an H-bridge would be a benefit. WRT the stepper motors, your 6 lead motors will likely be unipolar and your 4 lead motors will likely be bipolar. Heres a link that describes the two and the signals required to run them: http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/step/types.html·(general home page is http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/step/·)
The Bipolar will require an H-Bridge to control the windings, the Unipolar doesn't.
Many people opt for getting a controller board for stepper motors, though you will likely gain more knowledge if you do it yourself, just remember to isolate your outputs (like discussed in previous posts above)·to prevent heavy loads from zapping your stamp (an Hbridge will provide you the isolation required, just remember to isolate when your driving the unipolar).
PS be sure to read http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/step/circuits.html·for ideas on driver circuits, for unipolar they suggest using a darlington array, for the bipolar they suggest forming an H bridge around a 74LS125 or 244 (among other suggestions such as dedicated Hbridge cips)
Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 4/7/2005 8:05:27 PM GMT