Robot arm
RickC
Posts: 7
·Hi all,I am wanting to build a 5 servo robot arm,I am wondering if the BOE board from my boebot will allow me to access all 5 servos or will I have to use a differant controller,thnaks for any help 
Post Edited (RickC) : 11/6/2006 2:54:10 AM GMT
Post Edited (RickC) : 11/6/2006 2:54:10 AM GMT
Comments
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·· You can control 5 servos from the BOE…The problems come if you program needs to do too many other things while trying to refresh the servos.· This is why most arms use a servo controller.· We have such a unit that will control up to 16 servos.· This frees the BASIC Stamp to do other things.· Of course you may not need it.· It really depends on how tight your main loop is and what else you need to do in it.· Take care.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
Your question is actually something I had to iron out on a robotic hand I am working on. It takes 20 + servos just to make the hand move like ours does, in the end a different option was chosen.
My point is this. Do you really need 5 servos? Most of my robotic arms or arms with gripers can function very well with only a few servos. For example - to build a robotic arm that can reach most places (360 degree rotation) simply needs a motor to turn the base, a motor·for the first joint at the base to go up and down, a motor at the 'elbow' to go up and down, a motor at the elbow to rotate and a motor at the gripper with a·servo for the actual gripping.
If you use·5 motors and·1 servo.
crustcrawler.com/products/arm5.php?prod=0
I will definitely echo Chris' suggestion to get a servo controller. You'll get perfect motion all the time and cut huge amounts of code and time from your main program.
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When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST
Do you have some experience with Crustcrawlers' new AX-12/CM-5 combination?
Thanks!
--Bill
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You are what you write.
i am also working on a 5DOF robotic arm at the moment and have written a robot arm simulation software in VB to study arm motion and the kinematics involved. I've posted an early version of the simulator in a thread in "completed projects". Feel free to use that.
As always, i m open to suggestions from people working on similar projects. I've revised my program and now i can control my robot arm with that application. let me know if you find it useful and/or how to improve it.
Take care.
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E=mc^2
You can make another servo port on the BOE's breadboard using one of the 3-pin headers that came with your kit and wiring it accordingly: first pin to Vdd (GND), middle pin to Vss (+5V) and last pin to one of the ports. Probably P11 just to make it contiguous. Just make sure you plug the servo into the header correctly.
Randy