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using a boe-bot to control another boe-bot — Parallax Forums

using a boe-bot to control another boe-bot

HavoKaneHavoKane Posts: 109
edited 2006-12-01 18:21 in Robotics
is it possible to use one boe-bot kit to remotley control another using the included infra-red hardware?

i only need simple foreward, reverse, left, right, and maybe open/close for a single servo gripper.

so really, one BOE would be a hand held contoller with buttons on the breadboard and the other BOE would be a boe-bot.

Comments

  • allanlane5allanlane5 Posts: 3,815
    edited 2006-11-28 18:54
    Yes, you can do this using the IR 'collision avoidance' hardware already supplied with the BS2. Especially if you design your own '1 mSec' and '2 mSec' signalling scheme. The BOE-Bot can easily generate and detect 1 mSec and 2 mSec IR pulses.

    Meaning, to generate a 1 mSec pulse, you do: FREQOUT IRPin, 1, 38000
    To generate a 2 mSec pulse, you do: FREQOUT 2, 38000

    To detect: PULSIN IRDetect, PulseVal
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2006-11-28 23:47
    While this application used RF the concepts are the same.· The following link shows one Toddler controlling several others to do the Hokey-Pokey!
    ·
    http://www.parallax.com/html_pages/resources/catapps/cat_toddance.asp


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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
  • Steph LindsaySteph Lindsay Posts: 767
    edited 2006-11-29 00:37
    You can use the infrared hardware that comes with the Boe-Bot either with a universal remote, or another BS2, which is explained in "IR Remote for the Boe-Bot" v1.1.

    The majority of the book shows you how to build programs that use a universal remote to control a Boe-Bot.· Appendix B explains how to accomplish BS2-to-BS2 infrared communication, and Appendix C explains how to use another BS2 instead of a remote to·transmit infrared control signals, though the range is quite small compared to the universal remote (and tiny compared to RF).

    http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=28139


    If the dancing Toddlers inspire you·to try the RF route, Andy has posted an example·project using a second BOE, RF modules and an accelerometer.· "Tilt Radio Controller for your Boe-Bot" is linked in the Stamps in Class Mini-Projects sticky-thread, under "Boe-Bot + Accelerometer" :

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=560570


    An inexpensive second BS2 platform is the BASIC Stamp Activity Kit, which has a HomeWork Board:

    http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=90005

    This should give you some ideas to start with!

    Stephanie Lindsay
    Editor, Parallax Inc.


    Post Edited (Steph Lindsay (Parallax)) : 11/29/2006 12:43:14 AM GMT
  • HavoKaneHavoKane Posts: 109
    edited 2006-11-29 18:29
    after reading the PDF of the "IR Remote for Boe-Bot" this seems pretty overwhelming. can i use the "sendIRMessages.bs2" and modify it so that by pushing buttons on the breadboard makes a pin go high, and sends a letter to the other boe-bot, and moves according to the letter recieved. i didnt know that sending IR back and forth was so difficult. what about the code that allows one boe-bot to follow another using IR. cant i modify that to do what i want?
  • Andy Lindsay (Parallax)Andy Lindsay (Parallax) Posts: 1,919
    edited 2006-11-30 00:44
    The attached was written with some haste, so it's probably not simplified as much as it could be.· However, it's a lot simpler than the appendices at the end of IR Remote for the Boe-Bot.· (BTW, IR Remote for the Boe-Bot is material that wouldn't fit into Robotics with the Boe-Bot, so it's sort of like a volume 2.)

    SimpleIrTransmit.bs2 can be loaded into a Boe-Bot with pushbuttons connected to P3 and P4 (like in What's a Microcontroller, Chapter 3, Activity #4) and an IR LED with a 220 ohm resistor in series connected to P8.·

    SimpleIrReceive.bs2 can be loaded into a Boe-Bot with the IR detection circuits from Robotics with the Boe-Bot, chapters 7 and 8.· The only circuit that actually gets used is the IR receiver connected to P9.

    Point the transmitter board's IR LED at the receiver board's IR receiver that's connected to P9 and press and hold both Buttons.· (You'll need to keep the IR LED in close proximity and line of sight to the IR receiver while you're driving.)· The receiver Boe-Bot should go full speed forward.· If just the P4 pushbutton is pressed and held, the Boe-Bot will rotate left.· If just the P3 pushbutton is pressed, the Boe-Bot will rotate right.· If no pushbuttons are pressed, the Boe-Bot should stay still.

    So, is this more what you had in mind?

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    Andy Lindsay

    Education Department
    Parallax, Inc.
    bs2
    bs2
    SimpleIrTransmit.bs2
    273B
    bs2
    bs2
    SimpleIrReceive.bs2
    680B
  • HavoKaneHavoKane Posts: 109
    edited 2006-11-30 03:39
    thanks, you have no idea how much that helped me.

    is it possible to use more than 2 buttons though?

    also, range isnt a big deal, i have a cool all-directional attachment dealie for the IR reciever, and i'll probobly build an IR blaster for the transmitter.

    also, i already have a bunch of code written to do what i want, but it was designed around having the bot tethered, do you think it would be possible to modify that to work with IR?

    Post Edited (HavoKane) : 11/30/2006 4:08:43 AM GMT
  • HavoKaneHavoKane Posts: 109
    edited 2006-12-01 18:21
    i set both of the bots up and i couldnt get either to work. i double checked all my breadboarding and everything was good. what now?
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