Sneak Peek: The Scribbler 2's Propeller Board and Hacker Port!

Comments

• Whit Posts: 4,191

  2010-08-26 09:21 edited 2010-08-26 09:21

  My mouth is offically watering...
• Tony B. Posts: 356

  2010-08-26 12:30 edited 2010-08-26 12:30

  Is the hacker port open through the top?
• erco Posts: 20,248

  2010-08-26 13:45 edited 2010-08-26 13:45

  Silly Parallax.
  
  They should have just left the top off! The first thing people will do is remove the top.
  
  With the money saved in plastic, screws, and assembly labor, they could have easily paid for that USB adapter!
  
  Now seriously, this will be a great robot. One serious suggestion: beat WowWee at their own game. Polish the molds and offer some limited edition S2s, a clear body and a chrome (vacuum-metalized) version. You can charge more for these.
  
  Additionally, Parallax could sell some upgraded wheel & tire combinations at a premium price. People will customize & bling out these S2s given the opportunity. I will if you don't!
• erco Posts: 20,248

  2010-08-26 13:53 edited 2010-08-26 13:53

  Looks like standard Vigor gearboxes on the wheels. So where are the encoders? At 480 PPR, I figured they must be motor encoders, but me no see 'em.
• Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514

  2010-08-26 14:22 edited 2010-08-26 14:22

  Erco,
  
  Here's where the encoders are located:
  
  
  
  But your eyes are very sharp, indeed -- for an old guy! The gearmotors in this photo are lacking the extended shafts and encoder disks! (I suspect the photo was taken with some alternate motors that were being tested.)
  
  -Phil

  

  

  s2_encoders.jpg

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• Maddie the Intern Posts: 81

  2010-08-26 14:33 edited 2010-08-26 14:33

  Hey Tony B.,
  
  No, the hacker port on the S2 is not open through the top
  
  
  ~
  
  
  ~
• erco Posts: 20,248

  2010-08-26 14:57 edited 2010-08-26 14:57

  Tricky, Phil! So is the encoder "disk" actually a half black/half white cylinder, or something along those lines?
• Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514

  2010-08-26 15:29 edited 2010-08-26 15:29

  The encoder "disk" is actually a four-bladed piece of flat plastic (like a four-leaf clover) with a hole for the motor shaft. It interrupts the beam in one of those U-shaped transmissive sensors, which you're looking down on in the photo. (They're the smallest transmissive sensors I've ever seen.)
  
  -Phil
• Martin_H Posts: 4,051

  2010-08-26 17:32 edited 2010-08-26 17:32

  Tony B., people deal with the hacker port on the old Scribbler in many ways, all of which will likely work on the S2.
  
  One way is to cut a small hole in the side of the pen port and route cables out through it to the top or bottom.
  
  I saw one web site where a guy glued the motors in place and left the top off. But you lose the CDS cells when you do that. Which might be fine if you are using those pins for something else.
  
  The approach I took on my Scribbler was to cut a hole in the bottom of the Scribbler, attach headers to a perfboard glue it to the hole. I then ran a cable back to the hacker port. I then had the headers available on the bottom of the Scribbler.
• Tony B. Posts: 356

  2010-08-26 18:48 edited 2010-08-26 18:48

  Thanks for the replys.
  
  Sounds like it is good thing I own some Deremel tools with cut off wheels.
  
  Nurse! Hand me the Deremel!