Radio Shack Mobile Robot manual What You’ll Need, Feature List

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What You’ll Need

To build and program ARobot you will need the following items:

￿￿Common hand tools – screwdriver, pliers, etc.

￿￿Your choice of spray paint (optional).

￿￿Basic Stamp II computer chip.

￿￿Basic Stamp II programming information – available free on the Internet or you can purchase a book.

￿￿Understanding of Basic programming or a willingness to learn.

￿￿IBM style PC running DOS or Windows, 3-1/2“ disk drive, unused serial port (9 pin connector).

￿￿Internet access for technical support and application notes.

￿￿8 AA batteries. (over 5 hours of continuous run time).

￿￿A never-ending desire to experiment and play with robots!

Note: Expansion may require knowledge of electronics, soldering and other advanced skills.

Feature List

The following list of features will help you get aquatinted with ARobot.

￿￿Safe, low voltage system.

￿￿Dimensions: 10" x 10", 5" tall, 2-1/4 lbs. Whiskers extend beyond these dimensions.

￿￿High quality machined aluminum frame (no plastic or wood).

￿￿Dual front whisker sensors.

￿￿Maximum speed: 10" per second.

￿￿Surfaces: Low pile carpet, tile, concrete, moderate bumps and inclines.

￿￿1 pound payload capacity for radio data link, embedded PC, accessories.

￿￿Removable battery pack uses 8 standard AA-cells or rechargeables.

￿￿5 hour or longer typical run time.

￿￿Socket accepts the popular Basic Stamp II controller.

￿￿Controllable Red and Green LEDs.

￿￿Sound output transducer.

￿￿Two user defined push button switches.

￿￿Two user defined jumper switches.

￿￿Rear wheel steering RC servo motor.

￿￿Front wheel DC gear drive motor.

￿￿Optical wheel encoder for distance measurement.

￿￿Second H-bridge for motor or power device control.

￿￿3 User defined RC servo motor control ports.

￿￿Serial communications port.

￿￿Program using a desktop PC then download for autonomous operation.

￿￿Expansion port allows unlimited possibilities.

￿￿Mounting holes for Radio Shack Breadboard or perfboard.

￿￿Coprocessor network allows multiple processors to communicate and distribute tasks.

￿￿Application notes for sonar range finding, head light, light sensors, compass, and more.

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Contents Assembly and User Guide ARobot Mobile Robot Connectors Basic Stamp II Control Computer IntroductionAbout ARobot What You’ll Need Feature ListTechnical Specifications Precautions Controller Component LocatorGlossary of Terms Glossary of Terms Glossary of Terms Assembly Overview About Screw, nut, and washer sizes PartsQuantity Description Used For Parts Motor Brackets Sanding PaintingPaint Primer Finish CoatHow it Works WhiskersSummary Whisker Detail Full Scale Whisker Wire Pattern Drive Motor and Brackets Encoder Sensor Front Wheel Assembly Steering Motor and Rear Wheels Steering Motor Mounting Wheel and Axle Steering System Controller Board Summary Don’t install batteries yet Battery PackDon’t install batteries yet Body Cable Finishing Up Programming Basic Stamp II InstallationAbout the Controller Board PC Editor/Downloader Software Cable to your PCUSB Port Programming NotePrograms Steering Adjustment Program STRAIGHT.BS2Test Program TEST.BS2 Wander Program WANDER.BS2About the Controller Board Batteries Power On/Off SwitchReset Button Speaker LED indicatorsDrive Motor and Encoder Push Buttons and Jumpers switchesSteering Motor Example !1M11200E7 Coprocessor Command SummaryCoprocessor Communication Rules RC Servo Motor and Steering Motor ControlHexadecimal, Binary, Bytes, Words, etc Body Connector J8 Battery Connector J9Serial Port J12 PinoutDrive Motor Connector J10 RC Servo Motor Connectors J2-J5Powerful Connector J11 Voltage 12 volts Maximum Current 500ma PinoutExpansion Port RC Servo Motor Signals Expansion Connector J1Expansion Port Circuit Examples Digital/Power Output Switch Input ExampleDigital Inputs Sensor Input ExampleBasic Stamp II light sensor example code Analog InputsCommunications Coprocessor Network ExpansionCabling between ARobot’s controller and another controller Using Other ControllersUsing ARobot’s controller as a coprocessor Suggested Reading Component Suppliers Small Parts Sava IndustriesStock Drive Products SuperCircuitsWeb Sites Internet Robot ResourcesNewsgroup NameDescription Internet News GroupsTroubleshooting Arrick Robotics Warranty InformationRobotics.com