ActivMedia Robotics
ActivMedia robots, including Pioneer 3, Performance PeopleBot, and PowerBot, use a multifunctional Hitachi H8S-based microcontroller and new ActivMedia Robotics Operating System (AROS) software.2 The newest Pioneer 3 and 2 Plus platforms also sport an advanced motor-power board for high-power motor drives and systems power.
Although differing in some power and interfacing features, processing power, support for various sensors, and I/O, all ActivMedia Robotics’ server-operating system software— PSOS, P2OS, AmigOS, and now AROS—are upwardly compatible and virtually interchangeable. Accordingly, client software written to operate a six-year old Pioneer AT will work with a brand new Pioneer 3. We’ve taken great care to have all client commands for control of that original Pioneer 1 work identically in our latest robots. Client-server communications protocols over a serial communication link remain identical, too. See Chapter 6, ActivMedia Robotics Operating System, for details.
HITACHI H8S-BASED MICROCONTROLLER
Your H8S-based ActivMedia robot also has a variety of expansion power and I/O ports for attachment and close integration of a client PC, sensors, and a variety of accessories— all accessible through a common application interface to the robot server software, AROS. Features include:
18 MHz Hitachi H8S/2357 with 32K RAM and 128K FLASH Optional 512K FLASH or SRAM expansion
3 RS-232 serial ports (4 connectors) configurable from 9.6 to 115.2 kbaud 4 Sonar arrays of 8 sonar each
2 8-bit bumpers/digital input connectors
1 P2 Gripper/User I/O connector with 8-bits digital I/O and 1 analog input 1 Expansion/bus connector containing
5 Analog input
2 Analog output
8-bit I/O bus with r/w and 4 chip-selects 2-axes, 2-button joystick port
User Control Panel
Controller HOST serial connector
Main power and bi-color LED battery level indicators
AUX and RADIO power switches with related LED indicators RESET and MOTORS pushbutton controls
Piezo buzzer
Motor/Power Board (drive system) interface with PWM and motor-direction control lines and 8-bits of digital input
With the onboard PC option, your ActivMedia robot becomes an autonomous agent. With Ethernet-ready onboard autonomy, your robot even becomes an agent for multi- intelligence work.
PLUS MOTOR-POWER BOARD
The new Pioneer 3 and previous Pioneer 2-Plusrobots come with an advanced motor- power board. It can be configured as a plug-and-play replacement for some older Pioneer 2s, as well.
Besides expanded user-power connectors and connections for ease and versatility of use, the new board supplies three to four times the motor power than the original Pioneer 2 board. Accordingly, the Pioneer 3 and 2-Plusplatforms operate more robustly over rougher terrain (fewer stalls!) and carry significantly more payload when compared with their predecessors. And because of the power improvements, the Pioneer 3-AT and 2-
2AmigoBot has an H8S-based controller, too, but uses the AmigoBot Operating System tailored for its electronics.
