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 Robotics / 16726
16725  |  16727
Subject: 
Kill / reset / power switch for RCX
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Wed, 12 Dec 2001 18:25:44 GMT
Viewed: 
572 times
  
I manage to semi-regularly crash LegOS (usually thanks to wandering
pointers) to the point where a firmware reload is required and the reset
button combination doesn't respond. In order to save myself popping
the batteries out every time, I decided to make a simple, removable power
switch.

It consists of a couple of wires soldered to ~1cm squares of tin foil, then
stuck to either side of a piece of thin double sided sticky foam (card or
paper would probably work just as well). If you've made it thin enough (I
didn't at first) this can then be inserted between one of the batteries in
the RCX and its connector. A switch attached to the wires then switches the
battery current on and off to the RCX. I fed the wires out of the 'bottom'
(opposite end to IR) through the small gap in the green plastic and made a
2mm x 5mm recess in the grey base to stop the wires pinching. With finer
wire you
may not need to cut at all - there is a 1mm or so gap anyway. It works, and
can be easily removed when your code is a bit more stable - or when you just
don't
want some big ugly wires hanging out the bottom of your RCX!

A simple idea, but it works, is cheap, doesn't involve unscrewing the top
and I find it useful so I thought I'd share.


Tim



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