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 Robotics / 18605
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Subject: 
RE: Brainstorms
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Fri, 9 Aug 2002 02:24:14 GMT
Original-From: 
Bruce Powell <bdp@optushome.comSTOPSPAMMERS.au>
Reply-To: 
<bdp@optushome.com.[SayNoToSpam]au>
Viewed: 
842 times
  
Elijah has IMHO a nice starting point for a series of modules for Robotics.

My extensions, would be based upon a common addressing system ala Dalas
Semi 1 wire. This allows for simple stacking of 1wire devices.
Compiler/Interpreter keeping track of devices and their unique Serial #s.

A series of Motors with a pico controller & driver IC, to simplfy use and
protect from over current etc. (Sizes Pico,small,med,large) 3Wire interface,
Gnd,Pwr,Control. Control could be Bluetooth or I2C or Dallas Semi 1 Wire
(Now Maxim).

A Series of Sensors (1/2/3...) per Block using Bluetooth/ 1Wire interface)
Logically grouped.

A set of Controllers (CPU/RAM/ROM) as a single Module. Add on Modules for
more Ram/EEPROM/Flash. Don't seperate the CPU/ROM/RAM too much complications
for the basic unit. Definitly allow to be augmented though. Has multiple
1wire /I2C busses built in.
A Display Module series (Simple text -->>> Colour graphics)
Input Modules -- Switches, knobs, dials.
Output Modules -- Lights, etc.
I/O Modules Serial, I/R, Bluetooth, Ethernet......

ugh what a list. My basis, is Simple devices that can be clearly documented,
with some basic intelligence so they can be treated as Objects in
Programming & Putting them together. If these simple devices can't
economically support some basic intelligence, then add a CPU block who's job
it is to provide that basic intelligence, ie a sensor controller.

anyways, just a few of my thoughts, as someone was asking for.

Bruce


-----Original Message-----
From: Elijah Meeker [mailto:elijah@tds.net]
Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 1:48 PM
To: lego-robotics@crynwr.com
Subject: Re: Brainstorms


I'd really love to have the time to do this right, with links
to all the
neat articles I have been finding for lunch time reading, and to be up
todate on the technology involved. But I will be lucky if I
can get this
written befoe I am required to be co-pilot in my son's next pod race.
This lunchtime reading has been about robotic eels, snakes,
elephant trunks
as a model for manipulators, reconfigurable robots all sorts
of cool stuff.
One of the common threads through most of them is small, weak and dumb
modules, i.e. minimal i/o and processing, but lots and lots
of modules.
In my ideal robotics world, er, I /think/, each module would
have 2 sensor
inputs and one motor out. Each would take the identity of
"the sensor before
me plus one" plugged in to a backbone (which would also
supply power) and
begin listening for messages for the motor and pumping
messages from the
sensors.
Power could be plugged in at any point along the backbone.
The processor
module, which would have the motor message pump and sensor
listener, would
attach to one end of the backbone and have a connector for
the interface
module. The interface module would have two versions, one
would be a full
blown LCD/buttons/wireless module and the other would have
just the wireless
interface. That way when development is done you aren't
forced to carry
around the bulk of the full interface.
Java or C. whatever you like.

As I weighed in on purism and absolutism a few weeks ago I
will just be off
to copilot that pod...

Elijah





Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Brainstorms
 
(...) Ooh - I'd forgotten the Dallas Semiconducter 1-wire interface - that would work out really well. Do Dallas still make a bunch of interesting devices for that standard? (...) I2C has ROM and RAM devices that plug right into the I2C bus. I think (...) (22 years ago, 9-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
  Re: Brainstorms
 
I2C devices are *tiny* because they don't need many pins. If you look at the CPU chip inside the RCX, it's 4cm long and 2cm wide - that's because it has thirty-some I/O pins on it. An I2C device typically needs two pins for power and ground, a (...) (22 years ago, 9-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Brainstorms
 
I'd really love to have the time to do this right, with links to all the neat articles I have been finding for lunch time reading, and to be up todate on the technology involved. But I will be lucky if I can get this written befoe I am required to (...) (22 years ago, 9-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)

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