Subject:
|
Re: Off the subject question...
|
Newsgroups:
|
lugnet.robotics.handyboard
|
Date:
|
Wed, 10 Mar 1999 18:03:02 GMT
|
Original-From:
|
Tom Brusehaver <tgb@/nospam/cozy.core.wamnet.com>
|
Reply-To:
|
tgb@wamnet.com&stopspammers&
|
Viewed:
|
1025 times
|
| |
|
|
> I was thinking though that it might be interesting to know if a laptop can
> be used (without permanent modification) as a controller for a robot. I have
> seen a few examples of this but no useful detail or information.
Yes it can.
> How does the laptop control motors and read sensors?
Well, without modification, the parallel port can probably do a lot of
what you need, although, there are only 8 (12) bits for you to use. A
separate processor could communicate through a serial port, and do
some of the same things.
There are PCMCIA cards with more IO pins.
> Are there products out there that cater specifically to this type of
> application?
Sure there are lots of parallel port things, and the handyboard can
talk serially to any other computer.
> What would be the right software? (Hopefully a "C" derivative as I'm not
> quite ready to try and tackle a new programming language).
Whatever language you want. You could even modify lib_hb.asm to run on
a PC, and use IC just the same.
> Would an older 486PC work with about the same functionality as a newer
> Pentium? (I might be able to get an old laptop extremely cheaply through my
> work).
What's your goal? If you want a cheap PC just for robotics, then yup,
the 486 will do just fine. If you want the best most top of the line
PC to do vision, and speech processing while mowing your lawn, then
you might need more than a 486 :-).
I don't know how complex your application is, but a 8bit micro (like
the hc11) isn't working very hard running most small robots.
Once you get into vision, and more advanced processing, you need more
powerful CPU's usually only for the larger memory (32bit address
bus).
> What types of electronics besides motor controllers would be necessary with
> the laptop as the only "brain"?
Some kind of motor controllers, various sensors and interfaces. Also,
probably some kind of power distribution (are you going to run your
motors and sensors off of the laptop battery? can you buy a battery
for the robot that will power the PC also?).
> Why aren't there more examples of laptop autonomous robots out there? Is it
> inherently an inefficient setup? Is it just the costs of laptops (I doubt
> this as the older ones are getting REALLY cheap)? Ar the technical
> difficulties too much for only a modest payoff? It would appear to me that a
> laptop could offer some huge benefits such as large data storage, much
> faster processing speed, possibly easier programming and maybe greater I/O
> capability (not too sure about this one).
What's your goal, and how does a laptop meet that goal? Laptops are
more fragile than a handyboard. Mount a laptop on you mobile robot,
and drive the robot around near a stairway. They handyboard will
probably survive; the laptop will probably have a busted screen, and
the harddrive may have a few dings in the platters.
You have less IO from a stock PC than the handyboard.
Batteries will dictate some additional limitations. Most Laptops that
are cheap have weak batteries, and will last only a short time. Then
you'll need a teather to power the laptop while developing things.
Look at picking a computer as picking a hammer. It is only a tool. If
you only have a cheap claw hammer (nice general purpose) you can do
many jobs, some better than others. Decide what kind of project are
you gonna build, and pick the best hammer for the job.
good luck with whatever you decide.
|
|
Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Off the subject question...
|
| Ja, a laptop would work. Even better, cheaper, why not use a good old desktop coputer? Then you could just have the components you need, IE a motherboard, a removeable video card, sound card, the amount of memory you like, etc. Best of all, the (...) (26 years ago, 10-Mar-99, to lugnet.robotics.handyboard)
|
Message is in Reply To:
| | Off the subject question...
|
| Hi all, The Handyboard is a wonderful piece of equipment. Lots of fun and simple and easy to use from a newcomers standpoint. I have learned much from messing around with it and plan on doing so for some time. I am by no means finished. Right now I (...) (26 years ago, 10-Mar-99, to lugnet.robotics.handyboard)
|
3 Messages in This Thread:
 
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
This Message and its Replies on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
