RoboSavvy Forum

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-20T15:18:53+01:00

It is actually a 200 MHz machine, runs at 100 MIPS.

It runs Linux, and of course I will be running Squeak on it. I'm not intending it to replace a gumstix, but rather, because it comes in a DIP-40 package and is easy to prototype with, to replace a micro-controller in one of my sumo-bots (http://www.huv.com/miniSumo/seeker3).

I think it would make an interesting Bioloid controller as well, since you can start using it right off the bat, without requiring daughter-boards. I probably won't use it that way, since I also have a gumstix, but others may want to...

- Jon

Statistics: Posted by JonHylands — Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:18 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-20T15:01:01+01:00

JonHylands wrote:
Another interesting option that I'm going to be trying out soon is the Hammer (http://www.tincantools.com). It has USB host, so it should work just fine with the FT232 board I have.
- Jon

and you would run linux on it or just program it in native C/C++ ?
at 100mhz you wouldn't be getting much bang for the buck compared with gumstix.

Statistics: Posted by limor — Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:01 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-20T14:58:04+01:00

siempre.aprendiendo wrote:
limor wrote:I'm in the middle of setting up a gumstix (verdex) together with Jon's board to control the Bioloid (using Simulink as to design the closed-loop control software).

Would you publish your work?

I'm very interested about replacing CM-5

sure. thats the plan

Statistics: Posted by limor — Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:58 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-19T23:39:28+01:00

JonHylands wrote:
Guaranteed the actuators are the major draw...

Thanks, Jon. Sorry to hijack the thread with my newbieness.

Statistics: Posted by kennethw — Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:39 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-19T19:36:41+01:00

Guaranteed the actuators are the major draw. An AX-12 peaks at 800 mA, so it probably averages a quarter of that, which is 200 mA at 10 volts, or 2 watts. If your robot is moving a lot, its probably closer to half that, or 4 watts.

The gumstix (without wifi) draws somewhere around 300 mA at 5 volts, or 1.5 watts.

The CM-5 probably draws well under a watt, probably close to 0.5 watts.

- Jon

Statistics: Posted by JonHylands — Wed Dec 19, 2007 7:36 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-19T18:57:59+01:00

JonHylands wrote:
The gumstix probably uses less power on average than a single AX-12.

I'm just curious how this setup (with the accompanying boards) compares with using the original controller, in terms of power consumption. I'm sure that it's hard to determine if the actuators are the major draw.

Statistics: Posted by kennethw — Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:57 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-19T16:59:36+01:00

limor wrote:
I'm in the middle of setting up a gumstix (verdex) together with Jon's board to control the Bioloid (using Simulink as to design the closed-loop control software).

Would you publish your work?

I'm very interested about replacing CM-5

Statistics: Posted by siempre.aprendiendo — Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:59 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-19T15:01:35+01:00

The gumstix probably uses less power on average than a single AX-12.

Another interesting option that I'm going to be trying out soon is the Hammer (http://www.tincantools.com). It has USB host, so it should work just fine with the FT232 board I have.

You don't need a direction selector, because the FT232 takes care of that for you. It basically always runs in receive mode (from the bus) except when it is transmitting data.

For talking to the DX/RX RS-485 bus, the FT232 handles switching the direction pins on the MAX485.

- Jon

Statistics: Posted by JonHylands — Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:01 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-19T06:27:58+01:00

Hi there

The gumstix doesn't draw that much power compared to the rest of the system and yes you put the gumstix in side the robot.

I also have a question for JonHylands about your USB interface. What do you do about the direction selector or doesn't the AX's need one. This is inregard my DX/RS485 setup.

Thanks Bren

Statistics: Posted by Robo1 — Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:27 am

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-19T06:02:58+01:00

Why run at 130,000 commands per second when you can run at 16 million instructions per second...

I have an incredibly newbie question: Does the gumstix live on-board or are you tethering? I ask because a 600mhz processor must draw much more power... How do you power it in this configuration?

Statistics: Posted by kennethw — Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:02 am

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-04T22:33:19+01:00

I didn't reply, because I haven't ever looked at the Dios line. If I was looking for a micro-controller to connect to the bus, I would almost certainly use an ATmega128. The DiosPro looks like a pumped up Basic Stamp, which means I would have no interest in it. Why run at 130,000 commands per second when you can run at 16 million instructions per second...

- Jon

Statistics: Posted by JonHylands — Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:33 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-04T20:38:59+01:00

The current "state of the art" is to use an FTDI USB-to-Serial chip.

Because : Most embedded computers have USB host controller and a device driver for FTDI.

You could use Jon's board or you could use an Arduino or Sparkfun board or any one of hundreds of FTDI based boards or slap something together. (on the serial side of the FTDI you short the Rx and Tx and hook up to the Bioloid bus. this has been heavily documented here on the forum.)

Why limit yourself to 40mhz and a massive board of the DiosPro?

I'm in the middle of setting up a gumstix (verdex) together with Jon's board to control the Bioloid (using Simulink as to design the closed-loop control software).

Statistics: Posted by limor — Tue Dec 04, 2007 8:38 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-12-04T19:33:23+01:00

cdraptor wrote:
Has anyone checked out the DiosPro which you can get from CrustCrawler. I notice that is comes with library for AX-12+. Was curious to hear any thoughts from people about this. Considering getting one to play with.

http://www.crustcrawler.com/electronics/diospro/index.php?prod=21

Nor Limor or JonHylands has given an answer to cdraptor question.
I am also looking into DiosPro and I wanna know about previous experiences from other builders... any opinion?

merlin

Statistics: Posted by Merlin — Tue Dec 04, 2007 7:33 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-07-08T15:08:30+01:00

There were a few microcontrolers that were considered as replacement for controling the AX12 bus. search this Bioloid forum for microcontroler (with 1 or 2 l's).
the 1mbps bus speed is an issue for most but Atmel.
Personally i prefer the idea of a "multi-rate control" mechanism whereby low-level control is done at the servo level, with with a fast communications bus, high-level control including adaptive control done by a faster processor that can be on board like a gumstix or remote PC with slower communications link and higher latency.

Statistics: Posted by limor — Sun Jul 08, 2007 3:08 pm

Replacing the CM-5

2007-07-07T06:19:03+01:00

Has anyone checked out the DiosPro which you can get from CrustCrawler. I notice that is comes with library for AX-12+. Was curious to hear any thoughts from people about this. Considering getting one to play with.

http://www.crustcrawler.com/electronics/diospro/index.php?prod=21

Statistics: Posted by cdraptor — Sat Jul 07, 2007 6:19 am