RoboSavvy Forum

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-29T18:19:18+01:00

This robot was intended for robocup which requires an onboard computer. The CM-5 is not powerful enough to process images from a camera. So I could control the robot via a CM-5 to PC zigbee link, but I'd still need to come up with a way to get the video from the camera to the PC. Maybe one of those wifi webcams. This is a perfectly workable way of doing things, but I'd still need to figure out a solution for robocup.

Statistics: Posted by billyzelsnack — Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:19 pm

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-29T07:11:16+01:00

Hi billyzelsnack

I had one more question. Why didn't you created the robot with the zigbee module and have all the software running on a pc?

Patrick

Statistics: Posted by PatrickS1981 — Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:11 am

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-13T21:19:31+01:00

Ok. I wrote a post on my blog about this..

http://billyzelsnack-robotics.blogspot.com/2010/03/3s-2200mah-10c-transmitter-lipo-battery.html

Statistics: Posted by billyzelsnack — Sat Mar 13, 2010 9:19 pm

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-13T17:41:40+01:00

I've only made it as far as charging it. I'm working on software at the moment and my robot is in pieces. I'm not promising anything, but maybe I'll be far enough with my software this weekend that I can do some test that require the battery. At least it makes for a nice goal.

Statistics: Posted by billyzelsnack — Sat Mar 13, 2010 5:41 pm

2200 mAh batteries on Bioloid

2010-03-13T15:36:06+01:00

Hi Billy,

How did the 2200 mAh batteries work out? I was just about to order some 2200 mAh 20C batteries when I saw your post. (In the cart) We ran 2x 3s 4000 mAh batteries in korea last year, a single 3S pack wouldn't supply enough current. Of course the weight made things really difficult. This year we are running an Arm8 which with the camera only pulls 250mA peak, but of course all those servos pull an awful lot of current.

Thanks!
mmason

Statistics: Posted by profmason — Sat Mar 13, 2010 3:36 pm

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-13T07:41:55+01:00

Yeah. Just some random ones I had laying around. I was worried they'd strip out, but they hold quite well. I just drill the hole too small and screw it in. About 50% of the time I end up ruining the screw head in the process, but I just throw that screw away and I have a nicely tapped hole.

0.03 inch or maybe it was 0.04 inch. I'm not sure because the battery in my calipers died on me. Anyway. Don't assume what you have is too flimsy until you've assembled and screwed together the box. It's amazing how sturdy something can get with a bit of structural integrity. Even if you end up throwing out the box you'll learn a lot making it.

Statistics: Posted by billyzelsnack — Sat Mar 13, 2010 7:41 am

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-13T07:20:52+01:00

Do you use self-tapping screws to join the top part of the case with the lower part? Also I bought 0.6mm sheet of aluminium and it looks too flimsy for a box. Before I tried with 1.1 mm and it was really hard to work with. In this forum I read that you are using 0.03 - is that 0.03 of an inch? or 3mm?

Statistics: Posted by JavaRN — Sat Mar 13, 2010 7:20 am

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-10T19:32:01+01:00

Wait a minute.. Never mind. That cable won't work for you. If you're using the board out of the CM-5 it'll want rs232 voltages, not ttl voltages.

Statistics: Posted by billyzelsnack — Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:32 pm

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-10T16:46:32+01:00

Maybe the audio jack version of that cable will work for you then.

Statistics: Posted by billyzelsnack — Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:46 pm

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-10T16:24:40+01:00

What will you be plugging into the serial?

The atmega128 to control robot gaits and movements, the logic of course will be left to the computing unit.

Statistics: Posted by JavaRN — Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:24 pm

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-10T16:16:13+01:00

What will you be plugging into the serial? You might be able to get away with using just a FTDI cable. There are a bunch of variants that bring out different signals.

http://www.ftdichip.com/Products/Evalua ... L-232R.htm

Statistics: Posted by billyzelsnack — Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:16 pm

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-10T12:30:02+01:00

You can use USB 2 Dynamixel.

But, i saw there was a new fit-pc2i with full UART serial on their site :

http://www.fit-pc.com/web/fit-pc2/fit-pc2i-specifications/

Statistics: Posted by FabinovX — Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:30 pm

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-10T08:42:52+01:00

If I manage to pass the "qualification video" test for robocup 2011, I will do my best to be there, and maybe do a "friendly" match with Darmstadt Dribblers. It will surely end up in 10-0 in your favour, but it will be an honour and surely we will have a chat

Are there any tiny converters for usb to rs232?

Statistics: Posted by JavaRN — Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:42 am

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-09T22:01:25+01:00

Just to echo what billyzelsnack said, we´re running Debian on the FitPC2 without problems. I also know projects running Adeos/Xenomai and the OROCOS Realtime Toolkit for realtime control on Z530 Atoms. It´s just a very small PC, so you can run pretty much anything on it you can run on a desktop machine or notebook. The fact that the architecture and chipset are very popular on the commercial market certainly helps, which is one of the differences compared to Roboard.
The only thing a bit annoying is the non-existing RS232 on the normal FitPC2, forcing the use of USB-serial conversion.

I´d certainly like to have a chat with both of you at RoboCup in Istanbul next year (and some nice matches of robot soccer ).

Statistics: Posted by SK — Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:01 pm

Bioloid + 1.6Ghz fit-pc2.

2010-03-09T18:43:24+01:00

JavaRN sent me a message. I asked if I could post it and the response here in the forum..

I am thinking of changing the roboard on my bioloid with a fit-pc2 (the 1.6GHz version) and wanted to ask you some questions if you don't mind:

1. I read that you cannot connect a fit-pc to a vga monitor how did you manage to install an OS? what did you do?

2. How difficult is the installation of an OS (XP/linux) for roboard it is a little tricky!

3. What about power consumption, I use 11.1v lipos 900mAH 25c, is that enough to power it for some time?

4. What about weight? Given my limited abilities in working with aluminium I would like to use the standard aluminium cover that comes with fit-pc, is it too heavy for a bioloid?

5. Does fit-pc2 have serial ports?

Since I will not be using a hard disk, what experience did you have with USB pen drive or mini sd?

Thanks alot for your time I appreciate your feedback. By the way, I don't know if you are still interested in participating in robocup, but next year robocup will be held in Turkey (2.5 hours plane away from Malta where I live), and I intend participating in it, may be we meet there!!!!

It has a HDMI out plug and one of my monitors supports that directly. When they say no VGA out they just mean that it does not have the analog signals in the connector so you could only get an HDMI to DVI adapter and not HDMI to VGA.

I use the diskless version which complicates the install a bit since there is no harddrive. Windows does not like to install in such a case, but I'm sure it is possible. The newer fit-pc2i probably can install Windows a lot easier because it has permanent flash storage onboard. Unfortunately the current batches of fit-pc2i don't have wifi or something silly like that. As for Linux. That's easy to install. My only trouble was that I was newish to Linux at the time and didn't understand a few things.

Power consumption is really low. About 0.5 amps if I remember correctly and your pack's 25C is WELL above the current draw. In my videos I was using a single 1000mah pack for servos and everything and I never came close to minimal voltage, but I don't know an actual discharge time. My new battery arrived.. a 3S 2200mah 10C pack designed for transmitters. Hopefully that'll work out nicely because it is light ( less than 120g ) and super cheap ( $16 shipped. )

I think I posted all weights for the case pieces in one of my threads. You could easily drill holes in the case to save a lot of weight. The biggest issue is going to be that the CPU comes into direct contact with the case via some weird thermal tape and I'd be worried that it could become damaged in falls. You probably could protect it though by adding a little more weight.

No serial port on the fit-pc2, but I hear that eventually the fit-pc2i will ship with it. Plenty of USB ports that can be adapted though.

I've had no issues using USB flash drives. They are actually faster than I thought they would be. Boot time is around a minute and could be much less if I knew a reasonable amount about Linux.

I'm definitely still interested in Robocup and will try for next year with much better robots. I just could not justify going this year if I was not guaranteed to compete. I have limited resources and the registration fees and trip would cost more than my 3 robots put together!

Statistics: Posted by billyzelsnack — Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:43 pm