Bioloid I/O firmware

[Pev]

OK, If you need a PCB though I can knock you one up if you can populate it.

Mark

Mark,

Don't worry to much as I don't have the ability to do the surface mount stuff. I'll use your schematic to knock up a rig myself. At least at this stage it doesn't need to be compact lol - my soldering definately couldn't handle that. May have some dumb questions for you when I started.

Pev

[billyzelsnack]

pepperm.

Do you have a parts list handy? Otherwise I'll go ahead and make a list from the schematic. ( I just know I am going to miss a part though. doh. )

I think I'll build one of these and Arnaud's USB interface.

[pepperm]

I have uploaded the design here http://robosavvy.com/Builders/pepperm/JMPBioloidIOmoduleV1.zip in Eagle format and the file includes a text file that is the bill of materials.

Hope this helps.


Mark

[rebuildit]

Hey Pev,
If you would like I'd be willing to help you out with soldering of the surface parts. I have been puttingoff building this board butnow it looks even more promiseing with the increased involment.! It be no problem just let me know.

Pepperm.
I have some Atmega8 16ac. If you could use them or want to experiment with them for an I/O board let me know I would gladly donate them to the cause.

I think this I/O board would be just thing to make the bioloid the ultimate robot kit.!

[pepperm]

rebuit

Thanks for the offer of the mega8s 16MHz versions. I don't need one right know but maybe Pev could use one. I could also make a couple of PCBs and send them to you if you like, maybe in exchange for a processor.

Mark

[Pev]

Rebuildit,

If you have a spare processor I can buy from you that would be great. PM me and let me know what you want for it.

Cheers

Pev

[pepperm]

Rebuiltit

PM me your address and I will send you a couple of PCBs and my address, if you want the boards that is.

Pev
PM me your address and I'll sort a board for you too if you want one.

Mark

[rebuildit]

Pepperm,
I sent you an email.

Pev
Sent you a PM.

[pepperm]

I've produced a V2 board with a 10 pin programming connector that you can download here: http://robosavvy.com/Builders/pepperm/JMPBioloidIOmoduleV2.zip

This may be better for those of you that don't have an SKT500 with the 6 pin cable.

Note that the programming plug/socket is the same as the I/O one now but the other way around. Make sure that you get the orientation correct.

Mark

[pepperm]

I've update the V1 and V2 Bioloid I/O module PCBs designs, ever so slightly in that now the +ve marking on the board for the "ON" LED is correct in the case of the V2 board and better placed in the case of the V1 board. I have also now included Bill Of Material files in both ZIPs.

The only difference between V1 and V2 is the type of programming connector on the board. V1 has the 6pin connector and V2 the 10pin one.

They are available here:

http://robosavvy.com/Builders/pepperm/J ... duleV1.zip
http://robosavvy.com/Builders/pepperm/J ... duleV2.zip

Mark

[Pev]

Hi,

Mark was kind enough to send me one of his PCBs so I could build an I-O Module to play with (Thanks Mark) and as such Mark and I have been in contact working on this stuff for the last few days. This is where we have got to:

With the attached BASCOM code we have managed to do the following:

1. Register the I-O module as ID-50 on the BUS
2. Respond to all ping requests
3. Programatically turn the LED on the board on and off by send values to register 25 for ID 50 (1 = on, 0 = off)
4. Respond to read requests for the following registers:

Firmware - register 2 - return our firmware version 102
Internal Temperature - register 43 - retruns psuedo temp of 35
Moving Flag - register 46 - always returns 0 as not a servo
LED status - register 25 - 1=on 0 = off

We are seeing the occasional packet error under load but when this happens the module does recover.

Here is the code and a simple test BPG program:

http://robosavvy.com/Builders/Pev/MP%20Bioloid%20IO%20Module%20-%20v0-2.zip

We are pressing ahead and have interfaced a Devantech SRF04 sonar to the unit. Due to the nature of this unit (it waiting 65ms during ranging) we have seen some timing issues but have been able to read range results. The timing issues make it less than practical though, and has certainly made me think that this may be why the Robotis AX-S1 unit uses sensors with no read delays like the Sharp style IR Ranger, Light Level reading etc.

Anyway thats where we have got to, comments and suggestions appreciated. Oh and please excuse my poor excuse for code, it does work but I am no programmer

Cheers

Pev

[pepperm]

Pev

As you know I think this is fantastic progress, well done.

Is there anyone out there that is able to play with the code and interface please as any feedback or suggestions for improvement would be greatly appreciated.

Mark

[JonHylands]

I am building interface boards for MicroRaptor as well - last night I put together a prototype board for an ATmega168, which you can see here:

http://www.bioloid.info/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=Foot+Pressure+Sensors

I will be writing the code that runs on this board in C, for the gcc compiler. My brother has already put together a packet parser that uses a nice little FSM to parse incoming serial packets:

http://websvn.hylands.org/listing.php?repname=Projects&path=%2Fcommon%2F&rev=0&sc=0

This is a DOS utility that illustrates how to use it:

http://websvn.hylands.org/listing.php?repname=Projects&path=%2Fbioloid%2Fpacket-parser%2F&rev=0&sc=0

Note that once I get my code running (using the packet parser), I will be posting it on the wiki.

- Jon

[Pev]

John,

I wish I could write C, I am sure I could squeeze a bit more out of the ATMega8.

Hope the coding goes well, and hope you don't mind me poking through it.

Pev

[pepperm]

Hi

My Baby Orangutan board has now arrived and I have fitted the daughter board design that can be found here:
http://robosavvy.com/site/Builders/pepperm/PololuDaughterV1.x.zip

The piggy back board arrangement is very small and should easily fit into a Dynamixel shell.

Pev has been working on code and we have I2C and serial comms from the Mega8 version under test at the moment. It should be easy to port this to the Orangutan version. I have some photos that you can see here:


I now want to look at building a 2 axis Accelerometer onto the board. I will use the Memsic MX2125 chip because I have one and there is lots of documentation from Parallax about it. In the photo above I have placed the MX2125 roughly where I plan to fit it.

Watch this space.

Mark