super newbie questions..

[agha0202]

hello!. im a super newbie here with bioloid. ive bought my bioloid kit just 3 days ago in US.. and now.. i have a problem.. my laptop doesnt have any serial port and i cant manage to download the program into bioloid. ive searched for the solution but it led me to buy USB2dynamixel from robotis. and too bad im already in indonesia where here, there's no shop or any distributor that i know in which selling robotis product. and 1 more thing, im not allowed to use any credit card coz my family doesnt allow me.. ha3x. therefore i cant buy usb2dynamixel by online.

therefore i'd like to ask,, is there any "other usb to serial converter" which can be used as an alternative of usb2dynamixel?.. if it is.. would anybody suggest me the brand , type or whatever the requirements for that usb to serial converter?..

one more thing,, i dont have any experience in electronics or mechanical..but i really keen to modify my bioloid (after it is connected to my laptop for sure).. then how do i start to modify it?... would anybody suggest me any books for me?..


so many many thanks for anyone who read my post and intending to help by giving me advices.. very big thanks for u all!

[Robo1]

Hi there.

If I read you right you just want a usb > serial convert so that you can connect to the bioloid. If this is true then any usb to serial convert will do. most computer shops or electonics shop should see them.

Bren

[agha0202]

ow. wow.. ic ic.. if it is so.. then what is the function for USB2Dynamixel?..
i heard inside usb2dynamixel are rs-232,rs-485 and TTL.. i thought i must buy a converter which include rs-232,rs-485 and TTL...
so it doesnt matter whether my converter have only rs-232 db9, does it?..


btw. thank you very much for your info ^^. im still begging for your help another time coz im very new in robotics.

[JonHylands]

The USB2Dynamixel allows you to control AX-12 servos directly from a PC, without needing the CM-5. You have to write your own software to control them, but some people prefer that.

If you want to use the CM-5 and the provided software, then you can use a USB-RS232 interface to plug the CM-5 to your PC.

- Jon

[brijesh]

I am currently working with USB2Dynamixel and the supplied API (using DLL).

The API has implemented only simple read and write to registers. It does not support either REG_WRITE or SYNC_WRITE commands.

Pretty disappointed with lack of support for those commands as they are very essential commands.

The API does expose low level send/receive function calls, so you would have to write your own code to implement the functionality.

[agha0202]

owhh...now i understand .. thought that usb2dynamixel was really essential for me, yet im still newbie therefore i think i dont need to buy or use usb2 dynamixel for now. he3x..thank you very much !.. god bless u all ^^.