Remote control via PC?

[kepler]

One option is use USB instead of Bluetooth to connect computer to CM-5. We used USB to serial converter from FTDI (TTL-232R-3V3 http://www.ftdichip.com/). The serial side is connected to CM-5 the same way as the Bluetooth module. It works fine when the robot is carrying the controlling computer with it - as in our case it does. You find the pictures of USB implementation (Figure4) and more Bluetooth pictures (Figure1) here. USB is faster and perhaps more reliable, but definitely Bluetooth is more flexible.

-kepler

[JonHylands]

One of the options I'm looking at for the guys at the Brain Engineering Lab for their Bioloid humanoid is to use the USB interface, and a tiny little Linux single-board computer I found that has both host USB and Wifi.

http://www.compulab.co.il/x270/html/x270-cm-datasheet.htm?gclid=CMvwzJ_Y8IkCFSJNPgod-AJZLA

Single quantities for the board look like about $130, which is about what the wifi module costs.

Nice thing about this solution is it not only gives you a full 1.0 Mbps wireless into the bus, you can also hang other stuff off the SBC, like stereo audio, a single camera, etc, and send all that data back over wifi.

- Jon

[daveski]

Thought I would bring this thread back to life to save starting a new one.

My question is, has anyone ever used a PARANI-ESD200 in the CM-5 for bluetooth connectivity?



UK site:
http://aaxeon.com/products/Productdetail.aspx?cate=7&modelno=PARANI-ESD200

US Site:
http://lemosint.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LIE&Product_Code=ESD200-01

I think they would fit straght onto the CM-5 board which would save all the wires and at $52.95 in the US or £35 in the UK it seems very reasonable. These are the first prices I found so you may find them cheaper.

Has anyone already used one of these in the CM-5, if so how did it fit and did it function ok?

Any imput more than welcome.

Thanks,

Dave.

[Pev]

Hi Daveski,

Peter Turner at Tribotix has tried this unit and is currently documenting a hack for it. I gather his only issue was getting the reset line to operate correctly but haven't heard what the outcome is.

Pev

[daveski]

Hi Daveski,

Peter Turner at Tribotix has tried this unit and is currently documenting a hack for it. I gather his only issue was getting the reset line to operate correctly but haven't heard what the outcome is.

Pev

Thanks Pev, I await Peter's documentation.
From what I understand he had trouble with a 5v reset.

[Pev]

Hi Daveski,

Peter Turner at Tribotix has tried this unit and is currently documenting a hack for it. I gather his only issue was getting the reset line to operate correctly but haven't heard what the outcome is.

Pev

Thanks Pev, I await Peter's documentation.
From what I understand he had trouble with a 5v reset.

Yes thats my understanding too. I guess one hack would be to just not connect the reset line and set the unit for 57600 baud.

Pev

[LuGot]

I wonder why you want a other rf module.

for price? for hack fun? or just zig-100 not available ?
i want explains for reason.

i am considering to buy zig-100.
if other rf module has more advantages than zig-100, i will buy that.

please let me know

[Pev]

I wonder why you want a other rf module.

for price? for hack fun? or just zig-100 not available ?
i want explains for reason.

i am considering to buy zig-100.
if other rf module has more advantages than zig-100, i will buy that.

please let me know

HI

not really for any advantage other than by using bluetooth I can control my robot from a PDA, A mobile phone, A PC, laptop, tablet etc

That was my main reasoning for installing a bluetooth module. Even with the restrictions it has.

Pev

[daveski]

HI

not really for any advantage other than by using bluetooth I can control my robot from a PDA, A mobile phone, A PC, laptop, tablet etc

That was my main reasoning for installing a bluetooth module. Even with the restrictions it has.

Pev

Same reason for me too as I want to get a Nokia tablet too some time.
Also, I did ask Limor about this and he gave me the following response:

I was told by Robotis that the serial module that comes with the set
of 2 Zig100 does not allow for communications between PC and Zig100
(when the serial PC module is connected to the Zig100).

It does not mean that this is correct, as there may be a language
barrier and i have not yet played around with my Zig100 set to say
disprove their assessment.

As he said, could be confusion due to the language barrier.

Dave

[mic2]

Hi guys,

I have recently finished the Bluetooth hack but don’t seem to work? Here’s a list of things I’ve done, see if I’ve done something wrong.

1/ Follow the Hardware hack pdf from Pev. http://robosavvy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=551

2/ Using Hyper Terminal to connect the CM5 with BlueSMiRF and the PC

Result: When I push the Start button on the CM5, there are some sort of Symbols characters on the screen other then CM5 Header!? Please see screen shot for detail. http://robosavvy.com/site/Builders/mic/01.JPG

I think the connection was fine, because I can connect via the Hyper Terminal. i.e. When connected red led on. Even the RX & TX LED flash when some data go in and out.
Have you come across that?

Please help
Many Thanks
Mic.

[BladeRunner]

so...
After spotting this topic, I was hoping someone would touch on the possability
to have asynchronous comms between the bioloid and the pc.

-Where as you could have umpteen thousand pre-configured poses/responses
on the PC, ready to be utilised on the fly.

-A hand full of sensors on the Bioloid, sending data to the PC including
Video, Temp, Piezo (vibration), Pressure (weight load on bioloid's legs),
IR, Gyro, Ultrasonic, Compass/GPS data, Magazine capacity of auxillary
devices, Laser Range Finder readings, Acoustics etc...

-Software on the PC that crunches the combination of sensory data and then
triggers the sending of pre-con poses/actions to the bioloid in real time OR
triggering preset (in the Bioloid) moves.

ie. the end result is a SMARTER bioloid that interacts with the environment
based on your almost unlimited number of trigger sensory-sequences and
pre-config responses.
This method utilises the "power of your pc" to do all the number crunching
and data processing, which leaves your bioloid simply as a 'shell' for your PC
to stop around in!

A remote killing machine!

Ideas anyone?

[JonHylands]

Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm doing with MicroRaptor:

http://www.bioloid.info/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=MicroRaptor

High bandwidth wifi connection (coming), custom bioloid bus sensors, stereo vision, all processed and controlled on a PC.

- Jon

[mic2]

Hi Guys,

I am very pleased to post and share this result to everybody. I have successfully upgraded my Bioloid to work with BlueSMiRF - Bluetooth Modem, although it took me a while to overcome some problems with Hyper Terminal. But it is worth to doing it, now I can control my Bioloid to do anything its in the program.. Must say BIG THANKS to PEV for his helps and support.

Cheers
Mic.