Robotic Programming Help - Electronic Circuits Projects Diagrams Free

Sandfish · 28th July 2009, 04:09 AM

I have never used c or basic programming before. I decided to look at what microcontrollers I could buy that would be able to to direct an autonomous robot that uses an ultrasonic transceiver to detect the objects. I thought the microcontroller would be able to interpret the signals from the transceiver and turn on the right motor, the left motor, or both motors depending on which way the robot would have to go to evade the object. I looked at the basic stamp and I also looked at the PIC. I know the the PIC is cheaper but how much harder is the PIC and are the PIC programmers compatible with most of the PIC's or or just some of them? Any other advice?

kchriste · 28th July 2009, 05:41 AM

If you get the 18F series PIC, Microchip supplies a free C compiler. There are also free BASIC compilers like SwordFish which will work with an ordinary PIC. Since you know neither language, the choice is yours. Personally, I'd go with the 18F series and the C compiler. The basic stamp would be too limiting for a project like this.
For programmers look at the PicKit2 or a clone like Blueroom's junebug.

c36041254 · 28th July 2009, 08:45 AM

well I would say buy a pickit2 with demo board it comes with 16f690, just go through all the example codes given in the user guide of the board, of course the codes will be in assembly language but it will be very easy for you to program C after working on that, just if you want to go that way.... I found that easy.

Cheers !

Sandfish · 28th July 2009, 05:20 PM

So the PIC and C programming would be the to go? Would the PIC kit provide me with all the tools to program and run the PIC?

blueroomelectronics · 28th July 2009, 05:24 PM

The PIC programmer is a tool, just like a screwdriver. It's what you need to get your program on the PIC, the tough part is writing the program.

Even for an experienced programmer it's no cakewalk to write autonomous robot software. You're going to have to walk before you can run.
Start with flashing an LED.

be80be · 28th July 2009, 05:38 PM

For what you want to do you should not pick a pic. Unless you go for a kit like this

You can read about it here blueroomelectronics Mongoose kit
Or a Parallax boebot

Read here Boe-Bot Robot Information
Stamp being the easiest to set up. You'll learn a lot with it
Or you could go with bills kit bigger learning curve but a lot more you can
do as skills are learned

blueroomelectronics · 28th July 2009, 06:00 PM

I based the Mongoose on the BoeBot dragwheel design (I wish I sold 90,000 units like the BoeBot did!)

The BoeBot has an excellent manual (available free online from Parallax) and a worthwhile read for any robot enthusiast. It

BoeBot:

continuous rotation servos
wheel encoders optional
BS2
small breadboard
excellent user manual

Mongoose:

high torque dual gearbox with DC motors
quad half bridge with hardware PWM control
18F2525 microcontroller (BASIC, C, Asm, JAL, etc...)
dual optical wheel encoders standard
medium size breadboard
only brief documentation

be80be · 28th July 2009, 06:10 PM

Quote:

I based the Mongoose on the BoeBot dragwheel design (I wish I sold 90,000 units like the BoeBot did!)

I wish you did too you need to make a kit with legs like this. This is where it's at now

Sandfish · 30th July 2009, 08:03 PM

Yeah that would be awesome to make. I hope someday I will be making those.

shimniok · 31st July 2009, 03:26 AM

Have you ever programmed in any language? If not, maybe you should start with a Lego Mindstorm kit and the visual "programming". Or, start with BASIC as I think it is a simpler language to learn because the syntax is simpler and much less fussy than C.

You learn the fundamental concepts of procedural programming without getting bogged down in minutiae. I think it would be easier to focus on programming the robot if the language doesn't get in the way.

Mind you I love the C programming language, and prefer it for robotics programming, but it is a fairly steep learning curve for someone totally new to programming and programming languages. And in my limited experience so far, programming robots to do anything remotely complex is not easy at all.

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28th July 2009, 04:09 AM	#1
Sandfish	Robotic Programming Help I have never used c or basic programming before. I decided to look at what microcontrollers I could buy that would be able to to direct an autonomous robot that uses an ultrasonic transceiver to detect the objects. I thought the microcontroller would be able to interpret the signals from the transceiver and turn on the right motor, the left motor, or both motors depending on which way the robot would have to go to evade the object. I looked at the basic stamp and I also looked at the PIC. I know the the PIC is cheaper but how much harder is the PIC and are the PIC programmers compatible with most of the PIC's or or just some of them? Any other advice?

28th July 2009, 05:41 AM	#2
kchriste	If you get the 18F series PIC, Microchip supplies a free C compiler. There are also free BASIC compilers like SwordFish which will work with an ordinary PIC. Since you know neither language, the choice is yours. Personally, I'd go with the 18F series and the C compiler. The basic stamp would be too limiting for a project like this. For programmers look at the PicKit2 or a clone like Blueroom's junebug. __________________ Inside every little problem, is a big problem trying to get out.

28th July 2009, 08:45 AM	#3
c36041254	well I would say buy a pickit2 with demo board it comes with 16f690, just go through all the example codes given in the user guide of the board, of course the codes will be in assembly language but it will be very easy for you to program C after working on that, just if you want to go that way.... I found that easy. Cheers ! __________________ CHRIS

28th July 2009, 05:20 PM	#4
Sandfish	So the PIC and C programming would be the to go? Would the PIC kit provide me with all the tools to program and run the PIC?

28th July 2009, 05:24 PM	#5
blueroomelectronics	The PIC programmer is a tool, just like a screwdriver. It's what you need to get your program on the PIC, the tough part is writing the program. Even for an experienced programmer it's no cakewalk to write autonomous robot software. You're going to have to walk before you can run. Start with flashing an LED. __________________ Bill Smart Kits build Smart People http://www.blueroomelectronics.com/ Last edited by blueroomelectronics; 28th July 2009 at 05:26 PM.

28th July 2009, 05:38 PM	#6
be80be	For what you want to do you should not pick a pic. Unless you go for a kit like this You can read about it here blueroomelectronics Mongoose kit Or a Parallax boebot Read here Boe-Bot Robot Information Stamp being the easiest to set up. You'll learn a lot with it Or you could go with bills kit bigger learning curve but a lot more you can do as skills are learned __________________ Burt http://mybe80be.com http://stores.shop.ebay.com/mybe80be__W0QQ_armrsZ1

28th July 2009, 06:00 PM	#7
blueroomelectronics	I based the Mongoose on the BoeBot dragwheel design (I wish I sold 90,000 units like the BoeBot did!) The BoeBot has an excellent manual (available free online from Parallax) and a worthwhile read for any robot enthusiast. It BoeBot: continuous rotation servos wheel encoders optional BS2 small breadboard excellent user manual Mongoose: high torque dual gearbox with DC motors quad half bridge with hardware PWM control 18F2525 microcontroller (BASIC, C, Asm, JAL, etc...) dual optical wheel encoders standard medium size breadboard only brief documentation __________________ Bill Smart Kits build Smart People http://www.blueroomelectronics.com/

30th July 2009, 08:03 PM	#9
Sandfish	Yeah that would be awesome to make. I hope someday I will be making those.

31st July 2009, 03:26 AM	#10
shimniok	Have you ever programmed in any language? If not, maybe you should start with a Lego Mindstorm kit and the visual "programming". Or, start with BASIC as I think it is a simpler language to learn because the syntax is simpler and much less fussy than C. You learn the fundamental concepts of procedural programming without getting bogged down in minutiae. I think it would be easier to focus on programming the robot if the language doesn't get in the way. Mind you I love the C programming language, and prefer it for robotics programming, but it is a fairly steep learning curve for someone totally new to programming and programming languages. And in my limited experience so far, programming robots to do anything remotely complex is not easy at all. __________________ Michael Shimniok http://bot-thoughts.blogspot.com/ Microcontrollers can solve world hunger, too!