robot controled with joystick

[papito]

hi,

first of all i would like to apologize about my English.

ok here we go... I'm new in electronic and i create my first robot. well i bought it and build all together. Here is the link: **broken link removed**

This is PRO-BOT128 (from C-control Robot System). I get expansion idea. I have one old joystick (USB connector). I would like to connect this joystick with this robot and control his driving with it.

Is this possible ?

I was looking for this on google but didnt found anything useful so i decided to ask this on forum.

Thanks for help.
Papito

 

[Triode]

It's definitely possible, depending on your skills and how much time you're willing to spend. If you want the joystick wired right into the robot you should probably skip the USB circuitry and just wire it's analog inputs (I assume the programmable board has some) to the potentiometers in the joystick. If you want wireless I would go with an off the shelf radio control set and program it to interpret the PWM servo signals from the receiver.

 

[papito]

My skills are not perfect i am at the begin of my electronic road. I don't care how much time i have to spend on that, i would be really happy if i can realize my idea. Do you know for any literature which could help me ? About wired or unwired thing i didn't really think a lot. Which you think is easier ?

if there is anything u need to help me please tell me.
thanks for you're replay

 

[Dr_Doggy]

can YOU programm tthat thing?
do YOU have access to any data pins?
how do YOU control it now?

 

[Triode]

It was kind of an odd way of asking, but I would need to know the same things that doggy asked to really recommend anything. What kind of microcontroller does that robot kit use?

 

[papito]

can YOU programm tthat thing?

Yes i can. I know basic, C++, a bit C, C# and java language.

do YOU have access to any data pins?

I have access to all the pins.

how do YOU control it now?

I am controlling it with a main program, which i created it. It's in basic language. What does it do ? It drives forward until he detect and object, then turns for 45 deg (45 deg on left if object is on the right side or 45 deg in right if object is on left side). If object is in front of robot then he drives backward for 10 cm and turn for 90 deg or more. It's very simple program.

What kind of microcontroller does that robot kit use?

it is using main C-Control PRO Mega 128 processor for control on whole robot and four small microcontrollers two
are for the LEDs and two for Motor; CD4093 and L293D

Main Processor shematics
https://img98.imageshack.us/i/mega128.jpg/

MotorDriver shematics
https://img708.imageshack.us/i/motordriverr.jpg/

 

[Dr_Doggy]

I was doing similar things, but i hear through the grapevine that you need an USB HOST CONTROLLER to input a usb device, and i dropped out when i found only surface mount ones....

My plan B is going to be using a (S)NES controller(which uses 8-16bit serial data) or old atari joystick(which is normal I/O 5pin parallel switching),

lemmie kno if you come across a simple usb strategy!

 

[Triode]

I don't know, unless the USB aspect of it is important to you, I would just wire something to the pots directly. I learning digital electronics were divided into classes, USB would be at least 4th semester stuff.

By the way, does your robot have some Analog inputs? That's what you need for joysticks. Unless of course they're the kind of joysticks that use clicker switches for a simple up/down, left/right kind of thing, then you only need basic digital inputs.

 

[papito]

I don't know, unless the USB aspect of it is important to you, I would just wire something to the pots directly.

It doesn't have to be USB connector. What i said is that i have joystick with a USB connector. If there is anything more simple then that, i don't mind. I would love to hear your opinions, that's why i open the topic here. I can do 4 clicker switches on test board and connect them on my robot but need help with connection them on my microcontrollers (i never worked whit them before :/ ). I just want to control it somehow.

About the inputs: There is no basic inputs soldered on robot. I'm just having a board with free holes to solder something on them.

 

[Dr_Doggy]

nes and snes use shift registers on their inputs, would be simple enough

 

[papito]

awsome but this mean i have to buy new microcontroller and replace it with old ones (CD4093 and L293D) what is not a problem. But will this work in this circuit ? What have to be repaired ? I never worked with microcontrillers and every information will be useful.

 

[Dr_Doggy]

nono, slow down, leave the 4093 and 293 alone, look at the mega 128, there are several pins free, you can input on them, prolly even hook it direct to the controller, with the snes controller you only need to wire 3 pins in ( plus vcc/gnd) after that its all in the code!

Super NES Controller Data

if you just want 2 buttons (leftFW and rightFW) you can hack 2 switches right in on the TSOP input pins without any code changing.

For my project im going to use a TSOP to receive serial IR code that will be sent from my PDA or cell