Self-Made Robot Controller?

[JohnC]

I've been looking since the end of the 2006 season for information on how to build and program my own robot controller. It seems that every website that tries to do this ignores the beginner and speaks to like-minded college students. All I know right now is how to plug in and put my image on the IFI-black-box-enclosed pic.

Does anyone know where to get good information on programming a pic18f8722 OUTSIDE of the official FRC Robot Controller? Maybe the 68HC11 even? I'm not afraid of buying parts, other chips, making my own circuit boards, etc.

Thanks.

[Matt Krass]

I've been looking since the end of the 2006 season for information on how to build and program my own robot controller. It seems that every website that tries to do this ignores the beginner and speaks to like-minded college students. All I know right now is how to plug in and put my image on the IFI-black-box-enclosed pic.

Does anyone know where to get good information on programming a pic18f8722 OUTSIDE of the official FRC Robot Controller? Maybe the 68HC11 even? I'm not afraid of buying parts, other chips, making my own circuit boards, etc.

Thanks.

I recommend 8-bit controllers like Atmel AVRs, check out the STK500 starter kits, they come with everything you need to program the chip. Also look in to avr-gcc and WinAVR, it's a free compiler suite for the AVRs based on GNU GCC compiler. And avrdude is good software for flashing the chip, if you don't have a serial port I can report high success with a Keyspan USA-19HS USB<->Serial adapter.

[Rickertsen2]

how much do you know about electronics and circuits?

[FIRST JerseyKid]

What do you want the controller to be used for? Unless you want to overkill the controller, like the FRC one, you need to plan out the controller around the problem.

[Ken Leedle]

If you want to program your own microcontrollers, you either need a programmer or a starter/prototyping board. If you want to program many different microcontrollers and make your own circuit boards, you should get a programmer. It would probably be easier to start out with a starter kit though. I got a PICSTART PLUS programmer as a a sophomore and taught myself assembly language from a book. The PICSTART PLUS has a zero insertion force DIP socket and can program most of the Microchip PICs. You just stick your PIC in the socket, program it in MPLAB, and put the chip in your breadboard or circuit. If you want to program in C, you need to get a compiler (obviously). You can start out with the student/demo verson of the C18 compiler for 60 days. I would definitely start with C, just get a book from amazon on programming PICs in C and you should have all the info you need. I have built control systems for two robots. My first one was an autonomous vehicle that was controlled by two 18F458s. My current one is a 5 axis robotic arm on a mobile base controlled by two 18F8720s. I have built all the circuit boards myself on both robots. You might just want to buy a vex controller, especially if you want to make a remote control robot.

[gburlison]

You might try something a little simpler.

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php?cPath=2_9

[Qbranch]

I recommend 8-bit controllers like Atmel AVRs, check out the STK500 starter kits, they come with everything you need to program the chip. Also look in to avr-gcc and WinAVR, it's a free compiler suite for the AVRs based on GNU GCC compiler. And avrdude is good software for flashing the chip, if you don't have a serial port I can report high success with a Keyspan USA-19HS USB<->Serial adapter.


Start with a HPC Explorer (http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en022480) It has the voltage regulator, serial connector, ICD connector, all hooked up and ready to use. Has wire-wrap ready pins too, along with PTHs for every pin on the micro. its easy to solder in an IDE connector and use and IDE cable to connect your project to the micro.

Microchip microprocessors are very rock solid, so much that they can drive LEDs straight out of the pins, unlike a motorola or atmel.

The 18F8722 on the HPC explorer runs at 40MHz, 10mips. Same as used in the FRC controller.

PM me if any ?'s.

-Q

[KenWittlief]

Microchip is a great uC to start with. They have an in-circuit programmer that looks like a red and white hockey puck. If you use that you can get surface mount PIC processors as small as 6 pin SOT-6 packages, and you program them while they are attached (soldered) in the circuit

this would really open up options for you - you could start with tiny robots with micro servos, or tiny control boards that you could fit into anything.

Once you build a micro-bot with 2 input and output channels, you will have a better understanding of the overall picture, and will know what you want to do for your next (bigger) project.

http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en010046&part=DV164005

[FIRST JerseyKid]

Microchip is a great uC to start with. They have an in-circuit programmer that looks like a red and white hockey puck. If you use that you can get surface mount PIC processors as small as 6 pin SOT-6 packages, and you program them while they are attached (soldered) in the circuit

this would really open up options for you - you could start with tiny robots with micro servos, or tiny control boards that you could fit into anything.

Once you build a micro-bot with 2 input and output channels, you will have a better understanding of the overall picture, and will know what you want to do for your next (bigger) project.

http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en010046&part=DV164005


I've used the hockey puck alot its really good with a pic programmer.

If your doing pic microcontrollers you should think of what the 'controller' needs to do.

Are you having it be reprogrammable? Youd need a build in programmer, you can find specs online.
How many digital and analog signals do you want?
Theres a lot of parameters that you need to figure out and ussually you do it by looking at the problem at hand.

[6600gt]

Materials:
Serial Plug(Radio Shack)
Wire(different colors will help)
4.7Ohm Resistors(3)(Radio Shack)
Breadboard(Radio Shack)
10MHz Ceramic Resonator(internet)
Led(to play with)(Radio Shack)
220 Ohm between the Pic's pin and the led(protection)(Radio Shack)
Any PIC that the softwares support(Microchip.com)
5 Volt power supply or a voltage regulator(Radio Shack)

Very Cheap ICSP...

Serial Port to PIC

TXD (Pin 3) -----[4.7K]------ MCLR

GND (Pin 5) ----------------- Vss(ground)

DTR (Pin 4 ) -----[4.7K]------ RB 7 (PGD)

CTS (Pin 8) --------------- RB 7

RTS (Pin 7) -----[4.7K]------ RB 6 (PGC)

Use this software http://www.ic-prog.net/
or this http://www.qsl.net/dl4yhf/winpicpr.html

MPLab IDE with C18 to program with...

Programed my 18F458 with this...

or as gburlison said sparkfun.com
One of these
and this [URL=]http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9 (]http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php?cPath=2_9[/URL)
and a 18 series PIC