View Single Post
  #8   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 28-08-2014, 16:38
gixxy's Avatar
gixxy gixxy is offline
Programming and Arduino Mentor
AKA: Gustave Michel III
FRC #3946 (Tiger Robotics)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Rookie Year: 2012
Location: Ruston, LA
Posts: 207
gixxy is on a distinguished road
Re: Alternate robot controllers?

What 3946 did was use an Arduino and two XBees to make a remote control T-shirt launcher.

All the code for the Arduino (and I believe the Firmware for the XBees) is avalible on our github: https://github.com/frc3946/MobileAirCannon

What we did was have the XBee standalone in the controller, using its dedicated IO lines as inputs. Then we had the XBee on the Arduino sending that data from the Controller to the Arduino via Serial. Then I made some breakout boards for PWM (S + -) and Relay (A B -) ports.

Here is the hardware we used:
Arduino Leonardo (an Uno or Mega would work just as well): https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11286

2x XBee Pro S1 https://www.sparkfun.com/products/8742

Arduino XBee Shield: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12847

XBee Explorer USB (For Programming XBees): https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11812

XBee Explorer Regulated (For use in Controller up to 12volts): https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11373

The rest are just buttons, joysticks, battery holders, and switches to make the controller, and some perfboard and headers for the additional breakout headers.
__________________
Programmer - A creature known for converting Caffeine into Code.
Studying Computer Science @ Louisiana Tech University
Associate Consultant @ Fenway Group

2012-13: 3946 - Head of Programming, Electrical and Web
2014 - 3468 - Programming Mentor
2015 - Present - Lurker
Reply With Quote