Rules regarding sensors/processors

[phrontist]

I've been thinking about designing sensors during the offseason, but a lot of my projects would involve a stamp or pic to process data. Is this allowed? If a stamp is allowed, what's to stop us from putting a PC onboard (other then weight)? What about sensors, would any of the following be against the rules:

Sonic Range Finder
"Compass" sensor
Vision tracking with onboard PC!
etc.

I've been unable to find any rules regarding them, so I presume I could use any sensor/extra processor I want, right?

[KevinB]

Originally Posted by phrontist

I've been thinking about designing sensors during the offseason, but a lot of my projects would involve a stamp or pic to process data. Is this allowed? If a stamp is allowed, what's to stop us from putting a PC onboard (other then weight)? What about sensors, would any of the following be against the rules:

Sonic Range Finder
"Compass" sensor
Vision tracking with onboard PC!
etc.

I've been unable to find any rules regarding them, so I presume I could use any sensor/extra processor I want, right?

The electronics budget is what's going to stop you. You can only have $300 worth of electronic equipment, and no single part can be worth more than $100. Plus, it must be purchaseable from Digikey, Future Active, Radio Shack, or Newark-in-one.

[jacob_dilles]

you can buy $3 pics from digikey, and program them in the same language as the basic stamp 2. so what i am doing is development on the BS2, and when it comes time to implment it ill beam it over to a PIC. the $180 epic programer doesnt count towards the budget, as its not on the bot

[KenWittlief]

if you are going to design an internal naviagtion system based on a PIC processor, and do it in the off seaon, then there is one hitch - everything on your bot has to be either built (fabricated) after the kickoff for the new season, or it has to be something that is available to all teams

so if you are going to come up with a custom circuit board over the summer, you cannot us it on your bot next year

unless.....

you have a PCB made up, have several dozen produced, and offer them for sale to other teams for a reasonable price

-you get to use your off season work on the bot
-you have helped out other teams as well
-you will have oficially started your own electronics engineering design business while you are still in highschool

getting printed circuit boards made is not hard, and its not that expensive either.

[Adam Y.]

The electronics budget is what's going to stop you. You can only have $300 worth of electronic equipment, and no single part can be worth more than $100. Plus, it must be purchaseable from Digikey, Future Active, Radio Shack, or Newark-in-one.

Actually the budget isn't the problem. I can obtain an excellent computer for robotics use for $100.

you have a PCB made up, have several dozen produced, and offer them for sale to other teams for a reasonable price

That really is not a bad idea and I was thinking about this very thing last night. Of course I was only thinking of giving out the proper files to get the parts made yourself. Then again all you really need to make pcb's is a kit from Radio Shack and a laser printer.

[DanArgent]

Phrontist, for your plan to work we need to get prices for those optical mice. They shouldn't be over $100 and they would be available to everyone. so I think your plan would work.

[jacob_dilles]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

if you are going to design an internal naviagtion system based on a PIC processor, and do it in the off seaon, then there is one hitch - everything on your bot has to be either built (fabricated) after the kickoff for the new season, or it has to be something that is available to all teams

i may be missing the point entierly, but six weeks is a long time to take a working prototype and build a final version. if you plan it out, build a test one, then file the plans away untill january, i see no problem in pre-purchasing parts and just slaping the thing together. if you share it with other teams, all the more power too you, but fabricating extras is a bit excessive.

Originally Posted by phrontist

Sonic Range Finder
"Compass" sensor
Vision tracking with onboard PC!

for a sonic range finder, you can get a $36 polorid transponder. if you wana take it an extra step up, Vernier offers a $69 "canned unit" that is basicly the polorid sensor with a serial interface. ( http://www.vernier.com ). another option is the devantech ranger which retails for $34 ( http://www.acroname.com/robotics/parts/R93-SRF04.html ) and is also a serial interface. what ever you may choose, ultrasonics are easy to code and simple to implement with a servo or just sevral fixed sensors.

for a compas, the best one out there is is by dinsmore ( http://www.dinsmoresensors.com/ ) and is basicly 4 switches in 8 postions that indicate heading. very simple, very reliable. this is oposed to a coil based solid state version... ie a compas on a chip for $50 ( http://www.robot-electronics.co.uk/s...CMPS032004.htm ) and is also very simple to code with a rs232 serial interface.

any other sensors or computers, as long as they fit the budget and are from the sources, are allowd.


the best compas sensor

[MikeDubreuil]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

so if you are going to come up with a custom circuit board over the summer, you cannot us it on your bot next year

unless.....

you have a PCB made up, have several dozen produced, and offer them for sale to other teams for a reasonable price

I don't think that is correct.

I believe he can do whatever he wants in the offseason. However, any physical items have to be remade during the build season. Any software produced could be used. If he made a circuitboard he will have to just remake it during the build season. Anyone else see it this way?

EDIT: Design work can be done anytime. However, manafacturing must take place during designated times, such as the build.

[KenWittlief]

I agree- if he makes a new one after the kickoff then its not a problem

but anything you build or fabricate over the summer cannot be used - thats why I suggested he offer them for sale to all the teams - that way, he could have the bareboards fabricated over the summer, and if he sells them, he can use them too.

[phrontist]

Originally Posted by KevinB

....it must be purchaseable from Digikey, Future Active, Radio Shack, or Newark-in-one.

Why?!

[jacob_dilles]

Originally Posted by phrontist

Why?!

to keep it fair. i dont want this thread to start this discussion agein, it has been talked about many times.

[KenWittlief]

if you wanted to make your own printed circuit board, you could get the materials and chemicals from radioshack

I dont know if a bare printed circuit board would be considered electronics or not - I would think 'not' since there are no active componets, resistors...

now that I think about it - you could buy the bare boards at radioshack, digikey... and have them etched out by a fab house- its not like you are buying something that other teams cant get

or if you come up with something really usefull, maybe you can talk digikey or even innovationFirst to stocking the boards - so all teams can buy them from the approved electronics sources

if you are going to have a PIC chip on it, you will need some sort of circuit board - you could get away with a protoboard as a last resort.