*unofficial* FIRST IR module driver released

[Phil Mack]

Originally Posted by JBotAlan

Let me know if you have any suggestions/concerns/problems/questions and I'll try to address them.

Powering a micro controller with an unregulated supply off of the 12v battery that will be driving motors and firing relays will be unreliable and possibly damaging. The voltage will be unstable, which would make readings unpredictable. Noise in the power supplied to the device can also cause the device to reset or freeze constantly. If the device becomes damaged, it is entirely possible that there would be the same effect as hooking up the digital inputs directly to the battery.

To power this device while attached to the robot, it would be wise to design a power supply. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_stabilizer for a starting point. To connect this device to the robot controller, it would be wise to use opto-isolators/optocouplers to protect the devices from each other. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opto-isolator for more information.

~Phil