Anybody know where to purchase the materials for a autonomous mode controller board switch?
If you don’t want to make it yourself, AndyMark sells an assembled switch.
Otherwise, i’m sure you could buy the required parts including a DB15 connector and some switches (see the IFI schematic) at your local electronics store or somwhere like Mouser.
Huh? Do you mean a switch for putting the robot in autonomous mode (commonly referred to as an “autonomous dongle”)? If so, you can get the necessary parts at your friendly neighborhood RadioShack/Fry’s/whatever. You really just need a DB15 cable, multimeter (well, strictly speaking, it isn’t necessary, but it is very useful), wire strippers, two switches, a soldering iron, solder, and something to house the finished product in.
Anyone have ideas where to pick up the DB15 solder cup? Local Radio Shacks don’t seem to carry it. I wanted to just pick one up rather than order a 1 dollar part online. I’m in central NJ. Thanks.
we made our own dongle using a single pole single throw swhich that shorted pins 8 and 5 on a DB15 connector. If you don’t have a DB15 connector around another simple way of making the connection is to strip off the ends of a solid strand wire (maybe 22AWG) and short the pins on the DB15 female on the controller. Of course this is a little risky because you have to pay careful attention that you are shorting the correct pins to ground. You could damage the controller if you connect the wrong pin to ground.
Hope that this helps
Radio shack should have them cuz im seen them there before. Maybe the specific one you went to ran out of stock. what you need is a single pole single throw switch and a DB15 solder cup connector or one that provides the crimp pins. Although not the best way, you can crimp the pins using a needle nose pliers. I think usually these connectors are in those connector drawers that they have.
Last year I made one from a ~$5 joystick “Y” cable that I bought from Radio Shack and cut the end off it and used that by mounting it in a small box with switches.
I noticed a month ago that the Radio shack near me was closing these joystick “Y” cables out and I bought one off the clearance rack so I am not sure if they are still selling them or not but you might want to check out your neighborhood Radio Shack…
Also, I just searched the radio shack site and searched but this item did not appear, so you might want to go and ask them if the have any if you choose to go this route.
good luck
how do i figure out which pins are which. do i read it from left to right starting at the top or do i read up down up down?
The pin numbers are usually marked on the connector. They go 1-8 across the longer row, then 9-15 in the same direction across the shorter row.
we use the AndyMark manufactured one and it works very well