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What hardware should I start with..??

Former Member

I manufacture a small part in a garage on my property and have for many years.

I have made as many mechanical tools as is practical.

I now need to begin building digitally controlled robots.

My thought was the following...

I could build a very complex robotic system from two types of controlled motors.

Linear actuator with encoder ring or other sensor I do not know about

and a gear step motor also with position sensors.

 

I have python installed on my pc in a virtual OS and have been doing tutorials.

So far I am having no problems understanding code or the way in which a step motor is controlled.

 

Question:

Is raspberry pi starter kit with gert board the way to get my self acquainted with digital motor control and building working robots.?

Any one who is in the know I sure would appericate a little guidance.

Adam R.

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  • 0 in reply to Former Member

    430 uses a really good C++ compiler.  C++ can get kinda arcane on a big-computer.  On an MSP 430 what we are doing is typically fairly simple in software terms.  One typically doesn't load an rtos so in that sense it is closer to the iron.  The one thing that takes some getting used to is that most of the effort is in service routines and interrupt routines rather than a top-down draw.  Since this is the way, probably, we should code medium and larger apps anyway, I've resolved to make the adjustment.  They have good code examples, and it seems easy to get up and running.  Stuff that is easier, seems to me, is handicapping when I wanna do real stuff.  Documentation can be terse and wonkish.  Ti has a great fab, so there device has lotsa peripherals, including, sometimes a pretty good A/D w/ mux.  I'd recommend biting the bullet and just learn all of the I/O, they did a pretty nice job at making it balanced and canonical.  If you have any problems, you can e-mail me,  Ti answers their phone and are always willing to help, I've found.  Personally, I haven't hit them up for much anyway, 'cause I've always been able to answer my own questions by wading through the docs.

     

    There are some good introductory texts in electronics, I'd recommend Horowitz and Hill and ARRL pubs to start.  You should learn OpAmps and JellyBeans if only to be aware of some of your alternatives.

     

    Computers seem to cause people to rush.  One question to ask, before getting out the solder pen is:  Can this problem be solved by a protocol?  Is there an electro-mechanical solution?  How did people cope with this problem in past?

    Unless your project is for learning of an artistic nature, then you don't have a problem, per se.