Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!sgiblab!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!utnut!torn!watserv2.uwaterloo.ca!watserv1!news
From: mbondi@morpheus.UWaterloo.ca (Michael Bondi)
Subject: PC Interface for the Polaroid Sonar Module
Message-ID: <CFFJGF.EMF@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca>
Sender: news@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 01:43:27 GMT
Lines: 43

Hi,

I am working on an autonomous vehicle platform that uses the Polaroid  
sonar modules that everyone else on the planet seems to be using already.   
I'm looking for information and ideas on various ways to interface a bunch  
of these sensors to a PC.  Since the use of these sensors is so  
widespread, there must be a number of different interfaces available, and  
I am hoping for a few alternatives that I can choose from.

What I need the interface to do is download a firing pattern from the PC,  
fire the sensors in the specified order (at least 10 sensors, probably  
more) and send information back to the PC when an object is detected.  The  
controller should be able to handle various firing patterns, so that I can  
do experiments to see which pattern is best for the platform I am using.

Electronics Now has recently published a series of articles (beginning  
July '93) on a board called "The Experimenter," which is used to control  
one of these polaroid modules.  My problem is basically the same thing,  
except that I want to control several modules facing different directions,  
rather than just one that rotates on a stepper motor.  This board would  
probably work for me, but I am wondering what else is available that may  
be cheaper/simpler, since this board seems to have more features than I  
really need.

Any information about interfacing these modules to a PC would be greatly  
appreciated.  Also, if anyone knows anything about the "Experimenter"  
board from Electronics Now, and has some thoughts on this application, I  
would really appreciate it if you could get back to me.

If you would like to e-mail me directly, I'm at:
	mbondi@zeus.uwaterloo.ca


Thanks for your help,

			Mike.


****************************************
**     Michael Bondi                  **
**     Systems Design Engineering     **
**     University of Waterloo         **
****************************************
