Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!uunet!think.com!mips!pacbell.com!att!att!fang!tarpit!cs.ucf.edu!rbc
From: rbc@engr.ucf.edu (Robotics Club)
Subject: Re: C64's?
Message-ID: <1992Apr3.175745.14478@cs.ucf.edu>
Sender: news@cs.ucf.edu (News system)
Organization: engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando
References: <42737@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1992 17:57:45 GMT

In article <42737@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> coxjason@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Jason Cox) writes:
>
> Are the good 'ol Commodore 64's pretty good for starting a robot. I'm not
>sure how far I'm going to go, but I want something that I can keep adding
>to. It will use one arm, three wheels; basic system to start with....
> Question #2: Should I write my own software, or is there already software
>out there that works well?
> Thanks to anyone who can help.
>                                                                jason

Hmm, yes and no. First off it makes a very cheap microcontroller,
usually you can get a used one for about $250 with monitor and drive,
and you are set, use the basic, luke. its pretty good, if not
particularly set up for modularity. so for the money, you get a complete
system. 

As long as your code stays compact, you will be fine.

Interfaces are another matter, but if you can do hardware, you will be
fine. There are some interfaces already out there, 
but they might be more difficult to use. If you can do hardware,
I would suggest a simple memory map to a couple of 6522's and maybe
a ADC8017, the address and data lines can be found in the cartridge
port, use some buffers, and a little address reduction logic, and
you are in business. (At least for ttl control signals and inputs)

Let me know what you think.

Eric Wampner
rbc@engr.ucf.edu
