Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!sgiblab!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!world!sje
From: sje@world.std.com (Steven J Edwards)
Subject: Part II "Build A Real World Robot" 1993.10 _Computer Craft_
Message-ID: <CD3EAB.E9C@world.std.com>
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 15:13:22 GMT
Lines: 33

The 1993.10 issue of _Computer Craft_ magazine has the second part of
a multipart article entitled "Build a Real World Robot".  Last month's
article described a fairly heavy duty tractor base powered by a pair
of 12 V gel batteries driving independent left and right track gear
head motors.  The second part describes the implementation of the
motor controller board.  (A pair of boards are needed, one for each
motor circuit.)  The controller board smarts are provided by a
Motorola MC68HC705C8P microprocessor and PWM bidirectional motor
control is handled by a pair of MJE-2955 power transistors.  A 2 A
fuse per motor circuit is recommended to protect the drive system from
software errors.  The control board can be accessed by a serial link
using either TTL level signals or a 3 pin RS-232 (RD/TD/SG) with a
MAX-232 chip.

The series has been expanded to more than the three parts stated in
the first part in order to cover all of the future material.  Details
on sensors, communications, and manipulators are promised.  Next
month's article is to cover the battery charging system along with
torso construction.

Parts kits are available for the controller board and as for the
tractor base described in the first article.

My thought is that this looks like the ideal project for those missed
out on the old Heathkit HERO robots.

Computer Craft
ISSN 1055-5072
76 North Broadway
Hicksville, NY 11801
(516) 681-2922

-- Steven (sje@world.std.com)
