General Robotics: Handy Board

1. General Robotics:Handy Board Joe Wirzburger September 9, 2002

2. What is the Handy Board? • Controller • Developed and licensed by researchers at MIT • Simple yet multi-functional • Parts are easily found • Costs ~$200-$300 • Not a LEGO piece - not an RCX block

3. Technical Specs:(Things you probably don’t need to worry about) • Motorola 68HC11 microprocessor running at 2 MHz • 32K battery-backed CMOS RAM • 9.6 V nickel-cadmium batteries • 38kHz IR transmitter and receiver

4. Functional Specs: • 4 DC motor outputs

5. Functional Specs: • 7 analog inputs

6. Functional Specs: • 9 digital inputs

7. Digital input digital(10); Returns either true or false e.g. touch switch Can make an analog input digital (<126 = false, >=127 = true) Analog input analog(5); Returns a value from 0-255 e.g. light sensor A quick comparison:

8. Functional Specs: • 2 programmable push buttons

9. Functional Specs: • 1 dial / knob input

10. Functional Specs: • 2-line LCD screen

11. What you get:

12. How to use the Handy Board: • Plug the serial cable into your computer • Plug the other end into the programming board • Connect the phone cable from the programming board to the Handy Board • Optional: connect the AC adapter from the wall to the Handy Board or programming board

13. Laptops • REL laptops are available to you, and have a serial port • If you want to use your own laptop: • Be sure you have a serial port, or buy a group USB to serial adapter

14. Charging the batteries: • 2 modes • Normal/Trickle: 10-14 hours for a full charge • Zap!: 3 hours (runs pretty well after 15 min.) • EMERGENCY USE ONLY! • Zap is not your friend! • Zap!: • Connect to programming board - set to Zap • Trickle: • Connect directly to the Handy Board • Connect to the programming board - set normal • Use whenever possible

15. Programming: • Interactive C • almost C, but not quite • Easy built-in fuctions • (e.g. motor(1,100);, analog( 1); ) • Downloading code • Power is on - download code • Turn power off, then on again

16. Bootstrap Download: • When you can’t get the Handy Board to do anything at all • turn it on while holding down the “stop” button • wait for the LEDs to turn off • download the “pcode” using a downloader program • turn the board off and on

17. Precautions: • Avoid moisture • Avoid excessive heat • Use only the telephone-style RJ11 cable • Use only a straight through modem cable for interfacing • Sometimes the robot moves when you turn it on • hold the reset button when turning it on

18. Common Problems: • Motor does not work • reduce the load on the motor • may have burnt out the port or motor • see the TAs • LCD screen has black boxes • reload the “pcode” • may have a short • see the TAs

19. Common Problems: • Out of memory error • stack gets too big • Motor turns wrong way / sensor gives weird values • polarity of connectors is reversed

20. Common Problems: • Robot does not move • possibly an infinite loop • Beware of shorts at pin

21. Common Problems: • Problem: • Motors turn unevenly • Motors start strong and die quick • Motors don’t get full power • Solution: • You Probably ZAP CHARGED. • Do not do this. • Take your handyboard and trickle charge overnight.

22. Things To Think About: • Wires require space • Several different types of input • Remember to charge your batteries! • Dead batteries is not an excuse to not demo • This will be the heaviest part of your robot!

23. Who Else Uses the Handy Board? • Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Case Western Reserve University • University of Maryland • Dartmouth • Musicians • Hobbyists

24. For More Information: • www.handyboard.com • The Handy Board Technical Reference by Fred G. Martin • www.google.com is your friend

25. Questions?