CURRENT ISSUE Contests
Feature Article
|
|
Issue #212 March 2008
Robotics with Ada95
by Daniel Ramirez
Start | Why Use Ada95 For Robotics? | GNAT Ada95 Tools | Debugging Ada95 Applications | Ada95 Coding Style |Wireless Sensor Controller | Wireless Messages | The Glove In Action | XYZ Accelerometers | XBee-PRO Wireless UART | Controller Range | USB 2.0 Interface | Ethernet | The Kernel | Ada95 vs. Other Languages | Future Applications | Sources & PDF
XBee-PRO WIRELESS UART
The 2.4-GHz XBee-PRO ZigBee/802.15.4 RS-232 RF modem (OEM RF module) provides all the benefits of the ZigBee standard in a design that yields three times the range of traditional ZigBee solutions. All of this hardware is provided in a board that measures only 24.38 mm × 27.61 mm, which helps it fit into the enclosure without taking up too much space.
The XBee-PRO wireless UART provides telemetry to a nearby client device (e.g., a laptop, a robot, or another animatronic device). It is configured with the wireless UART application using standard Hayes modem AT commands with the serial port protocol set at 115,200 bps, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity. It is connected to the dsPIC30F6014’s UART.
|
| Photo 5—Another XBee-PRO receiver is connected to the Parallax serial servo controller (PSC) mounted on my Hero 2007 robot, which uses four Vex motors (4-WD) for its motion subsystem. |
The transmitter located on each robot is an XBee-PRO wireless UART connected to the wireless sensor controller. Another XBee-PRO receiver is connected to a Parallax serial servo controller (PSC) mounted on my Hero 2007 Robot, which uses four Vex motors (4-WD) for the motion subsystem (see Photo 5). I used a similar configuration to control the four Vex motors used on the motion subsystem of my telepod robot (see Photo 6). I plan to use Ada95 to process the telemetry received from each of the telepod’s sensors using an Ada95 data collection application. I will remotely control the telepod by issuing wireless motor command messages to it.
|
| Photo 6—I plan to use Ada95 to process telemetry received from each of the telepod’s sensors. I will incorporate an Ada95 data collection application. This will enable me to remotely control the telepod by issuing wireless motor command messages. |
The advantage of purchasing the kit is that the serial connectors and RS-232 voltage level translations along with the power supply and cables are supplied, including one board that directly connects to the USB port on the laptop. I chose to purchase the kit instead of making the boards for the wireless sensor controller (see Figure 1).
