Cytron Technologies Blog - Robot.Head2Toe

Yes, it has been a long time for  new DIY projects to launch since last PR23. Well, usually we launch the PR (we call DIY project as PR) once a year. Most of our DIY projects are being designed and developed by our trainee who undergo their internship here. Although the project is challenging for the trainee especially those who have no experience in robotic or embedded system, trainees manage to finish the project in the training period with the help from cytron engineer. If you have any suggestion or idea on coming DIY projects, please feel free to give comment. Now,  lets’ see what are the new DIY projects and what can they do.

PR24: PID Motor Controller

Motor control is always crucial in Robotic and Automation system. Your system can’t move without actuator right? In order to better control the motor, you need to implement some closed loop system - PID. You’ve probably seen the terms before: P - Proportional, I - Integral, D - Derivative. These terms describe three basic mathematical functions applied to the error signal , Error = Set value - Output value. This error represents the difference between where you want to go (Set), and where you’re actually at (Error). However, in order to get a good result, you need to tune the PID controller. Tuning a system means adjusting three multipliers Kp, Ki and Kd adding in various amounts of these functions to get the system to behave the way you want. So simple, yet so powerful! Curious how to transfer this mathematical functions into code and implement it? Then you should take a look on this PR24.

PR25: RFID Door Lock

Bored on the key lock and keypad security lock? Want something different? Wireless communication is emerging as one of the more promising and useful forms of data transfer. And one of the wireless technology that is on its way to becoming another common, everyday use of RF communication is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Similar to bar codes, but much more powerful and flexible, RFID is a system of storing information on a tag and having the ability to read it from a distances of up to forty feet. This RFID system can be seen anywhere nowadays, such as Touch’n Go card and pass card in corporate. Now, you can make your own room-door lock with this PR, cool right? The RFID reader use Wiegan format which is different from RS232 protocol (most reader use RS232 including PR8). All the information can be found in PR25 documents.

PR26: USB Game Controller

I’m sure everyone know USB (Universal Serial Bus). USB is a bus standard for serial communication. Originally intended as a replacement for serial and parallel connections on a PC to connect mice, keyboards and printers, it has grown to be the standard interface between a PC and its many and varied peripherals. For those who have attended our “USB from scratch” workshop, should be familiar with USB. Interested to develop a PIC USB device? This PR use PIC18F2550 to create one of the USB device class which is HID (Human Interface Device). It’s too complicated for me to describe the USB device here. So, for more info, check this PR out!

PR27: Multi UART interface

Do you still remember cytron’s sample application, ScorBot? The robot used SK40B (16F877A) as main controller to interface with SC16A(servo controller) and SKPS(PS2 Controller kit) in order to control the servo motors’ movement from PS2 joystick controller. How are they connected together? The system is something like below:

Main controller, 16F877A connect with other two controller via two UART. However, 16F877A only consists of one UART peripheral, so another UART need to be self programmed! That’s the idea for this PR27. Inside this PR, you will learn how to write your own UART protocol in software. We have given out the sample code, including communication between PC with PR27 using UC00A (USB to serial convertor which is optional compoent in PR27).

These PRs are open source microcontroller based DIY kits. Cytron Technologies uploaded these projects with the aim to assist hobbyist and students to pick up embedded system application and development. All documents including schematic, source code, detail description and etc are free to obtain at DIY projects website. Yupe, even the source code is opened, you can study the code before you purchase the DIY kit. However, all the source code provided are only samples, and we do not provide further support on it. Whoever should take own initiative to continue develop the project. Sharing and suggestion is always welcome, if you have done something creative and you are proud of it, please send us some photos and descrition on it. We may share it with the public.

Good luck!