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Old 11-04-2009, 12:10 AM   #1
SuperDude123
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Robotics with Linux


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Lets say we want to control a basic DC motor (future goal would be a remote controlled car, and if we really went all out, the control signal would come in through a wireless network card), how does one do it with a PC or other?
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Old 11-04-2009, 12:34 AM   #2
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Lets say we want to control a basic DC motor (future goal would be a remote controlled car, and if we really went all out, the control signal would come in through a wireless network card), how does one do it with a PC or other?
buy an old 486 with a parellel port.
parellel port is easy to use.
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Old 11-04-2009, 12:39 AM   #3
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I have a 386, and a Pentium 200 Mhz. What do I do next with them?
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Old 11-04-2009, 01:46 AM   #4
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do ether have a parelell port? how much ram?
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Old 11-04-2009, 09:49 AM   #5
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64 mb on the 200mhz, 8 i think on the 386, and yes both do have parallel ports
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Old 11-04-2009, 01:18 PM   #6
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there are actually 2 robotic's distros out there
one is Python based
http://pyrorobotics.org/?page=PyroLiveCD

the other is Java based
and made from Knoppix
I cant remember its name....
oh, robohobby
http://www.robohobby.com/robohobby_linux_live_cd.jsp

maybe that helps?
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Old 11-04-2009, 01:31 PM   #7
smeezekitty
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you can load a small linux distro on the 200mhz one, and control you robotics from there.
http://www.faqs.org/docs/Linux-mini/...ogramming.html
http://logix4u.net/Legacy_Ports/Para...terfacing.html
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Old 11-04-2009, 03:23 PM   #8
salasi
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Originally Posted by SuperDude123 View Post
Lets say we want to control a basic DC motor (future goal would be a remote controlled car, and if we really went all out, the control signal would come in through a wireless network card), how does one do it with a PC or other?
By 'control' do you mean something like proportional control, or is switching it on and off enough for you? And how much current and voltage to you have to control (and with a motor there is the inductive spike, too)? So you probably have to use something between, eg, the parallel port and the motor, or you'll blow the parallel card.
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Old 11-04-2009, 04:26 PM   #9
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What would you use to control say a DC motor under 24 volts? Is there a circuit diagram available?
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Old 11-04-2009, 08:33 PM   #10
smeezekitty
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What would you use to control say a DC motor under 24 volts? Is there a circuit diagram available?
you will need transistors and relays or large transistors.
Quote:
By 'control' do you mean something like proportional control, or is switching it on and off enough for you? And how much current and voltage to you have to control (and with a motor there is the inductive spike, too)? So you probably have to use something between, eg, the parallel port and the motor, or you'll blow the parallel card.
proportional control can be simulated by quickly pulsing the parelell port on and off (pulse width modulation).
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Old 11-04-2009, 08:37 PM   #11
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http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Robotic...face/Computers
that may help
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Old 11-10-2009, 11:11 AM   #12
jefm
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Check out the Basic Stamp or other microcontrollers.
The controller can do the real world I/O while the computer does the computing.
It will take some programming, but the Stamp can take commands from the computer and provide real world data when queried.
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