Robot Building for Beginners

Home Page......Page 1
Contents at a Glance......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
About the Author......Page 32
About the Technical Reviewers......Page 33
Acknowledgments......Page 34
Not Ready to Learn How to Solder?......Page 35
Getting Updates and Seeing What’s New......Page 36
Anatomy of a Homemade Robot......Page 37
Unknown......Page 0
Electrical Power......Page 39
Power Regulation......Page 40
Sensors......Page 41
Movement......Page 43
Body......Page 45
Taking Small Bites......Page 46
Making Modules......Page 47
Keeping It Fun and Keeping It Light......Page 48
Onward and Upward......Page 49
Ordering Free Information......Page 51
Comparing Prices......Page 53
Saving Money......Page 54
Following Instructions......Page 57
Hanging Glasses and Placing Them Face Up......Page 58
Wearing Other Safety Clothes......Page 59
Washing Before Eating......Page 60
Lead......Page 61
Mercury......Page 62
Using Rechargeable Batteries and Professional Transformers......Page 63
Connecting Through Circuit Breakers and GFCI Outlets......Page 64
Saving the Ground Prong......Page 66
Sizing Up Motors......Page 67
Staying Rested and Level-Headed......Page 68
Must-Have Features......Page 69
Digits......Page 70
Overload/Fuse Protection......Page 71
Capacitance......Page 72
Duty Cycle......Page 73
Auto Power Off......Page 74
Maximum......Page 75
Inductance......Page 76
RS-232/USB Data Interface......Page 77
Bar Graph......Page 78
Memory......Page 79
AC Features......Page 80
Obtaining Hook Probe Adaptors......Page 81
Understanding the Features of a Low-End Multimeter......Page 82
Understanding the Features of a Mid-Range Multimeter......Page 84
Understanding the Features of a Higher-End Multimeter......Page 86
Comparing Prices with Features......Page 87
Proceeding Without a Meter......Page 88
Reducing Powers of a Thousand......Page 89
M & m......Page 91
Abbreviating Units......Page 92
Too Little......Page 93
Guessing Missing Units......Page 94
Expanding from Three Digits......Page 95
Converting Colors to Numbers......Page 96
Base Subjects Covered......Page 98
Robot Line-Following......Page 99
Picking Line Marking Material......Page 100
Curving and Crossing Lines......Page 102
Picking the Robot’s Size......Page 103
Seeing Sandwich......Page 104
Line-Following Switch......Page 105
Power Source and Power Switch......Page 106
Sensors and Headlights......Page 107
The Brains......Page 109
The Muscle......Page 110
Sandwich Body......Page 111
Connecting It Together......Page 112
Building Up......Page 113
Nine-Volt Batteries......Page 115
Setting Up a Multimeter for Voltage Testing......Page 116
Interpreting Test Results......Page 118
9 V Battery Characteristics......Page 119
Recommended Nickel-Metal Hydride......Page 120
Lithium-Polymer......Page 121
Alkaline......Page 122
Specialized Use Lithium......Page 123
Titanium and Ultra......Page 124
Battery Brand Names......Page 125
Mounting Batteries......Page 126
Powering Forward......Page 128
The Gators Are Hungry Tonight......Page 129
Obtaining Hook Clips......Page 130
Testing Jumpers......Page 131
Setting Up a Multimeter for Continuity Testing......Page 132
Testing an Open Connection......Page 133
Testing a Shorted Connection......Page 134
Discovering Unintended Connections......Page 135
Plumbing with Jumpers......Page 136
Obtaining a Resistor Variety Pack......Page 137
Understanding Size and Tolerance......Page 138
Cut It Out......Page 139
Obtaining a Wire Cutter Tool......Page 140
Measuring Resistance......Page 141
Interpreting the Resistance Displayed on the Meter......Page 142
Experiencing Resistance Ranges......Page 143
Looking Up Resistor Values Online......Page 144
Obtaining Storage Cases......Page 145
Resisting the Temptation to Skip Ahead......Page 146
Using Calipers to Measure LED Diameter......Page 147
LED Shapes......Page 149
Water Clear......Page 150
LED Colors......Page 151
Relating Color to a Wavelength......Page 152
Super Ultra High Brightness to the Max......Page 153
Extreme Close Up of an LED......Page 154
Identifying Multicolor LEDs......Page 155
Full Color......Page 156
Setting Up a Multimeter for Diode Testing......Page 157
Interpreting LED Test Results......Page 159
Forward Voltage Drop......Page 160
Brightening Your Way......Page 161
Testing the Parts Before Assembly......Page 163
Reading a Schematic......Page 164
Building the Power Indicator Circuit......Page 165
Understanding the Roles of Each Component......Page 166
Measuring In-Circuit Voltage......Page 167
Measuring Voltage “Drop” or Voltage “Across” a Part......Page 169
Measuring Current Flow......Page 171
Extending Battery Life......Page 173
Selecting Resistors......Page 174
Don’t Measure Voltage with Probe in Current Terminal......Page 175
Circuit Summary......Page 176
Solderless Breadboards......Page 179
Connecting with Holes......Page 180
5-Position Group......Page 181
Center Gap......Page 182
Binding Posts......Page 184
Banana Plugs......Page 185
Hungry for Breadboards......Page 186
Solderless Breadboard Wire......Page 187
Choosing Jumper Wire......Page 189
Obtaining Flat, Ready-Made Jumper Wire......Page 190
Stripping the Insulation Off of the End of the Wire......Page 191
Cutting the Wire to Length......Page 192
Selecting Electrical Pliers......Page 193
Making The Connection......Page 196
Considering Power Sources......Page 197
Connecting Power to Binding Posts......Page 198
Understanding SPDT......Page 200
Connecting Power Buses......Page 201
Adapting Multimeter Probes Using Jumper Wire......Page 202
Connecting the Lower Bus......Page 203
Installing a Power Indicator LED......Page 204
Checking Voltages at Certain Points......Page 205
Demystifying the Robot’s Power Switch......Page 206
Ready for More......Page 207
Potentiometers......Page 209
Trimpot......Page 210
Turning the Dial......Page 211
Measuring the Maximum Resistance of a Potentiometer......Page 212
Measuring the Variable Resistance of a Potentiometer......Page 213
Variable Brightness LED Circuit......Page 214
Building the Variable Brightness LED Circuit......Page 215
Building the Brightness Balanced LEDs Circuit......Page 216
Cadmium-Sulfide Photoresistors......Page 217
Obtaining Assorted Photoresistors......Page 218
Light-Controlled Circuit......Page 219
Balanced Brightness-Sensing Circuit......Page 220
Matching Photoresistors......Page 221
Resistance-Balancing Potentiometer......Page 222
Calculating the Voltages......Page 223
Evaluating Test Point 1......Page 224
Building the Balanced Brightness-Sensing Circuit......Page 226
Inability to Balance the Brightness-Sensing Circuit......Page 227
Voltage Comparator......Page 229
Turning to the Datasheet......Page 230
Inspecting the Pinouts......Page 231
Obtaining Comparators......Page 232
Comparing a Schematic with a Wiring Diagram......Page 233
Drawing Connected and Unconnected Wire......Page 234
Building the Brightness Comparator Circuit......Page 235
Having Fun with the LED Indicators and Light Sensors......Page 236
Diagnosing Problems in the Brightness Comparator Circuit......Page 237
Understanding the Headlight Circuit’s Two LEDs......Page 239
Building the Headlight Circuit......Page 240
Determining the Number of LEDs that the Battery Voltage Can Support......Page 241
Appreciating a Simple Mind......Page 242
Defining Negative Power......Page 243
Pushing the 2907A’s Button......Page 244
Testing Bipolar Transistors with a Multimeter......Page 245
Testing a Transistor When You Have the Datasheet......Page 246
Testing with a Multimeter that Has a Diode Test......Page 248
Examining the Schematic for the PNP Transistor Test Circuit......Page 250
Dimming the LED for Reverse Connections......Page 251
Building the PNP Transistor Test Circuit......Page 252
Examining the Schematic for the NPN Transistor Test Circuit......Page 253
Brightness Comparator Circuit with Transistors......Page 254
Identifying Stresses Beyond Official Limitations......Page 255
Building the Brightness Comparator Circuit with Transistors......Page 257
Summarizing PNP and NPN Transistors......Page 258
How DC Motors Work......Page 259
Stator......Page 260
Rotor......Page 261
Looking Inside an Iron-Core Permanent-Magnet DC Brushless Motor......Page 263
Comparing Coreless vs. Iron Core......Page 265
Selecting a Motor for the Simple DC Motor Circuit......Page 266
Building the Simple DC Motor Circuit......Page 267
Rotational Speed Characteristic of DC Motors......Page 269
Measuring RPM......Page 270
The Significance of Distance in Torque......Page 272
Sliding Torque......Page 274
Understanding the Relationship Between Voltage and Speed......Page 275
Examining Periods of Widely Changing Current Consumption......Page 277
Efficiency Characteristic of DC Motors......Page 280
Electrical Noise Characteristic of DC Motors......Page 281
Summarizing the Characteristics of DC Motors......Page 282
DC Gearhead Motors......Page 283
Revealing Pairs of Smaller and Larger Gears......Page 284
Gearbox Shaft......Page 285
Odd Gear Ratios......Page 286
Looking at Real Gears......Page 287
Comparing Planetary Versus Spur Gearhead Motors......Page 288
Choosing a Gearhead Motor......Page 289
Moving Forward......Page 290
Obtaining the Gearhead Motors......Page 291
Current Usage of the Gearhead Motor......Page 293
Introducing the Diode......Page 295
Picking the Schottky Barrier Diode......Page 296
Building the Motors onto the Brightness Comparator Circuit......Page 297
Repeating the Setup for the Other Transistor......Page 298
Completing the Electronics......Page 299
Anatomy of a Wheel......Page 301
Creamy Air Filling......Page 302
Tire Shapes......Page 303
Tire Width......Page 304
Tire Diameter......Page 305
Calculating Linear Speed......Page 306
Reasons for Choosing LEGO Wheels......Page 308
Wheel Choice for Sandwich......Page 309
Determining Minimum and Maximum Diameter......Page 310
Determining the Maximum Diameter Based on Speed......Page 311
My Choice of Wheels for Sandwich......Page 312
Compensating for Larger Wheels with Lower Voltage Batteries......Page 314
Obtaining New Alternative Wheels......Page 315
Cleaning Tires......Page 317
Rolling Along......Page 318
Alternatives......Page 319
Tubing......Page 320
Specifying and Obtaining Tubing Sizes......Page 321
Telescoping Tubing Required......Page 322
Fitting the Motor Shaft into a Tube......Page 323
Tube Cutter Tool......Page 324
Variable-Speed Rotary Tool......Page 325
Finishing the Cut by Sanding......Page 327
Testing the Cut Pieces......Page 328
Selecting a LEGO Cross Axle Length......Page 329
Gluing the Coupler Together......Page 330
Notching the Cross Axle......Page 331
Using Epoxy......Page 332
Marking a Hole for the Setscrew......Page 333
Drill Press......Page 334
Drilling the Hole for the Setscrew......Page 335
Tapping the Hole for the Setscrew......Page 336
Admiring the Coupler......Page 337
Solder Wire......Page 339
Flux......Page 341
Soldering Iron......Page 342
Soldering Sponge......Page 343
Helping-Hand Tool......Page 344
Desoldering Vacuum Tools......Page 345
Steps of a Typical Soldering Session......Page 346
Get Ready to Solder......Page 347
Putting Together the Motors and Switches......Page 349
Preparing and Attaching the Motor Wires......Page 350
Holding the Motor Firmly and Preparing the Soldering Iron......Page 351
Soldering the Motors......Page 352
Protecting Soldered Joints with Heat-Shrink Tubing......Page 354
Adding Connectors......Page 357
Obtaining the Line-Following Switch......Page 364
Preparing and Attaching the Switch Wires......Page 365
Soldering the Line-Following Switch......Page 366
Putting Together the Tube LED Circuit......Page 369
Examining the Tube LED Circuit Schematic......Page 370
Obtaining the Power Switch......Page 371
Soldering Experience......Page 372
The Line-Following Circuit......Page 375
Tweaking For Better Performance......Page 378
Point-to-Point Soldering Versus a Printed Circuit Board......Page 379
Laying Out the Line-Following Circuit Components......Page 381
Keeping the Components on the Board During Soldering......Page 384
Creating Power Distribution Buses......Page 387
Soldering the Remaining Components......Page 389
Testing the Robot’s Electronics......Page 390
Checking All Leads that Connect Directly to Positive Voltage......Page 391
Measuring the Power Off Resistance......Page 392
Measuring the Voltage Drop......Page 393
Holding Your Breath......Page 394
Vision Revision—Accepting Constraints Based on Available Parts......Page 395
Plastic Prototyping—Constructing Models with LEGO Bricks......Page 396
Origami Helper—Bending Paper Before Bending Metal......Page 397
Converting and Recycling Everyday Items for Robot Bodies......Page 398
Marking and Determining Space Required By the Circuit Board......Page 399
Positioning the Template Stickers on the Container’s Sides......Page 400
Making Pilot Holes and Drilling Screw Holes......Page 401
Introducing the Grinding Stone Accessory......Page 402
Mounting the Motors......Page 403
Obtaining Metric Screws......Page 404
Creating the Motor Tube......Page 405
Cutting the Motor Tube......Page 406
Sanding the Motor Tube......Page 407
Removing the Label Residue......Page 408
Widening the Motor Diameters......Page 409
Installing the Motors and Tube......Page 410
Installing the Power Switch......Page 411
Installing the Line-Following Switch......Page 412
Adding the Circuit Board......Page 413
Selecting and Obtaining Spacers......Page 414
Installing the Circuit Board......Page 415
Carving Out a Window in the Container Lid......Page 418
Ready to Roll......Page 419
Checking the Power Supply......Page 421
Balancing the Sensors......Page 422
Checking the Motors......Page 423
Determining the Light and Dark Positions of the Line-Following Switch......Page 424
Trial Run: Following a Straight Line......Page 425
Sensors Placed Too High or Too Low......Page 426
Objectively Evaluating the Sensors and Headlights......Page 427
Following a Dark Line......Page 430
Following a Light Line......Page 431
The Maiden Voyage......Page 432
Modifying the Course......Page 433
Protecting Against a Reversed Battery......Page 434
Eliminating Surges with Capacitors......Page 435
Analyzing Cornering, Frame By Frame......Page 436
Final Bow......Page 439
Logic Chips......Page 441
Capabilities of Microcontrollers......Page 442
Choosing a Microcontroller......Page 443
Voltage Regulator Types......Page 444
Capacitor Roles......Page 445
Solar Power......Page 446
BEAM Robots......Page 447
Pushbuttons......Page 448
DIP Switches......Page 449
Tilt Sensor......Page 450
Temperature Sensors......Page 451
Object Detection and Infrared Remote Control......Page 452
Distance and Object Sensor......Page 453
Oscillators and Crystals......Page 454
Relays......Page 455
Adding Gears......Page 456
Servos......Page 457
Encoders—Determining Wheel Speed......Page 458
Wireless Data and Control......Page 459
Compost Cart......Page 460
Micro Snowplow......Page 461
Worldwide Robot Sumo......Page 462
Atlanta Robot Vacuuming......Page 463
Chicago Area Robotics Group (Chibots)......Page 464
The Great Wide Open......Page 465
Magical Ohm’s Law......Page 467
Help in Determining Current from a Voltage......Page 468
The Key Point of Ohm’s Law......Page 469
Which Way Does a 9 V Battery Get Installed?......Page 470
Melting Switches......Page 471
Popping Multimeter Fuses......Page 472
Ground, Not Negative Voltage......Page 473
Practical Example......Page 474
A B......Page 475
C......Page 476
D......Page 478
G......Page 479
K......Page 480
L......Page 481
M......Page 482
O......Page 483
R......Page 484
S......Page 485
T......Page 487
V......Page 488
W Z......Page 489