It’s really cheap but it does not include any documentation; but don’t panic, all you will need can be found on Internet. And now, the main electronic components: the microcontroller, the dual motor driver, the ultrasonic sensor and the servo:
The microcontroller brain is a Funduino (Arduino Duemilanove clone), and as far I’ve used it (and as other buyer said is fully, at least for software, compatible). Here we will not have any problem because there are a lot of documentation about Arduino and Duemilanove.
A simple hello world example (here the file)
// Blinking LED int ledPin = 13; // LED connected to digital pin 13 void setup() { Serial.begin(57600); printf ("Setup/n/l"); Serial.println("Hello world!"); pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); // sets the digital pin as output } void loop() { printf ("2009"); Serial.println("2009"); digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); // sets the LED on delay(1000); // waits for a second digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW); // sets the LED off delay(1000); // waits for a second }
But to control the two motors this kit use an Dual H-Bridge motor driver (L298). Here (read the Drive Two DC Motors section) you can find a lot of useful documentation and examples, and here and here you can find also more information, specially about electronics.
Here a file with a simple example, and here another example with speed control
int ENA=5;//connected to Arduino's port 5(output pwm) int IN1=2;//connected to Arduino's port 2 int IN2=3;//connected to Arduino's port 3 int ENB=6;//connected to Arduino's port 6(output pwm) int IN3=4;//connected to Arduino's port 4 int IN4=7;//connected to Arduino's port 7 int ledPin = 13; void blink(int times) { while (times>0) { digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); // sets the LED on delay(500); // waits for a second digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW); // sets the LED off delay(500); times--; } } void initialize() { Serial.println("Two motors"); pinMode(ENA,OUTPUT); pinMode(ENB,OUTPUT); pinMode(IN1,OUTPUT); pinMode(IN2,OUTPUT); pinMode(IN3,OUTPUT); pinMode(IN4,OUTPUT); digitalWrite(ENA,LOW); digitalWrite(ENB,LOW);//stop motors digitalWrite(IN1,HIGH); digitalWrite(IN2,LOW);//setting motorA's forward directon digitalWrite(IN3,HIGH); digitalWrite(IN4,LOW);//setting motorB's forward directon } void setup() { Serial.begin(57600); initialize(); } void loop() { int t=1; initialize(); Serial.println("1 Full forward"); analogWrite(ENA,255);//start driving motorA analogWrite(ENB,255);//start driving motorB delay(1000*t); Serial.println("2.1 Turning A"); // Backwards motor A, turning robot digitalWrite(IN1,LOW); digitalWrite(IN2,HIGH);// setting motorA's backwards directon delay(500*t); // full forward again digitalWrite(IN1,HIGH); digitalWrite(IN2,LOW);//setting motorA's forward directon delay (1000*t); Serial.println("2.2 Turning B"); // Backwards motor B, turning robot digitalWrite(IN3,LOW); digitalWrite(IN4,HIGH);//setting motorB's backward directon delay(500*t); // full forward again digitalWrite(IN3,HIGH); digitalWrite(IN4,LOW);//setting motorB's forward directon delay (1000*t); Serial.println("3 Full backward"); // full backwards digitalWrite(IN1,LOW); digitalWrite(IN2,HIGH);// setting motorA's backwards directon digitalWrite(IN3,LOW); digitalWrite(IN4,HIGH);//setting motorB's backward directon delay (2000*t); // Slowing motors Serial.println("4 slowing motors"); analogWrite (ENA,180); analogWrite (ENB,180); delay(1000*t); Serial.println("5 more slowing motors"); analogWrite (ENA,110);//stop driving motorA analogWrite (ENB,110);//stop driving motorB delay(1000*t); Serial.println("6 stoping motors"); analogWrite (ENA,0);//stop driving motorA analogWrite (ENB,0);//stop driving motorB blink (3);
The HC-SR04 ultrasonic distance sensor, example of use (here the file):
/* HC-SR04 Ping distance sensor] VCC to arduino 5v GND to arduino GND Echo to Arduino pin 13 Trig to Arduino pin 12 More info at: http://goo.gl/kJ8Gl */ #define trigPin 9 #define echoPin 11 void setup() { Serial.begin (115200); pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT); pinMode(echoPin, INPUT); } void loop() { int duration, distance; digitalWrite(trigPin, HIGH); delayMicroseconds(1000); digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW); duration = pulseIn(echoPin, HIGH); distance = (duration/2) / 29.1; if (distance > 400 || distance < 0){ Serial.println("Out of range"); } else { Serial.print(distance); Serial.println(" cm"); } delay(500); }
And the Tower PRO SG-90 micro servo (and here the file with the example):
// Sweep // by BARRAGAN <http://barraganstudio.com> // This example code is in the public domain. #include Servo myservo; // create servo object to control a servo // a maximum of eight servo objects can be created int pos = 0; // variable to store the servo position void setup() { myservo.attach(3); // attaches the servo on pin 3 to the servo object } void loop() { // goes from 0 degrees to 180 degrees in steps of 1 degree for(pos = 0; pos < 180; pos += 1) { myservo.write(pos); // tell servo to go to position in variable 'pos' delay(15); // waits 15ms for the servo to reach the position } for(pos = 180; pos>=1; pos-=1) // goes from 180 degrees to 0 degrees { myservo.write(pos); // tell servo to go to position in variable 'pos' delay(15); // waits 15ms for the servo to reach the position } }
Soon I will add an LCD display with 6 buttons