Boe-Bot

I finally assembled my Boe-Bot and was able to write a few programs for it. I took some photos and put them in the photo gallery, which you can access via the link on the right.

I am starting to get familiar with PBasic and will soon be writing programs of my own using it. I will post some of them and explain how they work, and I might even go into detail on some specific commands.

I was looking at Garmin's website today and found some good info for interfacing with my GPSMAP60CS. This should be a fun project.

I have been spending time working on my C programming skills because it has been a long time.

I would like to finish this post with the following note:
When using the PULSEOUT command, in PBasic, be sure to look up the units of duration in the manual for your specific chip. For example, the BS2 has a duration unit of 2-milliseconds. This can be a little tricky if your new to this stuff. Especially if your trying to calculate the time it take your code to run a specific action.

BS2 / Linux

I have started messing with the BS2 chip in my new robot kit and it is a lot of fun. It will be a little while before I start getting into the actual building of robots. For now I am planning to focus on the programming side of things. The photo above is a programming board with my BS2 microcontroller installed.

I spent a little time learning something about the DEBUG PBasic command, which is an integral part of using the Parallax chips.

The best place to start is by getting the manual for your specific chip from the Parallax, or other vendors website.

I will also, eventually, be venturing into the Linux world of robot control. It is getting very popular and it seems to be where the industry is heading. For now I am focusing on learning as much as possible about Linux. I have had a Linux box as my home computer for several years now and figured it is time to dive in to the hardcore stuff.

Good Article

I thought this was interesting:
http://world.honda.com/news/2007/c070109ASIMO/

Microcontroller Research

I've done a great deal of research and have come to a conclusion. A good microcontroller to start with is a BASIC Stamp 2 (BS2) by Parallax. The BS2 uses a form of "BASIC" as it's programming language. There are hundreds of different brands on the market and you can get overwhelmed very quickly if your a newbie.

There are two other microcontrollers worth mentioning:
Javelin Stamp, which can be programmed using Java.
Oopic, which also uses an objected oriented language.

I even found a cool kit, which is used for learning how to program robots and various components. The kit is called the Boe-Bot. It comes with a programming board and all the components you need to get started.

Intro

Let me start by telling you a little about myself:

I have a college degree in Mechanical Drafting, and a second in Mechanical Engineering. I have been in the Information Technology (IT) industry since I have been out of college; about 9 years. I am currently a Java Software Developer/Engineer.

As a result of being in the IT field I never get opportunities to do the things I really enjoy, which are working with my hands on mechanical and electronic projects. Don't get me wrong, being a developer does have it's perks too. I have always just been a hands-on type of person.

Ever since I was a child I dreamed of working for NASA's space program helping create rovers, shuttles and all sorts of other cool stuff. Well, let me tell you, my childhood dream has been slightly derailed. My current goal is to get back on track and fulfilling my dreams.

My interests are now in micro-controllers and such. This is where I believe my software development experience will be a great asset to me and my future.

So my plan is to start brushing up on, and expanding my skill sets by learning about, and building robots. Robots touch on various areas in science, engineering, mathematics, electronics, and programming, which is all the stuff I love. Besides, it is a great deal of fun... It makes a wonderful hobby.