It was quite cheap.
[url]https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__26270__Mr_General_My_First_Robot_Kit.html[/url]
43 USD + shipping.
Really fun thing to make, I learned a lot.
Nice, now you should rebuild it but with protoboard instead of a breadboard.
Did you do any sort of configuring of the servos center points with the microcontroller/software?
[QUOTE=Tw34k;44442444]Speaking of protoboard
Do any of you gents have a good source on some decent pad quality perf/proto/strip boards that are moderately priced?
I'm sorta getting tired of these ebay boards with what I'm assuming are glued on pads with how easily they flake off.
Aww yeah, this hotness right here...
[url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/140765639135?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649[/url][/QUOTE]
Haha, and don't you just love how you open the package it came in and your room fills up with this cheap ass PCB smell that stays around for a month?
[QUOTE=Tw34k;44445783]Nice, now you should rebuild it but with protoboard instead of a breadboard.
Did you do any sort of configuring of the servos center points with the microcontroller/software?[/QUOTE]
What's a protoboard? Isn't that the same as a breadboard :v:
No the servos haven't been calibrated or anything, that's something I need to take a look at.
[QUOTE=Swebonny;44448871]What's a protoboard? Isn't that the same as a breadboard :v:
No the servos haven't been calibrated or anything, that's something I need to take a look at.[/QUOTE]
A protoboard in it's most basic form is just a PCB with many holes on a 0.1" grid (like a breadboard), but without any connections between the holes. There are many different forms of protoboards though, including breadboard-layouts like this:
[t]http://www.wrighthobbies.com/image.php?type=T&id=131[/t]
The benefit is that the connections are permanent, and thus less susceptible to mechanical factors resulting in bad connections (aka the parts don't fall out). You also have a lot less parasitic capacitance.
[QUOTE=Swebonny;44445226]Finished soldering and wiring my Mr General robot!
Although I think I need to take a look at the code instead of randomly uploading samples.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arlKJsmM_e8[/media][/QUOTE]
WTF HAHA, kinda cute though
I want to get started with FPGAs. What would be a nice dev board for a beginner?
[QUOTE=TTSDA;44463921]I want to get started with FPGAs. What would be a nice dev board for a beginner?[/QUOTE]
I think the DE0-Nano might be a good starter FPGA board, as it's not too expensive, but has some stuff to play with on the board (8 LEDs, 4 switches, 2 buttons, accelerometer, ADC, 2Kbit EEPROM, 32MB RAM, and a 50MHz crystal) in addition to a buttload of IO pins to play with.
The Altera software is a huge download (over 3 GB!), and a bit of a bitch to deal with at first, though once you figure out how to import the board's pin assignments and how to work the programmer, it's not so bad. I have yet to touch any of the simulation stuff though, so I can't tell you how any of that works.
As far as I can tell from their site, the main downsides to the DE0-Nano are that the GPIO pins aren't 5V tolerant (You'll release the magic smoke), and that it's kind of expensive for being so bare-bones.
I don't know what the software is like for other FPGA vendors, so there's probably something out there that's a bit cheaper and a lot more beginner-friendly, and I'm a hell of a noob when it comes to FPGA dev, so take everything I've said with a grain of salt.
[QUOTE=Lapsus;44466507]I think the DE0-Nano might be a good starter FPGA board, as it's not too expensive, but has some stuff to play with on the board (8 LEDs, 4 switches, 2 buttons, accelerometer, ADC, 2Kbit EEPROM, 32MB RAM, and a 50MHz crystal) in addition to a buttload of IO pins to play with.
The Altera software is a huge download (over 3 GB!), and a bit of a bitch to deal with at first, though once you figure out how to import the board's pin assignments and how to work the programmer, it's not so bad. I have yet to touch any of the simulation stuff though, so I can't tell you how any of that works.
As far as I can tell from their site, the main downsides to the DE0-Nano are that the GPIO pins aren't 5V tolerant (You'll release the magic smoke), and that it's kind of expensive for being so bare-bones.
I don't know what the software is like for other FPGA vendors, so there's probably something out there that's a bit cheaper and a lot more beginner-friendly, and I'm a hell of a noob when it comes to FPGA dev, so take everything I've said with a grain of salt.[/QUOTE]
I'm 2/3 courses through with my DE2 board, Altera's software suite is nowhere as well developed as the IDEs you may be used to in high level development. Haven't used Xilinx FPGAs, so cant comment on that side of things.
Right on, I've got a DE2 sitting here on my desk, though I have yet to use it much because I'm kinda bad at self-directed learning, and I'm having trouble switching my brain from arduino style programming and python to verilog.
[editline]6th April 2014[/editline]
Just found [url=http://www.joelw.id.au/FPGA/CheapFPGADevelopmentBoards]this site[/url] via google, seems to be a pretty good list of inexpensive FPGA dev boards with a quick summary of what they include and what they cost.
The massive proprietary toolchains are what put me off of FPGAs the most.
The Xilinx IDE is pretty solid. Used Spartan Virtex 3s a fair bit at uni, they're moderately expensive to get going with (probably $200ish) My only gripe is that the standard in built simulator is very very basic, however you can get Modelsim to work with it with a bare minimum of effort which gives much better simulation.
Could any experienced electrical engineer explain me what is this and how it works...?
[IMG]http://uploadffs.nl/images/2014/04/06/9xdjW.jpg[/IMG]
It appears to be a CRT monitor attached to a computer of some kind :v:
Magic.
[QUOTE=Vule;44468539]Could any experienced electrical engineer explain me what is this and how it works...?
[IMG]http://uploadffs.nl/images/2014/04/06/9xdjW.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
It's a cathode ray tube, it works by bombarding a phosphor screen with beams of electrons to cause specific parts of the phosphor to glow. :v:
I heard it is some kind of microprocess control, but i need specifics, how it's done, how it's programmed, how it works, etc.
[QUOTE=Vule;44469720]I heard it is some kind of microprocess control, but i need specifics, how it's done, how it's programmed, how it works, etc.[/QUOTE]
Google, look in books, anything for Cathode Ray Tubes
[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;44469767]Google, look in books, anything for Cathode Ray Tubes[/QUOTE]
I think he's actually referring to how an industrial control system is implemented.
[QUOTE=Vule;44469720]I heard it is some kind of microprocess control, but i need specifics, how it's done, how it's programmed, how it works, etc.[/QUOTE]
You may want to look into SCADA- supervisory control and data acquisition; it's the closest I can come up with to refer you to. It's a little bit of a tangent from EE to that though.
If you're talking general terms, what you're looking for is process control theory; check out a book called "Advanced Control Unleashed" if you're interested in that kind of thing.
[QUOTE=Alternative Account;44470498]I think he's actually referring to how an industrial control system is implemented.[/QUOTE]
Ah my bad, I was short sighted and thought he was just referring to the screen itself.
[QUOTE=Vule;44468539]Could any experienced electrical engineer explain me what is this and how it works...?
[IMG]http://uploadffs.nl/images/2014/04/06/9xdjW.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
Would love to get hold of some of these things, or design one XD
anyone have any recommendations for interfacing with a 24 pin soic? Hopefully one that doesn't involve me ordering a board that will take a few weeks to get here.
[QUOTE=SteelReal;44473412]anyone have any recommendations for interfacing with a 24 pin soic? Hopefully one that doesn't involve me ordering a board that will take a few weeks to get here.[/QUOTE]
You may be in luck as soics tend to have the same pitch as DIPs, thus you may be able to carefully bend the pins into a dip arrangement.
[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;44473450]You may be in luck as soics tend to have the same pitch as DIPs, thus you may be able to carefully bend the pins into a dip arrangement.[/QUOTE]
SOIC has exactly half the pitch of DIP.
Yeah, I tried turning the ic upside down and bluetacing it to a piece of perfboard and running small stranded wire from each pin to a header. But that was a little dificult as my iron's tip isn't small enough.
I want to improve my soldering setup after having one hell of a time with my shitty Weller iron and solder recently.
I've been using some 1.6mm lead free shit for a while, since that's what the Canadian Tire near my house sells. I was in Princess Auto today and stopped by the soldering isle and found some 1mm 60/40 stuff, which should be better but I'd still like ~0.5mm if possible. I just can't find any in retail stores.
As for a new iron, I'm about to pull the trigger on this Hakko FX888D iron: [url]http://www.ebay.ca/itm/281104049653?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649[/url]
It's a bit expensive ($131 after import tax and shipping), but I'd rather get something that will last.
[QUOTE=SteelReal;44473821]Yeah, I tried turning the ic upside down and bluetacing it to a piece of perfboard and running small stranded wire from each pin to a header. But that was a little dificult as my iron's tip isn't small enough.[/QUOTE]
If you have one, I think Radioshack sells adapter boards for a few SMD chips.
I know, surprised the fuck out of me, too!
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