PBP projects for R/C models

[Kenjones1935]

A couple of things:

1. Part of STEM at middle school level is "How things work". Computers including PIC's are "digital" - 1's and 0's. Each step away from pure machine language hides this basic fact. That physical phenomena like sound and light can be represented by 1's and 0's is my point. What is analog? What is digital? These are not part of this project, but it shows where I am thinking. (What is an echo and how can its response time be characterized in binary. What is hexadecimal?)

My PIC is on a prototype board inside the plastic body of a radio control car. This car body has holes for the two sonars, the six lead connector to which the USB connects, and for screw driver access to the speed controlling potentiometer.

Velocity is of the essence. Speed is the hook. That and the model level RC car's miniaturization of automobile mechanics. Turn over a model level RC car. Get in a grease pit and look up at a modern car.

The 1997 Cadillac Deville has 13 or more computers on board depending on which options in contains. Imagine the 2010 version. I think the 2010 Lexus car can back itself into a parallel parking spot. HOW DO THINGS WORK?

Ken

[Kenjones1935]

Is there a freeware version of C available for the 16F887? Is there a library available?

Is there a freeware version of C available for another more sophisticated PIC? I think I see something in the "MPLAB C18 C" reference in the MPASM Assembler HELP GUI. Is there a PICKIT that carries a PIC for which there is an available C package?

Ken

[ScaleRobotics]

Is there a freeware version of C available for the 16F887? Is there a library available?

Is there a freeware version of C available for another more sophisticated PIC? I think I see something in the "MPLAB C18 C" reference in the MPASM Assembler HELP GUI. Is there a PICKIT that carries a PIC for which there is an available C package?

Ken

I've never used any of the Hitech compilers, but there is Hitech C Lite version:

pic10-16 http://www.microchip.com/stellent/id...cName=en542849

And for more power full chips..... But for your project, I don't see why you would need anything more than a PIC18, or PicBasic for that matter.

PIC32 http://www.microchip.com/stellent/id...cName=en542866

Then, there is alway StickOS, which I think would be great for your kids starting out to learn how to control a MCU in basic, with no cost for development tools. Only problem is you can't (as far as I can tell) do anything else while you are sending a servo a signal. But might be interesting as another tool, or to talk to a main (backpack like) chip. Easier to learn than PicBasic.

http://www.cpustick.com/

[mackrackit]

Not C...
I have been wanting to try this
http://www.crownhill.co.uk/level3.php?cat=270&sec=1
http://www.myamicus.co.uk/content.php?117-Documents

[cncmachineguy]

Great find Dave, and if I read correctly, still makes use of PBP

[mackrackit]

Great find Dave, and if I read correctly, still makes use of PBP

Or this
http://www.myamicus.co.uk/content.ph...CUS18-Compiler
FREE!!!

[Kenjones1935]

scalerobotics wrote:

Only problem is you can't (as far as I can tell) do anything else while you are sending a servo a signal.

That's OKAY. Right now all I do is:

LOW trigright
HIGH trigright
HIGH trigright
HIGH trigright
LOW trigright
PULSIN echoright,1,rangeright 'measures the range in 10uS steps
PAUSE 10 'Wait for ringing to stop - read SF05 spec.

This seems to work flawlessly.

Ken

[Kenjones1935]

http://www.cpustick.com says in its 2nd paragraph:

Additionally, when coupled with an optional Freescale MC13201 ZigFlea™ Wireless Transceiver, the MCU may be remotely controlled by another MCU, via a telnet/rlogin-like interface, eliminating the need for a direct connection to the host computer altogether. Also, BASIC programs may trivially remotely access variables on other MCUs, enabling the use of “remote pin variables” or other forms of inter-MCU communication.

Do you think I could get the robocars to communicate with each other using this? This could add greatly to the number and types of games or competitions we could devise. All this with 8K of program memory? Really?

Ken

[ScaleRobotics]

That may work as well, but I would right click, and save link as..... You should get to keep it in its hex format. Although it might be called xx.hex.txt . You can just delete the .txt if this is the case.