I understand that one can control a bot wirelessly with a PS2 controller and the Bot Board. Is this possible with just the SSC-32? Or, must the SSC-32 be bridged with the Bot Board?
Hello,
the SSC-32 card is ‘just’ a great servo controller + 4 A/N or digital inputs.
You can’t plug a PS2 controller on it.
So, you must use a bot board linked with the SSC-32 !
Some PS2 controller are not compatible with Basic Atom Microcontroller (the Madcatz wireless Lynx 800Mhz and the Madcatz wireless 2.4Ghz are compatible), but you can use a Basic Stamp too if you want (it seems it’s more compatible with PS2 Microcontroller).
does anyone have tested with a Basic Atom Chip and the Madcatz 2.4Ghz Microcom ?..i plan to buy one if it’s ok, thanks!
Sorry I haven’t tried the 2.4ghz but any micro controller that outputs a 5v TTL level signal can talk to a PS2 controller. I’ve tried many different ones and all work with a standard Atom. The AtomPro can also drive any of them but it can’t drive any of them when paired with a Bot Board. The Bot Board is setup to use P6 and P7 of the Atom/AtomPro to talk to the PS2 controller. On the AtomPro these are 3.3v I/O pins. Some PS2 controllers (eg. the Sony wired controller) will NOT talk over a 3.3v signal line. The MadCatz Lynx and a wireless Logitech work fine on a 3.3v line(though I don’t recommend the Logitech in general, it’s very slow). So if you are using a Bot board I’d recommend the MadCatz Lynx wireless when using an AtomPro. I don’t know about the newer MadCatz but I’d guess they will work as well.
Nathan
Hello NickReiser,
Have you considered using 802.11 for wireless control of the SSC-32? The performance over 802.11 is unbeatable. I sell a very inexpensive 802.11 kit that makes any serial connection wireless. It also has a built-in web server and GPIO lines. Checkout my website at wibotics.com.
Sincerely,
David Garske
Wibotics
[email protected]
Yep, in fact, I’ll be purchasing that around Christmas time. I gave up the idea of controlling a biped with a PS2 controller simply because there are so many servos. I’m also thinking about purchasing sparkfun’s Bluetooth SMiRF as well so that I can see for myself which I like using better.
Don’t fully give up with the PS2 controller. Did you know that the controller has the select button that can cycle through different programs. In other words, you can control 2 times the number of buttons that you can already control. I hope that makes sence 
.
Even so, I will have to control 19 servos…
PS2’s work fine with the vehicles and multi-leg bot’s because their motions are repettetive.
With a humanoid biped, the servos will be functioning much more dynamically.
A computer as a controller allows for extreme processing power and less weight and size of the bot (no microcontroller).
Plus, a keyboard has about 50-60 standard keys. When you add in the shift, ctrl, alt, and fn buttons (and all of the combinations of those) you end up with a nearly endless amount of macro, position, program, and etc. triggers.
While remote control with a PS2 is possible, I just don’t think it’s feesable.
When in doubt, I apply the general rule of engineering:
K.I.S.S.
The PS2 controller has 16 buttons. With Robo-One bots the gaol is to have canned routines that start from a standing (home) position. So they all start and end in the home position. Well excepting for the get up from laying down routine. If you use the dpad as a shift you can actually have something like 47 separate canned routines. The SSC-32 is capable of connecting to the PS2 controller, but a pullup needs to be added, and the firmware needs to be modified to utilize it. Mike has shown interest in this, and the General Purpose Sequencer firmware he will do on Christmas break is a precursor to this functionality. Good things are coming!
Hmmmm…
I’d like to program intermediary moves…
I don’t like the idea of having to go back to home position to commit another move.
I want the flexibility of changing where my bot hits its opponent at the last second.
This would make it possible to fake a punch to the right shoulder, and change it to the left hip.
While it’s true that such complications would be largely unneeded due to the current simplicity of humanoid fighting in general, more keys would mean more expandability as the competition inevitably grows in tactics.
I guess I just broke my K.I.S.S. rule, didn’t I?
Oh, well, I’m a rebel.
Besides, I like my laptop, and I’ve never had a playstation, so it wouldn’t feel natural to me.
I’m not saying that the PS2 wouldn’t be a good option, I’m just saying that I couldn’t feesably see myself using it.
Understandable. It seems to me that it would be easier to use the PS2 conrtoller because,
- I enjoy playing games alot
- It has been proved to increase hand eye motion
- I have a wireless controller!