wowy7, you seem to be struggling a bit with the concept of using a specific voltage for your servos, which is ok. But for you to undertake learning how to program from scratch, for a biped with a controller that you will be lacking helpful programs for, might be setting yourself up for disappointment.
I’m not trying to discourage you but it seems ever helpful piece of advice that we give, you shrug it off and do your own thing. There is a fine line between being creative doing things your own way, and ignoring good advice because it isn’t what you want to hear.
Get yourself 4 rechargeable AA batteries and a plastic case for them. I would buy an SSC-32 if I were you, since you will probably end up needing the visual software to get your biped to do anything but twitch. Seamus if right. You are going to want the “group move” as well.
Just try listening to our advice. We want you to get your robot working. We are only trying to help.
As I’ve stated before, I have used both the Pololu controllers and the SSC-32 in my projects, depending on the application. Recently, when space was at a premium on my testbed bot’s brain-board, I went with a Pololu unit because of its small footprint and the fact that I was only going to be driving a few servos.
My current project - a store-window display for the local hobby shop to promote our robotics club 8) - uses an SSC-32 for a number of reasons, such as channel-count, coordinated group movement, and even the fact that the footprint is the same as that of the ABB.
The downside here is that switching between the two units, I have twice the information to keep track of, in terms of control protocols. Without getting into an “A versus B” type of discussion, I usually prefer the SSC-32 over the Pololu unit, due to a deeper feature set.
[size=75](…and I’m not just saying that because this is a Lynxmotion forum, either!)[/size]
im listning but i told you that i have to choose
what kind of batteries im using i can’t use the ssc-32 because its the size
of the robot it self and yes i am listning to every piece of iformation
you give me i know your not trying to discurege me
just all i wan’t to know right now is what kind of sofware to use for the polulu
thats all i want to know is that so hard to answor .
Actually, that isn’t so hard to answer.
Short answer: I know of no software package that will allow you to work with the Pololu controller in the same way that you can use the SSC-32.
You’ll probably be on your own to develop the movement commands, sequences, and code for use with the Pololu controller.
The SSC-32 has sequencer and interface software for the PC, which allow you to construct and export code for use with microcontrollers. To the best of my knowledge, there is no such software available for the Pololu controller. All of the programming I have done with the Pololu unit has been done directly from the microcontroller level, sending serial commands directly from the micro’s I/O pins, as generated by the program within the microcontroller itself.
One thing to bear in mind about using the Pololu controller: There are 7-bit and 8-bit command modes for sending the servo from one position to another. The 7-bit mode is fairly straightforward, requiring only a value of 0 to 127 (in addition to an attention character, command byte, and servo number), but it will only provide for about 90 degrees of motion from the servos. In order to get the full 180-degree arc, you’ll need to use 8-bit mode, which requires a 2-byte command in addition to the attention, command, and servo number bytes. This means that in order to sweep the range using more than a simple “go to this position” command, you’ll need to break it down into two parts - one for the first half of the arc, and another for the second half. Not exactly the most convenient method in the world, but I guess it works for getting 256 positions from a protocol where every “bit 7” is a zero.
Much more information on how to interface and command the Pololu controller can be found in the user’s manual, available on their website.
(Admin: Sorry for the long-winded explanation - I don’t mean to turn this into a tech support thread for someone else’s product.)
Software wise, you can use batch files to control your servo controller if you want to use a pc to control it. The pololu can operate at 2400 bps, which may be advantagous for radio control if that is desired. In the mini-ssc mode, only three bytes are needed to position a servo. The below link shows some simple programming for servo control. I’d suggest you connect the servos to the controller and test some simple control of the servos prior to actually putting them in a robot setup.
The big picture on the pan/tilt cam setup is that simple servo control is possible even over the net. Simple servo routines are also possible if needed. Might be a little klunky, but simple joystick control of the servos over the net is probably possible too. Below are some small cheap transmitters and receivers that might be of use on a tiny bot.
Below is some more tx/rx info. Most of these are used in rf remote controls and such. I think fsk ones may be more tolerent of interference than the ask ones. I haven’t used them so YMMV.
Be aware that the simple RF modules are NOT just a plug-in replacement for a serial cable. You need some software on each end, but it’s not complicated.
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Photographic proof that Elvis is still alive!!! 
That made my day…nice one.
