This particular router runs only different flavors of Linux and vxWorks. You cannot run windows on it as Windows minimum system requirements are way higher then whatever is insider that box.
If you are asking if it is possible to control this robot from Windows then the answer is definitely yes. You can control it from any OS that has telnet or SSH clients, including Windows, Linux, MacOS, FreeBSD, BeOS etc.
I meant control the robot from Windows. Thanks!
$40.00 and you can make any SSC-32 controlled bot work wirelessly?
The one I have here is powered from 9vac and 1000mA wall pack. If it’s a simple bridge rectifier perhaps you can just power it from 9vdc.
Well, $40 after rebate + S/H, but that doesn’t change overall price much. The sweet part is that you can develop any high-level protocol to control the servos. For now it uses command line and shell scripts, but it also could be web interface, WAP interface (so you can control it from a cellphone), standalone app that talks to some server running on that device and so on.
I’m powering everything from a 9.6V 1600mAh battery pack which is enough for at least 30 minutes of operation. I can’t say exactly how long it lasts but the one I use is several years old, so new one should last longer. The camera is actually powered from 9V battery, but you can connect it to the same pack too.
Very interesting! So what would be the minimum configuration in order to allow a PC to send it commands as if it were sending them to a serial port? Is that even possible? 
This one should be good: picotux.com/, but it is not wireless.
I think that WRT54GL would be the best one from price/performance prospective. I don’t know any cheaper platform that is capable of running linux, has wireless capabilities and low price. If someone could suggest better alternative I would appreciate that.
Well you went the other way. I’m looking at the router as a cheap way to make a wiport. I’m not really interested in the linux or programmable aspect of your project. 
Another alternative might be to use a bridge/print server/wifi game adapter along with a chip based web server. Below is some info on the Siteplayer web server chip. The chip has some capability to send out rs232 communications, but I’ve haven’t seen a real clear setup on it yet.
ringolake.com/pic_proj/servo … vo_SP0.htm
edit: below is a link with some technical details for web serial communication with the siteplayer.
Thinks sockets, Jim. The router already does TCP/IP, so use the native capabilities. I can already do sockets in Python. 
8-Dale
The router will probably need to be reprogrammed in some form or fashon to support custom applications. Most routers already contain web servers, but are only set up for router configuration and not I/O applications.
Right! It should not be difficult to setup a small socket server on a WRT54GL, which can be expanded as required.
8-Dale
Did you build a program to send commands through the serial port?
Yeap. All commands are implemented as shell script that is loaded automatically on each login. This makes commands for controlling robot available in shell. So right after login you can issue robot commands like “look up”, “turn left”. Just run those commands like you run “ls”, “vi”, “df” and other linux commands. You do not have to deal with serial port directly.
Why don’t you like “telnetd” and “sshd” “socket servers” currently implemented? They are very expandable, just login and issue any command you want. You also have entire flexibility of shell script, so you can program all kids of loops, conditional behavior etc. You also can use entire power of linux so the robot can behave different ways depending on many factors like date, random number, user name etc. It also can send outside anything you want. Unfortunately WRT54GL doesn’t have USB interfaces so it can’t send pictures from web camera outside but I gonna fix that a bit later so it will be capable of keeping security perimeter too
What is your internet GUI that you use to control the bot? How is the GUI generated? Does the GUI have mouse point & click control capability? I think web page based (HTTP) controls may be much more simple to develop and use than a telnet based GUI, but I would need to see your control GUI to really know more. As to cams, a wired network cam should work with most any router as long as the software loaded into the router chip still supports router functions.
Im kind of confused by this actually. Couldn’t you just use a USB dongle and the router to communicate wirelessly and create a GUI which outputs commands to the SSC-32’s serial port? Or is that what you have done. Im confused about the whole linux thing you guys are talking about.
Unfortunately you can’t do that with WRT54G series - they neither have USB nor RS-232 ports. You can hack the device and attach RS-232 interface to the router (the web is full of such hacks). What I proposed is a connecting SSC-32 right to TTL level serial available on the WRT54G board. This is cheaper and simpler approach.
You can use USB-to-Serial adapter with those routers that do have USB port, but typically such routers are more expensive and you still will have to reflash them with more appropriate OS like OpenWRT.
Check out this WRTSL54GS router. It looks like it might be good for hacking, and it is supported by OpenWRT (I checked), and probably DD-WRT (unconfirmed).
8-Dale
I know this router. It costs $105 (checked via pricegrabber) and requires USB to RS232 adapter which is another $10-20. I just tried to keep the project as cheap as possible.
However I agree that for anyone who has extra $60 and doesn’t have soldering iron WRTSL54GS might be a better solution. Thanks for pointing that out!
I’m working on the web interface. Unfortunately I’m a bit overloaded at my primary work, so the web interface + some extensions are delayed. I’ll post update in this thread as soon as it is ready.
