Some noob questions regarding SSC-32

[zenta]

Hi Alan,

@KM6VV

Another question. Is there a “single step” for SEQ? I’d like to be able to take steps one at a time, and see the values for the servos (4 in my case).

Agree, that would be very useful!

@KM6VV

Also, for small 'bots, can the servo boxes be made bigger? I’d like to see more precision on the sliders.

More precision? A little hint about SEQ and the sliders: If you use the mousewheel or the keyboard arrow keys the slider moves with its highest precision (1 microsec step). And the servoslider moves with 10 microsec step with the Page Up and Page Down keys!

[robotdude]

@Robot Dude

You’re in luck, we are releasing the SSC32-2.01GP firmware today. 8)

Firmware (scroll to the bottom)
lynxmotion.com/Product.aspx? … #downloads

Source code
lynxmotion.com/images/html/proj078.htm

Enjoy…

[fish-5]

@KM6VV

Another question. Is there a “single step” for SEQ? I’d like to be able to take steps one at a time, and see the values for the servos (4 in my case).

If you click on the “lock” checkbox by the “goto” button, you can scroll through your steps one at a time using the green arrows, and your robot will move to each one.

Is that what you had in mind, or am I completely off?

[zenta]

@Fish (Admin)

@KM6VV

Another question. Is there a “single step” for SEQ? I’d like to be able to take steps one at a time, and see the values for the servos (4 in my case).

If you click on the “lock” checkbox by the “goto” button, you can scroll through your steps one at a time using the green arrows, and your robot will move to each one.

Is that what you had in mind, or am I completely off?

Ok, I thought he was refering to the GP sequencer in SEQ.

[fish-5]

@zenta

Ok, I thought he was refering to the GP sequencer in SEQ.

Oh… I think you’re right… Maybe I should read the whole thing before trying to help.

If it is GP Sequencer, then I have no idea

[km6vv]

Hi Kåre!

@zenta

Hi Alan,

@KM6VV

Another question. Is there a “single step” for SEQ? I’d like to be able to take steps one at a time, and see the values for the servos (4 in my case).

Agree, that would be very useful!

@KM6VV

Also, for small 'bots, can the servo boxes be made bigger? I’d like to see more precision on the sliders.

More precision? A little hint about SEQ and the sliders: If you use the mousewheel or the keyboard arrow keys the slider moves with its highest precision (1 microsec step). And the servoslider moves with 10 microsec step with the Page Up and Page Down keys!

Thanks for the tips! Dragging the slider with the mouse is not working very well for me.

Alan KM6VV

[km6vv]

Hi,

I’m on the Sequence screen. I see the lock and the green arrows now, but I thought they were for the project! Thanks, that seems to work (simulated, anyway for now).

@zenta

@Fish (Admin)

@KM6VV

Another question. Is there a “single step” for SEQ? I’d like to be able to take steps one at a time, and see the values for the servos (4 in my case).

If you click on the “lock” check box by the “goto” button, you can scroll through your steps one at a time using the green arrows, and your robot will move to each one.

Is that what you had in mind, or am I completely off?

Ok, I thought he was refering to the GP sequencer in SEQ. :?

The mouse scroll and pgup/pgdn keys work too!

@Robot Dude

You’re in luck, we are releasing the SSC32-2.01GP firmware today. 8)

Great news! Thanks.

Alan KM6VV

[ZeRoCoOl]

@Laureatus

Hello ZeRoCoOl

the best way to use sequences is to use the GP Firmware/sequencer + a 24LC256 or 512 external EEPROM.
so you don’t need to use the Botboard+Chip to store and handle sequences, you just need it to control what sequence to play according to sensors input etc…
the GP sequencer allows to control speed from -100 to +100, so you just need to build a forward sequence then use a negative speed ratio to go backward.

there’s no mirror feature in SEQ, i think i will add this.

Erm… I’m a little lost here

Just to clarify, the GP Firmware/Sequencer is referring to the SSC-32 Sequencer??

And I just need to plug in a 24LC256 or 512 external EEPROM to my current board to store in the sequences? Cos I’ve got a couple of spare 24CL512 lying around

Do I need to upgrade my Atmel chip together with SSC32-2.01GP firmware ?? And upgrade to which: ATMEGA168-20PU or ATMEGA168V-10PU ??

I’m using this version SSC32-1.06XE (when I ordered) of the sequencer

[robotdude]

@ZeRoCoOl

Just to clarify, the GP Firmware/Sequencer is referring to the SSC-32 Sequencer??

GP firmware is referring to the SSC-32 servo controller. It’s the code that makes it work. XE has a 12 servo hexapod sequencer built in to the firmware, but GP has two general purpose sequencers built in. It can store sequences in the EEPROM and the host micro can select which sequence to run, and at what speed and direction. We are uploading some instructions for it’s use today.

@ZeRoCoOl

And I just need to plug in a 24LC256 or 512 external EEPROM to my current board to store in the sequences? Cos I’ve got a couple of spare 24CL512 lying around

The 1.03GP firmware works, but it had a bug that was not addressable with the Mega 8 chip, so we decided to drop that version and port it to the mega 168.

@ZeRoCoOl

Do I need to upgrade my Atmel chip together with SSC32-2.01GP firmware ?? And upgrade to which: ATMEGA168-20PU or ATMEGA168V-10PU ??

Yes we are selling a preprogrammed 168 for $10.00.

@ZeRoCoOl

I’m using this version SSC32-1.06XE (when I ordered) of the sequencer

You seem to be using “servo controller” and “sequencer” interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Hope this helps…

[ZeRoCoOl]

@Robot Dude

GP firmware is referring to the SSC-32 servo controller. It’s the code that makes it work. XE has a 12 servo hexapod sequencer built in to the firmware, but GP has two general purpose sequencers built in. It can store sequences in the EEPROM and the host micro can select which sequence to run, and at what speed and direction. We are uploading some instructions for it’s use today.

@Robot Dude

You seem to be using “servo controller” and “sequencer” interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Hope this helps…

Ok, the GP firmware is the SCC32 servo controller. But where do I get this software? I was reading the manuel and it mention about the alternative GP sequencer Firmware (pg 14)

So this GP sequencer firmware is also part of the Visual Sequencer?

@Robot Dude

The 1.03GP firmware works, but it had a bug that was not addressable with the Mega 8 chip, so we decided to drop that version and port it to the mega 168.

Does this bug occurs in the 1.06XE version? OR do I have to upgrade both the chip and firmware before I can use the EEPROM?? OR can I don;t upgrade and still use the EEPROM?

@Robot Dude

Yes we are selling a preprogrammed 168 for $10.00.

Great! But With the addition of postage + currency convertion + tax… It getting pretty $$$ for a chip . I was planning to order 2 piece from farnell and burn in the firmware myself once I can sort out how to go about doing it

Another NEW question:

It just hit me, I’ve got spare PARALLAX RF TX/RX antennas link lying in my lab. Am I able to replace the serial cable to my com with these instead?

I know there are ppl already using Bluetooth to control their bot, but now I wan to use RF instead. Is it possible since the antennas are one way only?

Meaning: They are specifically TX antenna and RX antennas. I planning to link a RX to the SSC32 and a TX to the computer serial port via a MAX232 line driver cct.

From the data sheets: there are 3 pins: Gnd, Power, Data
The power connection is straight forward connection, but the data pin is the one that I am concern. Do I also connect it to the RX pin on the bot?

OR can I convert the DB9 via a MAX232 line driver and link it to the antenna pins?

Now I’m running a impossible tight time schedule, so for the presenation/demo I plan to run my quad from the computer terminal using these RF antennas and using a onboard power, so that my quad can “walk” around without dragging a cable behind it

**This site ROCKS!

[robotdude]

@ZeRoCoOl

Ok, the GP firmware is the SCC32 servo controller. But where do I get this software? I was reading the manuel and it mention about the alternative GP sequencer Firmware (pg 14)

It’s on the product page, scroll to the bottom.
lynxmotion.com/Product.aspx? … #downloads

@ZeRoCoOl

So this GP sequencer firmware is also part of the Visual Sequencer?

No, but the Visual Sequencer (SEQ) does make it easy to fill the EEPROM with properly formatted data for the Projects you teach the robot to do with the SEQ. This greatly simplifies the use of the GP sequencer engines in the SSC-32.

@ZeRoCoOl

Does this bug occurs in the 1.06XE version? OR do I have to upgrade both the chip and firmware before I can use the EEPROM?? OR can I don;t upgrade and still use the EEPROM?

1.06XE does not support the EEPROM. Only the GP versions do. You can use the older 1-1Gbeta (sorry not 1.03GP) will work, but like I said there is a small bug that was not correctable with the mega 8 chip. I recommend you upgrade the chip if you are interested in experimenting with this.

@ZeRoCoOl

Great! But With the addition of postage + currency convertion + tax… It getting pretty $$$ for a chip . I was planning to order 2 piece from farnell and burn in the firmware myself once I can sort out how to go about doing it

We have everything you need to burn your own chip.
lynxmotion.com/images/html/proj078.htm

@ZeRoCoOl

Another NEW question:

It just hit me, I’ve got spare PARALLAX RF TX/RX antennas lying in my lab. Am I able to replace the serial cable to my com with these instead?

I know there are ppl already using Bluetooth to control their bot, but now I wan to use RF instead. Is it possible since the antennas are one way only?

Meaning: They are specifically TX antenna and RX antennas. I planning to link a RX to the SSC32 and a TX to the computer serial port via a MAX232 line driver cct.

From the data sheets: there are 3 pins: Gnd, Power, Data
The power connection is straight forward connection, but the data pin is the one that I am concern. Do I also connect it to the RX pin on the bot?

OR can I convert the DB9 via a MAX232 line driver and link it to the antenna pins?

No no no, the programming is bidi, you can’t use one direction RF for programming.

@ZeRoCoOl

Now I’m running a impossible tight time schedule, so for the presenation/demo I plan to run my quad from the computer terminal using these RF antennas and using a onboard power, so that my quad can “walk” around without dragging a cable behind it

**This site ROCKS!

Hope this helps…

[tolisn]

We have everything you need to burn your own chip.
lynxmotion.com/images/html/proj078.htm

Can you please upload the fuse bits that have to be programmed for the bootloader?

[robotdude]

@tolisn

We have everything you need to burn your own chip.
lynxmotion.com/images/html/proj078.htm

Can you please upload the fuse bits that have to be programmed for the bootloader?

I’ll get the info and post it later today, hopefully… Sorry

[robotdude]

Mike told me…

“They are similar to the ATmega8 bootloader, except they need to have a 256-word boot block. I don’t have the exact settings here at work so it will need to wait for tonight.”

I will post the info tomorrow.

[ZeRoCoOl]

@Robot Dude

No no no, the programming is bidi, you can’t use one direction RF for programming.

Oic, the servo controller also send back data to the computer? I thought it was a 1-way thing: Com — data ----> servo controller.

Following the Bluetooth instructions, can I assume I just need to connect the RX to TX and TX to RX and Gnd of the DB9 on the computer to that of the servo controller?

Is there any programming settings that I need to reconfigure? OR it’s a simple plug and play issue

Thank you

[robotdude]

@tolisn

We have everything you need to burn your own chip.
lynxmotion.com/images/html/proj078.htm

Can you please upload the fuse bits that have to be programmed for the bootloader?

Please redownload the btldr168.zip file. It now includes a jpg screen cap of the fuse bits.

[robotdude]

@ZeRoCoOl

Oic, the servo controller also send back data to the computer? I thought it was a 1-way thing: Com — data ----> servo controller.

Following the Bluetooth instructions, can I assume I just need to connect the RX to TX and TX to RX and Gnd of the DB9 on the computer to that of the servo controller?

Is there any programming settings that I need to reconfigure? OR it’s a simple plug and play issue

Thank you

Programming an Atom with the Bot Board is bidi and will not work as a one way serial connection.

The SSC-32 can work perfectly with a one way connection if you are controlling it from a micro or an application that does not need information back from the SSC-32.

[tolisn]

@Robot Dude

@tolisn

We have everything you need to burn your own chip.
lynxmotion.com/images/html/proj078.htm

Can you please upload the fuse bits that have to be programmed for the bootloader?

Please redownload the btldr168.zip file. It now includes a jpg screen cap of the fuse bits.

Thank you Sir

[ZeRoCoOl]

@Robot Dude

Programming an Atom with the Bot Board is bidi and will not work as a one way serial connection.

The SSC-32 can work perfectly with a one way connection if you are controlling it from a micro or an application that does not need information back from the SSC-32.

I mean to ask, can I replace the bluetooth adapter and use RF antennas to control the servo control from the PC terminal?

** I’ve just tested using the same connections as the bluetooth adapter but fail to connect to the computer.

I’ve interfaced the RF anetennas to com port 1 on the computer and another pair onto the SSC32, but I’m unable to get a connection.

I’ve tried changing the different baud rates and even flipping RX/TX connection to the SSC32 board like the bluetooth tutorial BUT still failed…

Wonder if there is anyone who have tried using RF instead of the bluetooth adapter?

Cheers

[robotdude]

What PC application are you using to talk to the SSC-32? SEQ, or LynxTerm, or something else? Have you used the RF modem sucessfully before? What baud rate is it capable of working at? 2400, 9600? You can’t just start changing connections and setting haphazardly and hope it will work.