Beginner Advice

Community General Discussions
1

I am new to robotics but would like to learn more about it and become more skilled. I am trying to build a simple robot that has 2 wheels, and a Lynxmotion TRA-01 Line Tracker so it will follow a white line on the ground. But I’m not sure what microcontroller I should choose and if I should use DC motors or servos:confused:. Also I am not yet sure how to connect the sensors / motors to the microcontroller. Thanks for any replys.

2

Thanks for the advice :slight_smile:
But for my project would the Arduino Duemilano microcontroller work with 2 DC motors and a Lynxmotion TRA-01 Line Tracker?

3

Thanks a bunch, the advice was very helpful:)

4

Do you have any suggestions for programming software for the Roboduino?
and thank you very much for all your help:)

5

Thanks :slight_smile::):):slight_smile:

6

Thanks :slight_smile::):):slight_smile:

7

Thanks :slight_smile::):):slight_smile:

8

Hi Domo-origato-mr.roboto,

Welcome to the RobotShop Forum. RobotShop has an online Learning Center where you can learn (almost from scratch) about robotics. If you are entirely new to robotics, we suggest the Curious Inventor Roboduino (assembled)with two low cost Hitec continuous rotation servos. The board is based on the Arduino Duemilanove, but has extra pins so you can connect the servo motors and sensors directly to the board. The general rule of thumb is to use servo motors when you need position feedback over 180 degrees (most servo motors cannot provide position feedback if they are modified to continuous rotation, though some can move past 180 degrees), and use DC motors when you need higher torque and continuous rotation. To complete your project, you would need a 9-12V power supply, a simple frame and a programming cable.

Hope this helps,

9

The Curious Inventor Roboduino is almost exactly the same as the Arduino Duemilenove, but has two extra rows of pins, making it very easy to connect sensors and servos. If you want to use the classic Arduino Duemilanove USB with DC motors, you will need either the Adafruit motor controller shield or similar board.

10

You can use the official Arduino software, it’s totally compatible.

11

you should take a look at the iRobot create on the iRobot website… Search not for one but many solutions.

Good luck,

Jeff