Normally I’m satisfied to simply read the posts and follow the gripping dramas as they unfold, but, I think this project should get a mention - I’ve never read a thread like this one will probably turn out… * nodding thoughtfully * * chuckling occasionally *
In the beginning, there is my employer. Very safety conscious (probably motived primarily by the avoidance of penalties and fines ).
Next, a zealous Safety Monitor, (who really does care about getting people home safely and in one piece), comes up with an idea .
The e-mail goes out to over a hundred employees; "…we need a small, cheap, industrial-bot to build a portable “Machine Safety Guarding Demonstration Cell.” Naturally, no one can find such a bot for under $5000.00.
The irony was too much for me to bear. I raised my suggestion,… “I can build a LYNX L6 arm for your demonstration cell for a few hundred dollars.”
They weren’t laughing They liked the idea! Now I’m on the hook to integrate a LYNX L6 with over $50,000 of high-tech safety guarding.
You know the old saying: “…a $3,000.00 part will fail to save a $3.00 fuse…” (oh, you don’t? well,… you do now - - think "Murphy’s Law and read it again…) I’m being paid to make one!
I just got the kit and I’ve started prepping the plastics. Pics are just now starting to accumulate…
Last weekend we set up the demonstration cell for the first time, to debug the connections and discuss the details of the presentation and level of interaction.
The maiden pitch of this Machine Guarding Demonstration will be this Friday, at the Safety Awareness Fair. There were several operational improvements we identified, however, “90% ready” is how we voted on the overall status. We’ll be ready by Friday, however, there were more NEW ideas than there are hours to implement by Friday - so I can easily see a REV.B immediately after the Safety Awareness Fair.
The people I work with keep kidding me about “…my hobby pushing my career aside” and “making a career out of that toy”… It’s all good - they’re a great bunch to work with. I think they’re jealous
The additional power supply to seperate the logic circuits from the servo circuits solved the problem of servos occasionally ‘dropping out’ of operation. Apparently I was getting some brown-out conditions with a single 6v 2A transformer which the SSC-32 ATMEGA chip did not appreciate. The Mini-ABB board did not ever seem to be effected by the brown-outs… At any rate - the issue is solved now -
I’ll post the code I developed, if there is interest out there…
).
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Naturally, no one can find such a bot for under $5000.00.
I raised my suggestion,… “I can build a LYNX L6 arm for your demonstration cell for a few hundred dollars.” 
They weren’t laughing 
- think "Murphy’s Law and read it again…) 
He missed the delivery by several hours -but hey! Making the little tyke is where the fun is! 