OK, I thought I had verified the version when I first got it. At the time I didn’t need to use the EEPROM, but I did want to verify it.
I’ve downloaded the 1-1gbeta.abl firmware (I’ve already got the Sequencer program).
I’m looking forward to hearing about the new version! Will an .ABL or .HEX file for the full chip be available as well? It’d be easier to download then get it shipped. I have the chips already, and the hardware to program it. But I can see that you might not want to release it that way.
So much happened here while I was away at my first day of college classes (yay!!! Long 3 hr lectures make my head hurt. woot!!!)
The video was tiny, but I more or less saw what was happening. So, its not like a click once and it does the SEQ? You actually control the things that it does manually? Thats pretty cool.
Your going to release it? T___T See, now i’m going to want to spend my money on a hexapod rather than pay my loans =/
Hi!
In the demo i first initate all 6 steps of the walking gait, then I press one button called “generate gait!” and the program generate one walking gait sequence.
The advantage with this method is that you can make your own gait sequence with almost any pose of the legs and body you want. The legs must of course be in a position that allow them to be moved without crashing with the neighbour leg .
Ex: Imagine that you have created a very cool threatening pose (with all legs on the ground of course), then it’s rather easy to initate 6 steps based upon this pose. After that you press the button “generate gait!” and you got a walking and attacking hexapod.
hehe
Very well done! I like the attack mode of your hexapod and the flexibility of your excel tool in general. This is definitely something missing in my program.
A 3D simulator application and zenta’s excel based control system is something that I will definitely want to look into when I start work on my Nano-ITX rover. Very large possibilities with the two combined.
An excel based control system allows for rapid development and a customizable GUI, which makes life much easier.
And a 3D Simulator looks cool (:P), plus it can be used while your batteries are recharging and also removes all human errors (servo not in zero position, or screws too tight, ect) from the program.
I forget which servos work ok at 7+volts so someone else will have to fill that in, but the biggest risk in using LiPo packs is you need to be careful not to exceed the maximum current discharge rate (amperes) and not to discharge them below roughly 3V per cell (although different cells might handle 2.9 or 2.8 just fine.) If you pick your cells based on something like 3A per servo times the number of servos that should pretty easily be a never exceed number. I would suggest putting a fast blow fuse for that rating in the circuit. Then you just need some way to make sure you never go below 6V (on a 7.4V pack) which could be as simple as just having your software poll the cell voltage on an A/D channel (appropriately scaled of course) and disabling the servos if the voltage is too low.
An example, you have say 6 servos, 3A per servo is 18A, so if you buy 20C rated LiPos that would be 20 / 18 = 1.11. So a 2S 1100mah 20C pack fused at 15A (a common automotive fuse value) and protected in software for 6V minimum voltage should do the job nicely.
hehehehe, I actually ran 5645s at 9v for 4 hours without noticing it. They were super jumpy. I wouldn’t suggest overvolting servos! You can get a voltage regulator and make a little regulating circuit so 7.4v input turns into 6v output.
Regulator is a good idea although you need to consider the current level. Lynxmotion sells a decent, high-current, regulator for this purpose. Another though that just ocurred to me is that a 2S pack right off the charger can be close to 8.4V not the 7.4V nominal value. This really re-enforces the need for a regulator to run off of a 2S LiPo pack.
I know about the precaution using/ discharging LiPo’s. But it was a great tip using a A/D to check the voltage! Thanks!
So you don’t think Hitec servos can handle 7,4 ~ 8v? A very simple and cheap way to lower the voltage is using a rectifier diode which will drop the voltage with 0,8 ~ 1 volt. Ex. BYW31 rectifier diode.
Anyway, my Phoenix need more power… Currently I’m using 5 AA cells NiMh 2700 mAh. NiMh works fine for about 10 - 15 min, after some heavy walking she looks like a almost dead spider! LOL Just laying with her body to the ground while her legs try to do something weird…
Another option is the M1 LiPoFe4 cells from A123 systems at 3.3v and 2300mah. flat discharge curve, safer, higher discharge rates, and only a little heavier. I have also heard they don’t have as much of the fresh charge effect. Buy a $100 dewalt 36v pack, which has ten cells, and make two 2s2p packs at 6.6v and 4600 mah.
Good tip regarding LiIon’s from Dewalt.
I saw another forum where they talked about just that: unitedhobbies.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=595 Getting two 2s2p for under the price of one from A123, not bad at all… 8)
I tried it with MS notepad before but notepad’s “find and replace” function didn’t work with TAB.
But do you mean TextPad or TexPad?
I downloaded TextPad, but it is a trial and it’s more expensive than another program I have tried. TextPad’s “find and replace” function worked with TAB, only had to type \t.
While searching for texpad I found a program called notepad light, and it was freeware! notetab.com/
And the “find and replace” function worked fine with TAB here too ! 8) YES!!
Only had to type ^t for TAB. I have not tried it against Visual Sequencer yet, but I think it works fine.
Anyway thanks for your tip leading me to a freeware program!
I have used notepad to find and replace with tabs. You have to place a tab in a text editor and then copy and paste it into the find and replace boxes.
Notepad takes ages to do its find and replace. I downloaded a program called subpad, and it works a million times faster. After waiting for about 5 minutes for notepad to replace all my spaces with tabs, I got over it and used subpad. It did it in less than 1 second.
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