Have any of you seen these cut-back versions of XP. I think they call them Portable installations. Designed to fit onto and run from a USB memory stick.
Hijack…
Nah, there was mention that Windows is too resource hungry to use on these smaller computers. The protable versions are so stripped back that all the resource hungry stuff has gone and works well on this type of system.
Much the way Linux has been stripped back. Also XP Embedded is designed specifically for this type of system…
How about starting a new ITX discussion thread rather than keep doing it here in my project thread since the platform for my rov is already decided and purchased and none of this has much bearing on what I am doing at this point.
Thanks.
Apologies…
See ya…
Eddie,
nice work on the chassis.
Just a thought but I came across some software you might find useful
litepc.com/
Just to get you running a little more lean
nick_a
very interesting. thanks. they have a demo download. I’ll have to check it out and see if it’s “friendly” or causes any issues. I’ll post back with anything I find out once I’ve had a chance to try it.
Eddie,
Drawing inspiration from your work , I have started a larger version of my tracked bot from several months ago putfile.com/pic.php?img=3057510 . I wanted to ask - how do you like the noeprene tires for idlers? Are they too soft to support a 30 lb bot? I ask because like you - I too while be installing a PC into my bot and eventually increasing motor power. Too soft a tire could present a problem.
putfile.com/pic.php?img=5007237
putfile.com/pic.php?img=5007236
putfile.com/pic.php?img=5007238
thanks in advance for your input and anyone one else who may
chris
wow, that chassis looks good, motors look tiny too xD
btw, wat are you using as the chassis material, it looks all to perfect yo make a bot with 
Chunga,
Thanks
Those extruded aluminum T bars are great for quick, strong (several years ago I put a hole in my drywall when I lost control of a drill motor powered bot that used this same chassis material) prototyping and completion. They are heavy though in the 1 inch width. You can get smaller though. The best part is that they are reusable. I have used the same pieces for three years now. Just recycling from project to project.
Dont let the size of the motors fool you. They are 7.2volt 28mm planetary with Mabuchi 380 motors putting out 104 oz-in per amp at 32 amps for 100 rpm (over 3000 oz-in). They are about ten times more powerfull than the 12v spur gearheads that I had been using to drive the smaller platform with. (Much larger planetary gearheads are on the horizon - once I can convince me wife to let me)
Chris
u know where i can get some of it? 
(sry for hijacking 
)
Wow, I agree the Al T bars look really nice. If I were to make a tracked bot, I would definitely use something like that. I also would like to know where you get those motors and how much you paid. They look small enough to possibly use in some kind of upgraded servo design, which is my current main project. 7.2V motors with over 3000 oz/in. of torque sound perfect for my OpenServo 805 mod, although 32A current draw seems a little much.
hey that’s a great way to make a chassis and it’s super adjustable too.
the foam wheels I used are dave brown, uh, something-lite made for parkflyers. I think 30lbs is probably quite a bit for them even doubled up like I have them. Figure they are made for a 2lb maybe a 3lb plane tops on a pair. with 3" track you could use 3 or 4 stacked (I’ve got 2 stacked on 2" track but I centered them) but I bet you’ll still get a lot of compression at 30lbs. Have to figure that’s 15 lbs per side spread across 4 sets of wheels so 3-5lbs per wheel set depending on terrain. 3 or 4 stacked to a set would probably be ok but I wouldn’t rely on just 2 doing the job. I think if you used regular 2 to 2-1/2" model aircraft wheels though, perhaps with a grass tread on them so they are more flat, a pair would support the weight. I have a couple glow/IC planes in the 5-8 lb range and the tires used seem to support the load just fine.
Eddie,
sorry for thread deviate. Thanks for the breakdown on your thoughts. I will have to do some calculating myself and see if this is a nice fit. Your platform looks excellent and I was hoping to steal the idler idea but it may be my platform is a little chunky and thus the foam wheel idler may go flat. Thanks again for your thoughts
Tillman -
the gear motors are
banebots.com/pc/MP-28XXX-385/MP-28256-385
the stock motors
banebots.com/p/M1-RS385-72
the replacement motors
rcuniverse.com/pgarchive/GWS_EM400.htm
the stock motor without gearbox was 9.52 oz-in at 17 amp stall while the mabuchi GWS EM400 has 16.25 oz-in at 32 amp. With the geared stock -2437 oz-in. Thus the geared EM400 is 16.27/9.52 * 2437 = 4164 oz-in on paper.
I will inline a 25 amp fuse and purpose stall for meltdown and see.
Chris
Yea, we should continue this in a new thread to avoid hijacking. Both the RS-385s and the GWS400 motors look good. The $2.05 price for the 385s seems almost too good to believe. The geardown ratio I have in my 805 is at least 250:1 meaning if there is no catch (and there always is) it should be a good drop in replacement with some higher current FETs to up my torque considerably. Maybe the electronics of the 805 really are the weakpoint and with a big enough powersupply/ better FETs the motor in there can do close to 2000 oz/in itself? Anyway, thanks for the info. and links. I’ll be putting in for some of these motors fairly soon.
Please post your test results on the forum! I’m sure Jim will be interested too for his gearhead servo project.
I worked on this a bit this weekend, well the mechanical bits. I’ve been picking away at other bits over the last two weeks but nothing really to show there yet.
So anyway… perspective shot of the nose minus the ping sensor and half of the camera mount. Ping is on single axis. Camera is on 3, maybe 4 axis as I have not decided yet. Depends on what I find for a webcam.
close up of using the LPA as support for the SES arm to support the camera, obviously not complete or even all tightened down yet.
the sharp ir sensors are set back some and can be adjusted once I get the circuits done to interface to them to the PC. Pardon the scotch tape holding it together for pics but I reeeallly need some of the stuff in the lynxmotion order I’m awaiting. 
this is the mini-ITX being setup and used to center servos and stuff.
and, um, somewhat sad but, most of what’s left of the BRAT plus a few other odds and ends and tools.
Other than figuring out WHAT I am going to do on the back end nothing really is different yet so I’ll save the bandwidth. anybody got a nice chunk of extruded heatsink 2-1/2" wide and 8" long kicking around? Thought I’d find something in the scrap metal bin at work but no luck yet. 
I’ll probably just use a chunk of 0.125" thick aluminum and call it good until I stumble across something cool looking to use instead. anyway, that replaces the back beveled section and the dual speed control will bolt nicely to it and the whole thing will close up snug and look like somebody planned it that way and all.
EB
:mrgreen:
Nice! 
wow, looks good, that gonna be used for indoor or outdoor stuff?
Nice computer! It’s tiny! How big is the hard drive?
Post 150!!! Yay me! 
8)
That thing is looking awesome. Very professional looking.