jrichard@hawk.ulowell.edu (MacGyver) (01/07/91)
I am trying to reason out how to send a 8-bit signal from my computer's (amiga) parallel port to my autonomous robot. Right now it looks like I'm gonna have to tear apart a radio controlled car controller/receiver. Is there an easier way? There must be some ICs out there designed for this purpose. Also, does anyone know of a cheap robot parts mail order outfit. I'm looking for an arm (just needs to pick up light blocks), and a camara that sends out a low-res digital signal (I'm kind of a neophyte here). Anything will do here... If have the plans on how it works I'll make it work for me, I just need to get a digitized photo for vision processing. --thanks <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> >John Richardson |"sundogs fire on the horizon < <INet:jrichard@hawk.ulowell.edu | meteor viens stream across the night> >Plan: | ...the spark still flies < <MacGyver-ize programs 'til they | reflected in another pair of eyes." > >work (pass the duct tape please)| -Neil Peart < ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
6600tjkd@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Mad Hatter) (01/08/91)
I read somewhere that it is possible to use CHEAP style walkie-talkies to transfer serial data, it was rigged up with two tone generators (one for a binary 1 and the other for 0). So you would need to get a UART for both ends and two sets of the walkie-talkies one for each transfer direction. I may be able to find the reference for you, but i'm not sure...
hbg6@citek.mcdphx.mot.com (01/09/91)
In article <1683@ulowell.ulowell.edu> jrichard@hawk.ulowell.edu writes: > > I am trying to reason out how to send a 8-bit signal from my computer's >(amiga) parallel port to my autonomous robot. Right now it looks like >I'm gonna have to tear apart a radio controlled car controller/receiver. >Is there an easier way? There must be some ICs out there designed for >this purpose. > I don't know if this will help but... I built a system a while ago which used a garage door opener remote control at transmit parallel data about 500 feet. This takes some serious hacking. First, remove the 8 or 10 position dip switch from the transmitter board and interface your data to the input side of the transmitter chip. In the unit I used, TTL levels worked fine. On the reciever side, locate its dip switch. Follow the traces to the magnitude comparitor chip. Also connected to the comparitor will be a series of traces from some sort of shift register. These traces are where you pick off your data. I also managed to find a signal detect line in the reciever to use as a strobe. This all worked fine and only cost about $35 and several hours work. ( my time was a lot less expensive back then :-) ) Note that there are dozens of different remotes out there so your kind of on your own. If I had to do it today, I'd probably use a cheap wireless mike and a DTMF (touch-tone) chip set. Good luck, John
nagle@well.sf.ca.us (John Nagle) (01/09/91)
This is hard. I know a number of approaches which produce marginal results, and will wait to see if anyone posts a good solution. Modifying model radio control gear is possible but there are serious problems. Modifying cordless telephone gear is also possible. Ham radio TNCs are a reasonable way to go, as are wireless LANs. Whatever you do, it has to have error correction or it won't work. John Nagle
craig@ernie.Rosemount.COM (Craig Taylor) (01/10/91)
How about using cordless phones and modems? Just a thought. -craig
jackm@agcsun.UUCP (Jack Morrison) (01/11/91)
In article <9575@rosevax.Rosemount.COM> craig@ernie.Rosemount.COM (Craig Taylor) writes: >How about using cordless phones and modems? Besides being a bit expensive, you'd have to go through some contortions to get them to work without being connected to a real phone line (unless it had an intercom function). What about an FM wireless mike? I've seen little ones advertised in Radio Electronics for under $15. And 300 baud modems are pretty cheap these days... -- "How am I typing? Call 1-303-279-1300" Jack C. Morrison Ampex Video Systems 581 Conference Place, Golden CO 80401
ins_atge@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Thomas G Edwards) (01/12/91)
In article <22502@well.sf.ca.us> nagle@well.sf.ca.us (John Nagle) writes: >Modifying cordless telephone gear is also possible. Ham radio TNCs are >a reasonable way to go, as are wireless LANs. Whatever you do, it has >to have error correction or it won't work. Note that it is now possible to obtain a technician class amateur radio license (i.e. ability to use Ham band frequencies about 50 MHz) without having to pass a 5 word-per-minute Morse Code test. However, you cannot use amateur radio bands for for-profit purposes, which rules out use by business. -Tom N3HAU