IBOTZ PICOBOTZ User manual

PICOBOTZPICOBOTZ

No part of this manual may be reproduced with express permission of iBOTZ (Ireland) Limited.1

iBOTZ Ltd 2004

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No part of this manual may be reproduced with express permission of iBOTZ (Ireland) Limited.2

Programming Picobotz™

The Picobotz™ can be programmed with up to 180 instructions. The programs are written on a

PC running Windows and downloaded into the Picobotz through an RS232 port.

When the Picobotz is switched on, if the programming cable is plugged in then the Picobotz waits

for communications from the PC. If the programming cable is unplugged then the Picobotz starts

to execute its current program.

If you forget to turn off the Picobotz, it will beep once a minute. There is a "Reminder" timer which

is reset whenever the motors are turned on or off, whenever the PC sends a command to the

Picobotz, whenever the Picobotz beeps and whenever the ResetTimeout instruction is executed

(see below).

Plugging-in the programming cable

Plug the programming cable into a spare COM port in the back of your PC. The COM port should

have 9 pins arranged like this:

If it has 25 pins:

then you will need a 25-way to 9-way convertor.

Plug the other end of the programming cable into the Picobotz and turn the Picobotz on. Make

sure you plug the cable into the robot before you turn the robot on.

Run the Picobotz.exe program on the PC and select the Options|Comms menu command. The

COM port dialog will appear:

If the program is successfully communicating with the Picobotz robot then the message "Comms

with Picobotz successful" will be shown.

If the program cannot communicate with the robot then the message "No Comms with Picobotz"

will be shown. Select another COM port number; check that the cable is plugged in properly and

that the Picobotz robot is turned on.

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Activity 1: Downloading a Program from the PC

In this Activity, you will learn how to download a program to the robot and run the program.

Select the File|Open menu command and load the file Tutorial1.ptz.

Select the Program|SendProgram menu command or click the Download button or press the

F8 key

Put the robot on a clear part of your desk.

Select the Program|Run menu command or click the Run button or press the F9 key. (Leave

the cable plugged in.)

The program in the Picobotz will start to run. The robot will alternately spin left and right.

Press the stop button or switch the robot off then back on again (with the cable still plugged

in) and you are ready for Activity 2.

Activity 2: Simple Motor Instructions

In this Activity, you will learn how to control the robot's motors.

Select the File|New menu command to clear any program that's in the PC's editor. (The program

in the robot will not be affected.)

Click the Motor button to select the Motors Programming page:

Click several of the motor direction arrows to add Motor instructions to the program. Your

program will look something like this:

The following motor instructions are available:

Forward switch both motors on forwards

Reverse switch both motors on backwards

Forward Right switch the left motor on forwards

Forward Left switch the right motor on forwards

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Reverse Right switch the left motor on backwards

Reverse Left switch the right motor on backwards

Spin Right switch the left motor forwards and the right backwards

Spin Left switch the right motor forwards and the left backwards

Stop switch both motors off

The motors are switched on or off for a fixed time then they are both turned off. Then the next

instruction of the program is executed. In later Activities, you will learn other ways of controlling

the motors and how to adjust the fixed time.

Click the Download button to download the program into the robot.

Switch the robot off, unplug the cable and switch the robot on again. The program in the Picobotz

will start to run and the robot will execute the instructions that you have programmed. The

program is executed repeatedly.

Switch the robot off plug the cable in and switch the robot on again. You are ready for Activity 3.

If you want to save your program, select the File|Save menu command.

Activity 3: Making Sounds

In this Activity, you will learn how to program the robot to make different sounds.

Ensure that the robot is plugged-in and switched-on.

Select the Option|Beeps menu command or click the Edit Beeps button to display the Beeps

dialog:

Click in the squared area of the dialog to select a style of beep or on the Adjust Beep button to

adjust a beep. The robot will play the beep.

Press the Play Beep button to play the beep again.

The robot can remember four variable chirps (Beeps 1 to 4) and four fixed tones (Beeps 5 to 8).

Press one of the Select Program Beep buttons to play one of the variable chirps currently held on

the PC.

Select one of Beeps 1 to 4 then click in the squared area or on the Adjust Beep button to specify

a new different beep. Then press the Set button. This sets the value of the variable chirp currently

held on the PC. The chirp isn't programmed into the robot -but it will be next time you download a

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No part of this manual may be reproduced with express permission of iBOTZ (Ireland) Limited.5

program.

Select the File|New menu command to clear any program that's in the PC's editor.

Click the Beep button to select the Beeps Programming page:

Click several of the Beep buttons to add Beep instructions to the program. Your program will look

something like this:

Click the Run button; the editor will ask you "The file has been modified. Download to Picbotz?".

Click Yes.

The program in the Picobotz will start to run. The robot will play the sounds you selected.

Switch the robot off make sure the cable is plugged-in and switch the robot on again. You are

ready for Activity 4.

Activity 4: Following a Line

In this Activity, you will learn how to program the robot to follow a line.

Click the Measure button to display the Measure dialog:

Watch the Line Chart. (Don't touch any of the controls at the moment.) Place the robot so that the

line sensor is near a black line. Move the robot so that the sensor is near to or away from the line.

The line drawn on the Line Chart should move as the robot is moved. If neccessary, adjust the

Line Follower potentiometer inside the robot until the line drawn on the Line Chart is near the

centre when the robot's sensor is away from the line.

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Select the File|New menu command to clear any program that's in the PC's editor.

Click the Motor button to select the Motors Programming page:

Click the Follow Line to add a Follow Line instruction to the program. Your program will look like

this:

Click the Download button to download the program into the robot.

Switch the robot off, unplug the cable and switch the robot on again. The program in the Picobotz

will be executed repeatedly. Place the robot on a black line and check that it follows the line.

Switch the robot off plug the cable in and switch the robot on again. You are ready for Activity 5.

Activity 5: Reacting to Sound

In this Activity, you will learn about the If statement and program the robot to react to sounds.

Click the Measure button to display the Measure dialog:

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Watch the Sound Chart. Clap your hands, shout or whistle. You should see the sound level rise

as you do so. If it doesn't, adjust the Sound Level potentiometer inside the robot:

The Sound Chart line will shift up and down as you turn the potentiometer. The line should be at

the bottom of the chart when there is silence and the line should move up with a hand-clap or

loud noise. If the robot repeatedly reacts to sounds even when there aren't any then it is too

sensitive to sound. It is reacting to the rumble of its own wheels. Adjust the Sound Level

potentiometer so that it is less sensitive. You can test it with the motors running by checking the

Motors On checkbox.

The Picobotz can distinguish two kinds of sound:

-a short noise such as a hand-clap

-a long noise such as a whistle

The length of the sound is the time during which it is above the threshold marked in red on the

Sound Chart.

The maximum length of a "short" noise is set by the "Short lound length" bar and is marked on

the Sound Chart by vertical red lines. Click and drag the mouse over the bar or over the Sound

Chart to set the "short" noise length limit.

A Picobotz program can test whether a sound has occurred with an If instruction:

If Short Noise then

End

The <instructions> are executed if the robot has heard a short sound. Similarly, with:

If Long Noise then

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End

The <instructions> are executed if the robot has heard a long sound. After the robot has executed

the 'If Short Noise then' or 'If Long Noise then' instruction, it forgets about the sound. So

If Short Noise then

really means "if there has been a short noise since the last time I executed an If ... noise

instruction then".

If the robot hears a long noise then it forgets about any short noise that it has heard. A long noise

often has a ragged beginning which may look like several short noises.

The program can also test whether there hasn't been a noise:

If NOT Short Noise then

End

If NOT Long Noise then

End

Select the File|New menu command to clear any program that's in the PC's editor.

Click the If button to select the If Programming page:

Click the 'If Short Noise' button and the 'End' button so the program looks like this:

Now click the Motor button to select the Motors Programming page.

Move the program cursor to the 'If Short Noise' line and click the Forward button.

Move the program cursor to the 'End' line and click the Spin Right button.

The program should now look like this:

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You may need to edit the program until it is right:

click the mouse or use the up/down arrow keys to select a single line

click and drag the mouse or use Shift-up/down to select multiple lines

the delete key deletes the current line

right click the mouse for other editing commands

Click the Download button to download the program into the robot.

Switch the robot off, unplug the cable and switch the robot on again. The robot will move

forwards. When it hears a hand-clap, it will spin to the right.

If the robot turns repeatedly even when you don't clap your hands then it is too sensitive to

sound. It is reacting to the rumble of its own wheels. Adjust the Sound Level potentiometer so that

it is less sensitive.

The robot doesn't react to a hand-clap immediately. It waits until the end of the current "Forward"

instruction before testing for a short sound. You will learn how to change this behaviour in a later

Activity.

The Spin Right instruction executes for the "Motor Delay Time". The motor is turned on, the robot

waits for the "Motor Delay Time" then the motor is turned off. The length of the "Motor Delay

Time" can be adjusted.

Switch the robot off plug the cable in and switch the robot on again.

Click the Motor button to select the Motors Programming page:

Click and drag the mouse over the Delay Time panel to adjust the "Motor Delay Time". Select a

new value, download the program into the robot and run the program again.

Switch the robot off plug the cable in and switch the robot on again. You are ready for Activity 6.

PICOBOTZPICOBOTZ

No part of this manual may be reproduced with express permission of iBOTZ (Ireland) Limited.

Activity 6: Reacting to Obstacles

In this Activity, you will learn how to program the robot to avoid obstacles.

Click the Measure button to display the Measure dialog:

Watch the Obstacle Chart and move your hand in front of the robot. The line drawn on the

Obstacle Chart should rise as you bring your hand close to the robot. The robot will "see" the

obstacle when the line drawn on the Obstacle Chart is above the "Obstacle threhold". Click and

drag the mouse on the Obstacle Chart to adjust the Obstacle threshold.

Select the File|New menu command to clear any program that's in the PC's editor.

Use the If and Motors Programming pages to write this program:

Click the Download button to download the program into the robot.

Switch the robot off, unplug the cable and switch the robot on again. Place the robot on the floor

and watch its behaviour. It should move in a straight line until it sees an obstacle. It should then

reverse and turn.

The robot doesn't always react to an obstacle immediately. It waits until the end of the current

"Forward" instruction and sometimes runs into the obstacle. You will learn how to change this

behaviour in the next Activity.

Switch the robot off plug the cable in and switch the robot on again. You are ready for Activity 7.

Activity 7: On-Delay-Off vs. On/Off

In this Activity, you will learn a new way of controlling the motors.

In all the programs you've written so far, the motors have been switched on for a fixed time and

then switched off. The robot then executes the next instruction of the program.

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