Summary of Arduino Scouting Robot
Arduino Scouting Robot combines an Arduino Mega2560 with motor drivers, servos, sensors, and wireless XBee modules to enable remote scouting. Power is managed via a multi-voltage battery with DC-DC converters and MOSFET switches to stabilize startup. Peripherals include a laser rangefinder, 9DOF IMU, camera with SD logging, and dual DC drive motors plus pan/tilt servos, all coordinated through the Mega and XBee communication.
Parts used in the Arduino Scouting Robot:
- 12, 9, 5 volt power supply (rechargeable, charged with 12V charger)
- 2 DC motors (7.2V, max 3A each)
- 2 Digital servos (6V, ~1A each)
- 8-amp DC-DC step down converter (input 9V, output 7.2V)
- 3-amp DC-DC step down converter (input 9V, output 6V)
- 10-amp dual motor driver (logic 5V, motor power 7.2V)
- Arduino Mega2560
- XBee module (robot side, 5V)
- XBee module (laptop side, USB)
- 9DOF sensor (I2C: SDA white, SCL green)
- Laser Range Finder (5V, serial TX1 white, RX1 yellow)
- Camera (powered by 2 AA batteries, outputs to SD card)
- 2N7000 MOSFET (camera snapshot control, Arduino pin 30)
- Power MOSFET Buz101s (control grounding for servos and DC motors)
Summer Project: Arduino Scouting Robot
Arduino Scouting Robot Part 1
* 12,9,5 volt power supply
recharge it with a 12-volt charger
keep power switch on to charge
* 2 DC motors
operate at 7.2V with a maximum current draw of 3 amps
* 2 Digital Servos
operate at 6V with a maximum current draw of ~1 amp each
the pwm wires are connected to the pwm pins on the arduino (pin 2 for pan and 3 for tilt)
* 8-amp DC-DC step down converter
input: 9v
output: 7.2v to feed the motors
The outputs are connected to the 10-amp motor driver (located on the underside
of the robot)
* 3-amp DC-DC step down converter
input: 9v
output: 6v to feed the servos
* 10-amp dual motor driver
input for logic side: 5v and GND (the GND is controlled by arduino pin 23)
and Four logic controllers (Two for direction and two for on/off)
input for motor power side: 7.2v and GND (GND is controlled by the Buz101s mosfet)
and Four motor wires (from two dc motors)
* arduino mega2560
input: 9v to dc jack or 5v to pin
* xbee from robot(wireless transceiver)
input: 5v (when mounted to usb apdater)
note: the 5v line from the xbee is needed for the other robot peripherals (LRF and Motor Driver) also
* xbee from laptop
input: usb
* 9DOF sensor
input: 5v
output: i2c data to arduino {SDA(white) SCL(green)}
* Laser Range Finder input: 5v
output: serial to arudino {TX1(white) and RX1(yellow)}
* Camera
input: 2 AA batteries
output: to SD card
snapshot control by shorting the cam wires
which is control by an 2n7000 mosfet switch (arduino pin30)
must ground the source lead of the mosfet
* Power mosfet Buz101s
These control the grounding of 1) servos and 2) DC motors for startup stabilization reasons. Without these mosfet switches the servo and motors
will move briefly when the power is on due to the arudino startup glitch (normal)
Arduino Scouting Robot Part 2
Arduino Scouting Robot Part 3
Arduino Scouting Robot Part 4
- What powers the Arduino Scouting Robot?
The robot is powered by a 12, 9, 5 volt rechargeable power supply charged with a 12-volt charger. - How are the DC motors powered and controlled?
The DC motors run at 7.2V supplied by an 8-amp DC-DC converter and are driven through a 10-amp dual motor driver. - How are the servos powered and connected?
The two digital servos get 6V from a 3-amp DC-DC converter and their PWM wires connect to Arduino pins (pin 2 for pan and pin 3 for tilt). - How is startup movement prevented in motors and servos?
Power MOSFET Buz101s are used to control grounding of servos and motors to prevent brief movement during Arduino startup. - How does the camera take a snapshot?
The camera snapshot is controlled by shorting its control wires using a 2N7000 MOSFET switched by Arduino pin 30, with the MOSFET source grounded. - How does the laser range finder communicate with the Arduino?
The laser range finder uses 5V power and outputs serial to the Arduino via TX1 (white) and RX1 (yellow). - How does the 9DOF sensor connect to the Arduino?
The 9DOF sensor is powered at 5V and communicates via I2C using SDA (white) and SCL (green). - What role do the XBee modules play?
An XBee on the robot provides wireless transceiver capability and requires 5V; an XBee on the laptop connects via USB. - Where should the Arduino be powered from?
The Arduino Mega2560 can be powered with 9V to the DC jack or 5V to the 5V pin.
