I have been working on the pan/tilt scanner code this week. I finally got it all working yesterday! Now, W.A.L.T.E.R. can scan up to a full 180 arc (specified as -90 to +90 or 0 to 180 degrees), and take sensor readings every so many degrees, specified by an increment value. I can specify the arc range also, such as -45 to +45 degrees with an increment of 10 degrees. This would be done by using scanArea(&pan, -45, 45, 10). Servo data is defined in a data structure for each servo. The sensor readings are also stored in a structure that contains data for each sensor that is read. The scan readings are stored in an array, of up to 36 readings. This is enough storage for readings every 5 degrees of a 180 degree arc.
You can see the scanner in action on
YouTube.
I'm going to be putting all of my SSC-32 routines into a library, so anyone who wants to use a BotBoarduino (Arduino) for robotics or other projects will be able to use them. I don't know exactly when this will happen, because I am still adding to and testing my set of SSC-32 routines.
I got my
Perma-Proto boards from Adafruit today! Now, I will be able to transfer the display and sensor circuit on W.A.L.T.E.R. now (on a regular breadboard) to a more permanent form. I won't have to worry about jumper wires being pulled out anymore! I'm very excited to be able to finally start using these!
As soon as W.A.L.T.E.R.'s motor battery is charged up, I will start working on the motion routines that will allow him to move around on his own. I'll be getting back to working with the RoboClaw 2x5 motor controller. I'll disconnect the encoders for the first tests with it. Once these routines are working, I will connect the encoders up again and go from there.
Once I have all this working, and W.A.L.T.E.R. is able to move around on his own, I will switch over to using a Teensy 3.1 as the processor for his navigation subsystem. I already have a Teensy 3.1 mounted on a small breadboard, next to the large breadboard on W.A.L.T.E.R. The reason I want to switch to the Teensy 3.1 is it's very small, faster, and has more dynamic memory than the Arduino Mega ADK board. I also just want to develop with the Teensy 3.1.
I know there is going to be some work to make everything I have work with the Teensy 3.1 because some of the Adafruit libraries (Gyro, Accelerometer, and Magnetometer) don't give the same results as when running on a true blue Arduino board. I want to find out why, and make it work.
8-Dale