The date is: Thu Jan 28 19:47:22 MST 1999 We have decided to get extra gp2d12 for our robot. This has simplified some of our design, but we are going to prototype the 555 timer implementation with the given sensors anyways just so we know what we are doing and so we have a backup plan. Ben S. is going to head the design on the pwm. We want send six control lines to an altera chip and one extra line each for direction and motor selection. I hope it works, but am pessimistic. Next week we will finish finding the necessary frequency for the motor and begin the coding of the PLD chip. We hope to order the sensors and have the IR detector with the LED and 555 timer working. The date is: Thu Feb 4 22:23:35 MST 1999 This week we got the motor frequency needed to run. The frequency for the motors will be about 500Hz, whereas the pwm will be between 32kHz or 200kHz, depending on the resolution we want. As far as sensors go, we wired up a preliminary circuit with a 555, op amp, IR diode, and the sensor given to us. At first the pulses did not have 50% duty, so we had to readjust the resistors and capacitors. After the timer was working we still did not have a usable output from the amp. I think it needs a different bias. We finally set up some teams as Dr. Bruder pointed out how wasteful it was for four people to work on one problem. Ben S. and David are going to focus on the pwm. Ben H. and I will focus on sensors. Next week I hope to have the IR prototype working and order the GP2D12s (if they are not ordered already). For the pwm I hope Dave and Ben will have some code written. The date is: Mon Feb 15 21:04:27 MST 1999 Late: Last week we split up the project and the presentation. Ben H. will be taking the chasis design and general layout, Ben S. will cover the pwm and some hc11, David Tu will cover hc11, some sensors and board design. I will take sensors, board design and hopefully some hc11 programming. Next week , the main focus is the presentation and prototyping. The date is: Thu Feb 18 20:31:15 MST 1999 This week we tried to build the caster. It failed. We used a coat hanger to make the wire arm for the wheels. It turns out that when you crimp the wire it looses all its strength. I also noticed the failure of the wire happened when base started spinning and the caster tucked underneath. The center of weight was off-balanced and aided in ruining the arm. We hope to fix the problem with some extra tough wire from a big paper clip, and by making the wheel closer to the piviting point rather than folling at a sizable distance. We will try the same meathod and hopefully this time we can get a slightly bigger crimp and a stronger hold. As for the presentation on Thursday, it went okay, but we were missing some parts to the design. We didn't talk at all about the software ideas for pwm, which we could have touched on lightly, and the whole presentation was poorly orginized. I don't think we did worse than the others, so we should get a decent grade. This weekend, and next week we hope to begin the HC11 coding and start building the physical boards for the different components. The date is: Thu Feb 25 17:48:25 MST 1999 This week we ordered parts, built a board, finished the caster suspension, and touched more on the pwm. B. Silva is doing the pwm; he has it down to 84 logic cells, enough for one chip (instead of the three previous). I got the freq/voltage converters, 16 pin sockets. We were looking for a good dc regulator, but they were either too expensive or just as good as the Radio Shack version. The photo transistor board was created, and the sensors now have a plexi-glass base to mount to. Next week I hope to have the hc11 responding to the lm2d12 and get the other boards designed in protel. The date is: Thu Mar 4 18:08:35 MST 1999 This week was constructive. We built our first actual board, the h-bridge and pwm board. Ben H. did the design while Dave and I helped. Ben S. got the pwm to implement with our new altera chip. Dave is calculating the needed components for the lm2917's and I am getting parts ordered for the fire sensor since our phototransistor was not sensitive. I am hoping to us a PIR sensor either as a single component or as part of a motion sensor. This weekend I hope to get the HC11 to respond to the gp2d12 and change bits on a port (which will be hooked up to leds). Next week the sensor board will hopefully be etched. the pwm should be running flawlessly in one 44pin chip, and the freq/voltage circuit should be fully operation if not etched and working. Parts: We have problems with our Jameco order. We lost our 16pin dips and the lm2917's. I talked to everybody that had parts in that order. Khahn said that he had left our parts in the box. We ended up borrowing a 2917 from Khahn and Ben E. for prototyping. Around 6:00 Larry came up and asked us about our parts. He showed me a strip of parts that were EXACTLY what we were missing. He had found it in the Allied box. They claimed the four lm2917's as theirs. Since both groups, theirs and mine, had ordered two spare and two essential ones, we split the lm2917's and we got the sockets needed for the h-bridge board. The date is: Thu Apr 1 17:16:56 MST 1999 This week we finished making the levels, wired all the boards and made the power lines. This weekend I will be out of town, but Dave and Ben H. should be working extra hard on getting closed loop control done. I like the idea that Dave and Ben H. are going to Conneticut. I feel that I have done the least in the group and need to study anyways. Ben S., I believe, needs to focus on Tech Writing. Hopefully Tuesday will reviel our robot following walls, at least is should be going straight. Next week will be devoted to getting the robot to navigate. Then, if all goes well, we can use that last Tuesday to optimize the robot and prepare for the trip. The date is: Thu Apr 8 20:03:43 MDT 1999 This week was a challenge. Over the weekend Ben, Ben and Dave spent the entire weekend trying to get the PWM to work. I was in Albuquerque for the holiday. When I came back the PWM was almost working, but had a few, severe bugs in it. The direction bit would float and screw the process up. It took all the weekend and the first part of the week to figure out that the Altera chip was noise sensative. Because of the time and complexity of our problem, Ben S. took his HC12 from his TA job and programmed into EPROM the PWM that was initially the Altera's job. Wednesday and Thursday was spent coding. Thursday we got close loop and left wall following completed. Dave is gettting the tone decoder built while I have been helping with code and, with Dave's help checking the flame sensors. We found that from the doorway of any room the presence of the candle will generate a signal of 1V on our wide, distance sensor and the close, narrow sensor will see the candle from 16 inches away and the shutters allow the field of view to be restricted for focusing the fan on the flame (if all goes well). Hopefully Monday will find us maze navigating, depending on how much work everyone wants to do this weekend. The coding seems to be mostly done by the two Bens. The date is: Fri Apr 30 01:02:06 MDT 1999 Two Days til presentation and competition here in Socorro. Our robot seems a little flaky at times and we are having a problem returning home. Ben E. and Khaun's group are doing a bit better since thier program seems to be more reliable and a tad bit faster. Maybe we'll get lucky Saturday. This week was spent writing the code for returning home and tweeking the robot. Thursday and the rest of this week is going into the presentation. NEXT WEEK: After Saturday I expect to be working on the paper. The paper will be a huge task to write being that we have to include all our design circuits and the methods from which we produced our robot.