I deleted the forum thread and am posting this to my blog. I wanted to start a new thread with more definitive information and hopefully get some assistance from Grog and the other coders on here. Right now I am still in the design stage, so some things will change and I will try to keep this updated for you. I will also post a link to the actual product page once I finish working on it.
ACU Board:
Altera Cyclone IV FPGA
7x outputs for Dynamixel Smart Servos
2x I2C channels
1x UART Channel
1x USB port (Virtual COM port)
Sensory Board:
Venus 638FLPx GPS reciever with SMA connector (UART)
L3DG20 Gyroscope (I2C)
LSM303DLHC Accelerometer/Compass (I2C)
BMP180 Barometric Pressure/temperature (I2C)
2x 5 pin audio headers for connecting elecret mics (http://www.adafruit.com/products/1713)
1x 40W amplifier circuit
2x speaker output headers
2x 3.5mm jacks for audio in/out
Hi Cyber... The mic's I think
Hi Cyber...
The mic's I think would be interesting to experiment with. borsaci06 made a sound localization with a small circuit, and there is also Roberto's post on reducing noise..
Voice is a very convienent way for people to interface robots with, however, I think there is a lot of room for improvement on the synthetic side...
I have no experience with FPGA's but it looks interesting ..
they're really just...
Hey Grog, the mic's and amp are really just passthrough to reduce the number of cables going up the spine. In this case, instead of numerous ribbon cables, you will have two 3.5mm cables, one for stereo mics to the MRL computer, and one for speaker out of the MRL computer to the in-side of the amp, which has stereo outs for roughly 17W @4 Ohms.
I'll try to set the FPGA up so that you can just send serial commands to it from MRL. More to come on that once I get my breadboard. As far as the Sensory board, it's prett much done, just need to modify the layout and route the components, miniaturizing where i can.
Official Page Link
http://cyberhedz-technologies.com/?page_id=2271
My site and page for the board.
Update
So, I know several of you will be unhappy with this update but I have good reasons for it. Last night, after several days of research, I decided to scrap PWM control of servos and will be using 3 pin RS232 with Dynamixel robot servos. For those that don’t know what is so great about these or why they cost so much, there is a reason. Before I go into them, don’t count yourself out yet, the MX-28T is $220USD, but I’m not using those exclusively. I will also be using the AX-12A, and AX-18A’s which are $44 and $90 each. Last night I converted my BOM and the price less than doubled for this “upgrade”.
Here are a few top level reasons to consider them as well:
1. Addressable: you can chain multiple together on the same connection, reducing the number of pins required on the main board.
2. Higher resolutions: .29* and .088*
3. Faster speed 59-97 RPM’s
4. Higher Torque
5. Wider operating angle 300-360* vs 120*
6. Dedicated onboard MCU
7. Adjustable torque, speed, and response
8. Position, load, voltage, temperature feedback
For those that like data sheets, here is one on the various dynamixel servos for you to compare on your own:
https://www.trossenrobotics.com/images/productdownloads/dynamixel_guide…
FPGA testing starting this weekend
I ordered some FPGA boards for me and a friend to sart testing with (de0-nano to be precise). Once I get them (friday delivery) and get settled into my hotel sunday, I'll start playing around and getting it interfaced with MRL. more updates coming soon ;)
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