Product Brief
Robot kit brings fun to MCU evaluation
Colin Holland9/30/2010 7:33 AM EDT
Comment
ravi06
i have used similar kind of board with atmega 16 controller supplied by ...
ravi06
such kind of robots are already available in market at much cheaper price though ...
In an attempt to make experimenting with microcontrollers fun and easy Texas Instruments Inc. has released an evaluation kit and book to provide a hands-on mini robotic platform for learning and using the Micrium μC/OS-III real-time kernel with TI’s Stellaris MCUs.
The Robotic Evaluation Board (EVALBOT) for use with Micrium’s µC/OS-III is a mini robot that allows developers to experience the Stellaris ARM Cortex-M3-based LM3S9B92 MCU in real-world applications that make use of the processor’s integrated 10/100 Ethernet MAC/PHY, USB On-The-Go, CAN, and motion control capabilities.
TI say that quick assembly of the kit, that includes the hardware and software required, enables developers to begin evaluation in 10 minutes or less.
A Stellaris-specific version of the book by Micrium’s president and CEO, Jean J. Labrosse, μC/OS-III: The Real-Time Kernel is provided which reveals how a real-time kernel works using Micrium’s μC/OS-III and the Stellaris EVALBOT.
The Stellaris EVALBOT and book bundle inlcudes:
More information on EVALBOT bundle is available here and a video overview here.
The Robotic Evaluation Board (EVALBOT) for use with Micrium’s µC/OS-III is a mini robot that allows developers to experience the Stellaris ARM Cortex-M3-based LM3S9B92 MCU in real-world applications that make use of the processor’s integrated 10/100 Ethernet MAC/PHY, USB On-The-Go, CAN, and motion control capabilities.
TI say that quick assembly of the kit, that includes the hardware and software required, enables developers to begin evaluation in 10 minutes or less.
A Stellaris-specific version of the book by Micrium’s president and CEO, Jean J. Labrosse, μC/OS-III: The Real-Time Kernel is provided which reveals how a real-time kernel works using Micrium’s μC/OS-III and the Stellaris EVALBOT.
The Stellaris EVALBOT and book bundle inlcudes:
- A 80 MHz Stellaris LM3S9B92 MCU with 256K flash, 96K SRAM, StellarisWare software in ROM, as well as integrated Ethernet, USB On-the-Go (OTG)/Host/Device and CAN;
- Two DC gear-motors that provide drive and steering, opto-sensors that detect wheel rotation with 45° resolution, and sensors for "bump" detection;
- TI motor drivers, voltage regulators, audio codec, interface and logic devices for easy evaluation of the complete signal chain;
- Bright 96 x 6 blue OLED display and on-board speaker;
- Integrated in-circuit debug Interface (ICDI) requires only a single (included) USB cable for software debugging, flash programming and serial port connectivity;
- Two 20-pin headers enable future wireless communications using standardized TI low-power embedded radio modules;
- Stellaris-specific version of μC/OS-III: The Real-Time Kernel includes example display, audio and motor control projects for EVALBOT, putting concepts into practice to expedite a user’s proficiency;
- EVALBOT robot operates on 3-AA batteries, included in kit.
More information on EVALBOT bundle is available here and a video overview here.
|
|
|
|
|
Navigate to related information
Most Popular
Datasheets.com Parts Search
185 million searchable parts
(please enter a part number or hit search to begin)
Browse the technical library
Our technical library houses over 4,000 high-quality sponsored white papers, application notes, reference guides, use cases—all organized by company.
Our technical library houses over 4,000 high-quality sponsored white papers, application notes, reference guides, use cases—all organized by company.
Patk0317
9/30/2010 2:23 PM EDT
This is a bit unclear. If I go to the web site there are two products, one which appears to be the bot and the other which is the Micrium OS. Is the micriuim OS included with the evalbot or not?
Sign in to Reply
Robotics Developer
9/30/2010 5:48 PM EDT
The website says: "The evaluation kit provides a hands-on mini robotic platform for learning and using the μC/OS-III real-time kernel." It would seem to imply that the RT kernel comes with it as they talk about the board coming ready to go out of the box. It would need some operating system in order to boot up and run so it must have something preloaded. That said, I would like to have been able to get MORE information: CAN support?, I2C support, SPI?, what are all the options available. I am going to try and pick one up and play. Can't wait for a fuller set of documents on robot evaluation board.
Sign in to Reply
Jean Anne
10/1/2010 9:14 AM EDT
Let me attempt to clarify the options here....
There are three product options available at this time:
(1) a bundle of the Micrium uC/OS-III book with Stellaris EVALBOT projects plus the EVALBOT kit
(2) just the EVALBOT kit
(3) just the Micrium uC/OS-III book
Most people should choose option (1), as the current documentation and setup of the EVALBOT is intended for use with the book and the projects in the book. The documentation for EVALBOT (getting started, schematics, how to use it) is in the book.
The EVALBOT comes pre-programmed with an autonomous drive mode application. After a brief (and I think fun) assembly exercise of putting together the wheels and the physical bumpers, you can turn it on and it will move straight or in a slight curve for a while, and then execute a random turn. If the robot's bumpers detect a collision with an object, the robot will back up and execute a random turn.
For tools in using this release of the EVALBOT and book bundle, the book and EVALBOT assembly instructions give you the software download links for downloading:
(a) Micrium uC/OS-III eval version
(b) Micrium uC/Probe eval version
(c) the projects for using EVALBOT with Micrium uC/OS-III and uC/Probe
(d) IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM (EWARM) 32K Kickstart Edition
All of these tools are free in their evaluation versions, although the eval versions have a few limitations (8 variables for uC/Probe; 32K program size for IAR EWARM). All the projects in the book fit within the evaluation limits.
Sign in to Reply
Jean Anne
10/1/2010 9:17 AM EDT
in 1Q2011, Texas Instruments will release an evaluation kit version of the EVALBOT that works with your choice of multiple ARM-based tools chains and allows the choice of an RTOS or no RTOS use at all. Our typical out-of-the-box tool chain support options are: Keil MDK-ARM; IAR EWARM; TI Code Composer Studio; Code Red Technologies Red Suite; Code Sourcery Sourcery G++; and generic GNU.
Sign in to Reply
Robotics Developer
10/4/2010 9:58 AM EDT
Jean Anne, thank you for the quick followup and clarification! It looks like a neat platform for students (young and old alike!). I will be looking into this board for a couple of interesting future robotic based projects. Keep up the good work!
Sign in to Reply
Bob Lacovara
10/1/2010 10:01 AM EDT
One of the nicest uses of eval kits such as this one are for engineering and computer science students, either in laboratories or for projects. The kits are inexpensive, and in many cases, big players such as TI make the kits even more affordable to colleges and universities. It's not a big deal for an engineering professor to build a lab around the use of kits such as these. Of course, the subject of lab is embedded coding, controls, games, or lower-level studies, and not hardware per se. Having all of this hardware, assembled and working, frees the students to concentrate on the particular subject matter. Think of a course where 5 or 10 groups of 3 students each are handed this robotic kit, and told: program this device to find a hidden target in the faculty lounge.
Of course, this kit does not provide much scope for board-level hardware skills: that's not the point. And I do not discount the importance or difficulty of making a set of components work together on the board. This kit, and kits like it, separate the two issues (construction and programming) so that students get to the course material all the faster, but still "hands on".
I'd love to design a lab course using this... I have a pair of small NTSC cameras... you could sit at a console, and "drive" it around viewing the world in 3D... shucks, back to work...
Sign in to Reply
agk
3/7/2011 11:02 AM EST
The robotic kit by TI works with 3 AA batteries.This has headers for future wirless communications. With wireless technology added this robo will have a lot of applications !
Sign in to Reply
Dr DSP
1/23/2012 12:26 PM EST
Has anyone used this kit that wants to report on their experience? It would be great to hear from real users.
Sign in to Reply
ravi06
3/29/2012 4:14 AM EDT
i have used similar kind of board with atmega 16 controller supplied by nex-robotics.com at very low price of 50 usd
Sign in to Reply
ravi06
3/29/2012 4:12 AM EDT
such kind of robots are already available in market at much cheaper price though not with kernal but with relavent hardware for motion control with ir sensors etc for nex robots.com
Sign in to Reply