EyeCon EyeBot-Controller M5

EyeBot is one of the most advanced controllers for mobile robots. It can be used for mobile robots with wheels, walking robots or flying robots. It consists of a powerful 32-Bit microcontroller board with a graphics display and a digital color camera allowing it to do on-board image processing. This allows to write powerful robot control programs without a big and heavy computer system and without having to sacrifice vision - the most important sensor.

Features:

• Ideal basis for programming of real time image processing
• Integrated digital camera (grayscale or color)
• Large graphics display (LCD)
• Can be extended with own mechanics and sensors to full mobile robot
• Programmed from IBM-PC or Unix workstation,
• Programs are downloaded via serial line (RS-232) into RAM or Flash-ROM
• Programming in C or assembly language
• Free simulation system available.
• Operating RoBIOS is freely available
• Cross compilers for C/C++ are free available (gnu)
• Large number of sample programs
• Dimensions: width x height x depth: 8.8 cm x 10.5 cm x 2.0 cm (+0.8 cm for connectors)
• Weight: 186 g
  

Details:

Please go to the images Tab for detailed images of the controller.

Software:

• Freeware Assembler
• Freeware C/C++ Compiler
• RoBIOS Operating System
  with I/O for camera, keys, ports, display
• Image processing routines
• Large library of sample programs
• Demo driving program
• Simulation system
   
• Download full RoBIOS/EyeSim version for Windows XP (50 MB)

- 25MHz 32bit Controller (Motorola 68332)
- 1MB RAM, extensible to 2MB
- 512KB ROM (for system + user programs!)
- 1 parallel port
- 3 serial ports (2 V24, 1 TTL)
- 8 digital inputs
- 8 digital outputs
- 8 analog inputs
- 2 motor drivers
- single compact PCB
- interface for color camera
- large graphics LCD (128x64 pixels)
- 4 input buttons
- reset button, power switch
- speaker
- microphone
- battery level indicator
- Connectors for Actuators: 2 DC motors and/or 14 servos (PWM)
- Connectors for Sensors: digital camera, infrared distance sensors (PSD)
- Connectors for I/O: 8 digital in, 8 digital out, 8 analog in 

Installation

This is a short description on how to install EyeBot, hardware version M5. The EyeBot system itself is already completely assembled, so you are able to start right away. Yellow dots in the drawing indicate pin no.1 of the corresponding connectors.Details for other hardware versions:

• M4 front
• M4 back
• M4 schematics


• M3 front
• M3 back

Connectors

Camera

To work with EyeBot, the EyeCam CMOS digital color camera (80x60 in 24bit resolution) is being used. The camera plugs directly into the controller board (make sure you connect pin no.1 where indicated, the camera board should face down).

LCD
The LCDisplay is already connected to the EyeBot. At the same time it can display text (8x16 characters) and graphics (64x128 pixels). On the back of the LCD is a potentiometer to adjust display contrast.

Power Supply
There is a connector for power supply with pins labelled "+" and "-". Connect a power supply between 6 and 9 Volts (e.g. 7.2 V for rechargeable batteries with 6 cells).
The board is equipped with a reconstitutable fuse. However, supplying a high voltage or reversing the voltage may damage the board.

Serial Connector
A standard 9-pin RS-232 extension cable can be used to connect EyeBot' serial-1 port to a PC, Mac or workstation. Now you can download software to the EyeBot or upload experimental data from the EyeBot. Another option is using a wireless module with the serial-2 port.

DC Motor and Encoder Connectors
There are 2 connectors for DC motors and encoders. Two motor drivers are integrated in EyeBot. The connectors are pin-compatible for motors from:

• Faulhaber

Servo Connectors
There are 14 connectors in which you can directly plug servos (motors controlled by PWM, like in model airplanes). Most standard servo connectors are pin compatible (see servo info):

Please note:

• When using DC motors, servo connectors 1..6 cannot be used, since they are using the same TPU channels (0..5).
• Some servo manufacturers use different pin-out.
• A servo's maximum turning angle and turning direction can be set by software. E.g. for the HiTech HS81, the min. and max. angle is assumed for PWM pulses of 0.74 ms and 2.14 ms, so this is represented by HDT timing entries 740 and 2140.
• If DC motors are used, then servo TPU channels 0 through 5 will be reserved for them.

Infrared Connector

There are 6 connectors for infra-red sensors. All control logic is included in the EyeBot. The connectors are pin compatible for infrared sensors from:

• Sharp

Speaker Connector

There are two connectors on the front side of the EyeBot for either a piezo speaker (built-in) or an external standard 8 Ohm speaker. Using an external speaker improves the sound quality significantly. Speaker volume can be adjusted by an potentiometer located next to the speaker connector.

Microphone
A minature microphone is built-in on the front side of the EyeBot.

Extension Connectors
There are 2 separate connectors for adding additional I/O.

• Digital input/output connector
• Analog input connector

Background Debugger

The Motorola 68332 allows debugging from a PC under DOS or Linux via the

background debugger

. The background debugger circuit is integrated in EyeBot. A 10 pin connector is used to link the "BDM" to the parallel port of a PC. The BDM allows to change the flash-ROM on the EyeBot, e.g. for upgrading the RoBIOS operating system.