Post by thread:[EE]: Floppy Robot

I am pleasantly surprised to see the enthusiastic response to questions relating to RC hobby robots. That's one of my favourite subjects. Sometime back, while searching for information on stepper motors, I came across a link:(http://www.ohmslaw.com/robot.htm). Here, an interesting project (dated June 1997) is described by Fran Golden. He tells you how you can make a "floppy robot" using a junk 3.5" floppy drive with its spindle motor, stepper motor and electronics in working condition. Unfortunately, the details given are incomplete. The site is still "under construction". I have already acquired three 5.25" drives and four 3.5" drives at throwaway prices. They are waiting to be transformed into interesting robots. Using the parallel port of my PC, I have tested them and found their motors and electronics to be in good condition. My intention is to make the robot and control it with the parallel port using a simple QBasic program. In the second stage, I wish to add RF remote control with or without PIC parts. I would much appreciate suggestions and helpful information on the subject. Regards, Bala Chandar -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

> Sometime back, while searching for information on stepper motors, I came Check also my page at http://www.xs4all.nl/~wf/wouter/pic/stepbots/index.html Wouter -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

Bala Chandar wrote: ....... > >Sometime back, while searching for information on stepper motors, I came >across a link:(http://www.ohmslaw.com/robot.htm). Here, an interesting >project (dated June 1997) is described by Fran Golden. He tells you how you >can make a "floppy robot" using a junk 3.5" floppy drive with its spindle >motor, stepper motor and electronics in working condition. That's even more outlandish than the one I posted yesterday about the guys attaching tinker toy wheels to a Palm Pilot. Next they'll be putting wheels on a desktop PC - he, he. - danM -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

> Bala Chandar wrote: > ....... > > > >Sometime back, while searching for information on stepper motors, I came > >across a link:(http://www.ohmslaw.com/robot.htm). Here, an interesting > >project (dated June 1997) is described by Fran Golden. He tells you how you > >can make a "floppy robot" using a junk 3.5" floppy drive with its spindle > >motor, stepper motor and electronics in working condition. > > > That's even more outlandish than the one I posted yesterday > about the guys attaching tinker toy wheels to a Palm Pilot. > Next they'll be putting wheels on a desktop PC - he, he. Great idea!!! Can i use it ? I'll only need some things: 1. build a power source for my old 386 board so that I can run it from a 12V battery. 2. Get ahold of 2 nice low powered fast stepping motors... 3. Break out my toolbox (hehe) How does theese specs sound: HW: - 386 SX 25 or 33 MHz (Haven't decided yet.) - 16 MB RAM - 212 MB HD - 1 paralell port for motor control SW: - Dos 6.22 - hmm, why not QBASIC! (hehe) This will give me something to do during the winter :-) KreAture -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

Kyrre Aalerud wrote: > I'll only need some things: Aww, c'mon, splurge - use a dx40 <G> Try a laptop drive, shock mounted, maybe? (Plastic rails, mounted to each other with 2-sided foam sticky tape.) Or use one of those Flash laptop drives, pretty hard to break those. Mark -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! use spam_OUTlistservTakeThisOuTmitvma.mit.edu?body=SET%20PICList%20DIGEST

KreAture wrote: >> That's even more outlandish than the one I posted yesterday >> about the guys attaching tinker toy wheels to a Palm Pilot. >> Next they'll be putting wheels on a desktop PC - he, he. > >Great idea!!! Can i use it ? > >I'll only need some things: >1. build a power source for my old 386 board so that I can run it from a 12V battery. {Quote hidden}>2. Get ahold of 2 nice low powered fast stepping motors... >3. Break out my toolbox (hehe) > >How does theese specs sound: >HW: >- 386 SX 25 or 33 MHz (Haven't decided yet.) >- 16 MB RAM >- 212 MB HD >- 1 paralell port for motor control >SW: >- Dos 6.22 >- hmm, why not QBASIC! (hehe) > >This will give me something to do during the winter :-) > Be my guest - you can have all rights to the idea. I think I'll have more fun running my RC-catepillar tractor after the neighbor's cat. best regards, - danM -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! use .....listservKILLspam@spam@mitvma.mit.edu?body=SET%20PICList%20DIGEST

> Kyrre Aalerud wrote: > > I'll only need some things: > Aww, c'mon, splurge - use a dx40 <G> > Try a laptop drive, shock mounted, maybe? (Plastic rails, mounted to > each other with 2-sided foam sticky tape.) Or use one of those Flash > laptop drives, pretty hard to break those. Good idea, i have a laptop drive of only 80 MB here :-) That should do nicely! The problem is low power consumption. It has to run on battery's. I am thinking of using 2x12V batterys. Then I can get + and - between them, and a 0 (gnd) in a common +- junction :-) That way I donæt have to deal with charge-pumps and all other shit like that. Just need to regulate the -12 and +12 to -5 and +5 and I'm off. Gonna use a BIG case. That way I can ride it :-) KreAture -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! use listservKILLspammitvma.mit.edu?bodyT%20PICList%20DIGEST

{Quote hidden}> >> That's even more outlandish than the one I posted yesterday > >> about the guys attaching tinker toy wheels to a Palm Pilot. > >> Next they'll be putting wheels on a desktop PC - he, he. > > > >Great idea!!! Can i use it ? > > > >I'll only need some things: > >1. build a power source for my old 386 board so that I can run it from a > 12V battery. > >2. Get ahold of 2 nice low powered fast stepping motors... > >3. Break out my toolbox (hehe) > > > >How does theese specs sound: > >HW: > >- 386 SX 25 or 33 MHz (Haven't decided yet.) > >- 16 MB RAM > >- 212 MB HD > >- 1 paralell port for motor control > >SW: > >- Dos 6.22 > >- hmm, why not QBASIC! (hehe) > > > >This will give me something to do during the winter :-) > > > > Be my guest - you can have all rights to the idea. I think > I'll have more fun running my RC-catepillar tractor after > the neighbor's cat. Hehe, why not make it homing... Put a radio tag on the poor cat :-) Anyways: Thanx, I will put up a web if I ever get something solid. That way u can se what came out of it :-) KreAture -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! use .....listservKILLspam.....mitvma.mit.edu?bodyT%20PICList%20DIGEST

-----Original Message----- From: w. v. ooijen / f. hanneman [EraseMEwfspam_OUTTakeThisOuTXS4ALL.NL] Sent: Friday, November 10, 2000 11:26 AM To: PICLISTspam_OUTMITVMA.MIT.EDU Subject: Re: [EE]: Floppy Robot > Sometime back, while searching for information on stepper motors, I came Check also my page at http://www.xs4all.nl/~wf/wouter/pic/stepbots/index.html Wouter -- Hi Wouter, Thanks a lot! Your site is really great!! I got a lot of practical tips from your site on using floppy drive motors for a simple robot. Also found useful info on hardware and stuff related to using PICs for the purpose. Have you added RF remote control to any of the robots you have built? Have you tried using the stepper motors from 3.5" floppy drives? I know they are not as good as the ones from the 5.25" drives. But do you have any suggestions for using them for any project related to robotics? Thanks again. Regards, Bala Chandar Mumbai (Bomaby), India -- http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic: "[PIC]:","[SX]:","[AVR]:" =uP ONLY! "[EE]:","[OT]:" =Other "[BUY]:","[AD]:" =Ads

> Have you added RF remote control to any of the robots you have built? No > Have you tried using the stepper motors from 3.5" floppy drives? I know they > are not as good as the ones from the 5.25" drives. But do you have any > suggestions for using them for any project related to robotics? The 3.5 steppers I have found are bipolar (require more hardware to drive than a simple ULN) and are so integrated with the floppy chassis that they would be difficult to use for another purpose. And I have plenty old 5.25 drives.... Wouter -- http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic: "[PIC]:","[SX]:","[AVR]:" =uP ONLY! "[EE]:","[OT]:" =Other "[BUY]:","[AD]:" =Ads