HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: tch@cis.ksu.edu (Thomas C Hampton )
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: GCC and MC68HC16 ...
Date: 24 Jan 1993 18:42:50 GMT
Organization: Kansas State University, Dept. of Computing and Information Sciences
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: cygnus.cis.ksu.edu

Hi-

The subject really says it all.  I would like to be able to cross
compile to the 68hc16 using gcc, but I need a backend to gcc for the
hc16. 

Thanks.
--
Tom C Hampton			    College of Engineering
Kansas State University		      Compter Science
NASA Mobile Robotics Research Group   Electrical and Computer Engineering
	"When we are invited to live on this earth, there is no reason
	 we should not visit the basement."
					-Jaques Cousteau
From: gkulosa@world.std.com (Greg A Kulosa)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Re: MiniBoards
Date: 28 Jan 93 16:14:24 GMT
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA

Don.Golding@f2206.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Don Golding) writes:

>* In a message originally to All, Mark Epperson said:
>ME> Is anyone selling fully assebmled & tested miniboards?

>ME> Mark Epperson

>ME> ---
>ME>  * Origin: Dallas/Ft.Worth Usenet Gateway (1:124/2206.0)
>
>I sell a better board with 32k of user battery backed up RAM, High 
>level Robot Control Language, Speaker output, Microphone input, 
>pulse width modulation, 4 optical collision sensors, two bump 
>sensors, motor current monitoring( both motors independently), 
>instinctive behavior for easier programming for $195 or a complete 
>Whiskers robot, assembled for $395.

Ok, this has been going on for far too long already.  Personally, I think
that it is great that you have put together a board that works, and
that you want to sell it to people.  However, I would not buy your
board simply because of the tactics that you are using to try and sell
it.  Maybe your board is better, I don't know, but that is not the
point.  People who want to build the Miniboard, or the 6.270 board, or
any of the other Freely available designs out there have several
reasons for doing so.  I, for one, learn a lot of things about
electronics and board design/fabrication from doing the Miniboard that
I would not learn from buying a pre-built board.  I also have
available to me a large number of people who are working on the same
problems and can get support from them if I get stuck.  Also, the
Miniboard is in a different class as your board.  It is meant for
small robots/applications, perhaps with several boards cooperating to
control the robot.  In this case you would want a small, simple, cheap
board.  I can get all the parts for the Miniboard for under $75.

When you first started this rude practice of answering people's posts
with messages about how much better your board is, I liked the feature
list, and almost considered contacting you for more information.  But
when I saw how you were trying to push your stuff by bashing other
designs (not to mention using Usenet for your own monetary gain, which
is not taken too kindly), I was turned off.  I would not recommend
that anyone buy your stuff.

I recommend that you stop this annoying practice, or you will find
yourself very un-welcome around here.  

>Contact: Don Golding
>Angelus Research, 6344 Sugar Pine Circle #98, Angelus Oaks, Ca. 92305
>(909) 794-8325.  Better than the miniboard.  PS, how much is your 
>time worth?
> * Origin: The Interocitor*AI/Robotics*214-258-1832 (1:124/2206)
-- 
Greg A. Kulosa		|  "If we are to be damned, let's be damned for what
Systems Administrator	|   we really are"    - Jean-Luc Picard
Oberon Software		|___________________________________________________
gkulosa@oberon.com	 One Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02142
From: v078p6g8@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Richard M Wasserman)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: location of 6.270 texts?
Date: 21 Jan 93 14:42:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

If someone could point me to the ftp site containing the 6.270 text files
(whose address seems to have disappeared from my desk :) ) I would
greatly appreciate it.  Thanks,
			Rich Wasserman
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: fredm@media.mit.edu (Fred G Martin)
Subject: Re: Crazy about legs
Organization: MIT Media Laboratory
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 14:08:58 GMT

In article <1993Jan27.043305.7387@sbcs.sunysb.edu> shane@cs.sunysb.edu
(Shane Bouslough) writes: 

>I've been thinking a lot about legs recently (don't we all? :-).
>If you're going to do a nice leg, say Brooksian, it seems like
>you'd need about one miniboard per. If you use 6 legs on your
>beastie, that's quite a few miniboards. Is that a good way to go?
>Or is something a bit more powerful a better idea?

In fact, this is just about what is done with Rod Brooks' robots:
there is a dedicated CPU per leg.  But, they use very small DIP CPU's
(maybe a 24-pin model), and surface mount motor controllers, so the
leg processor board is pretty small.  Also, it's kind of shaped like a
leg, long and skinny.

>Miniboards are such a nice "out of the box" solution, but a chain
>of them like that sure would suck down the juice.

The motor chips on the Mini Board are the "worst offenders"; they draw
about 30 mA each, even when not supplying power to a motor.  The CPU
itself only draws 20 mA.  If someone could find a more efficient motor
driver and paste it on to the Mini Board it wouldn't be too bad from a
power point of view.

	- Fred
From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Re: Sonar and the 68HC11
Date: 24 Jan 93 18:32:26 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)

epperson@adobe.com (Mark Epperson) writes:
>What about a differential sonar, has anyone done it? I envision 
>a set of three receivers with the center one as the only transmitter.
>Any ideas?
>As I am not current in my physics, what would be the difficulties in
>making a phased array? (wavelength too long?)

      It's really time for somebody to start developing smarter sonar
systems for robots.  We've been using those dumb Polaroid sensors for a
decade now, and enough is known about bat, dophin, and submarine sonar
to do a much better job.  The DSP chips are available and cheap.  
Somebody with audio, DSP, or sonar experience needs to do this one.

      A reasonable way to start would be to use a machine with stereo
audio inputs and outputs, and try to do bat-type FM sonar, operating
around 10-20KHz.  

					John Nagle
From: klambrec@gmuvax.gmu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Request for DLM for Macintosh
Date: 21 Jan 93 10:59:51 -0500
Organization: George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Does anyone know where I can get a copy of a MACINTOSH program that will
let me download code to my miniboard?  I'm looking for something comparable
to DLM.EXE.  

Any help would be appreciated.  I'm getting tired of having to download at
work.

Thanks,
--Jim Malloy

Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: bd6520@u.cc.utah.edu (BALACHANDRA DESHPANDE/MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)
Subject: HELP! needed with matrix methods
Organization: University of Utah Computer Center Student Mail Machine
Distribution: usa,canada
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 93 21:34:46 GMT

Newsgroups: sci.engr.mech
Subject: URGENT!! need info on matrix methods...
Summary: 
Expires: 
Followup-To: 
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Utah Computer Center Student Mail Machine
Keywords: 



	HI,
	 Can someone please direct me to a good book on matricies that deals
with concepts like "singular value decomposition", condition numbers",
in a very basic sort of way...I need it in connection with some class work
on robotics, if its any help...I would really appreciate any info on this
	Thanks in advance,
	Bala.

	PS: email reply is prefered.
Newsgroups: comp.robotics,comp.os.vxworks,sci.electronics
From: nivek@cs.cmu.edu (Kevin Dowling)
Subject: OR VME products
Reply-To: nivek@cs.cmu.edu
Organization: Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 19:18:58 GMT

We are looking at some low power 3U VME products
('030, A/D, D/A, Enet, '332) from OR which is represented by
Dynatem in the US. We've had good experiences with other Dynatem products
(low power 6U cards) but would like to hear from others
who've had experience with the OR boards, especially those who've
used VxWorks with them.

The power specs (computational and watts)  are very good and the environmental
specs are excellent as well but it'd be nice to hear from others.

						Thanks.
							nivek

---

aka: Kevin Dowling			Carnegie Mellon University
tel: (412) 268-8830			The Robotics Institute
adr: nivek@ri.cmu.edu			Pittsburgh, PA 15213


Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: gap+@CS.CMU.EDU (Garrett Pelton)
Subject: Re: A gaggle of geese, a pride of lions, a pack of wolves...
Organization: Carnegie Mellon University
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 00:39:52 GMT

In article <1993Jan27.034323.20949@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU>, jek@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (James E. Kittock) writes:
|> In article <1993Jan27.000815.24846@mprgate.mpr.ca> mott@mprgate.mpr.ca (Jenni Mott) writes:
|> >Brad Smallridge (bsmall@iat.holonet.net) wrote:
|> >:> Great! If Asimov used the term "Pod" than I think I'll use it. Too bad I
|> >:> didn't think of it first but then Asimov been thinking longer and better
|> >:> than I.
|> 
|> >A Pod of Robots ... Definitely the best option I've heard so far.  I
|> >think I'll use it too.  (3 cheers for I. Asimov! ;-) )
|> 
|> Of course, pod is already in use: a pod of whales.

Pod can be used to refer to a small group of whales, the proper
collective noun for whales is I believe "GAM of whales".
What this has to do with pods of robots I am not sure.

Gary

Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: pmalenfa@kitkat.webo.dg.com (Paul Malenfant)
Subject: Re: 6.270 Boards -- be careful before deciding
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 93 22:39:57 GMT
Reply-To: pmalenfa@kitkat.webo.dg.com (Paul Malenfant)
Organization: Data General Corporation, Westboro, MA
Keywords: control robot miniboard pcb 6.270

In article <1jc2p1INN903@life.ai.mit.edu>, anarch@cookie-monster.ai.mit.edu (Anne R Wright) writes:
|> 
|> All revisions of the 6.270 board that we have tested -- version 
|> 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 -- all fail when using the Motorola 68HC11A1 
|> chips currently available.  6.270 has traditionally used A0 rather
|> than A1 chips and they work fine.  However, the new chips will 
|> frequently enter an illegal state on reset which causes the 
|> 6811 to corrupt its own memory.

The corruption to which you refer is of the internal RAM, not the
external, correct?

When does the failure occur?  Upon pressing reset?

Does the reset function correctly, with the exception of RAM
corruption?

-- 

Paul Malenfant
pmalenfa @ kitkat.webo.dg.com (508-870-6460)
From: Don.Golding@f2206.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Don Golding)
Sender: FredGate@ocitor.fidonet
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: A1 glitching on 6.270 boards
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 03:30:00

On my Whiskers robot board I use a MC34064 to pull reset low on 
power down.  Works good.  If you want a more powerful 68HC11 board,
call me at (909) 794-8325.  16K eprom and 32k battery backed up plus 
8 collision sensors, mic input and audio output.
 * Origin: The Interocitor*AI/Robotics*214-258-1832 (1:124/2206)
From: hannahc@HYDRA.ROSE-HULMAN.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Robotic Simulator for (MS-DOS)
Date: 27 Jan 1993 03:50:44 GMT
Organization: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Reply-To: hannahc@HYDRA.ROSE-HULMAN.EDU
NNTP-Posting-Host: hydra.rose-hulman.edu

I am looking for a robotics simulator for ms-dos machines.
Any replies would be appreciated. I know of a simulator for Macs, but
I would prefer to use dos machines.

Thanks
chaka hannah
From: ted@nmsu.edu (Ted Dunning)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: 6811 emulator first hack
Date: 26 Jan 93 21:08:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: lole.TED.93Jan26140815
Distribution: comp
Organization: Computing Research Lab



failing to hear about another version of a 6811 emulator, i wrote one
last night (and part of sunday night).  it is still rough, has no user
interface, doesn't do multiply, doesn't count cycles for all
instructions, doesn't let you modify memory or registers and doesn't
support the semantics of the $1000 locations at all.

what it does do right now is let you load a file in s19 format and
single step it.  adding the missing features should be relatively
trivial.  i am sure that there are some (several?) instructions that
don't work correctly, and that there are probably other problems as
well.   it should also be absolutely trivial to port to any machine
that supports ansii c and 32 bit integers.  ansii c and 16 bit ints
should be an easy port.  there is a relatively large (2000 line) case
statement that might give some compilers fits.

this software is not ready for prime time, but i would like to find
somebody who is willing to trade early access for testing and possible
mods. 


any takers?
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: epperson@adobe.com (Mark Epperson)
Subject: Re: Sonar and the 68HC11
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 08:11:55 GMT

What about a differential sonar, has anyone done it? I envision 
a set of three receivers with the center one as the only transmitter.
Any ideas?

As I am not current in my physics, what would be the difficulties in
making a phased array? (wavelength too long?)

Mark Epperson
From: ska@hercules.acpub.duke.edu
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Help needed - Optical Encoders
Date: 21 Jan 93 20:25:10 GMT
Organization: Duke University; Durham, N.C.
Originator: ska@teer10.acpub.duke.edu

Hello all:

	Have the following problem that I need "approach pointers" on -

I have an IBM 7540 SCARA type robot which has two servoed joints driven by
12V DC servo motors.  The motors are Yaskawa Print Motors of type - 

Joint 1 = PMES-16-SA13
Joint 2 = PMES-12-SA21

Each motor has a built-in "AB quadrature output and zero index channel" 
type optical encoder.  These encoders output voltages in the range 0.5 to 
6 V DC via 4 leads - A, B, I, and ground.

Now, how can I use the voltages from the encoders to compute joint positions ?
Is there a Yaskawa representative that I can call in the US ? Are there any
standard texts explaining the decoding procedure ?

Please email responses to - ska@raphael.acpub.duke.edu

Thanks in advance.

-santosh
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: shane@cs.sunysb.edu (Shane Bouslough)
Subject: Re: Tracked mobile robot dead-reckoning
Organization: Dept of Computer Science, State U of NY at Stony Brook
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 04:15:20 GMT

graesserac@memstvx1.memst.edu wrote:

: This would imply the robot has an internal representation of its environment

and also

: Of course, I haven't done this, but it strikes me as similar to Rodney 
: Brook's method in a few of his subsumption architecture robots...

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but from what I've read of Brooks, that's exactly the
*opposite* of what subsumption achitecture does. I thought his idea was let
the environment tell you where you are, and don't use an internal
representation at all. The net, as usual, will correct me if I'm wrong :-).

I believe one paper was titled "Planning is just a way of avoiding figuring
out what to do next."

: Mark C. Langston
: langston@memstvx1.memst.edu (still inop)
: graesserac@memstvx1.memst.edu (my prof's, I'm reachable via it)
: fugue@mindvox.phantom.com (but I don't check this every day)

-Shane

--
Shane Bouslough       | #include <stddisc.h>
shane@sbcs.sunysb.edu | "Follow your bliss" - Joseph Campbell
From: v078p6g8@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Richard M Wasserman)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Q: Wireless data links
Date: 21 Jan 93 23:20:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


	I know this has been asked and answered in very scattered parts - but:)
I was wondering if anyone has an idea for an inexpensive way to set up a 
wireless data link between two processors.  I'd kinda prefer to build some
portion to keep costs down.  What I think I'd like to do is set up a 
transmitter/receiver and use one of the modem on a chip devices for the data.
Any specific suggestions would be gratly appreciated.  Thanks

			Rich Wasserman
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle)
Subject: Re: Sonar and the 68HC11
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 03:16:05 GMT

James Ryan Miller <jmce+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>    I am curious if anyone has programmed a 6811 to find distances with
>one of those polaroid sonar things.  
>    Here is how I'm envisioning it ... The 6811 could pulse a trigger
>line which has the transducer xmit a "ping".  When the ping was
>received, it would pulse a line that the 6811 would time, and calculate
>distance.  With the great Input Capture features of the 6811, the
>software should be easy, but how much circuitry is needed to have these
>two nice digital lines at the computer to actually driving the
>transducer.

       All you need is a Texas Instruments type SN28827 Sonar Ranging
Module, which is a board about 1.5" square.  The application note
(D2780, October 1983) explains how to use it.  Runs on +5, but you need
a big external capacitor for filtering, because it draws about an amp
for a few milliseconds when it "pings".  This unit drives the round,
electrostatic Polaroid transducer.  There's a similar unit for the
rectangular pizeoelectric transducer.

       Control is simple; you raise INIT, and it pings; when you get
an echo, the board returns ECHO.  INIT and ECHO can be connected
directly to the appropriate pins of a 68HC11.  Works fine.

       I did this back in 1987, and you may have trouble finding the
modules.  But contact TI headquarters in Dallas, and bug them until
they tell you how to order.  Price runs around $30-50 each.  TI built
some vast number of these things for some camera application, and they're
still around.  I've seen them in a surplus catalog, but don't have the
reference.

       I have FORTH code to drive these things, if anyone needs it.

					John Nagle
Newsgroups: comp.robotics,sci.electronics,sci.engr,sci.engr.mech,sci.engr.control,sci.cognitive,comp.ai.fuzzy,comp.ai.neural-nets,comp.ai.edu
From: abg@mars.epm.ornl.gov (Alex L. Bangs)
Subject: Re: How to Explore Mars
Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab/CESAR
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 15:45:30 GMT

Kerien Fitzpatrick of CMU sez:
> Those of us at the FRC knew this project was extremely risky

Frankly, I don't think the lesson here has anything to do with small vs. large.
I think it has to to with two things: (1) funding realities and (2) reliability/
redundancy.

CMU took on this project knowing that it was risky and that they
had little time and money to make it work. That they accomplished what they
did with those limitations is, I think, quite impressive. However, the negative
publicity for CMU and especially NASA was a big risk; putting themselves on
TV for everyone to see their failure was worse, and then NASA claiming it as
an unqualified success topped it off. That was enough to get a very negative
editorial on the local paper. I think the political/funding lesson is that if
you've got high risk, little time, and little money, don't take it! If you must,
then hope no one notices :-)

The technical lesson is not big vs. small. It is reliability/redundancy. The
CMU folks say they knew they did not have adequate redundancy, and we can all
see that now. Let it be an example to be cited when asking for redundancy in
a system. If you want to get redundancy with small robots, that's fine if they
can do the job.

Nuf said.

-- 
Alex L. Bangs ---> bangsal@ornl.gov         Of course, my opinions are
Oak Ridge National Laboratory/CESAR            my own darned business...
Autonomous Robotic Systems Group
Newsgroups: comp.robotics,sci.electronics
From: laird@pasture.ecn.purdue.edu (Kyler Laird)
Subject: Re: Q: Wireless data links
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: 22 Jan 93 01:50:25 GMT

I've been looking for this kind of info for a long time.  I came across a
couple ads this month so here goes...

-------
(Computer Craft, Feb. 93, page 3)
U.S. Cyberlab
(501) 839-8293

Digital VHF Data Transmitter and Receiver Kits

Fixed Freq. (Crystal) Receiver: $89.95
Fixed Freq. (Crystal) Transmitter: $114.95

Computer Controlled Sythesizers: $39.95 & $49.95

-------
(73 Amateur Radio Today, Jan. 93, pg. 7)
Hamtronics, Inc.
(716) 392-9430

MO-202 FSK Data Modulator	$49/$79		(kit/wired&tested)
	1200 baud
DE-202 FSK Demodulator		$49/$79

9600 Baud Digital RF Links
	packet networking system including MO-96 modem,
	special 144, 220 or 450 MHz FM transmitter and
	receiver, 10/50W output

They also have a bunch of options for basic FM receivers and trasmitters.

-------

Hope this helps!

--kyler
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: schuch@phx.mcd.mot.com (John Schuch)
Subject: Re: Help needed - Optical Encoders
Organization: Motorola Computer Group, Tempe, Az.
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 00:59:31 GMT

In article <1993Jan22.221233.650@isrc.sandia.gov> bryan@isrc.sandia.gov (Jon R Bryan) writes:
>ska@hercules.acpub.duke.edu writes:
>: Each motor has a built-in "AB quadrature output and zero index channel" 
>: type optical encoder.  These encoders output voltages in the range 0.5 to 
>: 6 V DC via 4 leads - A, B, I, and ground.
>: 
>: Now, how can I use the voltages from the encoders to compute joint positions ?
>
>Get the Monolithic Memories "PAL/PLE Device Programmable Logic Array
>Handbook."  There are three shaft encoder designs that will explain
>quadrature decoding to you (if you can decipher the PALASM code).
>

or get the Hewlett Packard Opto Electronics databook for a couple
of single chip solutions. Or get the Oak-Grigsby optical encoder/
switch booklet for a couple of examples using simple gates.

Write me if you want more details, I can look it up Monday.

John
 


-- 
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| John R. Schuch  -  Motorola Computer Group  -  Manufacturing Engineering |
| N7XVS - schuch@phx.mcd.mot.com - (602) 438-3008 - CompuServe: 70733.3330 |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: Don.Golding@f2206.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Don Golding)
Sender: FredGate@ocitor.fidonet
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: MiniBoards
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 00:27:00

* In a message originally to All, Mark Epperson said:
ME> Is anyone selling fully assebmled & tested miniboards?

ME> Mark Epperson

ME> ---
ME>  * Origin: Dallas/Ft.Worth Usenet Gateway (1:124/2206.0)
I sell a better board with 32k of user battery backed up RAM, High 
level Robot Control Language, Speaker output, Microphone input, 
pulse width modulation, 4 optical collision sensors, two bump 
sensors, motor current monitoring( both motors independently), 
instinctive behavior for easier programming for $195 or a complete 
Whiskers robot, assembled for $395.
Contact: Don Golding
Angelus Research, 6344 Sugar Pine Circle #98, Angelus Oaks, Ca. 92305
(909) 794-8325.  Better than the miniboard.  PS, how much is your 
time worth?
 * Origin: The Interocitor*AI/Robotics*214-258-1832 (1:124/2206)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics