 Printer EmailThe first robots (they were called automatons in those days) were purely mechanical, driven by clockwork or steam power. The arrival of electronics greatly increased the scope of what robots could be made to do. Modern concepts of robotics began to emerge. The big advances came when engineers started putting complex digitial circuitry on a single chip. These were microprocessors, capable of millions of operations per second. Microprocessors are widely used in computers, robots, and many other devices that depend on high-speed, digital processing. A microprocessor can not work on its own. There must be other electronic devices, such as memory chips, input and output ports, and a system clock, to help it. The circuitboards holding the elements of a microprocessor system are relatively large and complex. They are just a bit too complicated for the average enthusiast to design and build. Next came microcontrollers — the ‘computer on a chip’. Fast operating, simple to connect to other electronics, easily programmable, and cheap to buy, they are just right The software supplied with a programming deck usually includes its own assembler and, as already mentioned, may have a BASIC or C compiler built in to it. On the computer screen, type in the program (or part of it) using a text editor. This is usually supplied as part of the programming software, or use Notepad, which comes in the Windows package. Next comes the simulator. The simulator is another item which is provided with the programming software. It runs on the PC but behaves just like a PIC would do. It can run a program at full speed or step though it line by line. While the simulator is running, special panels on the screen display the contents of all the registers of the simulated PIC. It is easy to see what is happening and whether or not the program is working as intended. The screen also displays the contents of the simulated PIC’s memory. With the more advanced simulators you are able to set up virtual input and output devices such as LEDs, digital displays, and push buttons and see how the simulated controller interacts with these. Now is the time to look for and correct errors. When all is finally checked, click on a button to download the assembled program into the PIC. The assembler software converts it into machine code and transfers it to the PIC's program memory. Once the program is in the PIC it stays there for years (or until you change it). Plug the PIC into its socket in the robot circuit and test it for real. The Robot Builder's Cookbook by Owen Bishop
|
|||
Post new comment