Programming :)

Ok so I like this part of the course. It involves programming :). I am ok at the breadboard configuration. I followed the instructions very carefully and was able to go through the intro pdf and make everything work. Here is a picture of my working breadboard.
So this is the basic breadboard that connects to the computer. From here I would build the different configurations that were specified by the intro pdf. Since I have taken the wintersession robotics I am familiar with the programming methods used by picoblocks. Also - I LOVE programming (why I was almost a CS major). Programming is fun (especially NOT in java...I love matlab :)!). Anyways, so most of the challenges went pretty quickly as a result.

I started in order as that was simplest. So toggle fix wasn't too hard because of taking that robotics course (btw edge programming is a PAIN, aka NOT how my brain thinks :(!). So I just added a pause of 10 microseconds in between the waituntil(sensor) and waituntil(~sensor). (~ means NOT FYI). So a basic program. Funny enough, my trigger button was actually very well constructed so there was very little wobble so just doing the basic waituntil(sensor) and then waituntil(~sensor) without the pause actually worked really well.
 This is a picture of my breadboard with the trigger sensor attached. I actually figured out how to configure/wire this without help!

So then for the next challange of counting edges I had lots of fun. It was just programming :). This is a picture with the photocell. Here is a picture of the programming for this counting
 
Have I mentioned I love programming? The main limitation I have with this program is the lack of while loops...and you can't really use the repeat loop as a for loop that can double as a while loop..I get around it, but it requires some creativity :)

The zero to sixty challenge was fun. I wrote a cute little loop that ramps up the program and then ramps it down. I had my engine hooked up to a motion module that made it cuter.
Here is the code for that program. As you can see it was fun! I like the colors of the different coding elements, makes for a happy programmer. I used boolean operators too in this. So this was all I did last week. I'll post an update after spring break, because I am missing class all of this week :(.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hopper Last

Image
So we made Hopper hop....well sorta! We built a bottom for hopper's body by adding 6 puzzle pieces! Lots of fun making puzzle pieces that fit together in a tight fit. Then we have a small tail piece of foam that helps with the balance and the hop of hopper. We got in the long axel and put it in for the double axle of the engine. Unfortunately we picked up the extra long one which messed up our balance and looked REALLY strange. So instead we decided to use the shorter 100 mm axle (not the 150). But at this point our engine started acting up! So after an hour and a half of fiddling with the engine, we got it to stop making weird noises when it ran. We also decided to do some soddering. We soddered the batteries with the engine and added an on/off switch. Lot's of fun soddering again. After all of this our hopper is mostly working. I've shown you tons of pictures so here are the two new ones from friday: This is hopper with the 150 mm axle -- doesn't it look weird! yo...
Read more

Thermal Work - Matlab -- Write up

So I worked with Jeff on the matlab thermal work, since I had missed a fair amount during thesis time. WE managed to finish up everything. Umm ok here goes: So I worked up the part 1 of the thermal challenge in class with Robbie. The cooling and heating of coffee was really easy. But hey, I've done tons and TONS of matlab coding this semester (aka > 200 pages of matlab codes). Any who, what happens with bang bang is lots of oscillation for the control, aka the temperature of the coffee oscillates around the desired temperature. When you code in proportional control, you have trouble reaching the desired temperature. Instead the coffee tends to be right below the desired temperature and never quite reaches the desired temp. I guess Starbucks can't use proportional control then! It is quite fun to add in a time delay for the proportional control and bang-bang control. With bang-bang you see a fair amount of overshoot. You see some overshoot with proportional control too. a...
Read more

Hopper Finale

Image
He works! It's crazy soooo crazy :). Here are some pictures from hopper finale. We did all of the sodering and used the smaller 100 cm axle. We also got the alignment correct between the two legs. And he hops!!!! There is a movie I have, so please email me if you want to see it :). I don't know how to post it here so yea. We decided not to redo any parts as he works pretty solidly! There was one idea to make the big rabbit legs a tad bit smaller so that they rotate completely freely without touching the floor surface when he is hopping, but the weighting of the legs with screws really means that this isn't an issue! I think hopper is adorable and my partner is brilliant. I am good with solidworks and printing but she is good with lots of everything else!
Read more