---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This file: ftp://cher.media.mit.edu/pub/projects/miniboard/gen-info.txt Last updated: Tue May 7 09:06:55 1996 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GETTING STARTED WITH THE MINI BOARD Fred G. Martin (fredm@media.mit.edu) MIT Media Lab E15-320 * Cambridge, MA 02139 This short document is an introduction to the Mini Board. This information is posted to the Internet newsgroup "comp.robotics" periodically or upon request, or may be mailed to individuals who specifically requested information. This document may be distributed without restriction. The Mini Board is a miniature microprocessor-based controller board designed for control of small robotic devices. It may be used for any number of applications that require sensing with analog and digital electronic sensors and/or control of DC and stepper motors. It may programmed to operate "stand-alone" (i.e, running a program autonomously from its internal memory) or attached via an RS-232 serial line to provide sensing and control capability to a desktop computer. The Mini Board was designed at the MIT Media Laboratory. The printed circuit board design, electronic schematic, related software, and documentation are are copyrighted but may be distributed and used freely. This means that you may use the Mini Board for any application you like without having to pay anyone for its design, but you must leave the copyright information intact if you re-distribute boards and/or plans. The remainder of this note provides the following additional information: 1. An introduction to the Mini Board: its functionality, hardware design, and available software. 2. How to obtain documentation, software, and printed circuit board artwork for the Mini Board. 3. How to obtain physical boards, parts kits, and assembled boards. 4. How to join the "robot-board" mailing list, which is formed largely of Mini Board users. For more information, please contact Fred Martin at fredm@media.mit.edu. 1. THE MINI BOARD 2.0 A miniature controller board for small mobile robots The MINI BOARD 2.0 is a complete embedded computer board for robotic applications. It can directly power four DC motors and receive inputs from numerous sensors. Its miniature size (smaller than a business card) makes it suited well for mobile applications as well as other embedded control. It can be programmed in 6811 assembler code or C for stand-alone operation, or it can serve as a serial-line based controller operated by a desktop computer. * overall dimensions: 3.3" by 1.86", smaller than a business card. If desired, an off-board serial connector can be used, allowing an additional .6" of board length can be chopped off. * nearly all parts can be purchased from Digikey (including all connectors and switches). Extensive use of resistor packs minimizes component count. * uses Motorola 68hc811e2 microprocessor with 2048 bytes of internal, electrically erasable PROM and 256 bytes of RAM. * four motor drivers for bidirectional control of small DC motors (up to 600 mA current, 36 volts each motor). * eight analog inputs; eight digital inputs or outputs; several timer and counter I/O pins, all broken out to convenient header ports. * on-board 5v regulator allows board to be powered by any DC power source from 5.6 to 36 volts. * RS-232 compatible RJ-11 port for communication/program download between host computer. * two modular high speed serial jacks, allowing networks of multiple MB 2.0's to be constructed using common 4-wire phone cable. Multiple-mastering bus protocols supported. * optional battery level monitoring using voltage divider from supply voltage before regulation. * XIRQ line broken out to a pad: when this line is given 12.5v, an 'hc711e9 chip with 12K of EPROM can be programmed in place. * MS-DOS, Macintosh, and Unix software provided for downloading programs to board. 6811 monitor program provided for recording changes in sensor state, controlling motors and interacting with other board features over serial line. * C/assembler libraries provided for code development using Dunfield Development Systems' Micro-C compiler, and ImageCraft's freeware icc11 C compiler. 2. MINI BOARD DOCUMENTATION, SOFTWARE, AND PC BOARD ARTWORK Full documentation for the Mini Board is available via anonymous FTP to "cherupakha.media.mit.edu" (Internet 18.85.0.47). Go to the "pub/projects/miniboard" directory and begin by reading the README file located there. ** You will need a PostScript printer to print out the documentation files; the main document is about 60 pages long. ** If you do not have ready access to a PostScript printer, you may order a hard copy by sending a check or money order for $5 (U.S. dollars) made out to "MIT Epistemology and Learning" at: Epistemology and Learning Publications M.I.T. Media Laboratory 20 Ames Street Room E15-315 Cambridge, MA 02139 Request the "Mini Board 2.0 Technical Reference." International orders are accepted without any surcharge; you just have to obtain a check payable in U.S. currency. Additionally, the Mini Board Technical Reference may be accessed via the WWW. Go to the URL http://lcs.www.media.mit.edu/people/fredm/papers/mb/ Software for the MS-DOS, Macintosh, and Unix platforms is also provided on the FTP server. The provided software includes a 6811 assembler and a program for downloading assembled programs to the Mini Board. ImageCraft's icc11 C compiler for MS-DOS is also available from the MIT FTP site. If you are interested in using the Micro-C environment, you must buy Micro-C from Dunfield Development Systems (which has no affiliation with MIT). Information on doing this accompanies the Mini Board documentation. Printed circuit board artwork files, produced by Douglas Electronic's "Professional Layout" program for the Macintosh, are on-line the FTP server. For more information about using this format, see the information on the server. Gerber-format files are also available on the FTP server. People who don't have access to anonymous FTP can do FTP-by-mail, provided as a public service by DEC. Send a message containing the single word "help" to "ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com" for instructions. You probably will want to start your queries by retrieving the file named "allfiles.ftp", which is at the top-level directory of our FTP server. This file is a recursive directory listing of all files on the server. 3. OBTAINING PHYSICAL PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS. There are three independent suppliers of Mini Board technology: * Douglas Electronics (contact person: Bill Schuler Bill_Schuler@douglas.com), 2777 Alvarado Street, San Leandro, California 94577; phone (510) 483-8770, fax (510) 483-6453; FirstClass BBS: (510) 483-6548. Douglas Electronics is a commercial printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing company and publishers of the Douglas Professional System of electronic and PCB CAD tools for the Macintosh (which were used in the design of the Mini Board). Douglas sells blank boards with the following price scale: 1 board only, $10.00; 2 to 9 boards, $7.50 ea.; 10 to 50 boards, $ 6.25 ea.; 50 and over, $5.00 ea. Please inquire about further discounts for 100 boards or more. * CW Technology (7328 Timbercreek Court, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068-1181), run by Wally Blackburn, is a supplier of Mini Board kits and assembled boards. See http://www.infinet.com/~cwtech, or write to "cwtech@infinet.com" for more info. * Gregory Ratcliff (gratclif@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu), 1763 Hess Boulevard, Columbus, Ohio 43212; (614) 487-0694 (late evenings EST). Greg sells blank boards for $6, parts kits, and assembled boards. Please contact him for information. 4. MINI BOARD USERS' MAILING LIST Ken Hornstein maintains a mailing list for users of the Mini Board, the 6.270 board, the Rug Warrior board, and other robot controller boards. To join the list, send an e-mail message containing the following text in the body of the message (not the Subject!): subscribe robot-board to "majordomo@cmf.nrl.navy.mil". You only need to add the e-mail address if your site tends to mangle outgoing return addresses, otherwise you can safely omit it. You will be automatically added to the list. To send a message to the people on the list, send your messages to "robot-board@cmf.nrl.navy.mil". Please *DO NOT* send administrative things to the main "robot-board" mailing list address, as then everyone will get annoyed. If you have trouble, you can contact Ken directly at "kenh@cmf.nrl.navy.mil". -----------------------end of document--------------------------