Re: Re RoboStix Communication Hey Dave

On Jul 10, 2005, at 7:29 PM, Dave Hylands wrote:

> On 7/10/05, Roy O'Neill <royoneill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > THanks for the info, for some reason I still have to learn the  
> > source force
> > reply to function. Anyhow thanks for replying to my questions. One  
> > thing I
> > am very uncertain about is that when I plug the gumstix and robostix
> > together they fit very good. But when I plug in my other card so I  
> > can have
> > wireless connectivity, the GumStix has to be bowed and the  
> > wireless board
> > rests right on the RoboStix. Do they make a patch cable so I can have
> > everthing connected but not have the RoboStix and the Wireless board
> > touching? I know when I get start getting some wires attatched to the
> > robostix that will only get worse LOL
>
> There isn't currently anything that I'm aware of. If the back row of
> headers (the ones that are one and two deep) were replaced by right
> angle connectors, then things would fit together better, The height of
> the right angle connectors that I have is about the same as the height
> of the power plug.
>
> The bluetooth wireless would work.
>
> Getting a robostix with no headers and soldering the headers on the
> bottom would also work.

With the re-order we're in the process of placing with our CM (sold  
out of the first batch of robostix already!), we are in fact going to  
be doing 2 things:

1. Replacing the headers on the 2-wire side (not the 3-wire side  
though) with L-shaped headers which are low enough to not cause  
problems with stacked connex-side cards like etherstix/cfstix.
2. Also offering a headerless robostix, with headers separately  
available, so people can attach headers themselves if they prefer.   
This headerless option will likely be slightly cheaper than the  
current one, but headerless-robostix+separate headers will likely be  
a little more expensive than pre-populated (just cos inventory  
management is harder with 2 SKUs instead of 1).  Probably $5-10  
either way, not a huge price change.

> > Also you said that there is already communications between the  
> > GumStix and
> > the RoboStix. How do I send commands to it from the Gumstix, do  
> > you know of
> > anyone offering any samples code? If I have the GumStix hooked up  
> > to the
> > RoboStix does that mean I dont have to use a programmer to develop  
> > on the
> > RoboStix?
>
> I'm working on some code, but it isn't available yet.

I suspect before long you'll want that in your .sig Dave :)

> > Do I have to program the RoboStix seperated from the
> > GumStix?
>
> It's a comepletely separate processor.

That said, over time there are plans to provide a sort of "virtual"  
access to the robostix from the gumstix.  So the gumstix will  
essentially have a "robostix driver" which will do the programming of  
the atmega on the robostix -- if you're just writing code on the  
gumstix, you'll more or less be able to ignore the fact that part of  
what you're doing is actually executing on a separate CPU.  But this  
is a few months away at least.

> > Ok I dont think I am getting anywheres these questions I am asking
> > just bring me to other questions.
> >
> > Is there some docs explaining how to program the RoboStix and Some  
> > sample
> > code? Thanks for all the help. I have two robots built, they dont do
> > anything yet, but they look good. Any tips of where to next would  
> > be great.
>
> I'll put together some LED flashing code.

Thanks Dave -- the wiki pages you put up there look like a great  
starting point for all.

C



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