Why surface mount on the Leonardo?

uzimonkey · 1 day

uzimonkey · 1 day

The Arduino UNO R3 is a surface-mount design.

littlefield20 · 1 day

Nice!

How did you connect your Arduino to the car's original control board? From the pictures it looks like you're using jumpers that aren't soldered.

I'm curious to know, because I'm working on a very similar project with a New Bright off-road truck and an Arduino Mega, and soldering wires to the tiny surface-mount resistors on the truck's receiver board was pretty difficult.

tommytwoeyes · 8 days

Wow, that's awesome that you guys have added the ability to mount an Arduino control system.

The videos are not available, but the vehicles sound pretty durable.

They are fairly expensive though. Do you offer any kind of starter kit that can still accommodate an Arduino? Or, is the chassis structure compatible with other building kits we users might have? They look like they might work with some of the pieces in my Mindstorms robotics kit.

tommytwoeyes · 1 month

Thanks, that is really helpful because this is my first attempt at reverse engineering a real-world circuit like this.

tommytwoeyes · 1 month

You're both right actually - I was curious about the purpose of both the "TP" pads and the four above the Q4-Q7 transistors. I was hoping they'd turn out to be something I could use to connect jumper wires to for the Arduino digital outputs, to take control of the steering & fwd/rev motors.

tommytwoeyes · 1 month

Oh, I see. It's so fascinating to learn how this stuff works! Thanks for your help!

tommytwoeyes · 1 month

Oh, ok - so maybe New Bright desigs these boards to be multi-purpose and usable in different sized vehicles?

Any idea what the circular solder pads labeled with a "TP" prefix are?

tommytwoeyes · 1 month

I am in in the process of connecting an Arduino to this R/C truck's receiver circuit so I can control it. I discovered these four rectangles that look like solder pads above the h-bridge, and I'm wondering if they are in fact solder pads, and what they're for. Can I use them to interface the Arduino to the h-bridge?

gui77 · 1 month

"Good god man spend some money on an englidh book instead of an.ardurino project."

Oh, how I love irony.

gui77 · 1 month

Yes, Tayda is awesome! I got mine in about five days, with the cheapest shipping option.

gui77 · 1 month

This is a good way to get started, IF you have a lot of patience and don't get easily discouraged. Desoldering resistors, capacitors, etc. is a very frustrating exercise, especially when you're just starting out.

It's easier and not too much more expensive to get a good starter kit.

gui77 · 1 month

This is true, but kind of a generalization. Harbor Freight is good for some things (never been to Northern Tools).

For instance, I would not buy digital calipers there, or their knock-off Dremel tools. But I bought a bunch of cheap clamps there that are great for holding stuff still while I saw or drill it. Also got a $1, very bright LED flashlight and a $30 desk lamp with magnification that are very helpful when working with/trying to read tiny components. They have stuff like those things that are so cheap they're essentially disposable.

You just have to think about what you're buying. If its something you need to be reliable - then definitely buy a quality tool somewhere else. But if it's not that critical, why not save some money?

gui77 · 1 month

Great idea! If you don't have a ton of scrap electronics laying around, go to your local Goodwill or thrift store.

I went to mine and got a used VCR, printer, six-disc CD changer, and two Tivos for less than $40. Got all kinds of spare components out of those.

gui77 · 1 month

Check your local pawn shops. I got a pretty good multimeter for $40 at one near me; the same one new would have cost more than $100.

It's best to look for a multimeter that does not have an "auto-ranging" feature (a convenience feature) when you're learning. The ones with auto-ranging can be confusing until you've got a bit more experience.

Having said that, I still think your best bet is to get a beginner toolkit from Adafruit or Sparkfun that includes a multimeter, as I said in my other response. the multimeter in the kit might be more basic, but you really won't need a more advanced one until you've been building your own projects for a while.

gui77 · 1 month

This one looks better than the very similar starter kit I got from SparkFun, because this one has a wall wart (ac/dc converter plug).

gui77 · 1 month

This is great advice.

gui77 · 1 month

This is EXCELLENT advice. Make Electronics is the absolute best intro to electronics book I've found.

If you do get it, be sure to get the two accompanying component kits. Together, with shipping, they'll cost about $250.

Sounds like a lot, but (trust me) it will cost a lot more to buy the components individually, and some of them are hard to find. I should know - I did that because I wasn't aware if the two kits.

It's nice also that they come in two kits. That way, if you buy the first, read the book, then discover that you hate electronics or something, you're only out $100.

gui77 · 1 month

No disrespect, but I have to disagree with this advice.

While you can get all this stuff for those prices, you'd pay more for shipping them separately. Also, when you're just starting out, you may not be able to tell crappy tools from good ones, or you may buy some that are more expensive than you need at first.

Trust a store like Adafruit or Sparkfun to choose the tools for you, and just get a starter kit. They're engineers, and they'll choose the best set of tools for a beginner.

gui77 · 1 month

Yes, start with a kit like Lighthouse_guy suggested. It's a great introduction that's not too expensive. About $80-$95.

If you enjoy that, then you can try some more advanced projects that might require soldering or stripping wire. Instructables.com and Letsmakerobots.com have plenty of inspiration for project ideas. Then you would need tools.

But don't do what I did and buy your tools individually/separately. Get a starter electronics kit from Adafruit or Sparkfun. They'd probably cost $100 to no more than $150. Adafruit (has one)[http://www.adafruit.com/products/136] for $100, which is a great deal since it includes so much. Adafruit won't sell you crappy tools, either. Unfortunately, it's out of stock. But they'll get more, or you could get a similar kit from Sparkfun, I'm sure.

mranderson88 · 1 month

Same here. I got a TurtleBot for Christmas and am learning ROS, and have questions as well.

Thanks for posting this. Can't wait to see videos once you have the drive/navigation stuff worked out.

tommytwoeyes · 1 month

That's a great idea. I ordered 20 of them. I'll try that - thanks!

Xephyrous · 1 month

Python is used extensively in robotics. Unfortunately, most of the robotics platforms that have enough power to run Python are too complex for a beginner.

Arduino programming is easy to learn and makes an excellent gateway into robotics. There's also the added benefit that if he enjoys it, there is a virtually unlimited variety of paths he (and you!) could take with Arduino: they are used in all sorts of projects from home automation to music & art. If you visit LetsMakeRobots.com, you will find a dozens of tutorials for making robots using parts you can find around your house (e.g. using CD-ROMs for wheels) or salvage from Goodwill (e.g. using an Arduino to convert a cheap R/C vehicle into a robot).

If you're determined to use Python, there is a Python module for Lego Mindstorms NXT. Mindstorms also serve as a good introduction to robotics, but they may cost more than you were hoping to spend.

tommytwoeyes

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