Robotic Arm Controller

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Robotic Arm Controller

• A VLSI Implementation

Team Justin Hamann Dave McNamara
Advisor Dr. Vinod Prasad
Organization Bradley University
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General Description

• EMAC user interface to accept user input
• Serial Communication of Position Based input data
  
• VLSI Robotic Arm Controller synchronously reads
  data and moves arm
• Servo Motor Feedback sets error flags when needed

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Previous Work

• Based off the Rhino Mark III robotic Arm
  Controller
• Uses EMAC board for user interface rather then PC
  connection
• No additional software required
• Positions instead of Direction vectors

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Functional Description

• Input
• Desired position of selected motor
• Output
• Motor movement

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Subsystem Block Diagram
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Controller Subsystem

• Position data received serially through six
  lines from UI.
• Uses synchronous communication with clock from
  UI
• Sends analog control signal to robot arm

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Controller Feedback Subsystem

• Servo status compared to expected motor function
• Error flag set and sent to UI

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Micro Controller Subsystem

• Uses keypad to accept user input position for
  each motor
• Reads error flags from the feedback subsystem
• Send appropriate serial data based on user input
  to the controller subsystem
• Generate clock signal to control synchronous
  communication

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Robot Arm Subsystem

• Requires a 12V high current power supply
• Uses the analog signals sent from the controller
  subsystem to drive the servos
• Photo diode, optical transistor, and a pair of
  optical discs used to create feedback on servo
  operation

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Equipment List

• Rhino XR-2 Robotic Arm
• Programmable Logic Chip
• EMAC board
• 5V two rail low current power supply
• 2 12V single rail high current power supplies
• VLSI designed chip

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Expected Time Chart
TIME ACTIVITY
Week 1 Researching the Rhino XR-2 Robotic Arm
Week 2 Researching the Arm Operation and available Power Supplies
Week 3 Coding the User Interface
Week 4 Troubleshooting / Testing the User Interface
Week 5 Beginning Programming of VHDL / Proposal Preparation
Week 6 VHDL Simulation
Week 7 Hardware Implementation of VHDL
Week 8 Testing the Robotic Arm / Troubleshooting
Week 9 Full System Testing / Start researching VLSI
Week 10 Begin VLSI Cell Development
Week 11 Continue Cell Development
Week 12 PSPICE testing of Cells
Week 13 Combining Cells and Troubleshooting / PSPICE testing
Week 14 Readying chip for fabrication / order
Week 15 Testing of VLSI chip
Week 16 Investigation of VLSI chip for high volume production
Week 17 Misc. Troubleshooting
Week 18 Prepare for Final Report and Presentation