Robonova-1 Instruction Manual v1.5

1
Robonova-1 Instruction Manual v1.5

• Written by Meena Seralathan

2
Overview

• The Robonova-1 is a humanoid robot able to
  execute a number of pre-programmed moves, as well
  as execute new moves through use of the RoboBASIC
  programming language, and the RoboBASICs
  catch-and-play feature, which allows for
  real-time recording of servo positions for even
  simpler routine coding. While there are also a
  program designed for emulating the remote control
  (roboRemocon) and a program designed to be a
  version of RoboBASIC that is coded more like a
  script and less like a program(roboScript), it is
  generally easier to program in the RoboBASIC
  program.

3
What the Robonova-1 Comes With

• 16 servos
• MR-C3024 controller board
• 5-cell NiMH rechargeable battery and charger
• IR sensor on head for use with included remote
  control
• 8 AD ports
• PIEZO speaker for basic sound capabilities
• CD with RoboBASIC, roboRemocon, and roboScript
  (all v2.5) for programming the robots moves
  also comes with code demonstrating various
  movements the Robonova-1 can do, such as walking,
  sitting, and punching, and an instruction PDF (in
  English, Japanese, or Korean)?

4
What the Robonova-1 Can Be Modified To Have

• Up to 8 additional servos
• Touch Sensors
• Sound Sensors
• IR Sensors
• Sonar Sensors
• Light Sensors
• Tilt Sensors
• Accelerometer
• Gyro
• Gripper Hands (to replace hands included with
  robot)?
• Camera
• Different-colored head/brackets

5
List of Actions Included with the Robonova-1

• Standard Pose
• Sit
• Bend
• Raise hands
• Left/Right/Front punch
• Tumble forward/backward
• Cartwheel left/right
• Turn left/right
• Step forward/backward/left/right

• Stand up (useful if the robot falls on its back
  or its stomach)?
• Left/Right kick
• Left/Right hand attack
• Fast walk
• Fly
• Handstand
• Dance

6
How to program the Robonova-1

• The Robonova-1 does not come with a board that is
  easily programmable in any language other than
  its provided language, RoboBASIC. The firmware on
  the robot is specially designed to work with this
  language (not even normal BASIC), and programming
  in another language would essentially require
  wiping the board and creating one's own code for
  the board to read in the language of choice. Thus
  there are mainly two methods of programming the
  robot
• Using the included interfaces and language
• Using another board with better language
  compatibility as a master board, and then using
  this board to send signals to the robots board
• First, this manual will deal with RoboBASIC and
  how to use it to program simple and not-so-simple
  routines. Then it will provide a general method
  of controlling the Robonova-1 with another board.
• NOTE This manual assumes you have a 3000-series
  board,. Though the parameters and general
  concepts provided in this manual will work with
  the 2000-series, some of the functions have
  different names (especially in the sound and
  serial communications categories). If working
  with the 2000-series, refer to the .pdf file
  provided with your hardware to make sure you are
  using the right names for your commands.
• NOTE This program was meant to be used under
  Windows, and is designed to work with Windows 98,
  ME, 2000, or XP. Using this with Vista will give
  you errors, and the program cannot be (easily)
  installed on Mac or Linux systems. If working
  under Vista, go to the Appendix to find out a fix
  to the incompatibility issue.

7
Initializing Your Robonova-1

• In order to start your first program, you need to
  first make sure your robot is properly connected
  to your computer. Make sure you follow this
  procedure before attempting to program the
  Robonova-1. You should not have to do this again,
  unless you reinstall the software.

• (1) Connect the provided serial cable to the
  robot and to the correct port on your computer.
  Turn the robot on.
• (2) Open RoboBASICv2.5. Go to Set -gt Controller
  Type. Make sure the selected controller is the
  right one for your robot.
• (3) Go to Set -gtSet Port. Make sure Com Port
  (Serial Type) is selected in the Port box.
• (4) Find out what COM port the serial cable is
  connected to. If you do not know how to do this,
  refer to the Appendix at the end of this manual.
• (5) Select the correct COM port in the drop-down
  box next to Port No. You can leave the rest of
  the information alone for now.
• (6) Now go to Controller -gt Controller
  Information. Make sure your robot is connected
  and on if it is not, you will probably receive
  an error code of -4 (-4 generally means the robot
  is not connected to the computer). You should see
  a window that displays a variety of information.
  If you get a window with no information, this
  means your computer is not properly connected to
  the robot. Check the cable again, and make sure
  the robot is on and running.
• (7) If all went well and you saw information in
  the text windows, then youre set!

8
Using RoboBASIC v2.5
9
A Snapshot of RoboBASIC v2.5
10
Overview of RoboBASIC

• RoboBASIC is the only program of the three where
  users code in a traditional-looking environment.
  RoboBASIC is also the main program to use with
  the Robonova-1s catch-and-play features.

11
Using RoboBASIC

• The buttons in the toolbar that you will use most
  are the Download and the Run All buttons. These
  are the second and third encircled buttons,
  respectively. Download will send the code to the
  robot, while Run All will execute it once on the
  robot. Both options will automatically compile
  the code before sending it to the robot.
• If you prefer, you can also compile the code
  separately using the Make Object Code button
  (first encircled button).

12
More on Using RoboBASIC

• These three buttons are shortcuts to the text
  menu choices. Starting from the left, they are
• Controller Information (which you should already
  know something about)
• Servo Motor Real-Time Control (used for the
  catch-and-play feature, and discussed later in
  this manual)
• Direct Line Control (used to execute a single
  line of code only for OUT, MOVE, SERVO, POS,
  MOVEPOS commands).

13
Even More on Using RoboBASIC

• These are more shortcuts, dealing more
  specifically with the robot controller. Starting
  from the left, they are
• Clear Memory (this should clear any old programs
  off the robots memory useful for when the robot
  starts accidentally running old code)
• Controller Reset Mode (should reset the board
  back to its factory defaults may require
  re-initializing board, and should clear
  everything done to the board after receiving it)
• Controller Run Mode (have not actually used this
  command)
• Controller Stop Mode (this one either)
• ROBONOVA (or this one)

14
A Glimpse of RoboBASIC

• Writing Code for a Single Action

15
Writing Code for a Single Action

• On the right is an example of what roboBASIC code
  looks like. This code tells the robot to move to
  its standard position. Before giving a more
  detailed explanation of how to program using this
  language, we will explain what this code block
  does.

• GETMOTORSET G24, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0,
  0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0
• SPEED 5
• MOTOR G24
• MOVE G6A,100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
• MOVE G6D,100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
• MOVE G6B,100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
• MOVE G6C,100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
• WAIT

16
Writing Code for a Single Action

• This command is used to read the position of a
  set of servos, and to then set the servo
  positions. In this line, GETMOTORSET reads the
  positions of all servos (G24 refers to all servos
  under the control of the board), and then sets
  each to the values listed after G24. A 1 tells
  the Robonova-1 to keep the position of the servo
  as-is, while a 0 tells the Robonova-1 to change
  the servo to its initial position. It is best to
  put this at the beginning of all programs,
  because it sets the servos to positions that will
  ensure that it starts moving safely.

• GETMOTORSET G24, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0,
  0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0

17
Writing Code for a Single Action

• This command is rather straightforward it sets
  the speed of the servo movement. The higher the
  value after SPEED, the faster the robot will
  move. Values can range between 1 and 20, but it
  is best to keep most movements at 10 or lower for
  stability (any value higher than 15 is likely to
  cause problems with an unmodded robot). For very
  fast movements there is a HIGHSPEED command,
  which will be touched on later.

• SPEED 5

18
Writing Code for a Single Action

• This command turns on the output port of the
  specified servo set (in this case, all of them).
  In other words, it opens the servo ports so that
  your code can talk to the servos and tell them to
  move. If planning on having all body parts of the
  robot move during your routine, this is a
  must-have piece of code at the beginning of the
  file.

• MOTOR G24

19
Writing Code for a Single Action

• These lines are what actually move the
  Robonova-1. The command MOVE is followed by the
  set of servos you want to move (more info about
  what G6A, etc mean on the next slide).
• 100 is the initial value for servo positions
  values above 100 move the servos clockwise, while
  values below 100 move the servos anti-clockwise.

• MOVE G6A,100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
• MOVE G6D,100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
• MOVE G6B,100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
• MOVE G6C,100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100

20
Writing Code for a Single Action

• Besides the group G24, there are 4 subsets of
  servos that one can concentrate on. Each set can
  control six servos at a time.

• A Servos 0-5
• B Servos 6-11
• C Servos 12-17
• D Servos 18-23

21
Writing Code for a Single Action

• To the right is a diagram to show what servo
  corresponds to what number in the motor group. As
  you can see
• Group A mostly controls the left leg
• Group B mostly controls the left arm
• Group C mostly controls the right arm
• Group D mostly controls the right leg

22
Writing Code for a Single Action

• Last but not least is the WAIT command. This
  command tells the servos to wait until every
  specified motor set has finished moving before
  going onto whatever code comes after the
  movement. This is particularly useful if you plan
  on having multiple movements in one routine.

• WAIT

23
A Glimpse of RoboBASIC

• Using Multiple Commands in a Single Program

24
Using Multiple Commands in a Single Program

• There are ways to program the Robonova-1 to
  execute multiple movements in succession, as well
  as ways to program it to loop through commands,
  or to read input from the remote control and act
  accordingly. Each will be described briefly.

25
Programming a Chain of Movements

• This program will cause the robot to move to its
  standard pose, take a bow, then return to its
  standard pose. Putting a quotation mark before a
  line is how one comments out a line of code. As
  you can see, having one move succeed another is
  as easy as putting the new servo values after the
  previous move.

• GETMOTORSET G24, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0,
  0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0
• SPEED 5
• MOTOR G24
• standard pose
• MOVE G6A,100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
• MOVE G6D,100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
• MOVE G6B,100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
• MOVE G6C,100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
• WAIT
• bend
• SPEED 8
• MOVE G6A, 100, 58, 135, 160, 100, 100
• MOVE G6D, 100, 58, 135, 160, 100, 100
• MOVE G6B, 100, 30, 80, , , ,
• MOVE G6C, 100, 30, 80, , , ,
• WAIT

26
Using For Loops, If Statements

• For loops and if statements are included in
  RoboBASIC and are similar to their BASIC
  parallels.
• For the interval in the for loop one has to take
  a predefined variable (in this case, I), set it
  to an initial value (0), and choose a value to
  increase the initial value to (10). The end of
  the for loop is signified by the NEXT command.
• For the if statement, one chooses a predefined
  variable with a value (X), determines the
  condition of the statement (X lt 10), then gives a
  command for the program should that condition be
  fulfilled. If statements are then ended by the
  ENDIF command.
• This is a good time to also point out how to
  declare variables in RoboBASIC. The syntax is
  basically, DIM (variable letter) AS (variable
  type only bytes and integers are supported).
  Assigning variables is rather similar to most
  other languages variable name value.

• DIM I AS INTEGER
• DIM X AS INTEGER
• X 2
• FOR I 0 TO 10
• IF X lt 10 THEN
• bend
• SPEED 8
• MOVE G6A, 100, 58, 135, 160, 100, 100
• MOVE G6D, 100, 58, 135, 160, 100, 100
• MOVE G6B, 100, 30, 80, , , ,
• MOVE G6C, 100, 30, 80, , , ,
• WAIT
• standard pose
• MOVE G6A,100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
• MOVE G6D,100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
• MOVE G6B,100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
• MOVE G6C,100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100

27
Reading from the Remote Control

• RoboBASIC already has commands to read in values
  for sensors, and has a command that specifically
  reads the input sent from the remote to the
  robot. In this code we are trying to have the
  robot bow if the user presses 1 on the remote
  control pad. A is a predefined variable that
  stores the value coming from the first instance
  of REMOCON (in other words, the first controller
  to send data to it). If A isnt 1 (A ltgt 1), then
  the code restarts at the beginning of MAIN (GOTO
  MAIN) otherwise, it goes to another function
  that defines the bow position, delays the robots
  movement for a second (DELAY 1000), then moves
  the robot to its standard position and loops back
  to the beginning of MAIN.

• MAIN
• A REMOCON(1)
• IF A ltgt 1 THEN GOTO MAIN
• SPEED 8
• GOSUB bow_pose
• DELAY 1000
• SPEED 6
• GOSUB standard_pose
• GOTO MAIN

28
Reading from Serial Device

• This bit of code will read and store a byte sent
  over a serial connection with a baud rate of
  57600, and will loop back to the beginning of
  read_bluetooth until it gets a byte. When it does
  get a byte, it stores it in X and then returns to
  the part of the code that called the function.
• ERX (baud rate), (predefined byte variable),
  (location in code to go to if byte is not read)?

• read_bluetooth
• ERX 57600, X, read_bluetooth
• RETURN

29
Things to Note When Reading From a Bluetooth
Device

• ETX/ERX can only send and receive byte values.
  Make sure the variables for these are initiated
  accordingly.

• The Robonova-1 works with TTL, not RS-232. Be
  sure to use a device that is TTL-compatible, else
  find a converter for the devices.

30
Using the Catch-and-Play Features

• Via RoboBasic v2.5

31
Catch-and-Play

• You can pull up this screen by going to the menu
  and clicking Control -gt Servo Motor Real-Time
  Control.
• To use the catch-and-play feature, you first
  unselect all of the servos that you want to move.
  This is about the equivalent of MOTOR. After
  that, you move the robot into the position you
  want, then make sure that all boxes are checked
  again. This is the equivalent of GETMOTORSET.
  Finally, to add the new position to your code,
  press the Move Insert button of each motor group.
  Dont forget to add a WAIT command at the end!
• You can also use this window to learn more about
  servo position values, in case youre interested
  in correctly coding these values without having
  to use the catch-and-play interface.

32
A Deeper Glimpse at RoboBASIC

• Quick Index of RoboBASIC Commands

33
General Program Commands

• GOTO function
• GOSUB function
• RETURN
• END
• STOP
• RUN
• WAIT
• DELAY time
• BREAK

• Jumps to a specified part of program and executes
  all code henceforth
• Jumps to specified part of program and executes
  code until a RETURN is reached
• Returns from a subroutine to the point where the
  subroutine was called
• End the program
• Stop the program
• Run the program continuously
• Wait until the program has finished before moving
  on
• Delay the execution of the next line of code
  (value in milliseconds)?
• Pause the program and switch to debug mode

34
Commands Related to Variables

• DIM variable AS type
• CONST
• INTEGER
• BYTE

• Declare a variable as a type
• Declare a constant variable
• Used with DIM...AS to declare an integer variable
• Used with DIM...AS to declare a byte variable

35
For Loops/If Statements

• IF...THEN
• ELSEIF...THEN
• ELSE
• ENDIF
• FOR...TO
• NEXT

• Start a conditional statement
• Start a secondary conditional statement
• Set a default statement for when no conditions
  have been met
• End a set of conditional statements
• Start a for loop
• End a for loop or iterate variable to next value

36
Supported Logical Expressions

• AND
• OR
• XOR
• NOT

• lt
• gt
• lt
• gt
• ltgt

37
Digital Signal Commands

• IN port
• OUT port, outputValue
• BYTEIN port
• BYTEOUT port, outputValue
• INKEY port
• STATE port
• PULSE port
• TOGGLE port
• KEYIN ADPort, keys

• Read signal from input port
• Send signal to output port
• Read a byte from input port
• Send a byte to the output port
• Reduce chattering
• Get status of output port
• Send pulse signal to output port
• Reverse status of output port
• Receive input from analog keyboard

38
Memory Commands

• PEEK region
• POKE region, byteData
• ROMPEEK region
• ROMPOKE region, byteData

• Read data from controller RAM
• Write data to controller RAM
• Read data from external EEPROM RAM
• Write data to external EEPROM RAM

39
LCD Screen Commands

• LCDINIT
• CLS
• LOCATE x,y
• PRINT charString, ASCIInumber
• FORMAT var, type, position
• CSON
• CSOFF
• CONT
• DEC
• HEX
• BIN

• Initialize LCD module
• Clear all characters displayed on LCD
• Set x/y coordinates of the characters displayed
  in the LCD
• Display letter in LCD
• Set type format of characters on LCD
• Turn cursor in LCD on
• Turn cursor in LCD off
• Set letter contrast
• Send decimal character to LCD (used with FORMAT)?
• Send hexadecimal character to LCD (used with
  FORMAT)?
• Send binary character to LCD (used with FORMAT)?

40
Motor/Servo Commands

• ZERO motor0_neutral... motorN_neutral
• MOTOR motor
• MOTOROFF motor
• MOVE motor0_angle...motorN_angle
• SPEED
• DIR
• PTP
• SERVO

• Set neutral angle of servo
• Turn on the output port of the servo
• Turn off the output port of the servo
• Move a set of servos to specified positions
• Set the speed of the servos (1-15 3 is initial)?
• Set the direction of the servos
• Turn simultaneous control of servos on/off
• Control a particular servo

41
Even More Motor/Servo Commands

• PWM
• FPWM
• HIGHSPEED
• FASTSERVO
• POS
• MOVEPOS
• MOVE24
• MOTORIN
• GETMOTORSET
• INIT

• Set pulse width control for DC motor
• Set pulse width and frequency
• Allow/disable servos to move in fast mode
• Operate servos at maximum speed
• Set a position for the robot
• Move to specified POS
• Move all 24 servos at the same time
• Read in the motor values for the current position
• Get the current servo values and determine
  whether to keep them or set them to their initial
  positions (1 keep, 0 initialize)?
• Set initial pose

42
Last Batch of Motor/Servo Commands

• AIMOTOR
• AIMOTOROFF
• AIMOTORIN
• SETON
• SETOFF
• ALLON
• ALLOFF

• Control motors via an AI motor
• Turn off AI motor
• Read position values from AI motor
• Use in conjunction with other commands to enter
  setup mode
• Cancel setup mode
• Use in conjunction with other commands to enter
  setup mode for all servos
• Cancel setup mode for all servos

43
Assigning Motor Group Commands

• G6A
• G6B
• G6C
• G6D
• G6E
• G8A
• G8B
• G8C
• G8D
• G12
• G16
• G24
• G32

• Assign servos 0-5 to group A
• Assign servos 6-11 to group B
• Assign servos 12-17 to group C
• Assign servos 18-23 to group D (not available for
  original robot)?
• Assign servos 24-29 to group E (not available for
  original robot)?
• Assign servos 0-7 to group A
• Assign servos 8-15 to group B
• Assign servos 16-23 to group C
• Assign servos 24-31 to group D (not available for
  original robot)?
• Assign servos 0-11
• Assign servos 0-15
• Assign servos 0-23
• Assign servos 0-31 (not available for original
  robot)?

44
Sound Commands

• SOUND pitch,length
• MUSIC stringOfNotes
• TEMPO value

• Plays a note based on inputted frequency/duration
• Plays a string of notes based on inputted note
  information
• Sets the tempo of the song/sound

45
MUSIC Command (More Detail)?

• Scale starts at, C (CDEFGAB)?
• sharp note
• flat note
• ltspacegt, P rest
• gt raise an octave
• lt lower an octave
• L Low Octave
• M Middle Octave
• H High Octave
• T change tempo

• 1 whole note
• 2 half note
• 3 dotted half note
• 4 quarter note
• 5 dotted quarter note
• 8 8th note
• 9 dotted 8th note
• 6 16th note
• 7 dotted 16th note
• 0 32nd note

46
MUSIC Command (Even More Detail)?

• Extra notation is placed before the actual note
• Song is written as a string of notes

• MUSIC M4GGAA GGE GGEED
• MUSIC DEFGABgtCD

47
External Communication Commands

• ERX baudRate,byteVar,ErrorProcessFunction
• ETX baudRate, byteVar
• AD(ltADPortgt)?
• REMOCON(1)?
• SONAR(ltUltrasoundPortgt)?
• RCIN(ltRCPortgt)?
• GYRODIR group,motorDirection
• GYROSET group,gyroPort
• GYROSENSE group,byteSensitivityValue

• Reads a byte from a RS-232 connection through the
  RX port (goes to ErrorProcessFunction if byte is
  either not received or is invalid)?
• Sends a byte through the TX port using the RS-232
  connection
• Reads analog signal from device connected to
  specified AD port
• Reads signal from remote control/virtual REMOCON
• Reads distance being measured by the ultrasonic
  wave port (lower controller port output
  ultrasound port, higher controller port input
  ultrasound port)?
• Reads signal from RC remote control
• Sets direction of motor group when they are
  connected to a specified gyro
• Assigns gyro to particular set of servos
• Sets sensitivity of servo group to the gyro

48
Ultrasound Port Information

• Digital In/Out Controller Port

• Ultrasound Port

Port 0

0 Ultra-sonic Port output
Port 1

0 Ultra-sonic Port
input Port 2

1 Ultra-sonic
Port output Port 3

1
Ultra-sonic Port input Port 4


2 Ultra-sonic Port output
Port 5

2 Ultra-sonic Port input
Port 6

3 Ultra-sonic Port output
Port 7

3 Ultra-sonic Port input
Port 8

4 Ultra-sonic Port
output Port 9

4
Ultra-sonic Port input Port 10


5 Ultra-sonic Port output Port
11

5 Ultra-sonic Port input
Port 12

6 Ultra-sonic Port output
Port 13

6 Ultra-sonic Port input
Port 14

7 Ultra-sonic Port output
Port 15

7 Ultra-sonic Port
input Port 16

8 Ultra-sonic
Port output Port 17

8
Ultra-sonic Port input Port 18


9 Ultra-sonic Port output Port
19

9 Ultra-sonic Port input
Port 20

10 Ultra-sonic Port output
Port 21

10 Ultra-sonic Port input
Port 22

11 Ultra-sonic Port
output Port 23

11
Ultra-sonic Port input
49
Gyro Port Information
Port 0 (Port 32)
Gyro 1 channel output Port
Port 1 (Port 33)
Gyro 2 channel output Port Port 2
(Port 34) Gyro 3
channel output Port Port 3 (Port 35)
Gyro 4 channel
output Port Port 4 (Port 36)
Gyro 1 channel input Port
Port 5 (Port 37)
Gyro 2 channel input Port
Port 6 (Port 38)
Gyro 3 channel input Port Port 7
(Port 39) Gyro 4
channel input Port

• AD Port

• Gyro Port

50
Baud Rates SupportedAll with 8-bit data, no
parity, 1 stop bit

• 2400
• 4800
• 9600
• 14400
• 19200
• 28800
• 38400

• 57600
• 76800
• 115200
• 230400

51
Random Commands

• RND
• REMARK Description
• ON variable GOTO function
• DEVICE Controller
• LIMIT Motor,MinValue,MaxValue

• Get a random byte number
• Another way of commenting code
• Go to a specified section of the code when a
  variable is of a certain value (simpler version
  of long if/elseif block)?
• Set controller that will run the program once
  compiled
• Set a servos' maximum rotation angle (default
  10-190)?

52
Using RoboScript v2.5
53
Snapshot of RoboScript Interface
54
Overview of RoboScript v2.5

• RoboScript is very similar to RoboBASIC, with the
  exception being that code is displayed in a
  script format, rather than a normal code format.
  This is can be useful for people who want a
  simpler way of organizing and reading the
  roboBASIC code.

55
Initialize the Robonova-1

• As with RoboBASIC, your work will go much more
  smoothly if you make sure your robot is properly
  connected and is corrctly recognized by the
  software. Use the same initialization procedure
  outlined for RoboBASIC the only difference is
  that under Port Settings, there will not be a
  Port section on the left of the window.

56
More on Using RoboScript

• This program relies almost exclusively on
  catch-and-play movement code, with only a couple
  of commands provided (PTP ALLON, PTP ALLOFF,
  DELAY, GOTO, and MOVE24). To use RoboScript, you
  turn the robot on, move the dials located at the
  bottom of the screen until the robot has moved to
  a desirable position, then use the Insert Move
  button to place that movement in the code. You
  can also press the buttons for the other commands
  and change the parameters in the text
  boxes/drop-down menus in order to change the
  speed, insert delays, go to specific lines of
  code, and .
• The dials all correspond to specific servos (look
  back at the Catch-And-Play section to get an idea
  of which dial will affect what body part). In
  addition, each dial starts at the Robonovas
  initial position. If you read the RoboBASIC
  section, you know that values above 100 turn the
  servos clockwise, and values below turn the
  servos anti-clockwise. Be very careful about
  using these dials this method of getting
  positions makes it much easier to spin a servo
  too far in a particular position. Make sure you
  are watching your robot carefully as you make
  adjustments, to ensure that you do not blow out a
  servo trying to move it too far into a dangerous
  position.

57
Using RoboRemocon v2.5
58
Snapshot of RoboRemocon v2.5
59
Overview of RoboRemocon v2.5

• This program is not meant for programming the
  robot rather, it is meant to set the actions
  that will be carried out when specific buttons
  are pressed on the included remote control. It is
  also meant to serve as a virtual remote control,
  where the user presses the buttons on the image
  on-screen rather than the actual remote control
  in order to carry out the same action (this
  option being useful if one runs out of batteries
  or simply loses the remote).

60
Initializing the Robot

• As with the other two programs, it is useful to
  make sure the program is talking correctly to the
  robot. For RoboRemocon, simply make sure the port
  settings are correct under Setting Port, and you
  should be fine.

61
Using RoboRemocon

• To assign actions to the remote, you need to have
  created the files describing the action in
  RoboScript (or have made a valid .rsf file).
• Press the Setting Buttons button. A window like
  the one in the image should appear. To set the
  buttons, double-click on the File column in the
  row of the button you are setting. You will see a
  screen with text boxes for a label, an .rsf file
  name (with buttons to clear this box and to
  browse for the file), and a tag description. Get
  the RoboScript action you want set to this
  button, and change the label or tag information
  if desired.
• Click Download to send this information to the
  robot. You should now be able to press buttons on
  the PC image of the remote and have the robot
  carry out the actions. To switch control to the
  IR remote, select the IR Remote Control option in
  the bottom-left corner of the Setting Buttons
  screen, then re-download the program. You should
  then be able to press buttons on the IR remote
  and have your robot act accordingly.
• You can also use these settings in a RoboBASIC
  command by downloading this information and then
  using the REMOCON command in your RoboBASIC code.

62
Using Another Board to Program With the Robonova-1
63
General Procedure

• To use another board, you will of course need
  some sort of way to connect the new board to the
  Robonova-1s board. You will also need to find a
  way to have the computer talk to the new board,
  plus a method of sending byte signals from the
  new board to the Robonova-1 board. Then you will
  need a program on the Robonova-1s board that can
  process that byte and carry out an action based
  on what it received.

64
Sample Code for The Robonova-1 Program

• Put initialization code here
• MAIN
• GOSUB READ_BOARD
• IF X 65 THEN
• GOSUB STANDARD_POSE 'A
• ELSEIF X 66 THEN
• GOSUB BEND 'B
• ELSEIF X 67 THEN
• GOSUB SIT 'C
• ELSEIF X 68 THEN
• GOSUB STEP_FORWARD 'D
• ELSEIF X 69 THEN
• GOSUB STEP_BACKWARD 'E
• ELSE
• MUSIC CC
• ENDIF
• GOSUB STANDARD_POSE
• GOSUB MAINB

65
Appendix

• Trouble-Shooting and Other Random But Important
  Information

66
Getting RoboBASIC to Work in Vista
To get RoboBASIC working on a Vista machine,
paste the following into Notepad, then save as a
.bat file. You should then be able to
double-click it, and your RoboBASIC program
should work.

• regsvr32 /u c\windows\system32\mscomm32.ocx
  regsvr32 /u c\windows\system32\COMCT332.ocx
  regsvr32 /u c\windows\system32\MSCOMCTL.ocx
  regsvr32 /u c\windows\system32\MSCOMCTL.ocx
  regsvr32 c\windows\system32\mscomm32.ocx
  regsvr32 c\windows\system32\COMCT332.ocx
  regsvr32 c\windows\system32\MSCOMCTL.ocx
  regsvr32 c\windows\system32\MSCOMCTL.ocx
  regsvr32 /u c\windows\system32\COMDLG32.ocx
  regsvr32 c\windows\system32\COMDLG32.ocx
• For more information on this, visit the
  RoboSavvy Forums.

67
Finding Out What COM Port You Need
Note If you could not plug the serial cable into
your computer, then you do not have the correct
physical COM Port, and will not be able to get
the port using these paths. You will have to use
a computer that you can plug the cable into
before either of these paths will work.

• XP and below
• Control Panel (under Start -gt Settings)
• System
• Hardware
• Device Manager
• Ports
• Communications Port
• Next to this choice should be the number of the
  COM port being used by the serial cable.

• Vista
• Control Panel (under Start)
• System And Maintenance
• View Hardware and Devices (under Device Manager)
• Ports
• Communications Port
• Next to this choice should be the number of the
  COM port being used by the serial cable

68
Acknowledgements/Sources

• The RoboSavvy forums and the RoboSavvy wiki page
  were very helpful for figuring out hardware
  information, such as modifications that could be
  used with the robot, and for determining what
  sort of procedure one would have to go through to
  use bluetooth with the Robonova-1, or to program
  it directly using a language other than
  RoboBASIC. It also provided the solution for
  getting RoboBASIC and Vista to work with each
  other.
• The included instruction manual while it did not
  explain how to use some features in its programs
  and was often difficult to understand, it did
  provide a comprehensive list of commands that can
  be used in RoboBASIC, as well as instructions on
  how to initialize the robot.

69
Finit