11/10/12 R2 Progress update

Well boys and girls, time has come to start a blog.  The build log on astromech.info was fine, but with a small member base it wasn't getting that many views, and for the effort it took it felt like it wasn't worth doing.  But i enjoyed writing it, and looking back at what had been done, so a blog that can be read by anyone has to be a better option. :)  I hope you enjoy it.

I wont redo all of the progress to this point,  but if you spot a job and want to know more about it, ask me and i will grab that element from the old build log and repost it here.  But for all the work up to this point the photos and videos are here:

• Photobucket Account
• YouTube Channel

The dome is built, the 2-3-2 is in and working, and the feet drives are fitted.  But nothing as yet has been final fitted.  I wanted to get the control sorted before finishing anything.  Here is a video of the 2-3-2 elements and the dome servos running from a button pad in the back of the droid.

I am currently working on the electronics and control.  The setup is all based around Arduino microprocessors.  I am using a PS2 controller, connected to an Arduino and an I2C 4x20 LCD screen, that then uses an Xbee to wirelessly connect to an Xbee and Arduino in the droid.

The Xbees are setup to pass the pad stick values and a script number from the pad to the droid, and to pass 5 digital IO lines from the droid to the pad.  The IO lines are used to read the states of the feet drives etc and  there is also a 'busy' line.

There seems to be an issue with the I2C display library, it causes the screen and pad to crash but only after the first 4 press combos, and only if certain combos are used, very strange.  I have found a new library that may solve the issues, but need to rebuild the code to be able to use it.

The Droid master uses I2C to communicate with 'End Unit' Arduinos.  So far i have control of the MP3s, Dome servos (9 doors and 3 Hps) and the Teeces v3 light kit running my custom code.  Here is the latest video of all the elements running together.

Next jobs will be to sort the Pad and make it as reliable as possible, Dome drive position control and then 2-3-2 and feet drive control.

More updates soon.