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Change in plans...

Okay, there has been a change in plans for out 2007 Robot

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The original plan called for using a parallel port for communication between robot and the driver. But for some reason, we designed the whole thing, before actually checking to see if the computer being used to control the robot really had a parallel port... It doesn't. So, the question is, would it be easy enough to redesign the system to use USB instead? I'm not sure EXACTLY what we need in total for inputs and outputs, as the first real meeting to discuss the whole thing with a teacher advisor isn't until tomorrow (Tuesday) at noon. When I get home, I will update the BalfourRobotics group to outline the details, instead of flooding groups with the full post. But if anybody can give me a rough estimate of how much more (or less as the case may be) work it would be to use USB, that would be fantastic! As you have probably guessed, I only just started programming hardware, although I have done software for a few years now.

Thanks in advance Lindsay & Balfour Collegiate Senior Robotics Team

Reply to
Lindsay
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Okay, there has been a change in plans for out 2007 Robot

formatting link
The original plan called for using a parallel port for communication between robot and the driver. But for some reason, we designed the whole thing, before actually checking to see if the computer being used to control the robot really had a parallel port... It doesn't. So, the question is, would it be easy enough to redesign the system to use USB instead? I'm not sure EXACTLY what we need in total for inputs and outputs, as the first real meeting to discuss the whole thing with a teacher advisor isn't until tomorrow (Tuesday) at noon. When I get home, I will update the BalfourRobotics group to outline the details, instead of flooding groups with the full post. But if anybody can give me a rough estimate of how much more (or less as the case may be) work it would be to use USB, that would be fantastic! As you have probably guessed, I only just started programming hardware, although I have done software for a few years now.

Thanks in advance Lindsay & Balfour Collegiate Senior Robotics Team

Reply to
Lindsay

Is that your real email address?

Reply to
Homer J Simpson

When you post, please use a less generic subject line. This helps:

- people who are interested in your group

- people who are not interested in your group

- your group In other words, everyone wins.

The URL is also faulty. ITYM:

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Reply to
toby

Check out FTDI USB chips at

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. They make interfacing with USB easy. In particular check their FIFO chip. You get

8 parallel, bidirectional data pins. Best of all the generic device driver they give you emulates a virtual serial port so interfacing to it on the software side is as easy as opening COM3.
Reply to
slebetman

If you've already done all the other groundwork, it might be easiest, (and less costly), to add a parallel port PCI card, if you have a spare PCI slot. ... DD

Reply to
Donkey D...

Great, just tell the professor to change the requirements, as requested by someone in a newsgroup.

Reply to
linnix

Why has engineering education become robots, robots, and robots? They are mostly goofy toys, and none of them do anything useful.

John

Reply to
John Larkin

Sorry about that, I was in a bit of a rush. I'll try not to do it again :D

Lindsay

Reply to
Lindsay

Well, this is Usenet, so you may do what you like - don't want to seem snarky with my correction - I just see a lot of really bad subject lines, which doesn't help the poster's cause at all. :)

Reply to
toby

(and

slot.

Lindsay said that the plans for parallel port comms are already completed. If you have nothing useful to add, you'd be better off keeping quiet.

... DD

Reply to
Donkey D...

The easiest by-far way would be to get a USB-Serial cable, and change the USB plug for a socket to plug a USB cable into. That would give you USB for the PC and a serial interface to the robot. Probably easier than designing a new circuit including the chips...

Reply to
Ben Wheare

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