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Build Your Own Combat Robot

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266 <strong>Build</strong> <strong>Your</strong> <strong>Own</strong> <strong>Combat</strong> <strong>Robot</strong><br />

To program a Basic Stamp microcontroller, you will need a PC that runs Windows<br />

or DOS. The language is relatively simple for most of us to learn, because it<br />

is based on the BASIC computer language. Parallax had to make a few modifications<br />

to the language to make it work with Parallax products, but it is quite easy to<br />

learn and get up to speed with.<br />

BrainStem<br />

FIGURE 12-4<br />

BrainStem<br />

microcontroller<br />

(courtesy of<br />

Acroname, Inc.)<br />

The BrainStem, by Acroname, Inc., is a new microcontroller board that has entered<br />

into the robotics community. This miniature microcontroller has been showing<br />

some really unique capabilities. Table 12-1 lists some of its specifications. The<br />

programming language used is called TEA, or Tiny Embedded Application, which<br />

is almost identical to the industry-standard ANSI C. This microcontroller is<br />

shown in Figure 12-4. It has some interesting features that are not found on other<br />

microcontrollers, including four dedicated radio controlled (R/C) servo ports.<br />

Thus, without any special programs, you can control four different servos, or four<br />

different electronics speed controller (ESCs). It also has a built-in port for controlling<br />

the Sharp GP2D02 Infrared range sensor. The BrainStem has software library<br />

support for Java, C, and C++ on Microsoft’s Windows systems, and the PalmOS,<br />

MacOS, and Linux computer operating systems.

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