My Role in Robocon part 2

Basically, what I am involved in the team is programming the traveler.
I am using PIC Basic pro to do write the program. Besides I am also the key person in designing external circuit for motors, sensors, switches and relays.

I have learnt a lot on how to get external signals from PIC board. How not to use voltage regulator, servo system and I am working on doing PWM is possible.
We are using power window to do the arm swinging. However, the swing is too fast for 12v supply to power window. Now I have 3 solutions. The goal is achieve slow swinging to the limit.

Solution 1: supply lower voltage across power window.
This can be done by using lower voltage battery. –However, lower voltage battery may not produce enough power for power window due to lower current supply.
Second idea is use voltage regulator.-The risk for this is although voltage step down but Power window motor still keep on absorb high current. When high current go across regulator, it burns…

Third idea is use resistance to cut down the voltage. At first I use rheostat. It works for 3 seconds but after that smoke comes out. Ouch!!
Solution 2: use relays to switch in few times.
The arm will swing like stepper motor. A full done is like 8 small degree revolutions. This is a successful one but relay are not making for fast switching….so I am risking the sticking relays happening.

Solution 3: PWM with external board and without using relays.
I think this can be done and I roughly know the schematic diagram. I need rheostat(maybe) and NPN transistor . I have one experiment with bread board and it works.

HOW a PWM works- Prof Horizon teach me before how this stuff works.

Let me take an analogy, it is basically like switching off and on a ceiling fan. When you on the fan, it get 12v supply, if you off the you got 0 v. If you on 5 secs , off 5 secs continuously through, you will get 50% duty cycle, so its like playing with the pulse width.
Use a transistor (MJE 3055T) as switch. High port(as you like) to give out signal from PIC/ICD to act as switch on off action. Then the motor will move in depend on your on off frequency.

My role in ROBOCON

The first part that i am working on is figuring out the mechanism. We design and fabricate lots lots of mechanism, frame, structure for my Traveller.

Its been a few "generations" and finally the latest generation is a up on satisfactory level.

Its a cross based robot with center of mass allocated in the middle since the heaviest part is at the axis. This structure is capable of self revolving at the same point of the plane. However its design has a flaw. It cannot go up any bumps or "small ladder step" ground due to its front and back wheel is not driven. So either one of the their shaft has to be shifted higher a bit.

end of mechanism description.

Now, i am taking up the role of mechatronics. I am the programmer of the robot and the circuit board designer.

I am using pic basic pro to write programs. Despite our seniors have worked with infrared sensors, i am working on pioneering the usage of servo motor. Servo motor is basically and inpulse receiver. This motor sense the pulse width and then determine the angle of rotation.
So its inpulse receiving period is 20 micro secs. Within this period you gonna give it pulse. A full rotation is ranging from 0.6 micro seconds to 2.35 micros seconds. When you program, you high the port the giving out the pulse for the desired seconds then low for the remaining ( 20 microsec minus the desired seconds). Thats what basically a servo does.

Come to power supply to servos. I uses external power for them so i need to develope an external crcuit board. What i need are voltage regulator ( 7805 for 5 volts), 100 micro farads and 0.1 micro farads capacitor (uses as buffer),~~460 ohm resistor and LED (as indicator and its optional).i design the circuit and voila it works.

Cant believe i am doing mechas....well meche is a generalist....Meche Rocks!

Two Phases Life

This holiday....i am experiencing 2 phases life everyday.

Now until next week...i will be life like this.

12 noon-wake up
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1 pm -robocon working, programming, soldering, circuit board making, testing
2am -supper at riyas
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4am -sleep

this is my life phases....unbelievable workload.

Youth Leadership Academy

I was shortlisted for Mc Kinsey's Youth Leadership Academy (YLA), through this program, i hope i can learn more about how to be succesful as a leader.

Last saturday i was telephone interviewed by YLA, this is the first time i have been interview like this. However, i think i have grown and become better. I can talk more and more during interviewing. Not like last time, question and answer.

So basically, during this interview, i was asked about my past leadership experience,current undertakings and aspirations. I am glad that i have a lots of past leadership experiences to share about, current club establishment and project working to be mentioned, and future plannning and aspirations to be envisaged.

So about current undertaking, my next priority will be the SAE projects. I wanna make this club a success and become a platform for students to work hands on to make things happen. That whats an engineer for. First we will have to work the trash boat project out. Trash boat is an autonomous trash collecter boat along the river. Then, i will work on the can satelite which will be the self made satelite, thirdly is the shell eco marathon urban concept car.

I was glad that i was shortlisted and i am vowing to attend YLA.

Make Everyday Count !!

Exam's over.....Damn....This is called life...Post exam days are very very wonderful. Well....Its a common feeling for everyone...

However, how to make everyday count. Meaning how to make everyday meaningful. Its key its your attitude.

Well for me, if you make a mistake, regret for at most one day. This is to ensure you remember it and will not repeat then. The next day, you should say:" hey it made and its a past tense, i cannot change anymore...and forget it. Be happy and embrace the new day.

It feel great when you forget the misery past and refresh. " Go Go Go ! cmon you only have a hundred years to live...dont waste it with sadness...."

Make it count.

Failure

I expect my statics fails...i was sick in the morning for the exam. I cannot generate any thinking or idea to solve problem....Mistakes never learnt if you dont know...

Such unfortunate hit me and i am silenced. No excuse to be made but accept it.Terrible...terrible.... However, its time to learn how to face failure.

The main thing that affects me is dignity. I know it might hard to fail due to some correction and the curve and my quite high coursework mark. But truly, i wanna retake. Worst case , if i am been not allowed to, i had finished the paper after the exam and at least i know more about statics and its concept.

Sometimes you dont know that you dont know. Anyway, it an experience of life.

Get sick is terribly...

sign off....

My Study Week

My study week has not been studying, instead learning beyond syllabus.

First, i devoted my day time for robocon, programming, soldering circuit board, etc etc.

Secondly, i dissemble model engine for my holiday project.

Thirdly, i watched movie that i missed previously, Valkyrie, Slumdog Millionaire,The Day the Earth Stood Still...

Lastly, midnite before bed only i opened my books to cover a bit...

Haahaha...How wish there is no examination...well...i believe it will be fine till the end because i have been revison constantly...just need abit of brush up and sharpen my question responding time. Anticipating the coming holiday....