pitsco 41427 User manual

Robot Builder’s Guide for NI myRIO
41427
POWERED BY

Content Advising by Paul Uttley, Professor R. H. Bishop of the University of South Florida,
and National Instruments
Graphics by Todd McGeorge.
©2015 Pitsco, Inc., 915 E. Jefferson, Pittsburg, KS 66762
All rights reserved. This product and related documentation are protected by copyright and are distributed under licenses
restricting their use, copying, and distribution. No part of this product or related documentation may be reproduced in any
form by any means without prior written authorization of Pitsco, Inc.
All other product names mentioned herein might be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Contents
Preface..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................2
Set Components......................................................................................................................................................................................................3
Mechanical Parts ..............................................................................................................................................................................................4
Motors...................................................................................................................................................................................................................7
Sensors .................................................................................................................................................................................................................7
Additional Tools ................................................................................................................................................................................................7
myRIO Accessories...........................................................................................................................................................................................8
Brackets and Mounts......................................................................................................................................................................................8
Replacing and Supplementing Kit Parts ................................................................................................................................................9
Introduction to Building with TETRIX PRIME..............................................................................................................................................10
Subassembly Construction Instructions.................................................................................................................................................19
Standard Servo Mount Assembly...........................................................................................................................................................19
Gripper Assembly..........................................................................................................................................................................................22
DC Motor Mount Assembly ......................................................................................................................................................................26
Gyroscope Sensor Mount Assembly.....................................................................................................................................................28
IR Rangefinder Sensor Mount Assembly.............................................................................................................................................29
Motor Controller Board Mount Assembly ..........................................................................................................................................30
Cord Extension Assemblies for Electronics ........................................................................................................................................31
Introduction to myRIO and LabVIEW™ Graphical Programming..............................................................................................32
myRIO Overview............................................................................................................................................................................................32
LabVIEW™ Overview....................................................................................................................................................................................33
myRIO and LabVIEW Learning Resources and Manuals ...............................................................................................................34
Electronics Overview and Specifications................................................................................................................................................35
myRIO Motor Controller Board................................................................................................................................................................35
Infrared (IR) Range Sensor.........................................................................................................................................................................37
Ambient Light Sensor .................................................................................................................................................................................38
Gyroscope Sensor .........................................................................................................................................................................................39
Servo Motor.....................................................................................................................................................................................................40
DC Motor and Encoder...............................................................................................................................................................................41
Motor Controller Board Resource Conflicts .......................................................................................................................................43
Control System Set Up and Testing............................................................................................................................................................44
LabVIEW and myRIO Setup.......................................................................................................................................................................44
Set Up and Test the IR Sensor ..................................................................................................................................................................45
Set Up and Test the Ambient Light Sensor ........................................................................................................................................47
Set Up and Test the Gyroscope Sensor................................................................................................................................................48
Set Up and Test the Servo Motor............................................................................................................................................................49
Set Up and Test the DC Motor and Encoder......................................................................................................................................50
Build Instructions
Rover Vehicle Assembly................................................................................................................................................................... 53-82
Balancing Arm Assembly ..............................................................................................................................................................83-122
Self Balancing Robot Assembly.............................................................................................................................................. 123-158
Resources................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 159

Preface
This builder’s guide has been developed to provide students with positive experiences in robotics engineering. With the
assistance of this guide, students will learn to use the TETRIX PRIME parts and myRIO to design and construct three different
robots. After using this guide, students should be able to use the TETRIX PRIME parts to construct a robot of their own
design.
Safety Information
Mechanical
• Keep fingers, hair, and loose articles of clothing clear of gears and moving parts.
• Never pick up the robot while it is moving or the servo motors are running.
• Remove any burrs caused by cutting the metal beams.
Electrical
• Make sure the power is turned off when the robot is not in operation.
• Do not operate the robot in a wet environment.
• Always power down the robot before making any changes.
• Use caution when working with bare wires to avoid creating a short circuit situation.
• Route wires carefully and secure them if necessary to avoid damage to the wire or its insulation.
• Mount the battery pack and all electronic components securely.
2Preface
Back to Contents page

Set Components
This section documents all the parts included in the kit, including images, quantities, and part numbers. The part number
of each part will match the part number noted on the label of each part bag. The part bags may contain one or more parts,
and there may be more than one bag of a particular type of part. Instructions for purchasing additional parts are found at
the end of this section.
The beams are named by the number of small holes on one side of the beam. Do not select beams by counting the larger
holes.
2x – 15-Hole Beam 40207
2x – 13-Hole Beam 40206
4x – 8-Hole Beam 40205
4x – 7-Hole Beam 40204
4x – 6-Hole Beam 40203
4x – 5-Hole Beam 40202
4x – 4-Hole Beam 40201
1:1 scale
To identify TETRIX PRIME beams, count the small holes. The
example above is a 4-Hole Beam.
1 2 3 4
Set Components 3
Back to Contents page

4x – 3-Way Beam Connector 40212
4x – 90-Degree Beam Connector 40211
4x – Tee Beam Connector 40213
4x – Beam End Connector 40214
4x – Beam Extension 40322
4x – Straight Beam Connector 40215
Mechanical Parts
4Set Components
Back to Contents page

10x – 90-Degree Bracket 40208
10x – 60-Degree Bracket 40209
10x – Tee Bracket 40210
24x – Quick Rivet Peg 40220
24x – Quick Rivet Connector 40219
50x – Thumbscrew 40323
24x – Wing Nut 40221
10x – 90-Degree Cross Block Connector 40217
10x – Straight Block Connector 40216
4x – Beam Attachment Hub 40228
Mechanical Parts
Set Components 5

25x – Setscrew 40516
12x – Bronze Bushing 40227
Mechanical Parts
4x – 90 mm Wheel & Tire 40222
4x – 80-Tooth Gear 40224
4x – 40-Tooth Gear 40223
1x – Blue Racquetball 43121
2x – Battery Holder and Bungee 40236
6x – 80 mm Axle 40225
6x – 40 mm Axle 40226
8x – Shaft Collar 40229
Measure 80 mm and 40 mm axles here.
1x – PRIME Gripper Assembly 40234
6Set Components

Motors
Sensors
Additional Tools
1x
Digilent Sensor
IR Rangefinder 41145
1x
Digilent Sensor
IR Rangefinder Mounting
Plate 41308
1x
Digilent Ambient
Light Sensor Kit 41197
1x
Digilent
Ambient Light
Sensor 41146
1x
Digilent Gyro
Sensor
41144
1x
Gyro 3-Axis Digital
Sensor Kit 41196
2x
Standard Servo 40538
2x
Servo Shaft Hub 40230
2x
Servo Mount 40232
2x
Digilent Motor
Shaft
Adapter 41139
2x
Digilent DC
Motor
Mount 41138
2x
Digilent DC
Gear Motor
41143
2x
DC Motor
Extension Cable
41147
2x
DC Motor
Encoder Cap
41231
1x
TETRIX Pen
Screwdriver 4-in-1 36404
1x
TETRIX PRIME Mini
Ball-Point Hex Driver 40341
1x
2-in-1 Screwdriver
42991
Set Components 7
Back to Contents page

myRIO Accessories
Brackets and Mounts
1x
10-Cell AA NiMH Battery Quick Charger 41142
1x
myRIO Motor Controller Board 41136
1x
10-Cell AA NiMH Battery Pack 41135
1x
myRIO Control Board
Mount Bracket 41140
*myRIO sold separately. For more information, visit ni.com/myrio.
1x
myRIO Controller Mount 41137
3x
Digilent Sensor
Mounting Clip 41148
1x
myRIO MXP
Extension Cable
41400
1x
NI Jumper Wires
41232
8Set Components
Back to Contents page

Replacing and Supplementing Kit Parts
Individual kit parts can be purchased from either Pitsco Education or Digilent, Inc.
Purchase parts from Pitsco Education
All parts listed in this section, except those included in the Digilent part list below, can be purchased from Pitsco Education.
Part numbers for proprietary PITSCO products are listed in under each part earlier in this section.
Visit Pitsco.com and search using the part number to find and purchase parts.
Purchase Parts from Digilent, Inc.
Digilent parts are listed below and are also pictured earlier in this section. Throughout this guide and on each individual
packing label, they are identified by a PITSCO part number. Corresponding Digilent
part numbers are provided below.
Visit Digilent.com and search using the Digilent part number to find and purchase parts.
Note: When purchasing outside of the United States, you may consider purchasing from Digilent distributers to avoid
additional charges. Find a list of Digilent distributers here: http://store.digilentinc.com/our-distributors/
Part Name Pitsco Part Number Digilent Part Number
DC Gear Motor 41143 290-008P
DC Motor Extension Cable 41147 250-084
Ambient Light Sensor 41146 410-286P
Ambient Light Sensor cable kit 41197 240-021-2 (Cable Kit 12 Pin)
Gyro cable kit 41196 240-021-1
Gyroscope 41144 410-215P
IR Rangefinder 41145 240-037P
Set Components 9
Back to Contents page

Introduction to Building with TETRIX® PRIME
Connectors fit inside beams and come in straight, 90-degree, tee, and corner designs.
10 Introduction to Building with TETRIX PRIME
Back to Contents page

Quick rivets and pegs are a quick option for securing connectors. Press the rivet in place on the beam and use the peg to
spread the rivet to secure the connection. Using quick rivets on two sides of the connection will make it more stable.
Introduction to Building with TETRIX PRIME 11

Joints can be made more permanent by using a Thumbscrew and Wing Nut to secure the beams and connectors.
TIP: Wing Nuts are placed in position first and
Thumbscrews are tightened into them. After Wing
Nuts are placed and seated properly, they cannot be
turned.
TIP: Thumbscrews should
be snug but not overtightened.
Overtightening Thumbscrews can
damage components.
12 Introduction to Building with TETRIX PRIME

Brackets can also be used to connect beams. Brackets are available for a tee connection, 60-degree connection, or
90-degree connection. Brackets should be used in pairs, with two brackets on opposite sides of a beam. Brackets are
secured using quick rivets and pegs or thumbscrews and wing nuts.
Introduction to Building with TETRIX PRIME 13

End connectors, straight block connectors, and 90-degree cross block connectors are secured using a thumbscrew through
the beam and into the connector.
14 Introduction to Building with TETRIX PRIME

After the thumbscrew is used to secure the end of the connector, a quick rivet and peg or a thumbscrew and wing nut are
used to secure the intersecting beam.
Introduction to Building with TETRIX PRIME 15

Anytime an axle is used, it should be supported at two points. Place a bronze bushing on opposite sides of a beam and
place the axle through the bushings. Secure the axle to a stop collar, wheel, gear, or hub.
16 Introduction to Building with TETRIX PRIME

Setscrews are used to secure axles inside the hubs of wheels, collars, and connectors.
Shaft Servo Hub 40230
Wheel with Tire (90 mm) 40222
80-Tooth Plastic Gear 40224
40-Tooth Plastic Gear 40223
D-Shaft Set Collar 40229
16 mm Ball Skid Point 41260
Beam Attachment Hub 40228
TIP: Because some parts from the
TETRIX PRIME R/C Starter Set might already
have Socket Head Cap Screws installed, the
directions for the expansion builds might
or might not show installing Socket Head
Cap Screws. Please keep in mind that if your
parts already have Socket Head Cap Screws
installed and the directions call for that
operation, you can skip to the next step.
TIP: Directions will show these types of parts
in proper position. Please remember after the
parts are in place to tighten the Socket Head Cap
Screws before moving to the next step.
TIP: Socket Head Cap Screws should be snug
but not overtightened. Overtightening Socket
Head Cap Screws can damage components.
Introduction to Building with TETRIX PRIME 17