SunFounder RollFlash User manual

Preface
About SunFounder
SunFounder is a technology company focused on Raspberry Pi and Arduino open source
community development. Committed to the promotion of open source culture, we strive to
bring the fun of electronics making to people all around the world and enable everyone to
be a maker. Our products include learning kits, development boards, robots, sensor
modules and development tools. In addition to high quality products, SunFounder also offers
video tutorials to help you build your own project. If you have interest in open source or
making something cool, welcome to join us! Visit www.sunfounder.com for more!
About This RollFlash Robot Kit
The Rollflash is a four-foot quadruped robot, with a super cute tortoise appearance design.
It applies an open source Arduino Nano control board, a Servo Control Board, and a
Bluetooth Module. With an ultrasonic sensor and an infrared sensor, it can realize obstacle
avoiding and line following functions. What’s more, you can control it with an App on
Android, which makes it easy and interesting to play. Through this kit, you can feel the charm
of assembling the robot from scratch and how to realize the control by programming.
Besides this user manual, you can obtain guidance on our website - download the code
needed under LEARN -> Get tutorials and watch the video under VIDEO.
Free Support
If you have any TECHNICAL questions, add a topic under FORUM section on our
website and we'll reply as soon as possible.
For NON-TECH questions like order and shipment issues, please send an email to
[e-mail]. You're also welcomed to share your projects on FORUM.
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Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................1
1.1 Overview...........................................................................................................1
Components List.................................................................................................................2
2.1. Acrylic Plates....................................................................................................2
2.2. Mechanical Fasteners....................................................................................3
2.3. Electronic Components.................................................................................4
2.4. Tools....................................................................................................................7
2.5. Self-Provided Components...........................................................................7
Get Started with Software................................................................................................8
3.1 Download the code.......................................................................................8
3.2 About Arduino .................................................................................................8
Assembly ............................................................................................................................13
4.1 Upper Plate + Riband...................................................................................13
4.2 Upper Plate + Battery Holder......................................................................13
4.3 Upper Plate + Servo......................................................................................14
4.4 Upper Plate + PCB ........................................................................................15
4.5 U Joint-A/U joint-B..........................................................................................17
4.6 U Joint Unit-1/U Joint Unit-2 .........................................................................20
4.7 Crus + Servo....................................................................................................22
4.8 Uploading Assembly Program....................................................................24
4.9 U Joint Unit + Crus..........................................................................................26
4.10 Upper Plate + Leg .........................................................................................28
4.11 Bottom Plate + Sensor ..................................................................................30
4.12 Upper Plate + Bottom Plate ........................................................................33
4.13 Wiring ...............................................................................................................35
4.14 Shell ..................................................................................................................36
Experiments .......................................................................................................................37
5.1 App Control....................................................................................................37
5.2 Obstacle Avoidance ...................................................................................39
5.3 Line Following when Avoiding Obstacle .................................................39
5.4 Dance..............................................................................................................40
Code Explanation ............................................................................................................41
6.1 ServoWrite.ino ................................................................................................41
6.2 APP.ino ............................................................................................................44
6.3 Avoidance.ino...............................................................................................48
6.4 Following.ino ..................................................................................................51
Afterword ...........................................................................................................................53
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Introduction
1.1 Overview
RollFlash is a good learning kit for Arduino and robot hobbyists. Since it moves slowly just
like Flash in Zootopia, it is named RollFlash - moves really like a "flash".
With an open source Arduino Nano board for control, a Servo Control Board, and a
Bluetooth Module, it walks slowly with eight SF servos (9g) driving four legs. Equipped with an
ultrasonic module on the front, it can avoid obstacle easily; with an infrared module at the
bottom of the front, it follows lines. In addition, you can control the movement of the
RollFlash on your Android phone.
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Components List
2.1. Acrylic Plates
1. Bottom Plate x 1
2. Ultrasonic Fixing Plate x 1
3. Support Plate x 2
4. Joint Connector x 8
5. U3 Plate x 4
6. Upper Plate x 1
7. U2 Plate x 4
8. Crus x 4
9. U1 Plate x 8
10. Acrylic Washer x 6
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Prior to assembling the RollFlash, you need to remove the residues in the holes of the plates
and the stickers on the plates. Here we take the U1 plate for example.
1. Check whether there are some
residues in the holes of the acrylic
plate.
2. Use a tool with a pointed end to remove
the residue.
3. Make sure that all the residues are
cleared.
4. Use the pointed tool to scratch off the
sticker on the plate.
2.2. Mechanical Fasteners
Name
Accessory
Qty.
M1.2*4
Self-tapping Screw
16
M1.6*10 Screw
4
M1.6 Nut
4
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M2*8 Screw
16
M2 Nut
16
M3*8 Flat-Head Screw
2
M3*10 Screw
36
M3 Nut
38
M3*6 Corn Rivet
4
φ3*φ8*4 Flange
Bearing
8
2.3. Electronic Components
SunFounder
Servo (9g)
8
18650*2
Battery Holder
1
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SunFounder Nano
V4.0
1
SunFounder Servo
Control Board
1
SunFounder Bluetooth
Module
1
SunFounder
Ultrasonic Module
1
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SunFounder Infrared
Module
1
4-Pin Jumper Wire
1
6-Pin Jumper Wire
1
Mini USB Cable
1
Riband
1
Heat Shrink Tubing
6
Wire Clip
2
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Sponge Bag
4
Transparent Tape
1
Shell
1
2.4. Tools
Philips Screw Driver
1
2.5. Self-Provided Components
18650 Battery
2
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Get Started with Software
3.1Download the code
1. Prior to the project, you need to go to our website www.sunfounder.com on LEARN->Get
tutorials->Robot Kit->Rollflash Bionic Robot Turtle for Arduino and download the
package:
2. In the package you can see:
Included are the code for the kit, schematic diagrams of the modules, the app installer
for Android phones, driver for Nano board, and the 3D printer file Rollflash.stl for the shell.
3. For related introduction and assembly videos of the Rollflash Bionic Robot Turtle for
Arduino, please click VIDEO -> Robot Kit -> Rollflash Bionic Robot Turtle for Arduino.
3.2About Arduino
3.2.1 Description
Arduino is an open source platform that applies simple software and hardware. You can
get it in a short even when you know little of it. It provides an integrated development
environment (IDE) for code editing and compiling, compatible with multiple control boards.
So you can just download the Arduino IDE, upload the sketches (i.e. the code files) to the
board, and then you can see experimental phenomena. For more information, refer to
http://www.arduino.cc.
3.2.2 Arduino Board –SunFounder Compatible
Arduino senses the environment by receiving inputs from many sensors, and affects its
surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators.
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In this kit, SunFounder Nano board is used.
3.2.3 Install Arduino IDE
The code in this kit is written based on Arduino, so you need to install the IDE first. Skip it if you
have done this.
Step1: Go to the arduino.cc website and click Download. On the page, check the software
list on the right side under Download the Arduino Software.
Find the one that suits your operation system and click to download. There are two versions
of Arduino for Windows: Installer or ZIP file. You're recommended to download the former.
Step 2: Double click the exe. file and the following window will show up. Click I Agree. The
following interface will show up.
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Choose Next.
Click Browse to choose the installation path or enter a directory at the Destination Folder.
Click Install.
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The following interface will show up.Note: After the installing progress bar goes to the end,
the Close button may be enabled for some PC. Just click it to complete the installation.
Then a prompt appears. Select Always trust software for "Adafruit Industries" and click Install.
Select Always trust software for "Arduino srl" and click Install.
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After the installation is done, click Close. Then an Arduino icon will appear on the desktop:
3.2.4 Install the Driver
If the driver is not installed, the Nano board will not be able to be recognized by your
computer. Therefore, before using it, please install appropriate driver.
For Windows users, run PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v1.10.0.exe in the folder Rollflash Bionic
Robot Turtle for Arduino.
For Mac users, refer to the folder PL2303_MacOSX_1_6_1_20160309 in the folder Rollflash
Bionic Robot Turtle for Arduino.
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Assembly
4.1Upper Plate + Riband
4.2Upper Plate + Battery Holder
1. Place the battery holder on the upper
plate. Note: Leave the holder’s wires in
the tail direction.
2. Fasten the battery holder with two M3*8
screws and two M3 nuts. It should be
shown as below after it's done.
1. Cut the 30cm ribbon into halves. Thread the ribbon through the acrylic plate. Leave
the riband with one end longer on one side of the plate (onto which to fix the battery
holder). Thread the other half through the upper plate in the similar way.
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3. Fold the ribbons in the battery box.
4. Install the batteries. Pay attention to the
anode and cathode in case of inserting
inversely.
5. It should be like this after the installation:
4.3Upper Plate + Servo
1. Align a servo with a servo slot on the
upper plate. Pay attention to the
direction of servo wires (shaft toward
the head).
2. Assemble the servo into the plate.
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3. Align two M2 nuts with the servo
mounting holes, and fasten them with
two M2*8 screws.
4. It should look like this:
5. Mount the other three servos in the same way. Pay attention to the direction of servos’
shaft (as shown below).
4.4Upper Plate + PCB
1. Align the four acrylic washers with the
holes of the upper plate.
2. Place the washers on the plate.
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3. Put Servo Control Board onto the upper
plate. Make sure the power port of the
board is at the rear part, and that the
four mounting holes are well aligned with
those on the plate.
4. Insert four M3*10 screws through holes on
the Servo Control Board, 4 acrylic
washers, and into 4 M3 nuts, and tighten
them. The assembly should be like this:
5. Plug the SunFounder Nano onto the
Servo Control Board. Pay attention to
place its USB port close to the
aforementioned power port. Align the
pins with female headers as shown
below.
6. Insert the pin into headers.
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7. Align the pins on the Bluetooth Module
with the female headers on the Servo
Control Board as shown below.
8. Insert the Bluetooth Module into the
board.
4.5U Joint-A/U joint-B
1. Align the rocker arm with the mounting
holes on U1 plate.
2. Assemble the arm to the plate with two
M1.2*4 self-tapping screws in the first and
last small holes of the rocker.
3. Align the bulges of the assembled U1
plate with concaves of the Joint
Connector.
4. Insert the bulges into the concaves.
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5. Place an M3 nut in the groove of the
rocker fixing plate, and insert an M3*10
screw from below into the nut.
6. Tighten the screw.
7. Insert the U2 plate into the connector
plate. Note: The size of the end hole near
its arc is different from U1.
8. Place an M3 nut in the groove of U2,
plate and insert an M3*10 screw from
below into the nut.
9. Tighten the screw. Now such a U joint
(type-A) is assembled.(U1+U2)
10. Assemble the other kind of U joint (type-
B) in the same way. (U1+U3)
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