SunFounder Sloth Learning Kit 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 make your own project. If you have interest in open source or making
something cool, welcome to join us!
About This Kit
This cute learning kit focuses on the popular open source platform Arduino. You can learn
the knowledge of the Arduino servo and ultrasonic ranging module by applying this kit.
In this book, we will show you how to build the biped robot via description, illustrations of
physical components, in both hardware and software respects. You may visit our website
www.sunfounder.com to download the related code and view the user manual on LEARN
-> Get Tutorials and watch related videos 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.

Content
Components...................................................................................................................................... 1
i. Structural Plate................................................................................................................................ 1
ii. Mechanical Fasteners..................................................................................................................1
iii. Electrical Components............................................................................................................... 2
iv. Battery（Not Included）............................................................................................................ 3
Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 4
Getting Started.................................................................................................................................. 4
Arduino.................................................................................................................................................5
Install Arduino IDE..............................................................................................................................5
Install the Driver..........................................................................................................................6
Add Libraries............................................................................................................................... 6
Test for Servos and Ultrasonic Module........................................................................................ 7
i. Servo Test.......................................................................................................................................... 7
ii. Ultrasonic Test............................................................................................................................... 11
Assembly............................................................................................................................................13
i. Head Assembly............................................................................................................................. 13
ii. Electrical Module Assembly..................................................................................................... 14
iii. Servo Assembly............................................................................................................................15
iv. Servo INSTALL Test.......................................................................................................................20
v. Foot Assembly.............................................................................................................................. 21
vi. Battery Assembly........................................................................................................................ 23
vii. Servo CALIBRATION Test.......................................................................................................... 24
viii. Ultrasonic Connecting............................................................................................................ 27
ix. Servo RUN Test............................................................................................................................. 28
x. Wire Arrangement...................................................................................................................... 29
Q&A.................................................................................................................................................... 30

Summary............................................................................................................................................32
Copyright Notice............................................................................................................................ 33

1
Components
i. Structural Plate
ii. Mechanical Fasteners
Parts
Name
Qty.

2
M1.5*5 Self-tapping Screw
10
M1.4*8 Screw
6
M2*8 Screw
12
M3*5 Screw
18
M3*8 Countersunk Screw
8
M1.4 Nut
6
M2 Nut
12
M3 Self-locking Nut
8
M3*8 Bi-pass Copper Standoff
4
M3*25 Bi-pass Copper Standoff
4
iii. Electrical Components
Parts
Name
Qty.
SF006C Servo
4
Ultrasonic Module
1
SunFounder Nano Board
1

3
Expansion board
1
Velcro Tape
1
Mini USB Cable
1
Battery buckle wire
1
4-Pin Anti-reverse Cable
1
Phillips Screw Driver
1
Cross Socket Wrench
1
iv. Battery（Not Included）
Parts
Name
Qty.
9V battery
1
Note：
Please check the above list and structural plate drawings against the product you
received to check for missing components. If the above two situations occur, please
take pictures of all the components you have received and inform us of the missing
parts，and send E-mail to servic[email protected]

4
Introduction
This cute learning kit focuses on the popular open source platform Arduino. You can learn
the knowledge of the Arduino servo and ultrasonic ranging module by applying this kit.
It is a new mobile robot called Sloth developed by SunFounder. Each leg has 2 joints driven
by servo. One 9V chargeable lithium batteries are to supply the bot when the SunFounder
Nano is used as the control board, compatible with the Arduino Nano. A servo control
board connects with the batteries, servos, SunFounder Nano, and the HC-SR04 ultrasonic
ranging module. Sloth can move forward and detect the range to make a turn when
encountering an obstacle. In addition, when learning to program, you can also have the
fun to build a pretty cool bio-robot by yourself.
Getting Started
Note:

5
Before starting your own project, you must download the file DIY 4-DOF Robot Kit - Sloth.zip
on our official website by visiting LEARN -> Get Tutorials -> DIY 4-DOF Robot Kit - Sloth and
unzip it.
Arduino
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.
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.
In this kit, SunFounder Nano board is used.
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.
Now 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.

6
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.
Just download the package, and run the executable file to start installation. It will
download the driver needed to run Arduino IDE. After downloading, follow the prompts to
install. For the details of installing steps, you can refer to the guide on Learning->Getting
Started with Arduino, scroll down and see Install the Arduino Software.
After installing, you will see Arduino icon on your desk and double click to open it.
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_v1180B in the folder Driver.
For Mac users, refer to the folder PL2303_MacOSX_1_6_1_20170620 in the folder Driver.
Add Libraries
Libraries are a collection of code that makes it easy for you to connect to a sensor, display,
module, etc. In this kit, you will need to include NewPing library under path DIY 4-DOF Robot
Kit - Sloth\Library to Arduino/libraries.

7
Then you will see “Library added to your libraries”, indicating the library has been included
successfully.
Test for Servos and Ultrasonic Module
Before assembling, you need to test the servos and the ultrasonic module according to the
following steps.
i. Servo Test
1. Physical Test

8
Please prepare four servos and four unilateral rocker arms and install the rocker arm on the
servo. If you shake the rocker arm by hand, if the sound is inconsistent and the rotation is
not smooth, the servo may be damaged. It is recommended that the following software
tests be performed. If the servo does not work properly, we believe that the servo has been
damaged.
2. Software Test
Insert SunFounder Nano board into the Servo Control Board. Note: The USB port should be at
the same side with blue power supply terminal.
Connect the Nano board to computer with a USB cable, you can see a notification
in system tray. Then open the program Test_robot.ino and go to line 21. In the code, four
servos are connected to pin 9 to pin 12 of the expansion board.
Insert the battery to the battery cable.

9
And connect the battery cable to the expansion board.
Connect four servos to pin 9 to pin 12 of the expansion board.
Note: The yellow,red, and brown wires connect to Signal,VCC, and GND on the expansion
board, respectively.
Select the right board to Nano board in IDE.

10
Then select the right port and upload the sketch.
After waiting for a few seconds, the download process is successful. The following window
will prompt “Done uploading”.

11
Press the power button on the servo control board. You will see the rocker arm rotates
within 0-180 degrees, indicating the servo can work. Then press the power button again to
turn it off.
Keep the Test_robot.ino file open, and ii. Ultrasionic Test still needs to use this file in the next
step.
ii. Ultrasonic Test
Connect the ultrasonic connecting cable to the ultrasonic module, it has an anti-reversing
port. Here the 4 pins are marked with labels on the modules.

12
Go to line 10 and 11, you can see that TRIGGER_PIN is defined as 5and ECHO_PIN is
defined as 4.
And connect the pin TRIG to pin 4of the servo control board. ECHO to pin 3,VCC to Vand
GND to G.
Go to Line 16,disable the SERVO and activate the ULTRASONIC.

13
Upload the program to the Nano board, open the serial monitor. Then press the power
button on the servo control board. Set the baud rate as 115200, hold the ultrasonic module
and make the two ultrasonic “eyes” facing an obstacle, move the robot back and forth,
and observe the data shown on serial monitor. If the data changes with the robot’s moving,
it proves the ultrasonic module is good. At last, turn it off, and unwire the battery。
Assembly
i. Head Assembly
Insert the ultrasonic module into No. 1 board and secure it with M1.4*8 screws and M1.4 nuts.

14
Use a M3*5 screw to secure the M3*8 two-way hexagonal copper post on No. 1 board.
ii. Electrical Module Assembly
Use a M3*5mm screw to mount the previously installed circuit board on No. 1 board.
Use M3*5 screws to fix M3*25 Bi-pass Copper Standoff under the No. 1 board.

15
iii. Servo Assembly
Use M2*8 screws and M2 nuts to mount the servo on the corresponding position on the No.
2 board. (Note the direction of the servo installation)
Secure the No. 1 and No. 2 boards with M3*5 screws. Note that the side of the servo shaft
should be mounted on the side of the USB port.

16
Use two M1.5*5 self-tapping screws to fix the 2-arm rocker arm to the No. 4 board and use
the same method to install another No. 4 board.

17
a
Secure one of the round holes on the 4th and 5th boards with M3*8 Countersunk screws
Use the same method to secure the other round hole on the 4th and 5th boards, as shown
Use two M1.5*5 self-tapping screws to secure the 1-arm rocker arm on the No.4 board.