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DF12-BBU  DragonflyBot Board with USB port,  fits on the Parallax's BoeBot chassis

Each price includes a USB cable as shown on the above picture.

Application:

• Advanced Robot controller
• Possible replacement of the legendary Handyboard designed by MIT's Fred Martin
• Possible replacement of  the legendary Botboard+, Botboardplus designed by Marvin Green, Kevin Ross and Karl Lunt

Features:

• Uses the low cost Dragonfly12 DIP module as the controller

• Installed with Freescale's serial monitor for working with CodeWarrior

• On-board USB interface for programming and debugging code, no BDM needed

• USB TX and RX indicator LEDs

• Fits on the Parallax's BoeBot chassis

• Auto-start user application program from on-chip flash memory via a slide switch

• Four servo outputs with selectable supply voltage for servos

• Dual H-Bridges control two DC motors or one stepper motor (can be expanded to quad H-Bridges to control 4 DC motors or 2 stepper motors)
• Accepts Davantech SRF04 or SRF05 Ultrasonic ranger module  
• Separate 5V voltage regulators for Servos motors and microcontroller circuits  
• Accepts 4 GP12D120 distance-measuring sensors or other analog or digital inputs.
• Socket provided for TinyBee 3-Axis Accelerometer in a 14-pin DIP.
• Four LEDs connected to port T
• Four Bi-Direction LEDs for DC motor directions.
• A 2-position DIP switch
• Four analog or digital sensor inputs
• Four push button switches
• On-board speaker
• On-board potentiometer trimmer pot for ADC input
• 20x2 female header provides all I/O ports for quick prototyping user circuits on solderless breadboard.

• LED power indicator

• 5x2 user programmable male header for interfacing a line follow module

• 5x2 male header for a SPI port

• Package also includes useful software:
• Fully debugged sample programs including source code
• Test program that simultaneously plays a song and flashes PT0-PT3 LEDs.
• Test program for TinyBee accelerometer
• Can be used as a USB breakout board
• Small PCB size of 3.3" X 4.3"

• Plug-in 8x2 LCD module with backlight

• Second dual H-Bridges control two more DC motors or one more stepper motor

• TinyBee Accelerometer module in 14-pin DIP

• 9V 300mA AC adapter

• Breadboard ( it comes with 4 rubber feet attached that can be stacked onto the board)

The BBU board comes with a built-in USB interface based on the FT232RL. The driver for the FT232RL must be installed properly before using the BBU board.

Install and verify USB driver:

1. Before connecting the BBU board to your PC's USB port for the first time, make sure that the AC adapter is unplugged. You do not need to turn on the board to install USB driver.

    

2. Go to the FT232RL driver installation and verification page for operating procedures: http://www.evbplus.com/TinyUSB_9s12/ft232rl.html.
   
    

3. Once you have verified that the USB driver is properly installed, you may turn on the BBU board and invoke the Code Warrior IDE.
   
    

4. If you have not installed Code Warrior you need to Download and configure Code Warrior
   http://www.evbplus.com/Code_Warrior_hcs12.html
   
    

   Note:

   In order to establish a reliable USB communication, always connect the BBU to your PC's USB port first before invoking the Code Warrior, otherwise the Code Warrior will not be able to find a COM port.  When ending a debugging session, always close the Code Warrior first before unplugging the USB cable from the BBU, otherwise the Code Warrior may hang up and you need to re-establish USB communication again. 

   In case the Code Warrior hangs up, you need to close the Code warrior first, then unplug the USB cable from your BBU, wait a few seconds before re-plugging the USB cable, then wait a few more seconds and allow the USB connection to be re-established.  After cycling the USB connection you can invoke the Code Warrior again and it may restore the USB communication.  If this does not work, you need to restart your PC, but in order to avoid this, always close the Code Warrior before unplugging the USB cable.

   If restarting the PC does not solve the problem, you may need to re-install the USB driver.

The BBU board draws insignificant current and can be powered by 5V supply of a USB port.  The voltages for the servos and motors can be brought in via terminal blocks.   

Some robots such as the following two can be controlled by the DragonflyBot Board without much external parts: 

http://wwweng.uwyo.edu/electrical/faculty/barrett/68hc12//Robot_Owners_Manual_web.pdf  Controlled by a MiniDragon+ board

http://www.coe.montana.edu/ee/seniordesign/archive/FL07/micromouse_bcp/hardware.html  Controlled by a Dragonfly12 DIP module

The board is pre-installed with serial monitor and a test program.  It comes with a USB cable and it is set for using VCC from USB port. You don't need to connect an AC adapter in order to test the board. 

When the board is plugged into a USB port via the USB cable, it will run the test program if the slide switch S5 is in "up" position ("Run" position).  Press the pushbutton S1 the LED flashing speed will increase, press S2, the speed will decrease.  Press S3 it will display accelerometer's X-Y-Z values on LCD display.  Each count represents 5V/256=19.53mv.

The above pictures show different values in Y- axis when the board is tilted.

On the left:        voltage on Y axis is 099 x 19.53mv =1.93V
On the middle:  voltage on Y axis is 084 x 19.53mv =1.64V
On the right:      voltage on Y axis is 069 x 19.53mv =1.35V

The VCC of the TinyBee-2 module can be 3.3V or 5V.  In analog mode used in BBU, the VCC of the TinyBee-2 module is 3.3V.  In a 3.3V system, 1.65V (half of the 3.3V)  represents zero acceleration or in horizontal position.  When this accelerometer is tilted, the voltage range is between 1.23V to 2.11V. With 19.53mv per count  the count range is 63 to 108.

Not many robots need an accelerometer. In a few applications it can be used for detecting uphill, downhill, or even a flip over.  It's also useful in a wall-climbing robot.

Because the size of BBU is small, the TinyBee module may have more different applications in standalone embedded products where the BBU is used as the controller board.