Updated 08/10/2010. Phoenix code v2.0.

Safety first! Wear eye protection and never touch a powered robot!

Note: This tutorial applies to the SSC-32 v2 with GP firmware.

Software:
  - Basic Micro Studio
  - Basic Atom Pro program

I. Phoenix Configuration: SSC-32 Registers

Step 1.
Place the robot on top of a CD spindle or similar to hold the legs off the ground.

Download and install LynxTerm. Connect the SSC-32 to the serial port and apply power. The green LED should light and stay on until it receives a valid serial command. Run the LynxTerm program.

Please consult the serial troubleshooting guide if you have difficulties with this.

Figure 1.

Apply power to the SSC-32 again, make sure it's connected to the PC, and click on "Firmware" along the bottom of the LynxTerm screen.

Click on "Open" and browse to the firmware file you just downloaded.

Click on "Begin Update".

Figure 3.

Now do the "ver" test: type "ver" into the terminal then press "Enter". You should see the proper firmware version returned.

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

Click on "Default" to initialize default values.

Figure 6.

Do the most accurate alignment as possible! The robot can only operate as well as as it is aligned. In other words, a poorly aligned robot will walk poorly!

Servo Channel Numbering.

Do this for servos #00, 04, 08, 16, 20, 24.

Note, the mouse's scrollwheel or keyboard's arrow keys can be used to make fine adjustments.

Figure 7.

Do this for servos #01, 05, 09, 17, 21, 25.

Figure 8.

Do this for servos #02, 06, 10, 18, 22, 26.

Figure 9.

Note, you can also check "Initial Pulse Width" to automatically enable the servos on power-up as an option. If you do, make sure you "Write" to save the changes. The next section of this tutorial allows Sequencer to enable the servos instead.

This completes the Phoenix configuration process for the SSC-32 registers. Now, whenever the robot is turned on, the servos will automatically be aligned and/or enabled.

Figure 10.

II. Phoenix Configuration: Bot Board II Installation

Figure 11.

Step 13.
To connect the Bot Board II to the SSC-32, you will need to modify a 6" servo extender cable. Remove the header pins from the cable so you have two female ends. Then use an exacto knife to gently pry the tab up to pull the red wire free on one end. Cover the exposed female connector with heat shrink to avoid accidental shorts.

Remove the TX and RX jumpers from the lower-right corner of the SSC-32, and plug the unmodified end of the cable in. Yellow on TX, red on RX, and black on ground.

Plug in some extra lengths of 18-24awg wires to VL on the SSC-32, with the 9vdc battery clip. These will be used to run power to the Bot Board II.

See Tables 14-1 through 14-3, and Schematic 14-3 for connection information.

Figure 12.

Figure 13.

Plug in the PS2 cable as shown in Figure 14-2. Plug in the power wires from the SSC-32 to VL.

Note: Refer only to Figure 14-2 for connection information. The cable colors in the picture may be outdated. If your cable's colors do not match the diagram, you can find a complete listing of possible colors here.

See Tables 14-1 through 14-3, and Schematic 14-3 for connection information.

Install the BASIC Atom Pro as shown.

4 x	Atom Pro Orientation:

Figure 14-1.
 

Figure 14-2.

Connection Information Tables.

Schematic - Figure 14-3.

Schematic - Figure 14-3.

Connect the serial data cable to the PC's serial port. This can be recognized by having 9 pins that stick out. Connect the other end of the serial data cable to the Bot Board's DB9 port. Note, you can also use a BAFO BF-810 or IOGear USB-to-Serial adaptor.

Step 16. Download the Program
Download the .zip file, and unzip it. Open the .prj file in Studio (File->Open->*.prj), and verify that the files listed in the Workspace are in the order shown in Table 16. Install the PS2 controller receiver into the PS2 cable on the robot, make sure your PS2 controller is turned on, and then apply power to the robot. Program the Atom Pro. If all is well, you will hear a beep after power up. Press Start and the legs should snap to position. At this point, if you properly calibrated the servo offsets, the legs should be perfectly aligned.

Note: The software switches the controller to analog mode. However, some controllers may need to be put into analog mode manually. If you hear a continuous beeping, the PS2 controller is not connected to the Atom properly or is not functioning. If you hear beeping, you can try pressing Reset on the Bot Board II. You can also test the controller with a Playstation 2 to verify that it is working.

There are four special "body moves" functions that are triggered by pressing L1, L2, Circle, or X. While in one of these modes, the hexapod does not walk. The joysticks and some buttons change function depending on which mode is toggled on; see Table 17 for details.

Information on the DIY controller is located on our forum.

Step 18. Download the Program
Download the .zip file, and unzip it. Open the .prj file in Studio (File->Open->*.prj), and verify that the files listed in the Workspace are in the order shown in Table 18. Program the Atom Pro. Install the PS2 controller receiver into the PS2 cable on the robot, and apply power. If all is well, you will hear a beep after power up. Press Start and the legs should snap to position. At this point, if you properly calibrated the servo offsets, the legs should be perfectly aligned. Remove power to the robot.

There are four special "body moves" functions that are triggered by pressing B, C, or D. While in one of these modes, the hexapod does not walk. The joysticks and some buttons change function depending on which mode is turned on; see Table 19 for details. Press A to go back to normal Walking mode.