STM32 Nucleo boards

STMicroelectronics (STMicro) announced their new line of STM32 mbed-enabled development boards, the STM32 Nucleo! They look like they are planning a full line covering the STM32 Microcontrollers. 

The new STM32 Nucleo boards are mbed-enabled, and support Arduino connectivity while also providing ST Morpho extension headers that allow access to all of the microcontroller’s on-chip peripherals. As an mbed-enabled board, developers can make use of the mbed open source software platform, online tools and collaboration infrastructure at mbed.org. The board’s Arduino headers accept shields from the extensive Arduino ecosystem, allowing developers to add specialized functionality quickly and easily.

The first four STM32 Nucleo boards, supporting the STM32 F1, L1, F4, and F0 Value lines. cost looks to be about $10.32.

• NUCLEO-F030R8
• STM32 Nucleo development board for STM32 F0 series
• STM32F030R8T6 MCU
• Entry-level
•  ARM Cortex-M0 Value line MCU
• 48 MHz CPU
• 64KB flash memory

• NUCLEO-F103RB
• STM32 Nucleo development board for STM32 F1 series
• STM32F103RBT6 MCU
• Mainstream Performance line
• ARM Cortex-M3 MCU
• 72 MHz CPU
• 128KB flash memory

• NUCLEO-F401RE
• STM32 Nucleo development board for STM32 F4 series
• STM32F401RE MCU
• Cost effective DSP with FPU
• ARM Cortex-M4 MCU 
• 84 MHz CPU
• Art Accelerator
• 512KB flash memory

• NUCLEO-L152RE
• STM32 Nucleo development board for STM32 L1 series
• STM32L152RE MCU
• Ultra-low-power 
• ARM Cortex-M3 MCU
• 32 MHz CPU
• 512KB flash memory

 Mouser Electronics, Inc. 

Part Number Description MCU Core Memory Datasheet NUCLEO-F030R8 Development board for STM32F0 Series STM32F030R8T6 ARM Cortex M0 64K Datasheet NUCLEO-F103RB Development board for STM32F1 Series STM32F103RBT6 ARM Cortex M3 128K Datasheet NUCLEO-F401RE Development board for STM32F4 Series STM32F401RET6 ARM Cortex M4 512K Datasheet NUCLEO-L152RE Development board for STM32L1 Series STM32L152RET6 ARM Cortex M3 512K Datasheet

Pdf Datasheet

Robotics 101 Part Two

OK it been a few weeks but Sparkfun has come out with a few more of video series on robotics. So here are next three. 

Part four Transfer of Motion from SparkFun Electronics, Inc. Robotics 101 Series is they discuss the advantages and disadvantages to using gears, pulleys, and chains in your robotics projects.




Part five Precision Motion from SparkFun Electronics, Inc. Robotics 101 Series they discusses the differences between precision and accuracy, when you might prefer one over the other, and how different motors offer different solutions in your project.

Part six Mechanical Structure from SparkFun Electronics, Inc. Robotics 101 Series they describes a few of the more popular materials for building your robot, goes over the pros and cons of each, and offers solutions for some off the shelf alternatives.

Links

• Sparkfun 
• Servo City

Robotics 101

These is the are the first 3 of a 9 part video series from SparkFun where they be taking us through the basics of how Robots work and how you can build your own! 

Part Two from SparkFun Electronics, Inc. Robotics 101 Series they 

discuss Angular motion. Good into to Motors.

 Episode 3, they discuss linear motion and how to implement it with Actobotics parts. {this video seem more about Actobotics parts }

Look like Sparkfun is now selling Actobotics from ServoCity.

Link list

• Sparkfun 
• Servo City

Learning ROS for Robotics Programming

I pick up this book I just started reading it.

"Learning ROS for Robotics Programming" provides practical examples. Help understand the ROS framework. The authors continue by introducing various compelling topics such as modeling[URDF file], sensor integration, computer vision, and navigation algorithms.

 Table of Contents

 Preface
Chapter 1: Getting Started with ROS
Chapter 2: The ROS Architecture with Examples
Chapter 3: Debugging and Visualization
Chapter 4: Using Sensors and Actuators with ROS
Chapter 5: 3D Modeling and Simulation
Chapter 6: Computer Vision
Chapter 7: Navigation Stack – Robot Setups
Chapter 8: Navigation Stack – Beyond Setups
Chapter 9: Combining Everything – Learn by Doing
Index

This book is available online via Packt Publishing, a company that focuses on open source software and pays royalties to open source projects.

 Pick Up a Copy

Battlefield 4

I been play Battlefield for a number of years. BF4 come out Tuesday.

Starting to play with ROS

This weekend started playing ROS, the Robot Operating System created by California-based Willow Garage and now maintained by the Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF). 

ROS (pronounced "Ross") is to provide a unified and open source programming framework for controlling robots in a variety of real world and simulated environments. ROS is certainly not the first such effort. Just search Google and Wikipedia. 

Willow Garage has also designed and manufactured a $400,000 robot called the PR2 to help showcase its operating system. Using the latest in robot hardware, including two stereo cameras, a pair of laser scanners, arms with 7 degrees of freedom, and an omni-directional drive system, only a lucky few will be able to run ROS directly on the PR2, including 11 research institutions that were awarded free PR2s as part of a beta-test contest.

ROS; packages have already been created to support lower-cost platforms and components including the iRobot Create, TurtleBot, Arduino, WowWee Rovio, LEGO® NXT, Phidgets, ArbotiX, Serializer, and Robotis Dynamixels. From small differential-drive robots to mobile manipulators to autonomous cars, robots of every size and shape are using ROS to do interesting research and applications development. Groups around the world are also releasing free. 

To start playing

To play Installed VirtualBox on my desktop with Ready to Use Virtualized ROS Groovy. Also I had a old laptop Dell Inspiron 6000 with Intel Celeron M processor. Ok not state of the art but it not being use. Right now it just a place holder till decided what computer I plan on using. Size Cost and Power are some of the factor I looking at.

Steps

1. Install VirtualBox 
2. Download Virtualized ROS Groovy
3. Install Ubuntu 12.04 on to laptop
4. Install ROS Groovy (current release)
follow instruction on Ubuntu install of ROS Groovy

I installed Desktop Install: ROS, rqt, rviz, and robot-generic libraries

sudo apt-get install ros-groovy-desktop

I then worked through ROS Tutorials on my Virtualized ROS Groovy.

Note: laptop is going to be used with the Robot.

This Blog!!

Basically this is going to be log of my robot project.  I began in October 2011. I have a lot going on. I don't work on this as much as I like too. I spend a few day a month on it. Right now it is a simple base with controls.

I be posting info as can.