Pioneer 2 User Manual

Page 12

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6

terrain. Each side of the Pioneer AT is electronically and physically linked for evenly applied translational
and rotational power and speeds.

Except for the drive system, there are virtually no operational differences between the Pioneer AT and the
Pioneer 1: The integrated sonar arrays and microcontrollers are the same. The accessories available for the
Pioneer 1 also work with the Pioneer AT. Further, applications developed for the Pioneer 1 work with little
or no porting to the Pioneer AT, and vice versa.

The newest generation of Pioneer Mobile Robots—including the Pioneer 2 CE, DX, and AT models—
improves upon the Pioneer 1 legacy while retaining its many important features. Indeed in most respects,
particularly with applications software, Pioneer 2 works identically with Pioneer 1 models.

Sporting a more holonomic body, larger wheels and stronger motors for better indoor performance, the
Pioneer 2-DX and CE models, like Pioneer 1, are two-wheel, differential-drive mobile robots. (The least
expensive CE model comes with fewer options and expansion capabilities than the 2-DX.)

The four-wheel drive Pioneer 2-AT has independent motor-drivers, as well as a stall-detection systems.
Unlike its predecessor, the Pioneer 2-AT comes with inflatable tires and metal wheels for much more
robust operation in rough terrain, as well as the ability to carry nearly 45 kilograms (90 lbs) of payload and
climb a 60-percent grade.

All Pioneer 2 models use a high-performance 20 MHz Siemens 88C166-based microcontroller, with
independent motor/power and sonar-controller boards for a versatile operating environment. The controller
has two RS232-standard communications ports and an expansion bus to support the many accessories
available for Pioneer, as well as your own custom attachments. And the Pioneer 2 comes with high-
precision (9,850 ticks-per-revolution) wheel-motor encoders for finer odometry, and translational and
rotational speed controls. The Pioneer 2 also supports a full complement of sixteen sonars (eight front and
eight rear) for nearly seamless object detection.

Software-wise, the Pioneer 2 is upwardly compatible with Pioneer 1: The Pioneer 2 Operating System
(P2OS) software extends—but does not replace—the original PSOS. This means that even programs that
interface at the lowest communication levels will work with both Pioneer 1 and with Pioneer 2 platforms.
This also means that the higher level clients, such as Saphira, PAI, Ayllu, P-LOGO, and others, will work
with P2OS and the host Pioneer 2 platform just as they had worked with Pioneer 1. Of course, you will
have to extend your client software, as we have done with Saphira, Ayllu and others, in order to take full
advantage of P2OS.

To the relief of those who have invested years in developing software for Pioneer 1, Pioneer 2 truly does
combine the best of the new mobile robot technologies with the tried-and-true architecture of the original
Pioneers.

Modes of Operation

You may operate Pioneer 2 in one of four modes:

Joystick Drive

Self-test

Standalone

Server Mode

The Pioneer 2 controller comes with 32K flash-programmable, read-only memory (flash-ROM) as part
of its Siemens 88C166 microprocessor, and an additional 32K of dynamic RAM: 64K total memory space
for your standalone robotics programs.

But we don't recommend that you start learning C166 programming. Rather, the robot comes to you
installed with the latest P2OS robotics server software.

In conjunction with client software, such as Saphira, Ayllu, or PAI running on the onboard PC or a user-
supplied computer, P2OS lets you take advantage of modern client /server and robot-control technologies
to perform advanced robot tasks. (See Chapter 6, Pioneer 2 Operating System, for details.)

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