Radio Shack Mobile Robot - Manual (Page 42)

Expansion Port Circuit Examples
39
ARobot's expansion connector provides access to the Basic Stamp II’s I/O pins, to the RC servo motor
signals, and to the wheel encoder’s signal. These signals can be used to control accessories and to read
sensors. +5 volts is made available to power accessories. Observe current specifications to prevent
overload of the power supply components on the controller board. Many unused pins are also available
that can be soldered to various signals on the controller board or to components in the prototype area.
Breadboards and Perfboards
ARobot’s controller board is the same size and has the same mounting hole pattern as breadboards and
perfboards from Radio Shack – Part numbers 276-174 and 276-170 respectively (2“ x 6“). The
breadboard allows circuits to be created easily without soldering. The perfboard allow construction of
more permanent circuits. Boards can be stacked on top of each other using long screws or spacers. Two
sets of board mounting holes exist on ARobot’s body. The set towards the rear is occupied by the
controller board and the other set can be used to mount breadboards or perfboards.
Soldering and other basic electronic skills
Books are available from Radio Shack and other sources that teach basic electronic skills such as
component identification and soldering. These subjects are beyond the scope of this text and will not be
taught here. Expansion ideas in this book require these basic skills and knowledge.
Expansion port cables
The expansion connector is a common 40 pin dual row header with pins on .1” centers. The cable is 40
pin flat cable with .05” centers and is easily cut with scissors. Cable is crimped onto the connector by
pressing. This is the same type of connector used for many disk drives on desktop computers. You can
simply purchase a disk drive cable which has connectors and cut it to length or buy individual cable and
connectors from an electronic supply company such as Radio Shack or Digi-Key.
Expansion Port Cable Part sources
Here are some sources for electronic
components useful for the robot experimenter:
Radio Shack
www.radioshack.com
Digi-Key Electronics
701 Brooks Ave. South
Thief River Falls, MN 56701 USA
800-344-4539
www.digikey.com
Mouser Electronics
958 N. Main St.
Mansfield, TX 76063 USA
800-346-6873
www.mouser.com
ARobot with Breadboard & Expansion