Pololu Orangutan LV-xx8 - Manual (Page 11)

5. Getting Started
The Orangutan requires power be applied across the + and GND pins along the right edge of the board. The device
is protected by a MOSFET against accidental reverse-battery connection. When the Orangutan is powered, you can
press the power button, which is located on the right side of the bottom edge of the board, to turn the Orangutan on
and off. When the Orangutan is on, the blue LED next to the power button is lit.
For the Orangutan SV-xx8, the supply voltage should be 6 – 13.5 V, so a 5- to 9-cell NiCd or NiMH battery pack is a
good choice. This Orangutan can work with a 10-cell NiCd or NiMH battery pack or a 12V lead-acid battery, but you
should be aware that such a power source might exceed the controller’s maximum voltage rating if the batteries are
freshly charged.
For the Orangutan LV-168, the supply voltage should be 2 – 5 V, so a 3-cell NiCd or NiMH battery pack is a good
choice, though the unit can operate from two or four NiMH cells with some limitations. At lower voltages, the
effectiveness of the motor drivers is reduced, and the 5 V step-up regulator’s available output current decreases.
Beyond 5 V, the step-up regulator ceases operation and the input voltage shows up on the Vcc line; the components
on the board can operate to 5.5 V, but some sensors you use might have a 5.25 V limit.
5.a. Using the Demo Program
The Demo Program
The Orangutan ships with a demo/test program pre-loaded. This demonstrates most of its features and allows you
to test that it is working correctly. When you first turn on your Orangutan, you will hear a beep and see the words
“Pololu xV-xx8”, then “Demo Program” appear, indicating that you are running the demo program. If you hear a
beep but do not see any text on the LCD, you may need to adjust the contrast potentiometer in the upper-right corner
of the board. When the program has started successfully, press the B button (the middle button, marked PB4 on the
underside of the board) to proceed to the main menu. Press C (the top button, marked PB5) or A (the bottom button,
marked PB1) to scroll forward or backward through the menu, and press B to make a selection or to exit one of the
demos. There are seven demos accessible from the menu:
1. Battery (SV-xx8 only): This demo displays the battery voltage in millivolts. Desoldering the SMT jumper
marked ADC6=VBAT/3 will separate the battery voltage measurement circuit from the analog input, causing
the number displayed to drop to some low value. Note that this demo only exists on the SV-xx8 version of the
program.
2. Temp (LV-168 only): This demo displays the board temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (button C) or Celcius
(button A). If you touch the board near the center you should see the temperature rise. Desoldering the SMT
jumper marked ADC6=TEMP will separate the temperature sensor output from the analog input, causing the
number displayed to drop to some low value. Note that this demo only exists on the LV-168 version of the
program.
3. LEDs: Blinks the red and green user LEDs on the underside of the board. If you have soldered in the optional
user LEDs, they will also blink.
4. Trimpot: Displays the position of the user trimmer potentiometer, which is located on the underside of the
board, as a number between 0 and 1023. While displaying the value, this demo also blinks the LEDs and plays a
note whose frequency is a function of the current reading. It is easiest to turn the trimpot using a 2mm flat-head
screwdriver.
5. Motors: Hold down A or C to run motor 1 or 2, respectively, or hold down both buttons to run both motors
simultaneously. The motors will gradually ramp up to speed; in your own programs, you can switch them on
much more suddenly. Tap A or C to switch the corresponding motor to reverse (the button letter becomes
lowercase if pressing it will drive the corresponding motor in reverse).
6. Music: Plays an adaptation of J. S. Bach’s Fugue in D Minor for microcontroller and piezo, while scrolling
a text display. This demonstrates the ability of the Orangutan to play music in the background.
Pololu Orangutan SV-xx8 and LV-xx8 User's Guide © 2001–2014 Pololu Corporation
5. Getting Started Page 11 of 18