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Handy Board Robotics Links


The Handy Board

Links from Front Page

THRSim11, a Windows-based HC11 simulator that integrates with the gcc tool chain. (Wed Mar 3 10:04:09 2004)

Mac OS 9 users: 6811 Downloader MCL has been updated for compatibility with Mac OS 9. Please note that you need Stuffit Expander 5.x to extract this file. Here's a direct FTP link to Stuffit Expander 5.5. (Tue Nov 30 23:07:01 1999)

The simpleRTJ guys have posted instructions for adding an extra 32K to your Handy Board! This is a great hack. See my additional comments in a revised FAQ entry. (Thu Oct 14 11:36:33 1999)

The simple RealTimeJava for the 68HC11 project is now in Beta 2, which includes floating point and garbage collection features. (Link updated Tue Nov 7 10:44:30 2000; first noted Thu Sep 16 10:19:06 1999)

The Handy Board mailing list is now a LUGNET newsgroup. You may still post messages to handyboard@media.mit.edu, or you may use the LUGNET web interface. (Tue Sep 14 23:48:52 1999)

Info for iMac/G3 users: there's a list of USB and internal serial solutions on my Mindstorms info page. All of the devices mentioned have been tested and are compatible with Handy Board software. Also, make sure to use 6811 Downloader MCL (PPC or 68K version) to load pcode into your HB. (Wed Sep 8 15:21:25 1999)

Jonathan Pennington has created a Interactive C code repository for Handy Board users to share their code. (Sat Jul 17 09:21:12 1999)

I've begun a debug page for Windows serial line communications problems. A good place to start if you're having communications difficulties on a Windows machine. (Tue May 4 11:59:34 1999)

Jeff Keyzer has created a search site for the Handy Board mail archive. This is a great resource for searching through back traffic on the Handy Board mail list. Thanks, Jeff!! (Sun Apr 11 08:50:58 1999)

There is a slight revision to the Handy Board Expansion Board software drivers, to enable compatibility with other software drivers, such as Barry Brouillette's GP2D02 driver. Download the new drivers from the Expansion Board software page. (Wed Mar 3 12:16:50 1999)

The Handy Board Expansion Board is officially released. The Expansion Board adds a bunch of new input and output features to the Handy Board: 14 analog inputs (including 4 compatible with active LEGO sensors), 9 digital outputs, 6 servo motor outputs, easy hookup of the Polaroid ultrasonic ranging system, and a general-purpose prototyping area. (Thu Dec 31 10:43:46 1998)

Kam Leang contributed a low-cost, high power motor driver design compatible with the Handy Board. See the Software/Contributed page. (Sun Dec 13 00:12:57 1998)

9600 baud serial output driver. Communicate with other serial devices, such as the Scott Edwards Serial Servo Controller, without having to unplug the RJ11 serial connection to Interactive C. Get the new drivers in the Software/Libraries section. (Thu Dec 18 09:40:35 1997)

Smooth PWM Routines. Julian Skidmore implemented a new algorithm for performing the pulse width modulation on the Handy Board's motors, allowing up to 100 power steps rather than just eight! Download the update in the Software/Contributed section. (Wed Dec 3 08:57:05 1997)

Fred's Web Specials

  • Sensors for the HB. Drawings that show how to wire sensors and motors to the Handy Board.

  • Build LEGObug, a two-motor LEGO vehicle designed for use with the Handy Board.

  • Handy Board Press Release, first announcing the availability of the MIT Handy Board.

  • 18 photographs from the 1997 AAAI Mobile Robot Competition held in Providence, RI are on-line. (Fri Aug 15 09:40:40 1997)

  • 160+ photographs from the Trinity College Fire-Fighting Robot Contest and the Rhode Island School of the Future Robotic Park Exhibition are on-line. (Mon May 12 23:00:30 1997)

  • Read Fred's thoughts after participating in the 1997 Trinity College Fire-Fighting robot contest, written as a open letter to the contest founders, Professors Jake Mendelssohn and David Ahlgren. (Sun Apr 27 23:16:14 1997)

  • Quicktime movies of high school kids at the East Providence Career and Technical Center working on their fire-fighting robots, using MIT Programmable Bricks. (Tue Mar 11 19:54:10 1997)

  • A schematic of the proposed Expansion Board is available. Please look at the specifications of the board and provide feedback. For example, there are two free digital output lines -- would you prefer to have +5v/100 mA transistor drivers, +9v/1A transistor drivers, or just the plain digital outs? (Fri Feb 7 00:08:39 1997)

Contests and Conferences

Microcontrollers

  • FerretTronics has created the FT639, an 8-pin DIP that receives 2400 baud serial to control five servo motors. They're advertising it for desktop control applications, but it has obvious robotic applications as well, for only $19.95. There's also the FT629, which lets you read the state of 5 digital inputs over the serial line. (Tue Jan 13 09:26:20 1998)

  • Roger's Embedded Microcontrollers Home Page. 6811 board links. In the author's own words, ``This page is intended to be a source of information for those interested in Motorola MC68HC05 and MC68HC11 microcontrollers.''

  • Embedded C Resources. Set of pointers to C compilers for 6811, PIC, and other embedded CPUs.

  • Embedded Acquisition Systems has created the Finger Board, an extremely small 6811 board that can run Interactive C. The Finger Board, which adopts the memory and peripheral select design of the Handy Board, doesn't have motor drivers or 3-wire sensor headers, but these can be added as all of the requisite signals are on headers. All of the Finger Board's components and connectors are on a uniform 0.1" grid, allowing easy interfacing to hand-built protoboard circuits. Bare boards and assembled/tested systems are available. (Fri Oct 24 18:28:59 1997; updated Thu Nov 1 17:42:25 2001)

Robotics

Education

HB site by fredm at handyboard.com / last page update at Thu Mar 11 09:39:26 2004