Spark V Atmega16 Hardware Manual

SPARK V ATMEGA16 Hardware Manual
© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 1

SPARK V
HARDWARE MANUAL
Version 1.12
JUNE 1st,2016

Notice
The contents of this manual are subject to change without notice. All efforts have been made to
ensure the accuracy of contents in this manual. However, should any errors be detected, NEX
Robotics welcomes your corrections. You can send us your queries / suggestions at
[email protected]
Content of this manual is released under the Creative Commence cc by-nc-sa license. For legal
information refer to: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode
 Robot’s electronics is static sensitive. Use robot in static free environment.

 Read the hardware and software manual completely before start using this robot
Recycling:
Almost all of the robot parts are recyclable. Please send the robot parts to the recycling plant
after its operational life. By recycling we can contribute to cleaner and healthier environment for
the future generations.

INDEX
1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................6
2 SPARK V ATMEGA16...............................................................................................................7
3 SPARK V Block Diagram........................................................................................................... 8
3.1 SPARK V ATMEGA16 technical specification.................................................................8
4 Using SPARK V Robot............................................................................................................. 10
4.1 Connections.......................................................................................................................11
4.2 Powering up Spark V........................................................................................................ 14
4.3 Power management system on the SPARK V.................................................................. 15
4.4 Battery Charging...............................................................................................................16
4.5 Powering the robot using battery or external supply........................................................ 18
4.6 Battery Maintenance......................................................................................................... 18
4.7 Motion control ..................................................................................................................19
4.8 Position Encoders..............................................................................................................23
4.9 Infrared proximity and Directional light intensity sensors............................................... 26
4.10 Ultrasonic range sensors ................................................................................................. 28
4.11 White Line Sensor............................................................................................................31
4.12 LCD Interfacing............................................................................................................... 33
4.13 Buzzer.............................................................................................................................. 35
4.14 USB Interface...................................................................................................................36
4.15 XBee wireless interface....................................................................................................37
4.16 TSOP1738 IR receiver.....................................................................................................38
4.17 Servo mounted range sensor............................................................................................ 38
4.18 Battery voltage sensing.................................................................................................... 39
4.19 Power Port........................................................................................................................40
4.20 ATMEGA16 microcontroller...........................................................................................41
4.21 Spark V Schematics......................................................................................................... 43
5 Programming Spark V ATMEGA16 Robot.............................................................................. 45
5.1 Installing WIN AVR......................................................................................................... 45
5.2 Installing AVR Studio.......................................................................................................49
5.3 Setting up Project in AVR Studio.....................................................................................53
5.4 Writing your first code in AVR Studio.............................................................................58
5.5 Debugging the code in AVR studio.................................................................................. 60
5.6 Loading your code on robot using AVR Boot loader from NEX Robotics......................62
5.6.1 Boot loader operating principle.................................................................................62
5.6.2 Jumper settings for the boot loading......................................................................... 62
5.6.3 Installing FT232 USB to Serial converter drivers.....................................................63
5.6.4 Identifying COM Port number of the USB to serial .................................................66
5.6.5 Installation and Demonstration of AVR Bootloader.................................................68
5.7 Loading your code on the robot using STK500V2 AVR USB programmer from NEX
Robotics.....................................................................................................................................69
5.8 Loading your code on the robot using ATMEL’s AVRISP mkII Programmer ...............70
5.8.1 Fuse settings for ATMEGA16 microcontroller.........................................................74
6 Pin Functionality........................................................................................................................75
7 PC Based Control Using Serial Communication.......................................................................77
7.1 Communication protocol for simple robot control............................................................77

7.2 Robot control using USB port...........................................................................................77

7.3 Robot control using Xbee wireless communication module.............................................78
7.4 Using the Terminal software to control robot via USB port or XBee wireless module. . .80
8 Robot Control using ‘GUI’ for SPARK V ATMEGA16...........................................................83
8.1 Installing GUI....................................................................................................................83
8.2 Using SPARK V GUI....................................................................................................... 84
8.3 Communication protocol used in GUI.............................................................................. 86
8.3.1 Commands to set velocity of the left and right motor...............................................86
8.3.2 Commands to set direction of the robot.................................................................... 87
8.3.3 Commands to access the Analog sensor data............................................................87
8.3.4 Commands to turn on / off the buzzer.......................................................................88
8.3.5 Robot Version Signature........................................................................................... 88
8.3.6 Position encoder data.................................................................................................88

1 Introduction
Spark V is a low cost robot designed for robotics hobbyists and enthusiasts. It is jointly designed
by NEX Robotics with Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay. Spark V
will help you get acquainted with the world of robotics and embedded systems. Thanks to its
innovative architecture and adoption of the ‘Open Source Philosophy’ in its software and
hardware design, you will be able to create and contribute to, complex applications that run on
this platform, helping you acquire expertise as you spend more time with them.
Safety precautions:
 Robot’s electronics is static sensitive. Use robot in static free environment.
 Read the assembling and operating instructions before working with the robot.
 If robot’s battery low buzzer starts beeping, immediately charge the batteries.
 To prevent fire hazard, do not expose the equipment to rain or moisture.
 Refrain from dismantling the unit or any of its accessories once robot is assembled.
 Never allow NiMH battery to deep discharge.
 Mount all the components with correct polarity.
 Keep wheels away from long hair or fur.
 Keep the robot away from the wet areas. Contact with water will damage the robot.
 To avoid risks of fall, keep your robot in a stable position.
 Do not attach any connectors while robot is powered ON.
 Never leave the robot powered ON when it is not in use.
Inappropriate Operation:
Inappropriate operation can damage your robot. Inappropriate operation includes, but is not
limited to:
 Dropping the robot, running it off an edge, or otherwise operating it in an irresponsible
manner.
 Interfacing new hardware without considering compatibility
 Overloading the robot above its payload capacity.
 Exposing the robot to wet environments.
 Continuing to run the robot after hair, yarn, string, or any other item has become
entangled in the robot’s axles or wheels.
 All other forms of inappropriate operation.
 Using robot in areas prone to static electricity.
 Read carefully paragraphs marked with caution symbol.
Note: For Spark V accessories refer to Chapter 10: Spark V Accessories

2 SPARK V ATMEGA16
Spark V robot is based on ATMEGA16 microcontroller. It has 3 analog white line sensors, 3
analog IR Proximity sensors, 3 directional light intensity sensors and Battery voltage sensing.
Robot has support for 3 MaxBotix EZ series ultrasonic range sensors. It also has support for the
servo mounted sensor pod which can be used to make 180 degrees scan for the map making.
Robot can be powered by 6 AA size rechargeable Ni-MH batteries. Robot has built-in Smart
Battery Controller which charges the battery in intelligent way and also monitors the battery
charge level when robot is in operation. Robot has on-board FT232 based true USB to serial TTL
converter. Robot programming is done using NEX Robotics Bootloader via USB port. There is
no need to use external programmer. Robot has 2x16 alphanumeric LCD, Lots of LED indicators
and Buzzer etc. for quick debugging. Robot has on-board socket for XBee wireless module for
Multi robot and robot to PC communication. Robot has two low power 60 RPM DC geared
motors which are powered by L293D motor driver with the top speed of 66cm/second.
Note: You need to buy MaxBotix EZ series ultrasonic range sensors, XBee wireless module and
rechargeable NiMh Batteries separately.
Figure 2.1 SPARK V Robot

3 SPARK V Block Diagram
Figure 3.1 Spark V ATMEGA16 robot block diagram
3.1 SPARK V ATMEGA16 technical specification

Microcontroller: ATMEL ATMEGA16
Programming: Using NEX Robotics Boot loader via USB port (no need of separate
programmer)
Sensors:
Three white line sensors
Three IR proximity sensors
Three directional light intensity sensors
Two Position Encoders (optional)
MaxBotix EZ series ultrasonic range sensors (optional)
Servo mounted Ultrasonic Range Sensor (optional)
Battery voltage sensing
Indicators:
2 x 16 Characters LCD
Indicator LEDs
Buzzer
Battery low indication
Locomotion:
Two 60 RPM DC geared motors and caster wheel as support
Built-in clutch for protection of the motors from non continuous wheel stalling.
Top Speed: 66cm/second

Operational Modes:
Standalone (Autonomous Control)
PC as master and robot as slave
Distributed (multi robot communication)
Communication:
USB Communication using FT232 USB to Serial Converter
Simplex infrared communication (From infrared remote to robot)
ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) (Wireless) (Robots to Robots and Robots to PCs )(Optional)
Dimensions:
Diameter: 15cm
Height: 7cm
Power:
6 AA size NiMH rechargeable batteries (Batteries not included)
Onboard Smart Battery Controller charges the battery in intelligent way and also monitors the
battery charge level when robot is in operation.
Locomotion:
Two 60 RPM DC geared motors and caster wheel as support
Built-in clutch protection for the motors from non continuous stalling of the wheel
Top Speed: 66cm/second
Optional Accessories:
Servo mounted Ultrasonic range sensor for 180 degree scan
Servo mounted directional light intensity sensor for 180 degree scan
Two position encoders
MaxBotix EZ series ultrasonic range sensors
XBee wireless module
Software Support:
GUI Based control, AVR studio, WINAVR
Microsoft robotics studio Visual Programming Language (will be launched shortly)
Requires:
AC adaptor with exact 12VDC with 1Amp. current rating for battery charging.
6 NiMH rechargeable batteries

4 Using SPARK V Robot

In this chapter various components of the robot and their principal of operations are explained in
detail. It is very important that user go through chapter before starting to use robot.
Spark V robot has 6 important modules:

1. Power management
2. Sensing
3. Actuation (locomotion)
4. Other peripherals
5. Communication
6. Intelligence (microcontroller)
Figure 4.1 SPARK V ATMEGA16 robot top view

4.1 Connections
Figure 4.2 Spark V component layout top view

Figure 4.3 Spark V component layout bottom view

4.2 Powering up Spark V

Spark V is powered by six AA sized NiMH rechargeable batteries. 2.1Ah battery gives about
two hour battery operation. Battery is available as pre-assembled 6 cell pack or robot has AA
sized 6 cell battery holder. Battery is connected with the robot using 4 pin relimate connector
which is located in the left sided of the caster wheel.
For safety during the transportation robot’s battery connector is disconnected. Connect the
battery connector before first use.
Figure 4.4 Battery packs in Spark V

Before connecting the battery pack or inserting batteries in the socket, make sure that power
switch of the robot is off. Robot has on-board smart battery controller which can charge the
installed batteries. You need to charge the battery before first use. Use any AC adaptor / SMPS
which can give accurate 12V DC and 1Amp current. For battery charging procedure refer to
section 4.4. For robot powering options, refer to section 4.5.

4.3 Power management system on the SPARK V

Spark V is powered by 6 NiMH rechargeable batteries of 0.8Ah and above capacity. When it is
fully discharged voltage drops to about 7V. Battery pack should not be discharged below 6V (1V
per cell) for extended battery life. Spark V has onboard smart battery controller which monitors
battery status. Nickel Metal Hydride batteries must be recharged using smart charging circuit
which follows the appropriate charging profile for the batteries. To avoid any damage to the
batteries, only use onboard battery charger.
Power management block on the SPARK V performs following functions.
1. Battery low warning in case battery is below critical level
2. Regulated supply for onboard payload.
3. Battery charging when robot is powered off and external battery charger is
connected.
Figure 4.5 Power Management on the Spark V robot
Regulated supply for onboard payload:

Three low drop voltage regulators are used for powering various modules of the robot.
5V System: Powers microcontroller, logic circuit and sensors
3.3V: Powers XBee wireless module
5V Batt. Con: Powers Battery controller

Battery Controller:
When robot is powered up, smart battery monitoring circuit monitors the battery voltage and if it
drops below 7V, it starts giving beeping sound and battery status indicator led blinks with red
color.
When robot is off and 12V DC is applied to the battery charging socket, Smart battery
monitoring circuit charge the battery.
Figure 4.6 Schematic of power management on module
4.4 Battery Charging
Figure 4.7 Battery Charging
Robot has on-board battery controller which charges robot’s battery. Use any AC adaptor /
SMPS which can give precise 12V supply with at least 1 amp current. If voltage is more than
12V the battery will not get fully charged.

Battery charging procedure:

1. Make sure that robot’s power switch is in off position.
2. Insert the 6 NiMH batteries / battery pack of 800mAh or more capacity.
3. Insert the DC jack of the AC adaptor SMPS with 12V, 1Amp rating in the battery
charging socket of the robot and power up the AC adaptor / SMPS.
Now smart battery controller will sense the presence of the battery charging supply and will start
charging the battery. It will terminate the battery charging once battery is fully charged. During
the charging process battery status can be monitored on the battery status LED. Refer to the table
below for battery charging status interpretation using battery status LED.
Indicator LED Battery Status Charger Status

Green Red
On Off Voltage < 7.2 V Battery is getting charged
Alternate blinking Fully charged Battery is fully charged
Table 4.1: Battery status indicator LED interpretation
Important:
If you are using battery which is not used for long time then you have to charge it and
discharge it at least few times to bring the battery to its full storage capacity. To do this you
can load any motion program from the “Experiments” folder which is located in the
documentation CD and discharge the batteries after charging.
Warning:
 Many transformer based AC adaptor’s voltage is 30 to 40% higher when there is no load.
Make sure that AC adaptor’s no load voltage is precisely 12V else it will damage the
robot and battery.
 If you are using SMPS, then make sure that it doesn’t have mains leakage current flowing
through the DC supply. Else when you touch the robot, this high voltage leakage current
will damage the robot’s electronics.

4.5 Powering the robot using battery or external supply

Ideally robot is powered by on-board batteries but if you want to do experiments or code
development for longer duration then you can also power the robot by external supply.
To run the robot on the batteries, make sure that 4 pin relimate battery connector is inserted in
the battery connector socket. Refer to figure 4.8 for the battery connector’s location.
Figure 4.8 Battery Connector and its socket
To run the robot on the external supply, remove the 4 pin relimate battery connector from its
socket and use another 4 pin relimate connector to give external supply. External supply should
be in between 7.1 to 9V. Red and Orange are the positive terminals. Brown and Black are the
negative terminals.
Warning:
 Do not exceed 9V voltage limit else robot will get damaged.
 Battery connector socket is not reverse polarity protected. If supply is applied in reverse
polarity, it will immediately damage the robot.
 Use only good quality bench top power supply to power the robot using external supply.
Use of AC adaptor or cheap SMPS is not recommended.
4.6 Battery Maintenance

Fully charged NiMH battery will get completely discharged with in a week of storage. Always
charge the battery before use. If fully charged battery is kept in storage for about a month and
afterwards even if it’s fully charged again, it can deliver only 1/3 rd power of its rating. In such
case to restore battery to its full potential again, perform at least 2-3 charge discharge cycles.
To ensure long life, charge battery at least once a week and discharge it till robot starts giving
battery low warning. Before storage, charge the battery again.
For discharging the battery quickly, you can load any program from the “Experiments” folder of
the documentation CD.
Disconnect the battery connector if robot is to be stored for long duration of time.

4.7 Motion control

Spark V robot has two 60 RPM DC geared motors in differential drive configuration along with
the third caster wheel for the support. Robot has top speed of about 66cm per second. Using this
configuration, the robot can turn with zero turning radius by rotating one wheel in clockwise
direction and other in counterclockwise direction. Robot’s motors have built-in clutch for
protection of the motor’s gears from non continuous wheel stalling.
Motion control involves direction control and velocity control. Motors are controlled by L293D
dual motor driver which can provide up to 600mA of current to each motor. To change the
direction of the motor, appropriate logic levels (High/Low) are applied to L293D’s direction
control pins. Velocity control is done using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM).
LEDs are connected at the input and the output stage of the motor driver for quick interpretation
of the motion commands.
Pulse Width Modulation for velocity control:
Pulse width modulation is a process in which duty cycle of constant frequency square wave is
modulated to control power delivered to the load i.e. motor.
Duty cycle is the ratio of ‘T-ON/ T’. Where ‘T-ON’ is ON time and ‘T’ is the time period of the
wave. Power delivered to the motor is proportional to the ‘T-ON’ time of the signal. In case of
PWM the motor reacts to the time average of the signal.
PWM is used to control total amount of power delivered to the load without power losses which
generally occur in resistive methods of power control.
Figure 4.9 Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)

Above figure shows the PWM waveforms for motor velocity control. In case (A), ON time is
90% of time period. This wave has more average value. Hence more power is delivered to the
motor. In case (B), the motor will run slower as the ON time is just 10% of time period.
Figure 4.10 Motion Control
In the figure 4.10 area marked with the red border are the LEDs connected to the input stage of
the L293D motor driver. Area marked by Blue border shows LEDs connected to the output of
the motor driver. Orange border marks position encoder output LEDs. Yellow border marks left
and right motor connectors.
Microcontroller pin connections
Microcontroller Pin Function

PD5 (OCR1AL) Pulse width modulation for the left motor (velocity control)
PD4 (OCR1BL) Pulse width modulation for the right motor (velocity control)
PB0 Left motor direction control
PB1 Left motor direction control
PB2 Right motor direction control
PB3 Right motor direction control
Table 4.2 Pin functions for the motion control

LED Direction Indications
L1 L2 PL R1 R2 PR Direction
(Red) (Red) (Yel.) (Red) (Red) (Yel.) Output
Direction (I/P) (I/P) (I/P) (I/P) (I/P) (I/P) (Red / Yel.)
PB0 PB1 PD3 PB2 PB3 PD4 Left Right
Motor Motor
FORWARD 0 1 1 1 0 1 Yellow Yellow
REVERSE 1 0 1 0 1 1 Red Red
RIGHT
(Left wheel forward, Right 0 1 1 0 1 1 Yellow Red
wheel backward)
LEFT
(Left wheel backward, 1 0 1 1 0 1 Red Yellow
Right wheel forward,)
SOFT RIGHT
(Left wheel forward,, Right 0 1 1 0 0 1 Yellow Off
wheel stop)
SOFT LEFT
(Left wheel stop, Right 0 0 1 1 0 1 Off Yellow
wheel forward,)
SOFT RIGHT 2
(Left wheel stop, Right 0 0 1 0 1 1 Off Red
wheel backward)
SOFT LEFT 2
(Left wheel backward, 1 0 1 0 0 1 Red Off
Right wheel stop)
HARD STOP 0 0 1 0 0 1 Off Off
SOFT STOP
1 1 1 1 1 1 Off Off
(Free running stop)
Table 4.3 Direction and PWM LED indications

Figure 4.11 Robot direction interpretation

Logic levels for setting direction and velocity
PWM
LEFT LEFT RIGHT RIGHT
PD5 for left motor
DIRECTION BWD (LB) FWD(LF) FWD(RF) BWD(RB)
PD4 for right
PB0 PB1 PB2 PB3
motor
As per velocity
FORWARD 0 1 1 0
requirement
As per velocity
REVERSE 1 0 0 1
requirement
RIGHT (Left wheel
As per velocity
forward, Right wheel 0 1 0 1
requirement
backward)
LEFT(Left wheel
As per velocity
backward, Right wheel 1 0 1 0
requirement
forward,)
SOFT RIGHT(Left wheel
As per velocity
forward,, Right wheel 0 1 0 0
requirement
stop)
SOFT LEFT(Left wheel
As per velocity
stop, Right wheel 0 0 1 0
requirement
forward,)
SOFT RIGHT 2 (Left
As per velocity
wheel stop, Right wheel 0 0 0 1
requirement
backward)
SOFT LEFT 2 (Left wheel
As per velocity
backward, Right wheel 1 0 0 0
requirement
stop)
As per velocity
HARD STOP 0 0 0 0
requirement
SOFT STOP (Free running
X X X X 0
stop)
Table 4.4 Logic levels for setting direction and velocity

Figure 4.12 Motion Control
4.8 Position Encoders

Position encoders give position / velocity feedback to the robot. It is used in closed loop to
control robot’s position and velocity. Position encoder consists of slotted disc which rotates
between optical encoder (optical transmitter and receiver). When slotted disc moves in between
the optical encoder we get square wave signal whose pulse count indicates position and time
period / frequency indicates velocity.
Optical encoder MOC7811 is used for position encoder on the robot. It consists of IR LED and
the photo transistor mounted in front of each other separated by a slot in black opaque casing
with small slot shaped window facing each other. When IR light falls on the photo transistor it
gets in to saturation and gives logic 0 as the output. In absence of the IR light it gives logic 1 as
output. A slotted encoder disc is mounted on the wheel is placed in between the slot. When
encoder disc rotates it cuts IR illumination alternately because of which photo transistor gives
square pulse train as output. Output from the position encoder is cleaned using Schmitt trigger
based inverter (not gate) IC CD40106. CD40106 also drives left and right position encoder status
LEDs. For more details, refer to figure 4.13.

Figure 4.13 Position Encoders
Figure 4.14 Position encoder assembly

Calculation of position encoder resolution:

Case 1: Robot is moving forward or backward (encoder resolution is in mm)
Wheel diameter: 7cm
Wheel circumference: 7cm * 3.14 = 21.980cm = 219.80mm
Number slots on the encoder disc: 17
Position encoder resolution: 219.80 mm / 17 = 12.92mm / pulse.
Case 2: Robot is turning with one wheel rotating clockwise while other wheel is rotating
anti clockwise. Center of rotation is in the center of line passing through wheel axel and
both wheels are rotating in opposite direction (encoder resolution is in degrees)
Distance between Wheels = 11.6cm
Radius of Circle formed in 3600 rotation of Robot = Distance between Wheels / 2
= 5.8 cm
Distance Covered by Robot in 3600 Rotation = Circumference of Circle traced
= 2 x 5.8 x 3.14
= 36.4 cm or 364mm
Number of wheel rotations in 3600 rotation of robot
= Circumference of Traced Circle / Circumference of Wheel
= 364 / 219.80
= 1.65
Total pulses in 3600 Rotation of Robot
= Number of slots on the encoder disc / Number of wheel rotations of in 3600 rotation of robot
= 17 x 1.65
= 28.05 (approximately 28)
Position Encoder Resolution in Degrees = 360 / 28
= 12.85 degrees per count
Case 3: Robot is turning with one wheel stationary while other wheel is rotating clockwise
or anti clockwise. Center of rotation is center of the stationary wheel (encoder resolution is
in degrees)
In this case only one wheel is rotating and other wheel is stationary so robot will complete its
3600 rotation with stationary wheel as its center.
Radius of Circle formed in 3600 rotation of Robot = Distance between Wheels
= 11.6 cm
Distance Covered by Robot in 3600 Rotation = Circumference of Circle traced
= 2 x 11.6 x 3.14
= 72.848 cm or 728 mm
Number of wheel rotations of in 3600 rotation of robot
= Circumference of Traced Circle / Circumference of Wheel
= 728 / 219.80
= 3.312

Total pulses in 3600 Rotation of Robot

= Number of slots on the encoder disc / Number of wheel rotations of in 3600 rotation of robot
= 17 x 3.312
= 56.304 (approximately 56)
Position Encoder Resolution in Degrees = 360 /56

= 6.42 degrees per count
Figure 4.15 Position encoder schematics
4.9 Infrared proximity and Directional light intensity sensors

Infrared proximity sensors are used to detect proximity of any obstacles in the short range. IR
proximity sensors have about 10cm sensing range. Spark V robot has 3 IR proximity sensors.
In the absence of the obstacle there is no reflected light hence no leakage current will flow
through the photo diode and output voltage of the photodiode will be around 5V. As obstacle
comes closer, more light gets reflected and falls on the photo diode and leakage current flowing
through the photo diode starts to increase which causes voltage across the diode to fall.
If IR LEDs are disabled using jumpers then same photo diodes works as directional light
intensity sensors.
Figure 4.16 Infrared proximity and Directional light intensity sensors and Jumper settings
for enabling IR Proximity sensors

Figure 4.6 shows 3 Infrared proximity and Directional light intensity sensors on the Spark V
robot. Sensors are numbered as 1, 2 and 3 from left to right in clockwise direction. In all the
manuals this numbering convention will be used for addressing the particular IR sensor.
IR photo diode consumes about 0.5mA when bright light drives the sensor in to saturation. IR
LED if enabled will consume about 30mA current each. Remove the appropriate jumper to
reduce the power consumption of the robot.
Enabling the IR proximity and Directional light intensity sensors
ATMEGA16 microcontroller has only 8 ADCs. 3 ADC pins are shared between IR Proximity
sensors and Ultrasonic Range sensors. At any given sensor location either IR Proximity sensor or
Ultrasonic range sensor can be used. Both sensors can not remain active at the same time. Figure
4.16 shows J2, J3 and J4 settings for enabling IR proximity sensors. Jumpers are marked with
red border. To use IR proximity sensors place the 2 jumper caps of the jumper corresponding to
particular sensor towards “IRP” (IR Proximity sensors). Out of these two jumpers one jumper
connects power to the sensor and other connects microcontroller’s ADC pin to the sensor output.
Figure 4.17 IR proximity sensors and correct jumper setting to enable them
Figure 4.17 shows schematic of the IR proximity sensor and the correct jumper setting to enable
them. For jumper positions and pin number of the jumpers refer to figure 4.16.
Figure 4.18 Jumper setting to use IR proximity sensor as directional light intensity sensor
Figure 4.18 shows the jumper settings to use IR proximity sensor as directional light intensity
sensor. For jumper positions and pin number of the jumpers refer to figure 4.16.
IR Proximity Sensor ADC channel number

Left ADC channel no. 0
Center ADC channel no. 1
Right ADC channel no. 2
Table 4.5 IR Proximity Sensor connections with ADC of the ATMEGA16 (after correct
jumper settings)

4.10 Ultrasonic range sensors
Figure 4.19 Ultrasonic range sensors and jumper settings to enable them
Spark V robot can be equipped with the 4 ultrasonic sensors from MaxBotix. Three sensors are
mounted just above the 3 IR proximity sensors. 4 th Sensor can be mounted on the servo motor for
taking 180 degrees scan for map making (marked as 4). Each sensor can sense distance range
from 6 inches to 254 inches. Ultrasonic sensor transmits a narrow beam of ultrasonic pulse and
measures time taken for echo of the beam. It gives output proportional to time taken for the
ultrasonic beam to return echo from the obstacle.
Spark V robot supports EZ0 to EZ4 series of ultrasonic range sensors from MaxBotix. Sensor
gives out analog output with 1 inch resolution. It gives output voltage of 9.8mV per inch. After
powering up, for first 100mS sensor runs calibration cycle. After that it can give readings with
49mS interval.
Figure 4.19 shows locations of the ultrasonic sensors. They are numbered as 1, 2, and 3 from left
to right. Number “4” marks connector for the 4th ultrasonic range sensor which can be mounted
on the servo motor for taking 180 degrees range scan.

Enabling the Ultrasonic range sensors
ATMEGA16 microcontroller has only 8 ADCs. 3 ADC pins are shared between Ultrasonic
Range sensors and IR Proximity sensors. At any given sensor location either IR Proximity sensor
or Ultrasonic range sensor can be used. Both sensors can not remain active at the same time.
Figure 4.19 shows J2, J3 and J4 settings for enabling Ultrasonic range sensors. Jumpers are
marked with red border. To use Ultrasonic range sensor, place the 2 jumper caps of the jumper
corresponding to particular sensor towards “URF”. Out of these two jumpers one jumper
connects power to the sensor and other connects microcontroller’s ADC pin to the sensor output.
Figure 4.20 Ultrasonic range sensor daisy chaining (courtesy: MaxBotix website)
If many of the sensors transmit ultrasound simultaneously their reading will get mixed-up. In
order to prevent this, all the ultrasonic sensors are connected in the daisy chain. Microcontroller
sends a trigger to the first ultrasonic sensor. First sensor takes the distance reading and sends
trigger to the second sensor. Second sensor follows the same process. This makes sure that at any
given time only one sensor transmits ultrasound.
Figure 4.20 shows sensor daisy chaining. Sensor 1’s TX pin is connected to the Sensor 2’s RX
pin. In this way all 4 sensors are daisy chained. To enable the daisy chaining mode, pin “BW” of
the each ultrasonic sensor is tied to Vcc.
A small pulse trigger (more than 100uS) is given to the “RX” pin of the Sensor no. 1 from the
microcontroller’s PD6 pin. Sensor 1 transmits ultrasonic pulse and gives out distance reading
within 49mS. Sensor 1 triggers the Sensor 2 by transmitting a small pulse on its TX pin to the
RX pin of the second sensor. Now Sensor 2 takes reading. In this way sensor in the daisy chain
takes distance reading one at a time and triggers the next sensor connected.
Ultrasonic Range Sensor ADC channel number

Table 4.6 Ultrasonic Range Sensor connections with ADC of the ATMEGA16 (after correct
jumper settings)

Figure 4.21 Pads for bypassing particular Ultrasonic range sensor
Figure 4.22 Ultrasonic Range Sensor interfacing and jumper settings
If you want to install only one ultrasonic sensor, say sensor number 2 or 4 then you need to short
the pins “TX” and “RX” of the sensors which are connected in the daisy chain before the sensor
which is installed so that trigger from microcontroller can reach the installed sensor. Figure 4.21
area marked by red border shows pads corresponding to the particular sensors which are labeled
as P1, P2 and P3 corresponds to sensor numbers.
For example if you want to use only sensor number 2 then you have to short pad corresponding
to sensor 1. If you want to use sensor 4 (connector marked by sensor number 4 in the figure
4.19), then you have to short pad number 1, 2 and 3.
Supported Ultrasonic range sensors

Spark V robot supports EZ0 to EZ4 sensors from MaxBotix. All these sensors are available on
NEX Robotics website. Other sensors from MaxBotix having compatible pin mapping can also
be used instead of these sensors. For more details on compatibility, refer to the respective
sensor’s datasheet.
EZ0 to EZ4 sensors have progressively more directionality. Refer to figure 4.10 to get rough idea
of the sensor characteristics.

Figure 4.23 Range Shown on 1-foot grid to various diameter dowels
Mounting Ultrasonic range sensors:

Ultrasonic sensors have range of about 5 meters. If sensors are mounted with even slight slanted
angle towards ground then sensor will sense ground few meters ahead as obstacle. If sensors are
mounted on the female berg connectors then because of loose fitting it is possible that they will
get slanted and detect few meters ahead ground as obstacle. Hence these sensors have to be
soldered on the main board and bend in such a way that they look slightly upwards.
4.11 White Line Sensor

White line sensors are used for detecting white line on the ground surface. White lines are used
to give robot sense of localization. White line sensor consists of a highly directional IR photo
diode for line sensing and IR LED for the illumination. Due to the directional nature of the
photo-diode it does not get affected with ambient light unless it is very bright.
Figure 4.24 White line sensor

Figure 4.25 White Line sensor calibration potentiometers

When the robot is not on a white line, amount of light reflected is less hence less leakage current
flows through the photo diode. In this case, the line sensor gives an output in the range of 3volts
to 5 volts. When the sensor is on a white line, more light gets reflected resulting in considerable
increase in the leakage current which causes voltage across the sensor to fall between 3 to 0.1V.
Sensor’s sensitivity to the white and dark surface can be adjusted by controlling brightness of the
IR LED. This is done by adjusting potentiometer which is connected in the series of the IR LED.
Figure 4.25 shows the potentiometers used for white line sensor calibration. When potentiometer
is moved fully counterclockwise, IR LED’s intensity will be maximum. Robot’s sensors are
calibrated for optimal performance when robot is shipped from the factory.
White line Sensor ADC channel number
Table 4.7 White line sensor connections with ADC of the ATMEGA16
Note:
Be very careful while selecting black surface for the line following. Black can be from ultraviolet
side or from the infrared side. If black is from the infrared side then for IR light it will be like
white surface as infrared black will reflect almost all the light. In such case it will be difficult for
the robot to differentiate between white and black surface.
Figure 4.26 White Line Sensor

4.12 LCD Interfacing
Figure 4.27 LCD contrast and backlight setting
Figure 4.28 LCD interfacing with the microcontroller

Microcontroller LCD PINS Description
VCC VCC Supply voltage (5V).
GND GND Ground
PC0 RS (Control line) Register Select
PC1 R/W (Control line) READ /WRITE
PC2 EN (Control Line) Enable
PC4 to PC7 D4 to D7 (Data lines) Bidirectional Data Bus
LED+, LED- Backlight control
Table 4.8 LCD pin mapping and functions
To interface LCD with the microcontroller in default configuration requires 3 control signals and
8 data lines. This is known as 8 bit interfacing mode which requires total 11 I/O lines. To reduce
the number of I/Os required for LCD interfacing we can use 4 bit interfacing mode which
requires 3 control signals with 4 data lines. In this mode upper nibble and lower nibble of
commands/data set needs to be sent separately. Figure 4.28 shows LCD interfacing in 4 bit
mode. The three control lines are referred to as EN, RS, and RW.

The EN line is called "Enable" and it is connected to PC2. This control line is used to tell the
LCD that microcontroller has sent data to it or microcontroller is ready to receive data from
LCD. This is indicated by a high-to-low transition on this line. To send data to the LCD, program
should make sure that this line is low (0) and then set the other two control lines as required and
put data on the data bus. When this is done, make EN high (1) and wait for the minimum amount
of time as specified by the LCD datasheet, and end by bringing it to low (0) again.
The RS line is the "Register Select" line and it is connected to PC0. When RS is low (0), the data
is treated as a command or special instruction by the LCD (such as clear screen, position cursor,
etc.). When RS is high (1), the data being sent is treated as text data which should be displayed
on the screen.
The RW line is the "Read/Write" control line and it is connected to PC1. When RW is low (0),
the information on the data bus is being written to the LCD. When RW is high (1), the program
is effectively querying (or reading from) the LCD.
The data bus is bidirectional, 4 bit wide and is connected to PC4 to PC7 of the microcontroller.
The MSB bit (DB7) of data bus is also used as a Busy flag. When the Busy flag is 1, the LCD is
in internal operation mode, and the next instruction will not be accepted. When RS = 0 and R/W
= 1, the Busy flag is output on DB7. The next instruction must be written after ensuring that the
busy flag is 0.
Figure 4.29 LCD Timing Diagram

LCD contrast and backlight setting
Contrast of the LCD can be adjusted by adjusting the potentiometer. To save power its backlight
can also be turned off by removing jumper J1. For jumper and potentiometer location, refer to
figure 4.27.
Figure 4.30 LCD schematics

4.13 Buzzer
Robot has 3 KHz piezo buzzer. It can be used for debugging purpose or as attention seeker for a
particular event. The buzzer is connected to PC3 pin.
Figure 4.31 Buzzer
Figure 4.32 Buzzer Schematic

4.14 USB Interface

USB interface is used for interfacing robot with the PC and loading hex file on the robot using
boot loading utility from NEX Robotics.
ATMEGA16 microcontroller has one serial port which can be connected to USB port via FT232
USB to Serial converter or to XBee wireless module. To connect FT232 USB to Serial converter
with the microcontroller, you need to set Jumper J5 in correct setting. In this setting J5 connects
TXD and RXD pins of the microcontroller with the FT232 USB to serial converter.
Figure 4.33 USB Connections

Figure 4.33 shows jumper setting for connecting FT232 USB to serial converter to the
ATMEGA16 microcontroller. USB LEDs marked by TXD and RXD shows the serial port
activity. You can also use other pins of the serial ports which are marked by red border for
implementing advance flow control.
Figure 4.34 USB to Serial converter Schematic

4.15 XBee wireless interface

XBee wireless module is used for communicating with other robots and PCs.
ATMEGA16 microcontroller has one serial port which can be connected to USB port via FT232
USB to Serial converter or to XBee wireless module. To connect XBee wireless module with the
microcontroller, you need to set Jumper J5 in correct setting. In this setting J5 connects TXD and
RXD pins of the microcontroller with the XBee wireless module.
Figure 4.35 XBee wireless module Connections

Figure 4.36 shows jumper setting for connecting XBee wireless module to the ATMEGA16
microcontroller. “ASSO” LED shows the association over the network. “RSSI” LED shows the
strength of the wireless signals. For more details, refer to XBee wireless module’s datasheet from
the datasheet folder of the documentation CD.
Figure 4.36 USB XBee Wireless Module Schematic

4.16 TSOP1738 IR receiver

TSOP1738 is an IR receiver and RC5 decoder. It is very commonly used in televisions for
receiving commands from the remote control. It can be used to control robot using TV remote
control or many robots can be controlled simultaneously if you make your own TV remote
equivalent and interface it with the PC. Such type of setup can be used in the preliminary form of
robot-soccer.
Figure 4.37 TSOP1738
Figure 4.38 TSOP1738 Schematics
Important: Output pin of the TSOP1738 is shared with the left position encoder. You have to
remove the position encoder disc (if installed) before using TSOP1738.

4.17 Servo mounted range sensor

Spark V robot has connectors servo mounted range sensor. Range sensor can be IR range sensor
from Sharp or Ultrasonic range sensor from MaxBotix. Servo motor can be connected to
standard 3 pin servo connector while range sensor is connected to 4 pin relimate connector.
Figure 4.39 Servo motor and Sensor connector
Figure 4.40 Servo motor and sensor connections

4.18 Battery voltage sensing
Figure 4.41 Battery voltage sensing

Two registers of 22K ohms are used to scale down the battery voltage below 5V and given to the
ADC6 of the microcontroller. Voltage divider network of these register will give half of the
battery voltage to the ADC 6 of the microcontroller. If ADC is used with the 8 bit resolution use
the following formula for getting the battery voltage level:
Battery voltage = 2 x ADC 6 value of 8 bit resolution x 5V/255
Battery voltage = 2 x ADC 6 value of 10 bit resolution x 5V/1024
Here 5V / 255 and 5V/1024 give ADC resolution in 8 bit and 10 bit mode.

4.19 Power Port

4 pin relimate Power port gives out regulated and unregulated voltages for interfacing with the
external device.
Following are the current limitations:
1. 3.3V out: Used for powering XBee wireless module. Can give out current up to 400mA
2. 5V out: Used for powering up sensors and other components. Not more than 200mA
current should be taken from this source
3. V Batt: Output from the battery. Maximum output current is dependent on the battery
capacity.
Figure 4.42 Power Port
Figure 4.43 Power Port connections

4.20 ATMEGA16 microcontroller

Spark V robot has ATMEGA16 microcontroller running at 7.3728MHz. .hex file is loaded using
boot loader software from NEX Robotics. In the bootloading process Reset and Boot switches
are used together. To know more about the boot loader, refer to section 5.6. Robot can also be
programmed by ISP (In System Programming) using AVR USB programmer from NEX
Robotics or ATMEL’s AVR ISP mkII. It is recommended that you use boot loader software
instead of ISP. If ISP is used then is a chance that boot loader will get erased.
You can also use SPI pins of the microcontrollers as general purpose I/Os or as SPI port for
interfacing with external device. SS (Slave select) pin of the SPI port is available as pad. Refer to
figure 4.44 and 4.45 for SPI pins location.
You can access all the pins of the microcontroller by soldering on the pads which are located just
beside the microcontroller pin.
Figure 4.44 Microcontroller on the Spark V robot

Figure 4.45 Microcontroller Schematics

4.21 Spark V Schematics


5 Programming Spark V ATMEGA16 Robot

There are lots of IDEs (Integrated Development Environment) available for the AVR
microcontrollers. There are free IDEs which are based on AVR GCC like AVR Studio from
ATMEL and WIN AVR and proprietary IDEs like ICC AVR, Code vision AVR, IAR and KEIL
etc. IDEs like ICC AVR and code vision AVR are very simple to use because of their GUI based
code generator which gives you generated code. Almost all the proprietary IDEs works as full
version for first 45 days and then there code size is restricted to some size. We have used free
IDE like AVR Studio from ATMEL and proprietary IDE like ICC AVR for the robot. In this
manual we are going to focus on the AVR studio from the ATMEL. It uses WIN AVR open
source C compiler at the back end. It has many attractive features like built-in In-Circuit
Emulator and AVR instruction set simulator. After writing and compiling the program it gives
“.hex” file. This “.hex” file needs to be loaded on the robot using In System Programmer (ISP).
IDE Installation
Since AVR studio uses WIN AVR compiler at the back end we need to install WIN AVR first
(Please note that WIN AVR must be installed before AVR Studio so that AVR Studio can easily
detect the AVRGCC plug-in).
5.1 Installing WIN AVR

Insert the Spark V documentation CD and from the “Software and Drivers” folder copy “WIN
AVR 2009-03-13” on the PC and click on WinAVRxxxx.exe file.
Figure 5.1

WIN AVR installation package will open. Choose language as “English”.
Figure 5.2
Click next in the WIN AVR setup wizard.
Figure 5.3

Press “I Agree” after going through license agreement.
Figure 5.4
Make sure that you select drive on which operating system is installed.
Figure 5.5

Select all the components and press “Install”.
Figure 5.6
Click “Finish” to complete WIN AVR installation
Figure 5.7

5.2 Installing AVR Studio

Go to “Software and Drivers” folder from the documentation CD, copy folder “AVR Studio
4.17” on the PC and click on “AvrStudio417Setup.exe” to start the installation process.
Figure 5.8
Click on “Run”
Figure 5.9

Click “Next” to start installation of AVR Studio 4
Figure 5.10
After clicking “Next” go through the license agreement. If it is acceptable then click “Next”
Figure 5.11

Now choose the destination drive. Select the same drive in which your operating system and
WINAVR is installed.
Figure 5.12
Select for the “Install / upgrade Jungo USB Driver” to support In System Programming (ISP) by
AVRISP mkII
Figure 5.13
Important: If “Install / upgrade Jungo USB Driver” is not selected then AVRISP mkII
programmer will not work with the AVR Studio.

Click “Next” to start the installation process.
Figure 5.14
Click “Finish” to complete the installation process.
Figure 5.15

5.3 Setting up Project in AVR Studio

AVR studio is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for writing and debugging AVR
applications. As a code writing environment, it supports included AVR Assembler and any
external AVR GCC compiler in a complete IDE environment.
AVR Studio gives two main advantages:

1. Edit and debug in the same application windows. Faster error tracking.
2. Breakpoints are saved and restored between sessions, even if codes are edited.
Figure 5.16
Middle window shows current code under development. Window on the left side shows view of
source files, header files, External dependencies, and other files. Right side window shows all the
ports and other peripheral’s status. Bottom window is known as Build window. It shows results
of the compilation, errors, HEX file size and other warning messages etc.

1. Open AVR Studio. If any project is running it can be closed by clicking on Project in the menu
and select Close Project.
2. To create new project click on Project in the menu and select “New Project”.
Figure 5.17
3. Select Project Type as “AVR GCC”. Type project name in the “Project name” window. In this
case it is “buzzer_test”. Also check on Create folder check box. This will create all the files
inside the new folder. In the Location window select the place where would like to store your
project folder and then click “Next”.
Figure 5.18

4. Select debug platform and Device. In this case we have selected “AVR simulator” and
“ATMEGA16” microcontroller and click finish.
Figure 5.19
5. Now we are almost ready to write our first code. Before we start coding we will check other
setting to make sure that they are set properly.
Figure 5.20

6. Open Project menu and click on the Configuration option.
Figure 5.21
7. In the Project Option “General” tab will open. Select device as “ATMEGA16” and frequency
(Crystal Frequency) as 7.3728MHz i.e. 7372800Hz. Set the optimization level be at “-O0”.
Figure 5.22
Selecting proper optimization options

“Optimization” option defines the optimization level for all files. Higher optimization levels will
produce code that is harder to debug. Stack variables may change location, or be optimized
away, and source level debugging may "skip" statements because they too have been optimized
away.
The levels of optimization are:

 No optimization. This is the same as not specifying any optimization.

 -01 Optimize. Reduces code size and execution time without performing any
optimizations that take a great deal of compilation time.
 -O2 Optimize even more. avr-gcc performs almost all optimizations that don't involve
a space-time tradeoff.
 -O3 Optimize yet more. This level performs all optimizations at -O2 along with
-finline-functions and -frename-registers.
 -Os Optimize for size. Enables all -O2 optimizations that don't increase code size. It
also performs further optimizations designed to reduce code size.
For more information on optimization, see the 'man' pages for avr-gcc.
Important: During the coding choose appropriate optimization option. If you feel that code is
not working properly as it should be then turn off all optimization by selecting optimization
option as “-O0”. Once you know that your code is properly working then you can incrementally
increase optimization level.
We suggest that always use optimization level as “-O0” at the beginner level.
8. Make sure that in the External Tools, proper path for avr-gcc.exe and make.exe are given and
press ok.
Now we are ready to write our first code.
Figure 5.23

5.4 Writing your first code in AVR Studio

We are going to write our first code for our Spark V ATMEGA16 robot.
This program will make robot’s buzzer beep.
Copy the following code in window “code area”. We will see how this code works in the next
chapter.
//Buzzer is connected at the third pin of the PORTC
//To turn it on make PORTC 3rd (PC3 )pin logic 1
#include <avr/io.h>
#include <avr/interrupt.h>
#include <util/delay.h>
//Function to initialize Buzzer

void buzzer_pin_config (void)
{
DDRC = DDRC | 0x08;
//Setting PORTC 3 as output
PORTC = PORTC & 0xF7;
//Setting PORTC 3 logic low to turnoff buzzer
}
void port_init (void)

{
buzzer_pin_config();
}
void buzzer_on (void)

{
unsigned char port_restore = 0;
port_restore = PINC;
port_restore = port_restore | 0x08;
PORTC = port_restore;
}
void buzzer_off (void)

{
unsigned char port_restore = 0;
port_restore = PINC;
port_restore = port_restore & 0xF7;
PORTC = port_restore;
}
void init_devices (void)

{
cli(); //Clears the global interrupts
port_init();
sei(); //Enables the global interrupts
}
//Main Function
int main(void)
{
init_devices();

while(1)
{
buzzer_on();
//delay
_delay_ms(1000);
buzzer_off();
//delay
_delay_ms(1000);
}
}
We are now going to compile this code to generate the hex file which we will load on the
Robot’s microcontroller. Select “Build” menu and click on “Rebuild All”. It will compile the
“buzzer_test.c” code and will generate “buzzer_test.hex” file for the robot’s microcontroller.
Figure 5.24
You can verify successful compilation in the bottom most “Build” window of the AVR Studio.
Figure 5.25

You can also verify that “buzzer_test.hex” file is generated in the “default” folder inside the
folder you have selected.
5.5 Debugging the code in AVR studio

After successful compilation of the code we can debug the code by AVR Debugger provided by
AVRStudio. Here is the illustration of debugging of code given in Exp1 (buzzer ON-OFF
folder).
Click on Debug tab in the menu and click on “Start Debugging”.
Figure 5.26
Now debugging mode is started and an arrow is visible at the first line of our main function from
where the debugging will start.
Figure 5.27

Press “F11” key or “Step into” button from the toolbar to start debugging statement by
statement. Processor details are visible at left window and the I/O port status is displayed at the
rightmost window.
Figure 5.28
By this way we can continuously monitor the bit changes in any of the registers of
microcontroller and debug the code before actually burning it to the microcontroller. PORTC bits
changes as per our commands and these changes can be seen in right window. After debugging is
done select “Stop Debugging” from Debug tab.
Figure 5.29

5.6 Loading your code on robot using AVR Boot loader from NEX Robotics
All AVR microcontrollers can be programmed using In System Programming (ISP), external
programmer or using boot loader. Advantage with the boot loader is that you don’t need any
external hardware to load the .hex file on the microcontroller.
5.6.1 Boot loader operating principle

If Bootloader firmware is loaded on the microcontroller then it can be programmed directly via
serial port or USB (using USB to Serial converter) using PC. In the boot loading method a small
piece of code is loaded on the microcontroller in the configurable boot memory section. When
signaled using external switch while resetting the microcontroller it gets active and waits for
communication from the PC. Bootloader software from NEX Robotics which is installed on the
PC communicates with the microcontroller. Boot loader software loads the .hex file on the
microcontroller. After the boot loading process is complete, newly loaded code can be executed
by pressing reset. Once the code is loaded on the microcontroller UART is free and can be used
for other applications. Bootloader get invoked only if boot switch is kept pressed while
microcontroller is reset using reset switch.
Note:
Bootloader code is loaded on the ATMEGA16 of the Spark V robot using ISP programmer. It is
recommended that you only use Bootloader for the robot. If you use ISP programmer with the
robot then boot section code might get erased and robot will no longer support boot loading.
5.6.2 Jumper settings for the boot loading

ATMEGA16 has one serial port. In Spark V it can be switched between USB and XBee wireless
module by using jumper J5. For serial interfacing FT232 USB to Serial converter is used.
Boot-loading is done via USB Port. Figure 4.30 shows the correct jumper settings of J5 to
connect USB port to the ATMEGA16 via FT232 USB to serial converter. Figure54.30 shows the
correct jumper settings for the boot loading.
Figure 5.30 Jumper setting for connecting USB port

5.6.3 Installing FT232 USB to Serial converter drivers

Before using USB port we need to install the driver software for FT232 USB to serial converter.
The software is located in the “Software and Drivers \ CDM 2.06.00 WHQL Certified” folder.
provided in the SPARK V CD or can also be downloaded from the NEX Robotics’ website.
Important: Make sure that jumper is configured to enable USB communication. Jumpers on J5
should be in the position.
Steps to install the drivers for USB to serial converter:
Step 1:
Copy the driver installation folder on your PC from “Software and Drivers \ CDM 2.06.00
WHQL Certified” Folder in the CD.
Step 2:
Connect the USB to serial converter cable between robot and the PC
Step 3:
On connecting the device “Found New Hardware” message will appear in the taskbar tray and
the following window opens.
Figure 5.31
Step 4:
Check on the radio button “No, not this time” and then click on the next button.
Figure 5.32

The following window will appear.
Figure 5.33
Select the second option manually to install the drivers and click on next button.
Step 5:
Now check the second option and set the location of folder containing drivers
E.g.(C:\CDM 2.06.00 WHQL Certified).
Figure 5.34

Step 6:
On clicking next driver installation will begin.
Figure 5.35
Step 7:
On successfully installing the driver following window will appear. Click Finish to complete the
installation.
Figure 5.36
After installation of FT232 USB UART software, PC may ask for USB serial port software. To
install this software follow steps 1 to 7 of USB serial converter software installation.
Important: When using USB port for the communication, for proper operation first turn on the
robot then insert the USB cable in the robot. We have to follow this sequence because USB to
serial converter chip is powered by USB. If any fault occurs then turn off the robot and remove
the USB cable and repeat the same procedure.

5.6.4 Identifying COM Port number of the USB to serial

To use terminal.exe or any other serial program for robot control we need to first identify
communication port which is generally referred as COM n, i.e. COM1 or COM2 etc. on which
USB to serial converter or wireless device is connected. Follow these steps to identify your COM
Port number.
Step 1:
Right Click My Computer and click on properties. System properties window will appear.
Figure 5.37
Step 2:
Click on the Device manager in the Hardware tab.
Figure 5.38

Step 3:
Expand Ports (Com & LPT) tree. COM Port number is mentioned in the parenthesis next to USB
Serial Port.
Figure 5.39
Step 4:
If the COM port number is greater than 10 Terminal will not be able to detect it. To resolve this
problem, change the port number by right clicking on “USB serial Port” and select properties.
Figure 5.40
In the Port settings tab click on the “Advanced” button, the following window will appear.

Figure 5.41
You can change the COM port number by clicking on the Com Port number drop down list and
select the appropriate number. Make sure the new COM port is not being used by any other
device.
5.6.5 Installation and Demonstration of AVR Bootloader

For AVR Bootloader application, kindly refer manual of Installation and Demonstration of AVR
Bootloader which is provided inside a “Documentation CD\Manuals\Installation and
Demonstration of AVR Bootloader”.
Otherwise, download “Installation and Demonstration of AVR Bootloader Manual” from the
following link:
http://www.nex-robotics.com/resources/avr-bootloader.html

5.7 Loading your code on the robot using STK500V2 AVR USB
programmer from NEX Robotics
NEX AVR USB ISP STK500V2 is a high speed USB powered STK500V2 compatible In-
System USB programmer for AVR family of microcontrollers. The compatibility with different
window platform is given in below table. For more information on how to use this programmer,
refer to its manual and drivers which are located in the folder “AVR USB ISP STK500V2” in the
robot’s documentation CD.
Compatibility Chart
Operating System AVR Studio (CDC) Avrdude (HID)

Windows XP YES YES
Windows Vista X YES
Windows 7 X YES
Table 5.1
Figure 5.42: NEX AVR USB ISP STK500V2

5.8 Loading your code on the robot using ATMEL’s AVRISP mkII
Programmer
AVRISP mkII programmer from the ATMEL is the most versatile programmer. It is very easy to
use and has more features. Only flip side is that its bit expensive.
Figure 5.43 AVRISP mkII
Step 1: Connect AVRISP mkII to the PC. It will install driver automatically provided that USB
driver installation option is selected while installing AVR Studio. For more details refer to figure
4.13.
Start AVR Studio

Go to “Tools tab and click on “Program AVR”. Select connect option.
Following window will open.
Figure 5.44

Figure 5.45
Step 2: Select “AVRISP mkII”, select “USB port” and press “Connect”.
Following window will open.
Figure 5.46

AVRISP mkII use 6pin FRC connector for ISP while Spark V robot uses 10 pin FRC connector
for programming. We need to use AVR ISP adaptor to convert 6 pin to 10 pin connector which is
available on NEX Robotics website. It comes free with the AVRISP mkII programmer if it is
purchased from NEX Robotics website.
Step 3: Connect AVR ISP adaptor between robot and AVRISP mkII. Insert 10pin FRC
connector in the Spark V ATMEGA16 robot and turn on the power.
Figure 5.47
Step 4: Go to Main tab

Select “ATMEGA16” microcontroller.
Click on the “Read Signature” button.
It will read the signature and if its matches with the microcontroller signature then we are ready
to load hex file on the robot.
Figure 5.48

If ISP does not work properly then try to reduce the ISP frequency and try it again.
Figure 5.49 Changing ISP frequency if required

Step 5: Go to “Program” tab.
Check on Erase device before programming and Verify device after programming check box.
Browse and select the desired hex file in the flash section
Press “Program” button
Look at the comments at the bottom to verify that hex file is loaded in the flash.
Figure 5.50

5.8.1 Fuse settings for ATMEGA16 microcontroller

Correct Fuse settings are done in the ATMEGA16 microcontroller before shipping out Spark V
robot.. Do not change them unless you have very clear understanding of the fuse settings. This
information is only given for the reference.
Figure 5.51 Figure 5.52 Fuse settings of ATMEGA16

microcontroller
Go the “Fuse” tab while robot is powered on and AVRISP mkII is connected. Press “Read”
button. All the fuse settings will be visible.
Brown-out detection is disabled.
JTAGEN is set at Brown-out detection at VCC=2.7V
Boot size is at 4096 words with start address = $1C00
SUT_CKSEL is set at External crystal greater than 8MHz with startup time of 64ms
If needed you can set appropriate Fuse setting and write it by pressing “Program” button.

6 Pin Functionality
ATMEGA16 microcontroller pin configuration
PINNO Pin name USED FOR Status

1 (XCO/T0)PB0 Logic output 1 for Left motor (Left back) Output
2 (T1)PB1 Logic output 2 for Left motor (Left back) Output
3 (INT2/AIN0)PB2 Logic output 1 for Right motor (Right back) Output
4 (OC0/AIN1)PB3 Logic output 2 for Right motor (Right back) Output
5 (SS)PB4 Output
6 (MOSI)PB5 Output
ISP (In System Programming)
7 (MISO)PB6 Input
8 (SCK)PB7 Output
9 RESET Microcontroller reset Default
10 VCC 5V --
11 GND Ground --
12 XTAL1 Default
Crystal 7.3728 MHz
13 XTAL2 Default
14 (RXD)PD0 UART Receive* Input
15 (TXD)PD1 UART Transmit* Output
Position Encoder input for Left Motor, TSOP1738
16 (INT0)PD2 Input
output**
17 (INT1)PD3 Position Encoder input for Right Motor Input
18 (OC1B)PD4 PWM output for Left Motor Output
19 (OC1A)PD5 PWM output for Right Motor Output
Ultrasonic Trigger Input Left (sensor no. 1) ultrasonic
20 (ICP1)PD6 Output
sensor***
Input /
21 (OC2)PD7 Boot loader switch / Servo Pod output
Output
22 PC0(SCL) LCD control line RS (Register Select) Output
23 PC1(SDA) LCD control line RW(Read/Write Select) Output
24 PC2(TCK) LCD control line EN(Enable Signal) Output
25 PC3(TMS) Buzzer Output
26 PC4(TDO)
27 PC5(TDI)
LCD data lines (4-bit mode) Output
28 PC6(TOSC1)
29 PC7(TOSC2)
30 AVCC 5V --
31 AGND Ground --
32 AREF ADC reference voltage pin (5V external) **** --
33 PA7 (ADC7) ADC input for External ultrasonic sensor Input*****
34 PA6(ADC6) ADC input for battery voltage monitoring Input*****
35 PA5(ADC5) ADC input for white line sensor Right Input*****
36 PA4(ADC4) ADC input for white line sensor Center Input*****
37 PA3(ADC3) ADC input for white line sensor Left Input*****
38 PA2(ADC2) ADC input for right side analog IR proximity sensor or Input*****

ultrasonic range sensor

ADC input for center side analog IR proximity sensor or
39 PA1(ADC1) Input*****
ADC input for left side analog IR proximity sensor or
40 PA0(ADC0) Input*****
Table 5.1: ATMEGA16 microcontroller pin configuration
➢ UART can be connected between FT232 USB to Serial converter or XBee wireless
module using jumper J5.
➢ Output of the Left position encoder and TSOP1738 IR receiver are open collector and
both share the same 10K ohm pull-up resistor.
➢ Ultrasonic sensors are connected in daisy chain for trigger synchronizing. For more
details refer to chapter 4.
➢ AREF can be obtained from the 5V microcontroller.
➢ All the ADC pins must be configured as input and floating.

7 PC Based Control Using Serial Communication

In this chapter, simple robot control over wired (USB) or wireless medium (XBee wireless
module) is covered. User can expand this protocol further to write his own applications. Using
good packet based protocol; user can design applications involving complex multi robot
communication scheme with robots to robots and robots to PCs simultaneous communication. A
more bit advanced communication protocol for the robot control and sensor data acquisition is
covered in the chapter 7. Spark V ATMEGA16 robot can communicate with the PC using USB
or XBee wireless module.
7.1 Communication protocol for simple robot control
Character ASCII value Action

8 0x38 Forward
2 0x32 Backward
4 0x34 Left
6 0x36 Right
5 0x35 Stop
7 0x37 Buzzer On
9 0x39 Buzzer Off
Table 7.1
Table 6.1 shows the simple robot control protocol. Using this, robot can be moved in forward,
backward, left or right directions and its buzzer can be turned on or off. You can use any serial
port control software such as hyper terminal or terminal.exe etc. For user friendliness keys of the
numerical pad of standard 104 keys querty keyboards are used. When a particular number key is
pressed, its ASCII character value is transmitted over serial / USB port. Robot receives this
ASCII values and based on its value it actuates its motors, buzzer etc. Keys are mapped in the
intuitive way on the Numerical pad of the keyboard.
This communication protocol is covered in the “10A_Serial_Communication_USB” and

“10B_Serial_Communication_ZigBee” projects which are located in the “Experiments” folder in
the documentation CD. Section 6.2 and 6.3 covers robot control using PC’s USB port and XBee
wireless module.
Important:
While using “Numerical Pad” of the key board, make sure that “Num. Lock” is on.
7.2 Robot control using USB port

Spark V ATMEGA16 has onboard USB port for direct interface with PC. USB interfacing is
based on FT232 USB to serial converter. Serial port of the ATMEGA16 can be connected to
either USB port via FT232 USB to serial converter or to XBee wireless module. To connect
TXD and the RXD of the microcontroller to FT232 USB to serial converter, Jumper J5 needs to
be set in the correct setting. Refer to figure 7.1 for the jumper setting to use USB port.

Figure 7.1 J5 Jumper setting to enable USB communication

Before using USB port we need to install the driver software for FT232 USB to serial converter.
The software is located in the “Software and Drivers \ CDM 2.06.00 WHQL Certified” folder.
For driver installation process refer to section 5.6.3.
We need to load “10A_Serial_Communication_USB.hex” on the robot which is located in the

“Experiments” folder in the documentation CD. For loading the hex file refer to section 5.6.
For transferring the command and data we are using the “Terminal Software” located in the
documentation CD. The Installation of terminal software and its use is explained in section 7.4.
Important: When using USB port for the communication, for proper operation first turn on the
robot then insert the USB cable in the robot. We have to follow this sequence because USB to
serial converter chip is powered by USB. If any fault occurs then turn off the robot and remove
the USB cable and repeat the same procedure.
7.3 Robot control using Xbee wireless communication module
Figure 7.2 Xbee Wireless USB Module from NEX Robotics

XBee USB Wireless Module from the NEX Robotics enables wireless transmission of serial data
through PC’s USB port. It uses Xbee module for wireless communication. The Xbee module can
be configured via PC’s USB port easily using X-CTU utility to change frequency, baud rate etc.
It is located in the “Software and Drivers” folder in the documentation CD. XBee wireless
modules accepts serial data from any device. To interface it with the PC, FT232 USB to serial
converter is used. To connect XBee USB Wireless Module to the PC you need to install drivers
for FT232 USB to serial converter. To install drivers for FT232 USB to serial converter and to
identify or change COM port number, refer to section 5.6.3 and 5.6.4.
On the PC side this device is treated as the Communication Device Class (CDC) of USB family
and it is assigned a virtual Comport number allowing the user to make use of existing GUI. The
destination side (robot) requires another XBee wireless module.
Make sure that Xbee wireless module s installed on the robot. Serial port of the ATMEGA16 can
be connected to either USB port via FT232 USB to serial converter or to XBee wireless module.
To connect TXD and the RXD of the microcontroller to XBee wireless module, Jumper J5 needs
to be set in the correct setting. Refer to figure 7.3 for the jumper setting to use Xbee wireless
module.
Figure 7.3 Jumper setting to enable XBee wireless module
We need to load “10B_Serial_Communication_ZigBee.hex” on the robot which is located in the

“Experiments” folder in the documentation CD.
For transferring the command and data we are using the “Terminal Software” located in the
“Software” folder of the documentation CD. The Installation of terminal software and its use is
explained in section 7.4.
Note: Wait for at least 5 seconds to start the wireless communication after turning on the robot
and the USB wireless module.

7.4 Using the Terminal software to control robot via USB port or XBee
wireless module
Terminal is easy to use free software for serial communication. It is located in the “Software and
Drivers” folder in the documentation CD. It can also be downloaded from http://hw-
server.com/software/termv19b.html. Serial communication protocol covered in the section 6.1B
can be used with the terminal software control robot over wire or wireless medium.
Step 1:
Copy Terminal software on the PC from the “Software and Drivers” folder from the
documentation CD and double click on the terminal software. The terminal window will open
up.
Figure 7.4

Step 2:
Select correct jumper setting of J5 to use USB for XBee wireless module for interfacing with the
robot. For more details, refer to sections 7.2 and 7.3
Identify the com port. For more details refer to section 5.6.3
Current version of the terminal software does not support COM port number greater than 10. If
identified COM port number is more than 10 then to change it refer to section 5.6.4.
Specify the COM port in the terminal software
Set the baud rate at 9600 bps
Figure 7.5
Step 3:
Now you are ready to transmit the data. Type the data into the text box and click send. For more
information about using terminal software click help.
Figure 7.7

Step 4:
Turn on the robot. Connect Robot’s USB cable or XBee USB wireless module to the PC.
Make sure that Num lock of the keyboard is on.
Use Numerical keypad to control robot.
Figure 7.8

8 Robot Control using ‘GUI’ for SPARK V ATMEGA16

SPARK V ATMEGA16 robot can be controlled by GUI using USB cable or XBee USB wireless
module. You need to load “GUI control.hex” on the robot and depending on the mode of
communication (USB / Wireless) set the Jumper J5 in correct setting. For correct jumper setting,
refer to section 7.2 and 7.3. For how to load hex file on the robot, refer to section 5.6.
In this chapter section 8.1 and 8.2 covers Installation and use of GUI. Section 8.3 covers the
communication protocol used in the GUI.
8.1 Installing GUI for SPARK V ATMEGA16

Step1: Copy “SPARK V ATMEGA16 setup” folder which is located inside the folder “GUI and
Related Firmware”
Click on setup.exe which is located in the “SPARK V ATMEGA16 setup” folder.
Step 2: Click Next Button to continue.
Step 3: Browse the location where set up will install or set the default location and click Next
Button to start the installation.
Step 4: When installation is successfully completed, Click Close to exit.
Figure 8.1

8.2 Using SPARK V ATMEGA16 GUI

Step 1:
After successful installation go to Start -> All Programs -> SPARK V Atmega16 -> SPARK V
Atmega16 or click on SPARK V Atmega16 on your desktop location, GUI will open.
Figure 8.2 Selecting correct COM Port
Step 2:
Connect Robot with the PC via USB cable or XBee wireless communication module.
Make sure that jumper J5 is correctly set for selected communication option. Refer to section 7.2
and 7.3 for correct jumper setting.

Step 3:
Select the COM port. For identifying the COM port, refer to section 5.6.4.
Press connect.
Now robot can be controlled by GUI.
Figure 7.3: GUI showing robot’s data
Warning:
While using USB communication, ensure that the appropriate jumpers are in place. For more
refer section 6.2 and 6.3
Important:
When using USB port for the communication, for proper operation first turn on the robot then
insert the USB cable in the robot. We have to follow this sequence because USB to serial
converter chip is powered by USB. If any fault occurs then turn off the robot and remove the
USB cable and repeat the same procedure.

8.3 Communication protocol used in GUI

The communication between the host computer and Spark V robot is done by sending and
receiving commands and data byte by byte. The host computer interacts with the Spark V robot
by first sending a command byte followed by data byte or it waits for data from the robot. All
communication is initiated by host PC. The host computer acts as a master and Spark V robot
acts as a slave. PC introduces delay of at least 3ms between two consecutive commands, so that
the microcontroller gets sufficient time to process the command sent to it. You can also build
your own application by using command set given below to control robot using USB or over
wireless communication. It’s a simple byte based protocol in which upper nibble is command
and lower nibble can be data or command.
8.3.1 Commands to set velocity of the left and right motor

Motor’s velocity can be varied by writing the proper byte into the particular register (OCR),
which generates a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal with 8 bit resolution. The value of the
velocity control register can be set between 00 to FF hex, where a value 0 indicates that the
motor is stopped and 0xFF indicates motor is running at full speed.
Command Function
(HEX)
1 Load the lower nibble of the left motor velocity control byte
into the robot.
2 Load the upper nibble of the left motor velocity control byte
into the robot and execute the command.
3 Load the lower nibble of the right motor velocity control byte
into the robot.
4 Load the upper nibble of the right motor velocity control byte
into the robot and execute the command.
Table 8.1
Example: Set left motor’s speed control byte to 0xAB
To set the speed of the left motor to 0xAB, follow the sequence of commands below. Attach
lower nibble “B” with command 1 and upper nibble A with command 2.
Step1: Send 0x1B Load the lower nibble of the left motor speed in the robot.
Step2: Delay of at least 3 milliseconds
Step3: Send 0x2A Load the upper nibble of the left motor speed in the robot and execute the
command
Step4: Delay of at least 3 milliseconds before loading next command
Note: It is very important that you send the byte containing command 1 first and then send the
byte containing command 2 for proper operation. The same rule is applicable for commands 3
and 4.

8.3.2 Commands to set direction of the robot

LEFT
Command LEFT RIGHT RIGHT
BWD
( HEX ) DIRECTION FWD(LF) FWD(RF) BWD(RB)
(LB)
PB1 PB2 PB3
PB0
51 FORWARD 0 1 1 0
52 REVERSE 1 0 0 1
RIGHT (Left wheel
53 forward, Right
0 1 0 1
wheel backward)
LEFT(Left wheel
54 backward, Right
1 0 1 0
wheel forward,)
59 HARD STOP 0 0 0 0
Table 8.2
Example: To set left motor velocity to 0x84, right motor velocity to 0x65, and move
backward.
Step1: 0x14 Load the lower nibble ‘4’ of the left motor speed into the robot
Step3: 0x28 Load the upper nibble ‘8’ of the left motor speed into the robot and execute the
command
Step5: 0x35 Load the lower nibble ‘5’ of the right motor speed into the robot
Step7: 0x46 Load the upper nibble ‘6’ of the right motor speed into the robot and execute the
command
Step9: 0x52 move backward
Step10: Delay of at least 3 milliseconds before loading next command
8.3.3 Commands to access the Analog sensor data

Command Data
(HEX)
60 Battery voltage
Robot sends back 8 bit battery voltage value. To convert this
value in to volts use the following conversion formula:
Battery Voltage = ADC data x 0.069

64 White line sensor 1 (Left)

The Robot will return an 8 bit analog value of the left white
line sensor
65 White line sensor 2 (Centre)
The Robot will return an 8 bit analog value of the center
white line sensor
66 White line sensor 3 (Right)
The Robot will return an 8 bit analog value of the right white
line sensor
C1 IR Proximity sensor (Left)
The Robot will return an 8 bit analog value of the IR
Proximity sensor 1
C2 IR Proximity sensor 2 (Centre)
Proximity sensor 2
C3 IR Proximity sensor 3 (Right)
Proximity sensor 3
Table 8.3
8.3.4 Commands to turn on / off the buzzer

69 Turn on the buzzer.
6A Turn off the buzzer.
Table 8.4
8.3.5 Robot Version Signature

6B If 6B is sent to the robot will send back its ID
Table 8.5
8.3.6 Position encoder data

Position encoder pulse count for the position tracking:
72 The robot will return lower byte of the pulse count for the left
motor.
73 The robot will return upper byte of the pulse count for left
motor.
79 The robot will return lower byte of the pulse count for the
right motor.
7A The robot will return upper byte of the pulse count for right
motor.
Table 8.6
Note: To get an actual pulse count, combine the lower byte and upper byte to get a 16 bit value.
For more information on the position encoder resolution refer to the section 4.8.

Spark V Atmega16 Hardware Manual

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Spark V Atmega16 Hardware Manual

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Spark V Atmega16 Hardware Manual

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SPARK V ATMEGA16 Hardware Manual

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 1

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 2

 Robot’s electronics is static sensitive. Use robot in static free environment.

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 3

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 4

7.2 Robot control using USB port...........................................................................................77

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 5

Note: For Spark V accessories refer to Chapter 10: Spark V Accessories

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 6

Figure 2.1 SPARK V Robot

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 7

3 SPARK V Block Diagram

Figure 3.1 Spark V ATMEGA16 robot block diagram

3.1 SPARK V ATMEGA16 technical specification

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 8

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 9

4 Using SPARK V Robot

Spark V robot has 6 important modules:

Figure 4.1 SPARK V ATMEGA16 robot top view

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 10

Figure 4.2 Spark V component layout top view

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 11

Figure 4.3 Spark V component layout bottom view

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 12

4.2 Powering up Spark V

Figure 4.4 Battery packs in Spark V

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 13

4.3 Power management system on the SPARK V

Figure 4.5 Power Management on the Spark V robot

Regulated supply for onboard payload:

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 14

Figure 4.6 Schematic of power management on module

4.4 Battery Charging

Figure 4.7 Battery Charging

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 15

Battery charging procedure:

Indicator LED Battery Status Charger Status

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 16

4.5 Powering the robot using battery or external supply

Figure 4.8 Battery Connector and its socket

4.6 Battery Maintenance

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 17

4.7 Motion control

Figure 4.9 Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 18

Figure 4.10 Motion Control

Microcontroller pin connections

Microcontroller Pin Function

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 19

LED Direction Indications

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 20

Figure 4.11 Robot direction interpretation

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 21

Figure 4.12 Motion Control

4.8 Position Encoders

© NEX Robotics Pvt. Ltd. , INDIA 22

Figure 4.13 Position Encoders

Figure 4.14 Position encoder assembly