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Bamduino by David Buckley January 2014

  • Bamduino - commands @55
  • Bamduino - programs
  • Bamduino program Rationales @55
  • Gallery Bamduino #1 Prototype ProMini - @5 June 2021
  • Schematic Bamduino ProMini
  • Gallery Bamduino M2 Uno R91-2 - @5 June 2021
  • Schematic Bamduino M2 Ver2RevC
  • HC12 Radio modules upgrade.

  • Bambino - the original PicAxe version

    Bamduino uses commands over a serial link, via an FTDI USB/Serial converter, from a Serial-Monitor rather than from an IR-controller, this allows many more commands to be used and importantly it allows the commands to be human readable ASCII which is a real advantage.

    Bambino Arduino was first shown to the public in May 2014 at the Bay Area Maker Faire by Michael Margolis where it was filmed by Lem Fugitt for his Robots-Dreams site, sadly Lem died and his site has gone.

    A friend started calling the Arduino version of Bambino, Bamduino, hence Bamduino!

    It can walk forwards and backwards and turn right or left;
    it walks by lifting its feet off the floor and doesn't use overlapping feet as toy robots do;
    it is driven by two servos;
    it is powered by 4 AAA cells in two holders on the sides of the body;
    the high level program has built in routines to :
    - listen out for commands through the programming/serial port (see below)
    - avoid obstacles
    - avoid drop-offs, ie table edges;
    - walk to a light;
    - walk away from a light;
    it has :
    - two forward facing optical obstacle sensors;
    - two downward facing optical obstacle sensors to sense drop-offs, ie table edges;
    - a piezo sounder for buzzes and tunes;
    - an indicator LED;
    - two high power LEDs which can be PWM controlled and used for HMI (Human Machine Interface)
    - two other high power LEDs which can be used for HMI;
    - an Ultrasonic ranging module;
    - a connector for a compass module;
    - A serial programming connector which can also be used to talk to an add-on higher level processor;
    it can;
    - learn and remember up to 16 sequences of commands;
    -- each sequence can chain to another sequence or itself so loops can be created;
    - have eight sets of behaviour variables which can be changed on the fly;
    - be given a name and associated with a group;
    - - so commands can be sent to an individual robot or to a particular group;
    it has : - a complete suit of fiftyfive programs taking users from flashing an LED to making the robot walk while avoiding obstacle etc. The Uno version has a little code space left for enhancements.

    Upgrades
    14 September 2026 HC12 Radio modules added.
    The software now allows -
    - each robot to have a Name 'a' - 'z',
    - each robot to belong to a Group 'A' - 'Z',
    - each Group can have a Group Leader, named 'z' which can reply for the Group,
    - any Group can be selected as the current group by sending the command '#'<group>,
    - any robot in the current group can be selcted by name by the command '#'<name>,
    - when a group is selected, if there is a group leader 'z' it will reply <group>'>',
    - when a robot, in a selected group, is selected, it will reply <name>'>',
    - when a group has been selected all the robots in that group will obey all commands sent, but only robot 'z' will send replies,
    - when a group and robot have been selected only that robot will act on commands and reply,
    3 March 2022 BA53_turnUS - t-,a-,[^][-] turn to object, t+,a+.[^][+] turn to open space.
    The ProMini version is too full for help entries for the new commands.
    18 February 2022 upgrade to BA52_IRout, command 'T' to transmit by IR IR commands so Bamduino can talk to other Bamduinos, Bambinos or even Aesir.
    5 February 2022 upgrade to BA51, added commands 'a' and [f^] to execute inbuilt subroutines and sounds.
    2 June 2021 I decided to revisit the IR problem and despite the complicated descriptions of the Sony IR protocol one can find on the web, it really is very simple. I wrote my own routine to decode the signals from a Sony handset as sold in the PicAxe Store, it took seven short lines of code!
    Bamduino now at BA50_IR can be controlled from a Sony-handset as well as over a Serial link.
    There is now a page here with Arduino routines for IRin, Serout, and Serin as in PicAxe Basic.

    Connectors

    M2 - serial programming, cabled to FTDI at rear
    o DTR (top)
    o +V
    o Tx
    o Rx
    o Gnd
    M2 - IIC
    o Gnd (top)
    o +V
    o SDA
    o SCL
    MM - serial programming, cabled to FTDI at rear
    o DTR (top)
    o +V
    o Tx
    o Rx
    o Gnd
    PM - serial programming - FTDI, and cabled to FTDI at rear
    o DTR
    o Rx
    o Tx
    o 5v
    o CTS
    o Gnd