3.0 Interfaces

IRCF360^TM Interfaces, Power connection and PIC programming

The IRCF360^TM has been designed so it can be easily connected directly on top of a robot controller’s. The connection should take place from underneath the PCB to avoid disturbing the proximity sensing areas.

Serial Interface to a robot controller

IRCF360 can be interfaced to almost any micro-controller or robot controller– Examples are:

• • Arduino

  • Pinguino

  • Basic Stamp from Parallax

  • PICAXE from Revolution Education

  • Teensy from PJRC, Basic X24 from Netmedia

With Integrated Motor Controllers

• • MEGAbitty from Bittybot

  • Baby Organutan from Pololu

  • Faraduino from Middlesex University

....or many other robot micro-controllers.

The robot controller needs to be able to handle asynchronous serial communications on a spare I/O pin or UART port.

Power Supply

The IRCF360^TM requires a 5v regulated power supply, which normally can be provided directly from the robot controller. The IRCF360^TM has no reversed connection protection, so it is important to pay attention to the polarity of the power supply; otherwise the IRCF360^TM microcontroller may be destroyed!

To prevent connecting the connector the wrong way, you could place a peg in one of the unused pins or perhaps use the 4 fixing holes to orientate and anchor the IRCF360^TM the correct way around.

Ensure to check that the power supply on the robot controller is the correct voltage and can supply the necessary current. It is particularly important that you measure the voltages and currents from the robot controller so connection will not destroy your robot controller or the IRCF360^TM ! Connect at your own risk!

Disclaimer: It's important you first check that all the cables are connected the correct way around BEFORE connecting the 5v power supply or connecting to the IRCF360^TM.

USART / RS232 / Serial Specifications

The IRCF360^TM delivers asynchronous serial data with a 'RS-232' format. Although the voltage is outside the RS-232 standard, it is suitable for interfacing to most robot controllers. The main benefits with this design is that it can be connected directly to most micro-controller's UART port or software configured port without any external RS232 levelling translator.

Connection methods

A 3-pin header connector is required to connect the IR Control Freak module to the micro-controller. The connection should take place from underneath the PCB to avoid disturbing the proximity sensing areas.

The connection could either be via a ribbon cable:

or via a female pin header connect on the robot PCB:

Ribbon Cable Connection

When making your own cables it is good practice putting a short piece of heat-shrink sleeving around each cable end and connector, or using a glue gun to stick the cables together. This will help prevent the cables breaking at the solder joint.

Pin Header Connections

The following dimensions are provided for the connector alignement:

Dimensions of Pin Header connector (click to enlarge)

Pin Header on Solder-side of PCB (click to enlarge)

Pins 1, 4 & 5 are provided for in-circuit programming and are only required to if you intend to write and load your own firmware program (see PICkit2 below). It can also be used for loading new firmware versions. If you don't have or intend to purchase a PIC programmer the ROBOTmaker offer an upgrade service. Just remove the chip from the socket (take care not to bend any pins when taking this out of the socket) and return it to ROBOTmaker. We will re-load it with the latest software version for free (only postage is charged). If you have a PIC programmer and are a registered customer we will give you access to download the latest firmware versions. More details, on how to download the latest Firmware and references to ‘in-circuit programming’ are covered on the ROBOTmaker website.

Interface to a PC

If direct connection to the PC is required and you don't own a PICKIT2 (see section below) then it is recommended to purchase an external MAX232 RS232 levelling translator such as the Acroname BrainStem which is also available from ROBOTmaker store.

These are also available as USB versions and can be used for programming certain micro-controllers such as Arduino and Megabitty that have a boot loader pre-installed or available to be programmed into them via the PICKIT2^TM Microchip (See below)

A RS232 levelling translator will normally take care that the voltages will not distroy the IRC360, but it is customer's responsibility to check and that the voltages and currents from the PC will not destroy your robot controller, IRCF360 or your PC! Connect at your own risk!

NOTE: The PICkit2 has it's own terminal program built in, so you can read and write to the serial port of the IRCF360. So if you have one of these then the MAX232 is not required (see section on PICkit2 below for more details).

Serial RS232 Levelling translator with 9 pin D-connector.

USB versions are also available

Programming and Connection to a PICkit2 (^TM Microchip)

If you are not interested in PIC programming, then skip this section.

For the more advanced PIC programmers, who would like an even bigger challenge of writing their own sensor programs, then IRCF360 is pin-for-pin compatible with the PICkit2^TM ( Microchip) programmer, which is available from many distributors such as Farnell - at very reasonable prices (note that there are many clones on the market which are often much more expensive than buying the original from Farnell or other reputable distributor).

You can also buy one of these bundled with a 16F887 development board 'PICkit2^TM Debug Express' which is really good value if you want to start learning to programming.

We mention the PICkit2^TM a lot, rather than the PICkit3^TM, as we have found this to be better designed and more robust in terms of reliability and functionality compared to the PICkit3 for the devices we used (the PICkit3 will program the new devices too though). One other cool features of the PICkit2^TM is that it comes with it's own terminal program so you can display serial communication on the PC screen, without the need of a MAX232 interface and also has a logic analyser functionality. These features are unfortunately not yet available on the newer PICkit3^TM (but check Microchip website for latest updates)

With a spare PIC16F88 chip (also available from our shop), why not try to roll-your-own sensor codes. For example, develop a 3D mouse or 3D dynamic midi music sensor that plays music or a drum machine based on the 360 degree IR sensor readings. See example midi code and videos to try -> here or perhaps your own infrared remote control routines?