New Zealand
Asked — Edited

Linking With Arduino

Hi all...

I am reluctant to bring up this subject again in the earshot of so many devoted fans of EZ-Robot.... but I need a solution to an irritating problem

Before I stumbled on the awesomeness that is EZ-Robot I had purchased a number of Arduino resources for teaching students at my school. Trouble was they required quite a step up for students.... and many of them struggled to 'connect' with the passion I had for the little boards at the time.

Then I discovered the EZ-Robot. The hardware and software was so easy to use and support so absolutely amazing that I brought the kit and tons of extra stuff into the classroom just so I could share with them the endless possibilities. Now they are beginning to get hooked as well so I am looking at making it a part of my intermediate (middle school) and high school programme for 2013. Unfortunately it will take me some time to accumulate enough funds at my school to buy additional EZ-B boards for a whole class to use.... but this post is not a plea for a benefactor. LOL

Anyway here is my big idea: In the same way the EZ-B controls a servo or other dumb device, can a software interface be made to connect the EZ-B to the Arduino? The ARC software would control, read and/or write to the arduino. Kind of like how the C# section is implemented in scripts. This way some dumb, low priority processes could be palmed off to the Arduino from the ARC and then picked up via again perhaps via an interupt....

Eg. a touch sensor net that has 100's of sensors continously scanned by an arduino muitiplexor arrangement that returns a value to the ARC when it is touched using a kind of GPS co-ordinates or capacitance on a touch screen except the location is somewhere on the robots body.

Of course you would need to make it so the ARC software would only do so when an EZ-B was present otherwise every man and his Arduino would steel the software.

What do you guys think?


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Canada
#9  

@mstephens_42 You might want to start a new thread with that loaded question:P Meanwhile, yes reading the data is as simple as opening a panel... the irony in utilizing that data is that you need to learn a bit of EZ-Script (a form of programming... albeit fairly easy to implement).

Pop up a new thread with a specific example that you need and we (DJ & other users like me) will see what we can do to help.

#10  

arduino will only increase the functions of EZB and make it a lot lot better,it seems nobody likes to add other microcontroller to thier design,i have another software hopping to use arduino and i get the same answer,nobody wants to work together with other board desgins ,same with basic stamp and many others i have arduino boards and a very long special code,would be very hard to convert using EZB

New Zealand
#11  

Okay so before I launch on this journey of discivery in to the great EZ-B / Arduino interface...

Has anyone out there been successful in interfacing between the two yet?

We probably should move this to an off forum discussion too!

#12  

i think so too,DJ must be getting mad about this,everyone almost like to see it happen,but i dont think it ever will unless some good at coding in C SHARP or other coding

PRO
Synthiam
#13  

It doesn't bother me that you explore the option of controlling an arduino from ez-b. our product isn't designed for arduino users. It's designed for people who demand instant results with building a robot for fun, education or prototype. Arduino and similar microcotrollers require too much user intervention - and we can't expect that of our users. EZ-Robot is designed for people who want to get stuff done, period:). If your only requirement is to flash an LED, than use an arduino.

Robot maker, i feel your opinions are skewed due to not actually owning an ez-b and not ever building a robot with it. I recommend you wait until using it before commenting or asking too many technical questions that are evident when you begin using the software. An experienced arduino programmer would be able to interface ARC via the EZ-B's i2c interface in a few minutes. EZ-Robot will not provide support for that, because it's not our product.:) I suspect you'll get the same response if you phone Microsoft to obtain support for your iPhone.

We provide a very very very very powerful and easy platform that is capable of more than any question you've asked. You will have to actually use it to understand its true capabilities. But remember, we provide a creative platform - so you still need to actually do some work:)

#14  

your board so far from what i see needs more programming or maybe the same,depending on how many scripts and modules,i did play a little with the ARC doesnt seem hard but doesnt seem easy too,also i own 8 of them so far,mostly need to build the robot frame first that takes a lot of time and then the codes last but at the same time dont really need a robot to make the codes,only need a ARC and few sensors,motos and servo or anything else you need to add, to add another soiftware really need both support,just like arduino wont give you much help to connect with your board

BUT by posting the board on the arduino forum others there might be able to help you same on your site too many others like to connect EZB with arduino ,so i cant see what you dont like it,any other microcontroller forums love the idea for many reason i think most users that have arduino dont want to get rid of it and they are use to programming it too we are not really looking for support for other microcontrollers on help from other users on the forum i like you examples a lot it helps getting it done faster,mostly my question i ask are to try in the ARC first and then if works connect to a robot design

hope you understand what i wrote,since i do it fast and dont spell check or periods or capitals letters some times

Canada
#15  

I have Arduino's and EZ-B's.

EZ-B is by far easier to script and "Get things done!" than the Arduino's.

I only use Arduino's to run repetitive scripts to blink LED's (Han in Carbonite / R2's Charging Bay).

I'm sure if needed I could trigger things via the EZ-B to the Arduino but why bother?

#16  

i had the code already made for spectrometer and so many many lines,has 7 leds of the spectrum and uses a A-D with photo led to read each value,whats its for it to check if milk in a glass or beer or wine or any other liquid ,so thats 7 values plus some other lines of code ,plus start code and stop code,plus setup and other code info,and then thats for each sample and the sampling circuit has a codes too,then if you have over 30 different liquids .you are looking at a very long code in arduino or EZB one of the main reasons i like EZB i thought it would be able to connect to arduino board waste of money to use arduino to blink a led,there are much easy way to do it i built the circuit and works perfect. i bought SMT leds to make the sensor much smaller much much easy to interface then redesign it for EZB