This is the Revision B verion of the IRBeacon8 RoboBrick. The status of this project is work in progress.

IRBeacon8 Robobrick (Revision B)

Table of Contents

This document is also available as a PDF document.

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Programming
• 3. Hardware
  • 3.1 Circuit Schematic
  • 3.2 Printed Circuit Board
• 4. Software
• 5. Issues

1. Introduction

The IRBeacon8 RoboBrick is used to provide an IR beacon that RoboBricks can home in on. It is designed for both stand alone operation and to work in a RoboBrick setting.

2. Programming

{To be done}

3. Hardware

The hardware consists of a circuit schematic and a printed circuit board.

3.1 Circuit Schematic

The Irbeacon8 RoboBrick schematic is shown below:

The parts list kept in a separate file -- irbeacon8.ptl.

3.2 Printed Circuit Board

The available printed circuit boards are listed below:

irbeacon8_back.png

The solder side layer.

irbeacon8_front.png

The component side layer.

irbeacon8_artwork.png

The artwork layer.

irbeacon8.gbl

The RS-274X "Gerber" back (solder side) layer.

irbeacon8.gtl

The RS-274X "Gerber" top (component side) layer.

irbeacon8.gal

The RS-274X "Gerber" artwork layer.

irbeacon8.drl

The "Excellon" NC drill file.

irbeacon8.tol

The "Excellon" NC drill rack file.

4. Software

The IRBeacon8 software is available as one of:

irbeacon8.ucl

The µCL source file.

irbeacon8.asm

The resulting human readable PIC assembly file.

irbeacon8.lst

The resulting human readable PIC listing file.

irbeacon8.hex

The resulting Intel^® Hex file that can be fed into a PIC12C5xx programmer.

5. Issues

The following fabrication issues came up:

• The IR LED's extend over the edges of the RoboBrick. The next revision should have the IR LED's located inwards a little so that they no longer extend past the boundaries of the RoboBrick.
• The plus sign for D4 is missing.
• Think about moving D9 so it gets its power directly from the battery. That will allow for lower power consumption at the Zener diode (D10).
• The switch gets pretty close to the resistor pack.
• The base of Q4 shorts with its collector.
• Think about using a real voltage regulator instead of a zener.
• The zener resistor R10 should be 100 ohms, not 1K ohms.
• The zener goes in the other direction.