SBOT FAQ
This site is under construction (I just put some things, structure will follow).
How to avoid damage to the s-bot
It is intended to summarize things to take care about when working with s-bots in order not to destroy them.
If you are not sure about something, Ciro, Vito and Rodi have already many weeks of experience of working with s-bot, consider to ask them.
General Treatment:
- never let the s-bots drink negroni, otherwise they start dancing La Macarena
- Battery Level: if there is no strong reason, don't go bellow 6.8V.
- if proximity sensors are touched, they bend. If the bend approx 10 times, they break (e.g. s-bot 11).
- if possible, don't touch the camera cylinder (because of image quality and center).
- No WLAN: if you cannot access a running s-bot, connect with the serial cable (minicon -s / minicom -o under Linux, hyperterminal under Win); be careful when removing the upper part, on the new s-bots the cylinder is mounted very tight; if possible, try not to change camera focus.
- Charging: if connected wrongly, s-bots can be damaged (full disassembly necessary); make sure, charger turns RED
- Traction Sensor: can break, if s-bot is placed on the ground in the RAMBO way.
- SSH: do not copy files bigger than 117 KB (use strip for executables, bzip2, split). Reason: usb is messed up, camera might not work anymore (even after reboot).
- ...
Programming:
- check the battery level automatically by all your programs (with exit if low), at the beginning
- always let your s-bot program shut down carefully (but signal handler which captures ctrl-c)
- smoothn the speed values applied to the tracks, a loop of 10, -10, 10, -10 will cause the tracks not to move anymore (s-bot 15)
- check the torque on the tracks, if it is high (>87?) for a long time (5 seconds?), the gears wear off
- ...
