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15/02/2012
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Leader in open source embedded systems
Amazing Ball
Amazing Ball is a complete, ready-to-use system for learning and teaching real-time automatic control.
It allows users to explore various control techniques to maintain the ball in a quasi equilibrium position over an oscillating plate using two servo-motors and a touchscreen.
The ball can either remain at a fixed reference point or it can trace a pre-determined path.
Opensource software
Control system design is powered by opensource mathematical control tools- SCILAB, SCICOS, and SCICOSLAB, so the user can design the control algorithm in a block diagram inside SCICOS and then using the code generator to generate the C-code and the executable file. The FLEX Boards which controls the hardware uses Erika Enterprise, the free of charge open-source real time operative system developed by Evidence.
Quick programming
The user can design a complete control system without writing a line of code because the platform is entirely supported by the Scicos code generator. Matlab/Simulink support for code generation is currently under development.
Robust hardware design
Amazing Ball consists of a steel plate pivoted on a central joint (Patent pending). The system has 2 degrees of freedom ensured by two servos connected to the plate. A high resolution touchscreen is mounted on the plate to measure the coordinates of the ball in real-time.
Touchscreen feedback
A high resolution touchscreen is mounted on the plate to measure the coordinates of the ball in real-time.
dsPIC® microcontroller
User control algorithms are run on a powerful Microchip dsPIC®33F microcontroller hosted on FLEX boards. The device has specific hardware modules to acquire ball position coordinates and to generate PWM control output signals. The dsPIC®33F microcontroller can also communicate with other external devices.
Real-time execution
Real-time execution of the embedded code is ensured by the ERIKA Enterprise kernel, an innovative RTOS for small microcontrollers based on an API similar to those proposed by the OSEK/VDX Consortium.
PC connectivity
Data can be transferred to PC via Ethernet or RS-232 connection. Other serial communication like RS-485 and CAN can be used to increase the complexity of the system (e.g. central controller in a control systems
The kit contains:
- 1 x Oscillating plate
- 1 x Metal ball
- 1 x Touch screen
- 2 x Servo motors
- 1 x FLEX Light base board
- 1 x FLEX Demo2 daughter board
- 1 x FLEX Servo motor plug-in
- 1 x FLEX Multibus Ethernet Module
- 1 x FLEX Multibus RS232 Module
- 1 x FLEX Multibus RS485 Module
- 1 x FLEX Multibus CAN Module
- 1 x Erika Enterprise 1.5.1 CD + SCICOS pack (updates available from http://erika.tuxfamily.org/)
- 1 x Power supply (DC 12V, 2000mA)
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