Wall sensor alignment error
However many wall sensors you have on your micromouse, it pays to think about exactly where they are pointing. Decimus 2 used a slightly different alignment to Decimus 1 and it has not helped…
Designing a phase lead controller
A PD or PID controller is probably the most commonly used type for micromouse motor control. It is not the only way to get the job done though. An alternative is the phase-lead controller. This is the kind of controller described by David Otten in his Circuit Cellar articles…
Designing the motor controller
At the heart of a micromouse is usually a pair of position controllers. These maintain the mouse position for one of two kinds of movement – forward and rotation. Each can be configured independently. Like any position controller, the idea is to get a fast, stable response to changes in the demanded position…
Characterising the drive system on the micromouse
Designing the micromouse motor control is a key task which will go a long way to determining the performance of the mouse in the maze. Before that can be done, you will need to know the physical characteristis of the motors and the drive system. All that can be calculated as part of the design process but it is easier to measure it if you already have the mouse built…
Setting up a gyro on the micromouse
Putting a gyroscope on the micromouse is pretty much standard practce now. Being a bit slow to catch up, I have just added gyros to both my mice. Since the mice run at 5V, I had to use the ADXRS300 and ADXRS610 gyros. The first job is to get them calibrated…
Easier Wall Sensor Calibration
A while back, I posted a way to make simple reflective wall sensor responses appear linear. After struggling with it for a while, it is apparent that it is over complicated. There is an easier way to get acceptable responses…