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nanoARC

An open source tiny controller for tiny robots

adamcatleyadamcatley
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nanoARC is an ultra small scale Bluetooth Low Energy robot controller designed specifically for antweight robots.

nanoARC is a 1.5x1.5cm robot controller that is controllable over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE 4.0). It is capable of independently driving two DC motors and a servo/ESC. It was designed specifically for antweight robots to be as small as possible while remaining customisable for different types of robots through software options and a range of optional expansion boards (such as extra motor drivers and motion sensors).

nanoARC can be controlled from a range of BLE enabled devices like smartphones and laptops, which also allow gaming controllers to be used. Traditional RC controllers can also be used when a second nanoARC is used as a transmitter with the correct expansion board attached.

The PCBs for the mainboard and expansion boards are designed on Upverter, linked on the project page. The firmware that runs on the TI CC2640 microcontroller is available in the GitHub repository. TI-RTOS, TI's BLE stack and CCS is used for development.

nanoARCv1 Mainboard Gerbers.zip

PCB Gerber Files

image/jpeg - 17.12 kB - 12/21/2015 at 23:38

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  • Project demonstration

    adamcatley • 12/21/2015 at 23:57 • 0 comments

    The board was sent off for manufacture at OSHPark using their 4 layer service which was very cheap due to the very small dimensions (1.5x1.5cm).

    Once received the board was populated using stencils from OSHStencils and a hot air gun. Software development then began to be able to control the motors over Bluetooth.

    A close up photo of the assembled board can be found in the project gallery, but here's the board in an actual antweight robot:

    This robot was controlled from a HobbyKing RC controller attached to another nanoARC (acting as a transmitter) via PPM from the controller. Here is a video of the board working to control the robot at a recent robot wars event:

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alpha_ninja wrote 12/21/2015 at 07:56 • point

Please make sure to upload photographic or video proof of this project working by the next deadline (in about two days!)

  Are you sure? yes | no

Blecky wrote 12/07/2015 at 04:13 • point

[verified: no design files missing]

  Are you sure? yes | no

Blecky wrote 12/07/2015 at 01:32 • point

Just a friendly reminder to please upload your design documents by 23:59 UTC on Dec 8, 2015 to be in the running for #The Square Inch Project! (You seem to be missing your PCB design files; gerbers BOM etc).

Edit: I just noticed that this is available on the upverter site if you go through the editor. You might like to link to the design files generation page to make this easier for the judges - https://upverter.com/RobotWars/327cf61723c5d63f/nanoARC/#design-exports

If you want to make it super easy though, you might like to download the required files and put them on github (not technically required, but the judges will love you for it :) )

  Are you sure? yes | no

alpha_ninja wrote 12/02/2015 at 00:41 • point

This is your one-week reminder to upload design documents: https://hackaday.io/project/7813-the-square-inch-project/log/28566-design-deadline

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