PC BASED ROBOT

The advent of new high-speed technology and the growing computer capacity provided realistic opportunity for new robot controls and realization of new methods of control theory. This technical improvement together with the need for high performance robots created faster, more accurate and more intelligent robots using new robots control devices, new drives and advanced control algorithms. This project describes a new economical solution of robot control systems. The presented robot control system can be used for different sophisticated robot applications. The control system consists of a PC, a microcontroller that collects data from the PC and controls the robot. Robot is a system that contains sensors, control systems, manipulators, power supplies and software all working together to perform a task. Designing, building, programming and testing a robot is a combination of physics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, structural engineering, mathematics and computing. A complete solution of a robot control solution is presented in this project. The robot was fully controlled by the PC and the commands from the PC were received by the microcontroller. The robot can be used in military applications. In order to control the robot through PC, data transfer must be ensured between PC and 8051 system. Serial data communication uses a single data line which makes it not only cheaper but also enables two computers located in two different cities to communicate over the telephone. There are special IC chips made by many manufacturers for serial data communication. These chips are usually referred to as USART(Universal synchronous-asynchronous receiver-transmitter) and UART(Universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter). 8051 chip has an in-built UART i.e., it has an integrated serial port which enables one to read and write values to the serial port very easily.

The commands entered through the PC keyboard are passed to the microcontroller. The microcontroller, upon receiving the commands, changes the direction of the robot according to the specified command. Since the microcontroller cannot drive the motors (used for robot) directly, L293D is used as a driver to provide the sufficient current required for the motors. The motors receive the input from the microcontroller and the required current from the power supply through L293D. SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE TOOLS: Software Tools: 1. Keil compiler 2. Orcad. Hardware Tools: 1. Microcontroller AT89S52. 2. PC 3. MAX232 4. Motors and driver circuit

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