AIM+High+Competition

This year, Infotec is hosting a school robotic competition featuring robots from Vex, CEENBoT, and OBot.

The AIM High Challenge is scheduled for April 17th,2013 at the The Century Link Center, 455 North 10th Street Omaha, NE

Information for Infotech is located at the Infotec website.

Information and instructions for the competition are found at: Create-Found.org website.

Challenge rules are contained in a pdf document AIM High Challenge

What's New
Since the lead up to the AIM High Challenge is so short, things are changing daily. Here is a summary of changes in the last day or two:

Friday, April 12 > 7700 So 43rd St, Bellevue > Directions link from website:http://www.grosscatholic.org/about-us/campuslocation.html > Meet in the east commons. Enter through either doors, the west doors or the north doors.
 * The final workshop to prepare for the competition has been scheduled. From Jim Schulte:
 * Saturday April 13th from 8:30AM-3PMDaniel J. Gross Catholic High School
 * A correction and new photo of the breakout connector set up for use with the new firmware version is provided. The new firmware has different port assignments to match CEENBoT Commander, and supports plugging both bump switches and all three LEDs into the connector.

Wednesday, April 10
 * Steve Hamersky has created a photo cell learning project to introduce and develop understanding of the Vex sensor.

Monday, April 8
 * A new version of firmware has been released. It now supports two separate bump sensors plugged into port 1 and port 2 of the breakout board, and also corrects for a problem with some wireless remote control hand pieces. With this release of software, the ports used by firmware match the way CEENBoT Commander uses ports.
 * Port 1 - Input (bump switch)
 * Port 2 - Input (bump switch)
 * Port 3 - Output (not used)
 * Port 4 - Output (not used)
 * Port 5 - Output (yellow LED)
 * The SPIRIT2 team has made up spare parts bags with some misc. standoffs, screws, cable clamp, extra LEDs, resistors, jumpers, velcro and PSX receiver extension. Some have already been picked up. Contact Jeff at 402-554-2063.
 * Steve Hamersky has published some documents on his web sitewith
 * robot setup,
 * connections,
 * CEENBoT Commander project development information,
 * ideas for testing your Commander ADC tool software,
 * a CEENBoT Commander version of the remote control software with documentation,
 * alternate firmware programming instructions,
 * a photo cell sensor learning project, and
 * more coming.

Overview
The event features two challenges for CEENBoT robots. For logistical reasons, most teams will dedicate a robot to each challenge (2 bots per team).

The first challenge is a competitive game where specially outfitted robots operated by two partnered teams against two other partnered teams score points by pushing pool balls into goals. There are additional rules to increase the challenge and minimize unfair advantages. CEENBoTs will be equipped with plastic guards and bumpers to protect the robot and move the pool balls. Also, all robots will have 2 bump switches that will disable a robot when pressed. All of these additional materials are provided with registration fees from the event sponsors.

All robots and attachments should be fastened securely in place, wires routed so as to be protected, and all rules accommodated. Rule-defined robot parts placements and dimensions should be within 1/2" to 1" of the standard. Each robot will be inspected prior to the event to make sure all rule requirements are met by the device.

The second event is an as-yet undisclosed autonomous programming challenge. The participants will receive a photo cell sensor with their registration. All programming for the robotic challenge will occur on the day of the event at the competition location.

To make electrical connection of the sensors and indicators easier, SPIRIT2 is providing one breakout board per robot, and a yellow LED for the Remote Control Event.

Preparation for the challenge includes several trials at various locations in the weeks leading up to the event. Most recently a trial was held on Saturday, April 6 at Mt Michael in Elkhorn. Another trial may be held the weekend of April 13.

The AIM High challenge sets standards for assembling and equipping the CEENBoT. Below is a link to Steve Hamersky's documentation and photos of the robot standard:

__Breakout Boards__
Below are pictures of the breakout boards made by SPIRIT2 for the competition. The boards have two different 20 position connectors to connect to the two styles of connectors used on CEENBoTs.



//The breakout board allows easy connection to external sensors and LEDs.//



__Remote Control Event__

Each robot will need to have a set of front and rear bumpers installed, side guards, bump switches mounted on the front of the robot, and a breakout board to make connection of the bump sensors easier.

The breakout board comes in two versions, one with a female connector to attach to the 20 pin expansion header on older CEENBoTs, or one with a male connector to attach to the 20 socket expansion header on newer CEENBoTs. Although electrically equal, the connector must complement your robot. The breakout board has 5 rows of 3 sockets. Each row provides power, ground and signal to the switches, sensors and LEDs used in the challenges.

Each robot will have a firmware installed to implement the robot behavior required by the rules.

The most recent version of the firmware now supports two separate bump sensors plugged into port 1 and port 2 of the breakout board, and also corrects for a problem with some wireless remote control hand pieces.

CORRECTION!
With this release of software, the ports used by firmware match the way CEENBoT Commander uses ports.
 * Port 1 - Input (bump switch)
 * Port 2 - Input (bump switch)
 * Port 3 - Output - green LED
 * Port 4 - Output - yellow LED
 * Port 5 - Output - red LED

Here is a photo of the bump sensors directly connected to the I/O board for with //FWFreezeTag2.hex// firmware.



The firmware can be downloaded here:



The link and photo of the original firmware setup are at the bottom of this document in case you want them. We don't recommend using them.

Steve Hamersky has written instructions on uploading AIM High firmware to robots. The pdf document is here:



We hope to have photos of a properly set-up robot available for viewing here. If you have some pictures, please upload them or send them to the CEEN robotic lab.

__Autonomous Programming Event__
Programming can be accomplished using several different means, including C language programming with AVR Studio or Eclipse, or graphical programming with CEENBoT Commander. Because of programming limitations, CEENBoT Commander allows for two analog to digital (ADC) inputs and three on/off (digital) outputs. Ports 1 and 2 correspond to ADC channel 1 and 2 in CEENBoT Commander. Ports 3, 4 and 5 correspond to I/O channels in CEENBoT Commander.

The programming for this event will occur on the day of the event, and at the event location. If you have intentions of being competitive, you will need to learn as much as you can about reading values from the photo sensor, evaluating those values, and controlling different aspects of the robot based on decisions made from the evaluations. This site has a similar project where a robot is controlled using two photo cells and a flashlight. You may be able to learn some of the things you need by performing the Flashlight exercise.

Flashlight Exercise

The **original version of firmware** is still available here. It supports only one bump switch plugged into port 1, requiring a splitter to use both switches.

We don't recommend that you use this, but here it is in case you need it.


 * Port 1 - Input (bump switch)
 * Port 2 - Input (bump switch)
 * Port 3 - Output (not used)
 * Port 4 - Output (not used)
 * Port 5 - Output (yellow LED)

The connector photo for the original firmware