Slides from my DDD Sydney session.

1. Building a robot with .Net Micro
Framework
Ducas Francis
SC @ Readify

2. NetMF
• Open Source Platform for small embedded
applications
• Runs on devices with a 32-bit processor and as
little as 64K RAM
• Provides the efficiency of creating and
maintaining devices in managed code

3. Why NetMF?
• Use Visual Studio as the IDE
• Program in C#
• Same code runs on any NetMF device with minimal changes
• Full debugging capabilities
– Emulator
– Breakpoints
– Stepping
– Variables
– Stack Traces
• Includes many bus drivers
• Managed Code with Garbage Collection

4. What about Arduino?
• Open Source Platform for electronics prototyping
• Uses the Arduino programming language (C++
based) and Arduino IDE.
• Benefits
– Inexpensive
– Cross-Platform Software
– Nice IDE
– Open Source and Extensible Software (C++ or AVR-C)
– Open Source and Extensible Hardware
(ATMEGA8/168)

5. NetMF Hardware - Netduino
• Pro – Atmel ARM7 • Go – STMicro Cortex-
48MHz 128KB Flash M4 168MHz 384KB
60KB RAM Flash 100KB RAM

6. NetMF Harware - GHI
• FEZ Spider – EMX ARM7 72MHz • FEZ Cerberus/Cerbuino/Cerb40 –
3000KB Flash 12000KB RAM OSHW Cortex-M4 168MHz 300KB
Flash 112KB RAM
• Fez Hydra – OSHW ARM9
240MHz 3000KB Flash 12000KB • FEZ Panda II - USBizi-100 ARM7
RAM 72MHz 148KB Flash 62KB RAM

7. Arduino Compatible vs Gadgeteer
• Compatible with • Sockets over Pins
Arduino shields • Modules are pre-built
• Pins over Sockets • Not all boards have all
• Easy to prototype with socket types
breadboards and • Usually have more
breakout boards powerful processors
• More flexible for
electronics projects

8. What Are We Building
• Let’s see…

9. Fez Panda II

10. Tamiya Dual Motor Gearbox

11. Tamiya Dual Motor Gearbox

12. Tamiya Track and Wheel Set

13. Tamiya Plate Set

14. Dual Motor Driver

15. Low Current Motors

16. Ultrasonic Range Finder

17. Accelerometer

18. What you Need
• Mainboard • FEZ Panda II $50
• Motors • SolarRobotics RM3 2x $4
• Gearboxes • Tamiya Double Gearbox (70168) $15
• Wheels • Tamiya Track and Wheel Set (70100) $15
• Housing/Plates • Tamiya Universal Plate Set (70157) $10
• Batteries • 4xAAA + 1x9V $10
• Motor Driver • 1A Dual TB6612FNG H Bridge (ROB-
09457) $10
• Distance Sensor • MaxBotix LV-EZ0 Ultrarosnic Range Finder
(SEN-08502) $35
• Accelerometer • Triple Axis Accelerometer ADXL345 (SEN-
…) $30
Total: ~$150

19. Or You Could Just Buy a Kit…
• FEZ Mini Robot Kit $120 • RP5 Tank Chasis +
Driver $120

20. What you need to know
• *Basic* electronics
• How to use a soldering iron
• How to cut a little code in C#

21. NetMF 101

22. Net MF 101 – What do I have?
• Multithreading
• GC
• Flash access

23. NetMF 101 – What don’t I have?
• Generics
• A lot of RAM…

24. NetMF 101

25. NetMF 101 - IO
• Digital IO
• Interrupts
• Analog IO
• UART
• SPI
• I2C
• PWM

26. NetMF 101 – Digital IO
• Pin can either be set to HIGH (true) or LOW
(false)
• OutputPort.Write(bool)
• bool InputPort.Read()
• Demo - LED

27. NetMF 101 - Interrupts
• Act when the signal changes from LOW to
HIGH and vice-versa
• NativeEventHandler InterruptPort.OnInterrupt
• Demo - Bumper

28. NETMF 101 – Analog IO
• Read a voltage – not just HIGH/LOW
• Not part of core NetMF
• byte AnalogIn.Read()
• AnalogOut.Set(int value)
• AnalogOut.Set(byte[] data, int offset, int
count, int dataRate)
• Demo – Ultrasonic Distance Finder

29. NETMF 101 – UART Serial Ports
• Use 2 Pins to Communicate between 2 Devices
– TXD
– RXD
• Wire to the opposite on each device
– RXD => TXD
– TXD => RXD
• new SerialPort(“COM1”, …)
• SerialPort.Read(byte*+, …)
• SerialPort.Write(byte*+, …)
• Demo - XBee

30. NetMF 101 – I2C
• Use 2 Pins to communicate between master
and multiple slave devices.
– SCL
– SDA
• Provides a bus and ability to define
configuration and communicate using
transactions
• Demo - Accelerometer

31. NetMF 101 - PWM
• Pulse Width Modulation
• Emulates a wave with given frequency and
duty cycle
• Motors should be given higher frequencies
• PWM.Set(int freqHz, int dutyCycle)
• Demo - Piezo

32. Building Tank Bot..
• Build the gearbox
• Attach the gearbox to the frame and wheels
• Attach the main board to the frame
• Attach battery holders to the frame
• Solder pins to the prototyping board, distance sensor,
motor driver and accelerometer
• Solder wires to the motors
• Attach the distance sensor to the frame
• Wire the motor driver, distance sensor and
accelerometer to the prototyping board
• Write some code…

33. Test Bots
• Distance Sensor
• Accelerometer
• Motor Driver

34. Discovery Bot
while (something within 30cm of front)
avoid
go forward

35. Safe Discovery Bot
while (bot is tipping)
avoid
while (something within 30cm of front)
avoid
go forward

36. Where to buy…
EOFY2012

37. Where to learn more…
• tinyclr.com
• netmf.com
• letsmakerobots.com
• sparkfun.com
• bildr.com
• mbed.org

38. With thanks to our sponsors

39. Please complete your feedback
forms, and return them to the
registration desk for a chance
to win a
Nokia Lumia