Microcontroller Board

Arduino Uno R3

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. The model on the robot is an Uno revision 3 (shown right). This has six analogue input pins and fourteen digital input/output pins. My project is using nine of the digital pins and none of the analogue pins. The Arduino is programmed using a variant of the C programming language.

I am using the Vin and one of the GND pins to supply the arduino from the 5volt regulated output from the motor driver board. This is temporary, as I intend to feed the arduino from the second battery pack as the robot grows. I am using the 5V and the other GND pin on the arduino to feed power to the ultrasonic range finder and the servo.

The Arduino has a type B USB socket which allows it to be connected to a PC via a standard USB A to B lead (such as that used on many printers) to allow easy programming.

I used M3x17mm spacers and M3x6mm screws to fix it to the chassis. The chassis had to be drilled because none of the pre-drilled holes line up with the Arduino.