RoboticsConnection User Forum / RoboticsConnection Hardware Support / Robot Kit Support

Purchasing the Stinger Frame Only

Burnie — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:53:06 GMT

Hello!

As the title denotes, is it possible to order the Stinger kit with the exclusion of the motors?

Thanks!
Andrew

Beginner's question: what do I need to put together a basic system

hexn — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:30:44 GMT

Dear Host,

I'm really new to this robot thing, I have some software engineering background and my goal is to put together a basic functioning system (by basic functioning system I mean I would be able to use my laptop to control the Traxster II via bluetooth and make it move around), Here's a shopping list I come up with:

Traxster II chasis
Serailizer board
Bluetooth connector (the only bluetooth interface I found on your website is the $150 one, but I found something called "Bluetooth Connector" on Trossen website, which cost only $60, should work with the serializer board, right? please confirm.)
UHF antena

and I already have the following:

Laptop running Windows Vista, with bluetooth capability
MSDN subscription (so I can download .NET and other MicroSoft Robot stuff. If you can tell me exactly what software package do I need, that'll be great)

Did I miss anything? Also, what does the encoder do? Does the serializer replace the encoder or work with the encoder?

Sorry about all these really basic questions, I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks much!

Traxster II Robot Kit with .NET programming capability

alaasw — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:36:33 GMT

I’m planning to buy Robotics Connection Traxster II Robot Kit, what other hardware items do I need to buy to start programming Traxster II with Microsoft Robotics studio?

Thanks

RIP Traxster

electronguy — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:48:18 GMT

I have never been successful with the Traxster II on smooth, flat surfaces such as cement, linoleum, tile, etc. The links work great on thick carpet and perfect on short grass, but on the kitchen floor or the floors at the university, I get a strong bouncing/vibration and ultimately have link breakages.

I've since taken the Traxster II apart and am leveraging the motors and Serializer for my final university project (some sort of higher-order control system). The robot was a lot of fun to learn on, and was robust and sexy, except for the plastic links; I hope to be able to revisit the hardware platform at some point in the future.

Has anyone modified the Traxster II to use RC tires (monster truck-type wheels) with two additional motors or an alternate drive train? Or, has anyone used metal links (like a bike chain) on the Traxster so that it can be used in outdoor environments, such as concrete without bouncing or slipping?

Thanks,
--Scott Thompson

Batteries for Stinger

georgiana — Tue, 25 May 2010 07:51:23 GMT

Hey,

I need a battery for an eBox-4300 (5V) and one for Stinger robot (12V)....does anyone knows what are the most appropriate? It's quite urgent, so I expect a reply soon.

Thanks in advance!

Georgiana

Traxster1 optical wheel encoder

JohnP — Sat, 08 May 2010 09:11:20 GMT

I purchased a pre-loved Traxster1 minimum kit and after correctly assembling the hubs and removing a surplus link from each track ;), it runs well. Congratulations on a robust design.

To better control ithe drive motors :), I'd like to purchase the optional optical wheel encoder kit (2 x plastic slide-on interrupters, 2 x opto-interrupter boards, 4 x #6-32 Philips panhead screws, flat washers, nuts and plastic tubing-spacers) per Traxster L1 Assembly Manual.

Are these still available and at what price please ?

Traxster drivetrain and DPID setting Issues

hexn — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:22:14 GMT

Hi Jason,

Finally had some time during the holidays to do some extensive testing on my new Traxster. There are some DPID and Traxster drivetrain setup issues I'm hopping you can help me out.

My hardwares are: Traxster II chasis, Serializer 3.0 board, bluetooth module, 9.6v/2200mAh battery pack. Software side, I'm using C# visual studio express, Serializer .NET library, and PIDMotorControlExample downloaded from your website, and Hyperterminal for issuing direct command to Serializer.

The first confusion is about Motor Gear Reduction Value. From all the documentations, the gear reduction for the motor is suppose to be 1:52, In PIDMotorControlExample, the default value is 0.0185, I did the math (1/52), this number is actually correspondes to 1:54. The value for 1:52 is 0.0192. But when the example app does the calculation for TicksPerRevolution, it uses 52*12 instead of 54*12, so it's 624 ticks per rev VS. 648 ticks per rev.

These are the settings copied directly from PIDMotorControlExample:

pmc.EncoderResolution = 12;
pmc.GearReduction = 0.0185; // 1/54
pmc.TicksPerRevolution = 624; // Gear Reduction * Encoder Resolution = 52 * 12
pmc.WheelDiameter = 2.899;
pmc.WheelTrack = 7.25; // Distance between centerline of drive tracks
pmc.VelocityDivider = 2.857; //3.57; // = 100/Max PID Velocity

Using this set of settings, if I tell the robot to go 100 inches in PIDMotorControlExample, it only gives me around 88 inches, consistant on several surfaces I've tested. I also messured the distance the track actually traveled by holding up the machine, mark the track position and let it run without touching the ground, then messure the actual distance the tracks have traveled, result was the same, 88 inches. And the resulting encoder ticks is around 6500 clicks.

The bottom line is, it takes 7500 encoder ticks for my traxster to travel 100 inches (Tested both in hyperterminal using digo command and in C# app. VPID setting 10:0:5:15, DPID setting 1:0:0:1:5, these are default settings for Traxster). So I played with the drivetrain numbers to achieve that 7500 ticks. This is the setting I'm using now:

pmc.EncoderResolution = 12;
pmc.GearReduction = 0.0185; // 1/54
pmc.TicksPerRevolution = 648; // Gear Reduction * Encoder Resolution = 54 * 12
pmc.WheelDiameter = 2.75;
pmc.WheelTrack = 7.125; // Distance between centerline of drive tracks
pmc.VelocityDivider = 2.857; //3.57; // = 100/Max PID Velocity

I did the test on various surfaces: 2 different kinds of carpet, tile, hardwood floor, the results are consistant.

I'm using 2.75 for WheelDiameter which I know for a fact is not correct, my wheel diameter messures 2.86 inches. my track circumstance is 21 inches(actual messurement), not 22.777 inches as specified in:

http://www.roboticsconnection.com/multimedia/libraries/MicroFramework/Documentation/_2bu0vvge5.htm

I suspect this is where the problem is, maybe this value is still used in .NET liberary somewhere. My questions is, other than wheel diameter, there must be some other parameter(s) that need to be set in order to calculate the correct circumstance, any idea?

by using 648 ticks per rev, 2.75 inches wheel diameter, I can make the traxster travel exactly the distance I tell it to, but I'm really not comfortable using these numbers if they are not correct, it'll cause me problem later on in my application.

Sorry about the long post, but I can really use some advice here :)

Deciding if Stinger/Serializer is for me..

DonFL — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 19:24:57 GMT

I'm at the point of tackling a new robot project (aka "too much work, not enough time for play and have to do something about it..") and came across the Stinger and Serializer while at the Trossen website.

After reading more the last couple hours, I'm a bit nervous as to whether I might be in a bit over my head if I go with the Stinger/Serializer combo.

I've got solid experience on the build side..that doesn't frighten me, it's the part I love best. Typically, most robots I build lean on canned software to some level, and my fun is getting it built and working, and maybe some minor mods to the code.

That's what concerns me about going with the Serializer. I have what I would describe as beginner, or maybe a step above beginner experience with several languages: C, C++, C#, java, various flavors of basic. I would say looking thru the Library Install guide, and the MSDN help docs, I find myself thinking "this isn't all 100% clear". Said another way, I'm not sure I would know where to start, even using the canned code, to assemble a robotic beast that would implement multiple types of sensors and simple decision making.

As I look at the docs, it suggests to me I need to have a solid, meaning, intermediate or better, familiarity with C# to really make the Stinger dance and sing. I can't honestly say I am at that point. The last thing I want is a platform that was fun to build, but is way beyond my ability to create the type of robot I want (still deciding on details there..) due to programming. That said, I'd love to tackle something where coming out the other side, I have a better understanding from a robotics programming and control standpoint.

Am I being too concerned about the level of expertise I need from a coding standpoint?

Any and all guidance and opinion (and, even better, personal experience..) is appreciated!

Traxster II encoder pinout

climbingator — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:24:47 GMT

Hello,

I'm using my own interface for the encoders on the Traxster II and would like to know the pinout for them? Or, at least, the make and model.

Thanks!

MB
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

How to add to cart...

vladibo — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:36:28 GMT

I want to add to my shopping cart this http://www.roboticsconnection.com/p-42-cmucam2-cmucam2-cmucam3-robot-turret.aspx and this http://www.roboticsconnection.com/p-43-cmucam2-vision-camera.aspx but I can't. There is no button!

Why?

Payload for Stinger

pranavtrehun007 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:05:44 GMT

What is the payload that the Stinger can safely carry ?

What is the Maximum speed that the Stinger can run while carrying the said payload?

How much is the total current usage of Stinger while it is carrying that payload at the aforementioned speed?

Support for Traxster Link Breakage

electronguy — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:59:15 GMT

Good morning,

I'm finding myself at a bit of a loss re: the links on the Traxster II. They are splitting and breaking faster than I can replace them and I'm having some strange difficulties with the replacements.

With the replacements, when I go to tighten the motors back down, they are slightly tweaked on an axis (a little bit of twist) which causes the 'bot to steer to the right unless I get both lined up absolutely exactly--the last LineUp took about an hour. I got to class this morning and noticed that I have two more links--one on each side--about to go at the point where the pin goes in. I noticed on my replacement links that I ordered that there was a slight seam on the circular hole that holds the pins and this is where all of my links are breaking.

Is there something I can do to make these links perform better--in particular to spend about another hour to "calibrate" the replacements and then not worry so much?

EEEKKK!

Best,
--Scott

Seeking advise onTraxster & Microsoft Robotics software

Fabian — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:28:12 GMT

I am new to both the traxster robot & microsoft robotics.

I Would greatly appreciate any help with regard to:

a simple explanation of creating of say a program to move the traxster forward for a specified distance and/or amount of time.
a simple explanation of compiling (or what ever the term is) and downloading above program to the traxster robot.
activating/running above program downloaded to the Traxster robot.
NOTE: Will not be using any Bluetooth!
Do I understand correctly that the "serializer" stuff for for Bluetooth control of the Traxster platform.

PS I am a fast learner!

Fabian

So close...

electronguy — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:23:28 GMT

Oh everything was going so great! I Rx my Traxster II today (sans the Serializer which was delayed) and put it together. When I returned from walking the dogs, I started on the tracks.

I counted out 36 tracks for one side and started to build it. When I went to build the 2nd side, I realized that I only had 34 pieces of track. I began to wonder if the manual was wrong--maybe there were supposed to be 35 pieces each? Not so--I tried just about everything I could to get a 35-piece track to fit but even at 36 pieces, I'm pretty much having the motor towards the rear of the unit.

Jason (or someone), if you see this message over the weekend, can I *please* get the 6 missing pieces of track sent via expedited shipping? (I don't even have a spare piece in this set--it came with 70 and only 70 pcs).

I was very careful and only opened the bag of track at the last minute when I went to assemble. Otherwise, the Traxster II is everything I hoped it would be and more. My 8051 controller board sits beautifully on top with a backlit 16x2 display right next to the PBIO switches and LED assembly. What a great machine.

Regards,
--Scott Thompson

Will use Traxster II for a university project

electronguy — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:30:45 GMT

Greetings,

I'm very new in the robotics realm but not to electronics. I'm a senior at my university and am working on projects towards my BSEE degree, as well as being a part of the NATCAR competition project and most recently micromouse.

I have done a considerable amount of research into finding the right platform for my "line follower" robot that will be used in my MCU design course. I have considerable MCU programming and hardware experience (compared to academic ideals) and am looking to challenge myself this semester. I chose the Traxster for a number of reasons over the competition. First, how amazing does this guy look?! Very nice design. Secondly, I needed something with differential steering that used something besides the el-cheapo servos that Parallax is providing with BOE-BOTs. This stems from my NATCAR team's goal of using BLDC motors--the Traxster is a compromise between a jerky stepper motor option and a BLDC optical servo configuration (expensive). I have to build all of the drive circuitry (H-bridge, etc.) and I will have to use the standard Atmel 8051 variant for the brains of the line-follower bot. I did not purchase the "serializer" circuit and will have to provide my own quadrature encoder/PID motor control algorithms. With this in mind, I have a number of options.

I enjoy the PIC line of microcontrollers and have a number of variants and boards. One such combo is the dsPIC motor controller family on a demo board. I don't think time will permit but I expect the Traxster II to be with me beyond this one class (hopefully I can expand on it and use it as a research bot, etc., for my senior design project). I think the dsPIC option is overkill for this project and it would be a steep learning curve as my DSP experience is only theoretical. Another option I have for programming the PID and quadrature motor control is a HC12 board that's very fast with tons of memory (I can use the memory to "map" the route which would guarantee me an A+++ in the class). I don't have any issues with interfacing the 8051 routine with those to handle motor control, etc. My concern here is that your "serializer" seems to be a moderatly powerful development platform and I'd like to not bog myself or my processor down performing what seems like a simple task of motor movement (I know I'm going to regret saying that).

That said, I seem to be obsessed with this stuff now (robotics was a field I never thought I would enjoy) and am less afraid of the mechanical interfaces thanks to this terrific development platform.

I am looking forward to learning more on the subject and can't wait for the Traxster to arrive so I can start building it. Please accept my thanks and congratulations for what I think is one of the best platforms available--and for exactly the right price that allowed me to pick one up.

Regards,
--Scott

Stinger Windows CE Kit

sM10 — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:13:01 GMT

Hello everybody, I have been looking to learn robotic programming for quite awhile now and found the Stinger CE kit. I have programming experience in Perl and can interpret VB, C, and java on a very simple level. I need a platform that will teach me how to program autonomous functions such as object avoidance, recognition, and environment mapping. Would this kit be a good start? I would like to be able to use the "Visual Programming Language" in Microsoft's Robotics Studio because it seems like an easy start.

Thanks for your help,
sM10

Traxster II CAD Model

jdm — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:41:05 GMT

Hello, Everyone:

I am using the Traxster II as my "Child" rover in a Mother-Child rover system that I am developing, and I would like a 3D CAD model for simulations. Does one exist? If so, where can I find it?

My existing models are in SolidWorks 2008, so this is my preferred CAD program.

Thank you for your assistance,

Jeff

Traxster Idler Axle Replacements

jsummerour — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:24:34 GMT

We just got in new Idler Axles for the Traxster II. We changed the material to steel, with a silver Chromate coating. Thus, the tip of the axle around the threads is a lot stronger, and won't shear off if the nut is tightened too much. We'll be glad to send replacements to those with the older aluminum axles. Just drop me a line. Please be aware that if you send me a private message, you must have created an account. I can't reply back to an 'Anonymous' request.

Best Regards!

The Traxstor DC motors

Walid — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:35:09 GMT

Hi, my question is about the DC motors used in Traxster kit. Can I use just the red and black wires with a battery to provide continuous rotation (without use of the encoder wire)?

because I do not know how to use the quadrature encoder.

Thanks,

Traxster 2 dimensions

peterpoon — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:42:13 GMT

Hi,

I'm very intersted to buy one Traxster chassis. I have alraydy a Qwerk board and I would be sure that the dimension of the board are compatible with the Traxster. Is it possible to have the dimension of the free place "inside" the traxster 2 when the motors are present ? Or do you have more precise datasheet for the chassis ?

Thanks a lot

Traxster passive Idler hub break

Arnaud — Tue, 06 May 2008 04:29:57 GMT

Hi!!

I have broken the two passive idler hub on my beautifull traxster :((

Where can i buy another pair of idler hub? jsummerour can you send me a web link or can you sell this item?

Regards,

Arnaud

Traxster small part broken

fakajax — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:03:24 GMT

Hello Jason,

I have broken a rear axle of the Traxster. Do you sell small parts of this robot kit ?
if yes, is it possible to ship cheaper than you propose currently otherwise, the shipment would probably cost 5 times the part price ?

Thanks a lot and regards.

Fakajax.

My opinion on Traxster and Serializer

fakajax — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 02:19:39 GMT

As I have designed and build robots ( as I'm not very good on mechanics but only on computer science and electronics, I do as far as I can ;)) and also buy severals robot kits, I think I can give an objective opinion on Traxster and Serializer.

Traxster:

- The mechanics is very well designed and easy to install. Strong and light weight, all parts (even the little ones) have been designed to be evolutive.Great job!

- The Motors are very powerful. I was aware it was better to use RC motors + encoders instead of servos. First, to be able to have enough powerfull to go on every surfaces. Then, encoders are required if we want to not have a blind robot in terms of positionning. With the encoders we can have an idea on a relative position and travelled distance. With a few other sensors as compass and some absolute informations, the robot can navigate easily and go everywhere we want.

- The only thing I was a little disapointed is the noise. Even if I put the silicon grease, my traxster in a tiling floor is a bit noisy. Probably due to the rigid plastic of the tracks.

Serializer:

If, when I first read information on serializer, I was not thinking it was for my robot, I really change my mind. I was using embedded microcontroller but was aware it was necessary to use more powerful controller than PIC, Basic Stamp or 68HC11, like PC/104 with geode 300MHz for example. But when I noticed the serializer can communicate with an external PC but also an embedded controller, I understood what the really interest of such board: If, like me you prefer a complete autonomous robot, you can do it with serializer.And if you have already experiment how it's difficult to test your programs on embedded microcontrolleron robot, the use of your PC + serializer for debug is the fastest way to validate your code. And of course for people who do not care about full autonomous of their robot, Serializer is wonderful. Moreover, I never find a so easy way to develop program for robot with .net? A lot of classes and snippets to use exsting sensors...Easy and powerful... I was also thinking bluetooth was not a good idea to communicate with PC and robot because of the relative short distance of emission... Again, I was wrong. The distance max between the PC and the robot is really enough to let your robot navigate around you.

In conclusion, I think Traxster + serializer are a very good robot platform and for the first time I can expirement easily and quickly what I have in my mind....

Fakajax

PS: Sorry for my poor english

Sharp IR Panner on Traxster II

fakajax — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:59:45 GMT

Jason,

I've just received my Traxster II. Thank you. Following the assembly instructions, I have tried to install my IR panner on the robot base but there is only informations on the IR sensor mount installation and not on the Sharp IR Panner. As I have also the CMUCAM Pan & tilt turret I cannot use the place dedicated for it.

Is the only solution is to make holes on the base to install it ?

thanks and regrads,

Frank.

Orginal Traxster ==> Traxster II upgrade

lawrencl — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:28:24 GMT

Hi:

I have the orginal Traxster and would like to upgrade to the Traxster II.

What parts can be reused and are the remaining parts available separately?

Thanks,

Lawrence

Caster wheel mods for Stinger platform?

jerryn — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:37:35 GMT

Just finished the stinger platform. The caster seems to be causing the bot
no to travel in a straight line. The code is driving the motors with the same power level and velocity. The bot tends to veer to the left(front of the platform facing away from me). Has anyone experimented with a ball caster
on the stinger?

Don't forget to grease the rear Traxster II axles/hubs!

jsummerour — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:47:41 GMT

For those of you who have received the new Traxster II, please make sure that you apply a small amount of White Lithium Grease to the rear axle/idler hubs. Without it, the aluminum hubs might "gall" against the aluminum axles, and prevent the hubs from spinning freely. :w00t:

I'm going to look for some small packs of grease that we can supply with each kit. Until then, you can find small tubes of the white lithium grease at your local hardware and/or auto parts store for a few bucks. I would refer from using WD-40, as it's pretty thin, and won't last long.

Also, the tracks require light tension, so don't apply too much tension to the tracks when securing the motors to the chassis.

Best Regards!

Traxster Dimensions - Inside

jsummerour — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:35:20 GMT

Several customers have requested the inside dimensions for the new Traxster II over the past few days, so I thought I would post some quick pics here (and I'll put some more formal dimensions on the web page in a few days...).

	Inside Height: ~1.5" (38mm)
	Inside Width: ~5.625" (143 mm)
	Free area between motors and rear: 6.5" (165 mm)
	Height from ground to bottom: 1.75" (45 mm)
	Front Ground Clearance: 0.7" (17 mm)
	Overall Length: 8.5" (216 mm)

Best Regards!

Traxster II Now Available!

jsummerour — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:30:02 GMT

We have now launched the new Traxster II robot kit. Be sure the check it out! :cool:

http://www.roboticsconnection.com/pc-15-3-traxster-robot-kit.aspx

Best Regards,

Improving the Traxster's Track Grip

jsummerour — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 19:34:31 GMT

While the Traxster will rove around happily on pretty much any flat surface (shag carpet, hardwoods, tile, etc.), climbing over large obstacles or up steep inclines can be troublesome. This is because the links are injection molded ABS plastic, which have little grip.

We just found some black spray-on Plasti-Dip at home depot (~$7.00), which you can spray on your links to greatly improve the traction.

It’s best to spray them on your links once you have 36 links assembled (number of links per side), but not connected at the ends (e.g. laid out flat). You also might want to scuff the top of the links up with sandpaper before spraying the plasti-dip on to improve adhesion, since the links are pretty smooth. You obviously only have to spray the Plasti-Dip on the top of the links, where they contact the ground. Do not spray it on the inner portion of the links where they engage the drive wheels.

The spray on Plasti-Dip is much easier to apply than the regular Plasti-Dip (which also greatly enhances track grip).

Applying the spray on Plasti-Dip will allow your Traxster to traverse up 45 degree inclines, and climb over many obstacles.

Best Regards,

New Traxster II Arriving Soon!

jsummerour — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:47:12 GMT

Last December, we refreshed the Traxster Robot Kit design to improve several aspects of it's desing.

The redesign addressed the following topics:

Refresh overall look and feel
Change to use a more durable two tone orange/gray/black powder coating for the chassis/belly pan/drive disks.
Remove unneeded holes, and add useful ones
Replace solid rear axle with two independent ones. This greatly improves ease of assembly, and removes requirement to adjust play w/ spacers.
Locate batteries beneath chassis to provide more room for accessories on top of chassis.
Add holes for Line Following Sensors
Add hole for Bluetooth Module Antenna
Enlarge drive disk bolt holes to ease assembly
Add holes for Push Button I/O Board

Here are some preliminary pics of the Traxster II.

Traxster II with eBox-2300

Side view of Traxster II with eBox-2300

Bottom side of Traxster II w/ dual 9.6V NiMH batteries.

Rear view of Traxster II. Note Push Button I/O board and horizontal slots for charging system.

Top View of Traxster II chassi with and without eBox-2300. Note, there are holes for mounting servos and/or our CMUcam2/2+/3 Turret.

We will also be adding several sensor accessories in the next few months to allow customer to expand their sensing capabilities with all of our robots.

Best Regards,