In this section, you will mount the Arlo Power Distribution Board and the DHB-10 Motor Controller board. You will also mount the development board of your choice to be the robot's main control board.
A free Propeller Activity Board WX is included in your kit, and is used as the example in the rest of this guide. But, the mounting holes in the Arlo Base also fit the BASIC Stamp + Board of Education, and the Board of Education Shield + Arduino Uno.
Note: This below image is a guide to show placement of the 4 screws and standoffs. As you install the Power Distribution Board you will have to install each screw/standoff to the PDB one at a time.
As shown above, we’re using black wires for ground, or negative battery, and we’re using yellow wires for +12 volts or positive battery power.
The DHB-10 Motor Controller runs on +12V so we’re connecting the black wire to ground and the yellow wire to the +12V terminal labeled ”Motor” that has the 10 amp fuse capability.
IMPORTANT: Observe proper polarity!
It’s now time to connect both sets of battery wires to their respective terminals.
Remember that these two sets of battery wires are already connected to the batteries. While you’re working with them, so be sure to not cause any short circuits – we don’t want to arc-weld any robot parts in this project!
Since we’re working with stranded wires, make sure these connections are solid and that there are no little tiny wires that aren't totally contained within the terminal screw cavity.
Important Tip: SLA batteries can permanently lose functionality if allowed to remain discharged or in a low-charge state for an extended period of time. It is important that SLA batteries be completely charged periodically to prevent this. We strongly recommend that you fully charge your Arlo batteries at least once per month, even when the robot is not in use.
We will only be using the jack portion for this Step – you can use the battery holder for another project if you so desire.
Why ask you to do this? Learning how to use your voltmeter gives you a valuable tool when troubleshooing issues that may arise with your Arlo robot – now or in the future.
Note: If you prefer not to have excess motor wire on your Arlo you can trim the length, or you can leave them long and just tuck the excess under the DHB-10’s PCB. How much wire to remove is up to your preference, but be careful not to cut the wires too short or they may not connect to the DHB-10 properly. Measure and double-check that your connections can still be made properly before trimming anything!
For making electrical connections specific to your control board, test code, and troubleshooting choose your board type from the list below:
If using a custom board, complete the connections and then optionally move on to Section 8: Mounting the Arlo Top Deck.
Links
[1] http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/arlo/arlo-activity-board-brain
[2] http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/arlo/arlo-basic-stamp-boe-bot-brain
[3] http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/arlo/arlo-arduino-uno-boe-shield-brain