• Carefully cut and remove the zip tie from the Bearing Assembly. 
• Next, align the axle’s socket with the motor’s square drive shaft and insert it into place. 

When the drive shaft / bearing assembly is all the way on the square motor drive pin, it should look like the above image.

Although the axle is precision-machined to fit with the motor shaft, sometimes the axles may slide on effortlessly or they may require a gentle tap from a non-steel hammer to seat them.  This is due to slight variations in the manufacturing tolerances of the motor drive shafts.

When you insert the axle on the motor drive shaft it may seem loose and wobbly…this is normal.  Once you install the Bearing Block and screw the assembly together, any “wiggle” will almost entirely disappear.  This is well within the drive system and encoder’s resolution design parameters.

The bearing blocks are interchangeable.  Therefore, each block can be used with either the right or left motor-axle assembly.. 

• Carefully align and insert the motor and axle assembly into the bearing block as shown:

The bearing should slide smoothly (yet tightly) into the bearing pocket on the block.

The bearing will completely seat itself after you have installed and tightened the (3) socket head screws and standoffs in Step 5.

Note that the motors are mounted at an angle to the bearing blocks as shown above.  This is by design, and results in a larger usable surface area on the Arlo deck, by minimizing the cutouts (for the motors) on Arlo’s main platform.  There is only one orientation of the motor with the bearing block that will allow the three particular holes to line up for the bolt and standoff assemblies.   This orientation is shown in the above photo which depicts the left drive unit.

• Insert the drive pin into the axle. 

This will require some “gentle, yet firm” taps from a small steel hammer.   The drive pin should be centered side-to-side through the axle as shown.  Be careful to not damage the (soft) aluminum axle.

Once the drive pin is installed, it is very difficult to remove.  Double-check your work to be sure that you’ve done everything correctly up to this point.

You may wish to use a small piece of wood to support the axle as you “tap” the pin through the axle (above).  When you’re finished, the drive pin should be centered in the axle.

Using (3) 50 mm hex-head socket screws, and (3) 1” x 0.5” standoffs, you will now attach the motor/drive axle assembly to each of the motor bearing blocks. The screws go into three tapped holes in the motor frame.  Although there are four bolt holes in the block, only three holes will be used to mount each motor. 

• Insert a bolt into the bearing block as shown.

• Next, slide a standoff onto the bolt.  Twist the bolt clockwise into the motor frame a couple of turns to hold it in position.

• Attach two more bolts and standoffs and tighten with the 5/16” allen wrench.

Although there are (4) mounting holes on each of the motors (as well as the blocks), only (3) are used in each drive wheel system.

• Assemble the other drive motor in the same manner…it will end up being a “mirror image” of the one you just finished.

Each encoder must have a 6-pin connector soldered to its PCB.  Both PCB’s are exactly the same - as are the connectors - but they are assembled in slightly different configurations.

• Insert a 6-pin right-angle male header into each of the encoder boards as shown below.   Note the difference in the locations and orientations of the headers.
• Solder the headers into place.

This manner of assembly allows both sets of wires to go in the same direction from the gear head towards the back of each of the motors (as we’ll see during final assembly and mounting of the Motor Mount and Wheel assemblies). 

• Plug (2) 3-conductor 12” encoder cables into each of the encoder boards as shown. 

Be sure to match the wire color with the B-R-W color-coding on the boards.  The white wires will be adjacent to each other in the center of the connectors when properly attached.

• It is highly advised to also label the cables, according to the image below. 

Although it's not required, labelling your cables with a small piece of masking tape (close to the unconnected ends of the cables) will make it significantly easier to make the DHB-10 connections later on in the assembly guide. Be sure to orient your encoders correctly when labelling. Left (LA, LB) and right (RA, RB) labels should correspond to your left and right sides.

The encoder board has a very tiny slotted sensor that must have the encoder wheel (that has already been installed on the drive axle) centered within its slot.  

• Carefully secure the encoder assemblies into the milled cavities using the two flat-head Phillips screws provided in the encoder package (these are very tiny screws). 

You should position the encoder boards over the encoder discs such that the discs fit in the center of the slot on the encoder sensor.  The Encoder Disc should be slid tight to the axle’s “shelf” (the slightly larger diameter of the axle), as shown below.

This completes the assembly of a single motor drive unit.  Duplicate what you just did for the other motor drive unit, and when you’re finished the result will be two separate motor drive units that are mirror images of each other (below)—one for each side of your robot platform. Please note that the image shown below does not show the motor units in their actual mounted configuration.

Each of the two aluminum wheel assemblies is comprised of: (1) precision machined two-piece split-rim set, (1) inner-tube, (1) rubber tire, and (6)  flat-head 4-40 x ½” screws.              

• Begin by inflating the inner tubes with a hand operated air pump – DO NOT USE A COMPRESSOR!  Add just enough air to make them round, but not under any pressure. 

• Insert the tube(s) into the tires.  This will help keep the tube and tread in alignment as you’re “sandwiching” the split rim wheel system together (above).

Each rim set consists of: (1) main rim, (1) rim ring, and (6) flathead #4-40 x ½” long machine screws.

WARNING! Never, ever put your fingers through the holes in the rims once the wheels are assembled. It may be tempting to carry an assembled Arlo by the wheel, but this poses a grave hazard to your fingers should the motors accidentally move the wheels.

• Place the main rim over the tube’s valve stem, being sure to line up the rim’s stem notch as shown below.  Push it down tight so that the rim is well seated into the rubber tire. 

You can choose whether to have the valve stem easily accessible from the outside of the robot (not shown), which makes it slightly easier to fill the tires if they ever need it. However, we recommend the “cleaner looking” appearance of having the stem “tucked” behind the rim, as shown here.

If you ever need to add air (very rare, if ever), you can simply remove the single bolt that holds the tire onto the motor drive axle to access the valve stem. The rim set uses #4-40 x ½” long flat head machine screws which screw directly into tapped holes from the “inside” of the aluminum main rim section.  This provides for a very clean look when mounted on the Arlo Base.

• Insert a screw into each of the holes in the inner rim.  Then, place the inner rim on the tire as shown, aligning the screws with the holes in the main rim.

The rims are precision-machined to hold the tires securely.  You may have to push firmly to get the rim to fully seat itself into the hub of the rubber tire.  Repeat this step for the other drive wheel.

Unless your Arlo is going to be carrying very heavy loads, there is no need to inflate the tires to their full rated capacity. Even though the tire sidewall indicates “35PSI”, we recommend no more than 10 to 15 psi for optimum traction, load carrying capacity, and shock absorption.  We HIGHLY ADVISE using a bicycle hand pump (instead of a powered air compressor) to inflate the tires since the tube capacity is so small.  It is very easy (and dangerous!) to over-inflate the tire using a powered air compressor.

Secure the Rims:  Rim assembly best practice is to get all of the screws started into their respective threaded holes without fully securing any of them.  Then, tighten each one slightly and continue this around the circle progressively tightening each screw, which will bring the two rim sections together evenly.  Also, be sure to not pinch or bind the inner-tube while bringing the assembly together.

• Next, mount the wheel assemblies to the drive shafts, being careful to align the drive pin to the slots cut into the rim assemblies.  Attach each wheel with (1) #¼-20 x 5/8” button head screw on each assembly.
• If the motor wires have a band of electrical tape that is strapping the wires to the motor housing (acting like a strain-relief), remove the tape and use a couple of Zip Ties from the Arlo Hardware pack to hold the wire assemblies together (as shown below).  This will allow the wires to go through the appropriate holes more easily.

You should now have two drive assemblies that are mirror images of each other:

This completes the assembly of the Motor Mount and Wheel Kit.  Set the finished drive units aside for now and go on to Section 2.

Locate the triangular base plate and the swivel rod. Notice that there is a machined “flat” on the swivel rod. 

• Line up the “flat” such that it will be facing the tapped hole in the triangular base plate, and insert it in as far as it will go.  It should “bottom out”.   This step may require a slight and gentle “hammer tap” to seat the rod into the hole.
• Use the 3/32” allen wrench to tighten the 6-32 set screw.

• Attach the swivel block to the caster wheel arm assembly using the 7/64” ball-end hex key and two #6-32 x ¼” socket head cap screws.  Insert the screws into the key and slide them through the assembly as shown below.

• Now attach the swivel block to the caster wheel arm.

• Insert the two flange bearings (above) into their respective holes.

The bearing on the bottom (as shown below) should simply slide in and drop into (and rest on) the bearing’s flange.  Conversely, the top bearing will slide “in and up” into the bearing cavity, so that the two “flanges” are facing each other.

Once the shaft collar is installed (next Step), it will prevent the bearings from falling out.

• Insert the stop collar between the two flange bearings and then slide the swivel rod assembly through the swivel block assembly. The stop collar has a built-in set screw.

• While holding both the flange bearings and the stop collar between the bearings, line up and slide the swivel rod through the swivel block assembly.

• Use the 3/32” hex key to tighten the set screw in the shaft collar as shown above. 

The gap between the triangular plate and the to of the swivel  block should be approximately on tenth of an inch.  You can make fine adjustments after they’re mounted on the Arlo deck.

• Assemble the second caster assembly.

The six remaining #6x3/8”socket-head screws will be used in the next Section.

Note that the bottom of the Robot Base is the side that has the two sets of (3) caster mount “blind” holes showing. They’re “blind”, because they do not go all the way through the base platform.  This results in a cleaner look on the topside of the deck and eliminates the need for nuts and washers on the top of the platform.

• As shown, lay the left and right motor assemblies and the two caster assemblies out near their respective mounting positions.  In this photo, the Arlo base is “right-side up” – meaning that the blind caster holes are down. 

The main motor power wires are each going towards the large round holes just behind the rectangular cutouts (that accommodate the Motor assemblies).

• Attach the first motor assembly to the Arlo base using (2) ¼-20 flat head machine screws and the 5/32” allen wrench.

• Now attach the second drive motor assembly in the same manner.

WARNING! Never, ever put your fingers through the holes in the rims. It may be tempting to carry an assembled Arlo by the wheel, but this poses a grave hazard to your fingers should the motors accidentally move the wheels. Carry the Arlo by the base plate, or by the carry-handles in the top plate once it is installed.

• Flip the base platform upside-down and position the pre-assembled caster assemblies over each set of the (3) blind holes as shown below.
• Insert a #6 x 3/8”, socket-head cap screw (there are three included with each Caster Wheel Kit) into each of the three holes in the caster’s mounting plate. Tighten using the 5/32” ball end hex key.

Retain the ball-end hex wrench for future use—you’ll need it when you install the PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor Protector Stands. The pre-drilled screw holes are sized for self-tapping by the #6-32 socket-head machine screws.

• Next, attach the two pre-assembled caster wheel assemblies using (3) #6-32 x 3/8” socket head screws per wheel.

• Flip the main deck upright so that you can see the 12 holes in the base (between the two motor mounts).

Note that some or all of the 1/8" holes in the top of the base may not be drilled all the way through. These are “blind holes” which mean they don’t go all the way through to the other side of the base platform (yet).

• Using a 1/8” bit, go ahead and drill all of the holes all the way through.  The end result is that you’ll have a total of (12) 1/8” diameter through holes.
• Next, install (8) 4-40 x 5/8”screws and 5/8” long standoffs as shown below, and thread the motor and encoder wires through their respective holes. Use the (8) 5/8" standoffs and (8) 4-40 5/8" screws included in the Arlo Hardware Pack for this, and save the ones included in the base kit for mounting the battery tray later on.

NOTE: If you are mounting a Board of Education Shield + Arduino as your control board, you will need to instead use the 1.25" standoffs provided in the Arlo Hardware Pack for the (4) holes closest to the front of the Arlo (top 4 standoffs in the picture below). The BOE Shield + Arduino requires more clearance than other boards and cannot be mounted on 5/8" standoffs.

• We will begin assembly by installing the lowest profile components first.

R1 has a value of 5.3k, R2&R4 are 1k, R3 is 7.15k .  These resistors are non-polarized, which means that you can insert them in either direction on the board and they’ll work fine. Just be sure you put the correct values into the proper sets of holes.  (You can double check the values of the resistors by using an ohmmeter.)

• Also, after you've inserted each of the resistors, bend their leads slightly. This will help keep them tight to the PCB as you solder them into their respective locations.  

Note:  The pictures in this section were copied from the APDB product documentation.

Important! Double-check that each resistor is in the correct location before continuing.  Correct voltage output from the regulators is dependent on the resistor values being placed properly on the board.

WARNING: These parts MUST be installed in the correct direction for safety and functionality. Double-check polarity before soldering.

• Pre-bend the leads of the diodes. 

They should be bent accurately such that they will fit tight down to the board.  A small pair of needle-nose pliers works well for this. 

• Solder in place and clip the leads.

• Next, install the fuse holders FH1–FH8. Begin by placing each one in their respective holes. The fuse holders are non-polarized, which means that they may be installed in either direction.

• Flip the entire assembly over and solder them in place.

The fuse holders should be a friction-fit in their holes – this will help to hold them in position as you flip the board over and solder them.  If they’re a looser fit, you can simply place a piece of tape across the tops of the holders to maintain their position when flipped upside down.

All of the fuse holders should be tight to the board when they’re properly soldered.

• Install the green-colored screw terminal blocks (J1–J10), with the “wire input” side of the blocks facing the outer edge of the board (below, left). 
• Use a strip of tape or cardboard to hold them in position while flipping the board over (below, right), and then solder them into place.

After soldering the terminal blocks, you should have something like this:

• The switch terminals may come on a strip. Clip the terminals off from the carrier strip shown below.

• Then, trim the little tab off of the terminal as shown in the image below.

• Solder the switch terminals to the board. The terminals should be a tight fit, and when soldered they should all be perpendicular to the PCB.

• Solder the power jack on to the board. 

Be sure that the jack is seated tightly to the board once soldered.  Due to the diameter of the holes and the flat leads that go through them, use plenty of solder to ensure that the electrical connections are entirely filled.

WARNING: These components MUST be installed in the correct orientation (see close-up below, right) - not only for proper operation, but for safety as well. Double-check orientation before soldering.

• Install the voltage regulators.

The two voltage regulators are identical, so either can be placed in their respective holes. The regulators are “programmed” to output the required voltages based on the values of each of the resistor pairs (R1, R2), and (R3-R4). For this reason, you must be certain you have installed your resistors correctly.

• Now, install the heat sinks over the voltage regulators as shown below. Heat sinks should NOT be flush with the board. The holes in the voltage regulators should line up with the holes in the heat sinks.
• Solder them into place.

WARNING: These components MUST be installed in the correct orientation - not only for proper operation, but for safety as well. Check correct polarity before soldering.

Examine the board locations for C1, C2, C3, and C4, and note the markings indicating the correct polarity. You should see a plus-sign or a minus-sign on each of the capacitors themselves.  The hole for each capacitor’s positive terminal is marked with a (+) on the board (below, right).

The capacitor’s negative terminal will show a (-) sign on the side of its case. Match the polarity markings on the capacitors to the markings on the PC board. Negative on the capacitor goes to negative on the printed circuit board. Note that when each set of capacitors (C1 & C2, and C3 & C4) is properly installed, they have their negative pins adjacent to each other.

Important! Do not install the capacitors backwards – if you do, they may explode when power is applied.

• Insert each capacitor, double-check the polarity, flare their leads slightly to help them stay in place, and flip the circuit board over and solder into place.

Properly installed, the capacitors should look like this:

The plate is cut from .093 thick Delrin, and the text is etched into the surface. If you would like to enhance its readability, you can flood or fill the text with correction fluid (“white-out” or white paint) and then simply wipe off the excess. The fluid remains in the recessed etched lettering.

Both switches are exactly the same; therefore each can be put into either mounting hole. However, note that each switch has a bronze colored terminal (shown below) at one end (the other two terminals are silver). 

• Orient the switches such that their bronze terminals are closest to the “top edge” of the plate that has the “I” (on indicator). The orientation of the switch in the mounting hole is very important; double-check your installation.  Do not install these switches in reverse.

• Next, attach each of the four 1” long standoffs through each of the four holes in the plate using (4) #4-40 x 1/4” long black pan-head screws.

• Before mounting the switch plate to the PDB, we'll install the necessary fuses. The board has labels, but you can reference the right-hand image below as well. With the board oriented so that the terminal blocks are furthest away from you, the fuses should be placed in left to right as follows: 2A, 5A, 10A, 10A, 10A, 2A, 2A, 2A. Double check the placement with the board labels before moving on.

Note: In the two fuse holders marked by the board label "Max 15 Amp Total", you must insert a 5A fuse into one and a 10A fuse into the other. Together they make up the 15A Total indicated by the board label.

• Now, being gentle yet firm, carefully line up the switch connections with the terminals on the PCB and gently “wiggle” the assemblies together such that the standoffs are flat to the PCB.

The battery tray can accommodate either one or two 12 V, 8 amp-hour sealed lead acid batteries depending on your power and load requirements. Batteries such as the PowerSonic #1270 or equivalent work well.

If you are building a two-battery system, follow these instructions and the ones at the beginning of Step 29. If you’re only going to build a one-battery system, then follow these instructions for your single battery and refer to the Single Battery Configuration instructions at the end of Step 29. The Arlo Full Kit includes both the one and two-battery system components.

• Place (4) square rubber feet on both sides of each battery – that’s a total of (16) feet – 8 on each battery. 

• Cut 4" off of the black wire and 4" off of the yellow wire (to be used for DHB-10 connections, later on). Set aside.
• Fold the remaining black wire in half and cut so you have two 13" pieces.
• Fold the remaining yellow wire in half and cut so you have two 13" pieces.
• Strip 1/4" from both ends of the (2) black and (2) yellow wires.
• Crimp (or solder if you prefer) a ¼” female quick-connect to one end of the black wires and one end of the yellow wires as shown below. Using your wire crimper, firmly squeeze and crimp the terminal, causing it to bind to the bare wire. We also recommend that you solder the terminals to the wires (if possible) as this will be a stronger and more reliable connection.

• Place a zip-tie about 1.5” from the end of the crimp terminals as shown above.
• Tape over the uncrimped, stripped wire ends so that no wire is exposed.

Important! Make sure you tape over the uncrimped wire ends (as mentioned above) – this will help prevent any accidental shorting of the batteries until they’re ready for their final connections. Be absolutely sure you have fully covered the exposed wire. Once connected to the batteries it is very important you do not allow wire ends to touch each other!

• Attach the wires to the batteries as shown. Be sure to observe the proper polarity: black is negative, connect it to the black battery terminal; the yellow wire should be connected to 12V positive.

Standard Double-Battery Configuration

For the Single-Battery Configuration diagram, click here or scroll to the end of this step.

Before you install anything: the (4) counter-sunk side of the mounting holes (that fasten the tray to the bottom of the motor mount blocks) should be facing down (opposite side of where the batteries and standoffs are) so that the flat head screws will seat properly when the battery assembly is connected to the motor mount and wheel assemblies.

• Use the above diagram to install posts on the battery tray. Note the locations of the battery terminals as oriented on the tray.

Note: The physical size of the batteries (that are included in the Arlo Complete Robot System) may vary slightly due to battery manufacturing tolerances.  Therefore, it may not be necessary or feasible to install the middle retention posts. If you choose not to install the central posts, there are other optional holes to install retention posts on the outsides of the battery tray (close to the terminals) which have been outlined in the above image with an orange box. Use the best configuration for your battery size and setup.

If you’re using the standard 12 V, 7.5 Ah sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries (that come with the Arlo Complete Robot System), the (included) 5/8” F/F standoffs and #4-40 x ½” long pan-head screws will hold them securely as shown. The staggered hole patterns accommodate slight dimensional variances between different brands of batteries.  Use the (staggered) holes that provides for the tightest retention of each of the batteries.  

• Place the batteries on the tray with the retention posts to make sure there’s a snug fit, (shown with middle posts installed):

• Flip your Arlo base platform over and lay the batteries in between the motor mount assemblies, as shown here:

• Now place the battery tray over the batteries (with the standoffs separating them). Secure the tray to the motor mount blocks with (4) ¼”-20 x ¾”, flat socket-head screws – the same type of screw that was used to attach the motor assemblies to the Arlo base.  Feed the battery wires through the hole as shown and be sure that the wire ends are still covered with tape to prevent any short circuits.

• Peel and stick a couple of zip-tie anchors to the bottom of the platform as shown below and secure the power wiring with a couple of zip ties from the Hardware Pack for Arlo.

This completes the installation of the batteries and the battery tray. 

Single-Battery Configuration

If you wish to mount a single 12 battery to the Arlo Platform instead, use the following Single-Battery Configuration shown here:

Complete battery tray installation by following the tray mounting-procedures as outlined in the double-battery configuration instructions, above.

• First, you may wish to make a note of the PING))) sensor pin connections labeled on the front of the PCB now. They will not be visible once the sensor is installed into the stand.

• Install the Ping))) sensor to the aluminum stands as shown, using (2) ¼”thick nylon spacers, (2) 1/2” screws, and (2) nylon flat washers.

• Place the Ping))) stand on a flat surface with the aluminum stand portion facing up.
• Put a tiny dab of glue on the light pipe near the slightly fatter end.
• Slide the light pipe into the hole on the front of the aluminum stand so that it just barely touches the Ping))). The light pipe will project a little from the front of the stand, but this is normal. It does not have to sit flush with the stand.

Important: Do not push the light pipe in further after you feel it touch the Ping))) – doing so could damage your Ping))) sensor!

Note: Some images and text from this assembly section were taken from the #725-28015 product guide.

• Once all four Ping))) Sensors are assembled, mount them with socket head screws to the Arlo main deck. Route the wires as shown. 

Note: You can use a few zip ties to help keep them neatly in place like shown in the photo below, but you may need more zip ties for this than were provided in the kit. This is optional, but we do recommend having additional zip ties on hand for future Arlo modification.

There are (4) Ping))) (three-wire) cables: 12", 12”, 16” and 24”.  The remaining (2) 4” cables will be used in Section 7. The Ping))) sensor directly in front of the right drive wheel uses the 24” 3-wire cable.  The center-front sensor cable is 16” in length, and the left-front sensor uses one of the 12” cables.  The rear-facing sensor uses the other 12” cable. 

• Plug a 3-wire cable into each of the Ping))) sensor assemblies.  Be sure that the black (ground) wire is on the left-hand side of the sensor, when viewed from the front of the sensor.

• Use the (4) #4-40 x 1.5” long machine screws and the (4) ½” long x ¼” diameter aluminum un-threaded spacers (mounted under the PCB), and screw them up from underneath and through the spacers (which lift the PCB ½” up off the Arlo deck), into the 1.5” long threaded standoffs.

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.

• These screws, once inserted into the standoffs of the Power Distribution Board, secure the PDB to the rear of the Arlo main deck as shown.

• Attach the DHB-10 Motor Controller onto the narrower set of (4) standoffs (installed in Section 3) using (4) #4-40 x ¼” Phillips head screws. The image below shows its appropriate orientation.

• Now, install the Propeller Activity Board WX (or Board of Education, or BOE Shield for Arduino if applicable) onto the wider set of (4) standoffs (also installed in Section 3). The image below shows its appropriate orientation – note that the 3-pin ports adjacent to the white breadboard are close to the DHB-10. Remember that if you are using a BOE Shield for Arduino you must have installed 1.25" standoffs to allow enough clearance to mount the board.

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. 

• Take the 4” black and yellow wires you set aside in Step 28.
• Strip off about 1/4” of insulation on both ends of each wire and insert them into the appropriate terminal blocks on the DHB-10 and the Power Distribution Board. Tighten. 

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!

• Remove the tape covering one BLACK wire end. Keep it from touching any conductive surfaces or objects.
• Insert the BLACK battery wire into the one of the two GND connections on one of the two BATTERY labeled terminal blocks, and tighten with the small flat-blade screwdriver.
• Remove the tape covering the remaining BLACK wire end. Keep it from touching any conductive surfaces or objects.
• Insert the second BLACK battery wire into the other GND connection on the second BATTERY labeled terminal block, and tighten with the small flat-blade screwdriver.
• Next, make sure that both switches are in the OFF position.
• Remove the tape covering one YELLOW wire end. Keep it from touching any conductive surfaces or objects.
• Insert ONE yellow wire end into one of the two “+12” battery terminals. Tighten as before.
• Remove the tape covering the other YELLOW wire end. Keep it from touching any conductive surfaces or objects.
• Insert the remaining YELLOW wire end into the other “+12” battery terminal. Tighten as before.

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.

• Remove (cut off) the jack from the battery holder, leaving a small amount of wire connected to the holder. 

We will only be using the jack portion for this Step – you can use the battery holder for another project if you so desire.

• You can use your included Voltmeter here to check the continuity to determine which wire corresponds to the CENTER connector.  The CENTER connector is the positive terminal of the power connector.

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.

• The CENTER wire should be stripped and connected to one of the +6.5V plus side terminals on the Power Distribution Board, and the other wire (ground) should be connected to the GND terminal.

• Take one of your motor wires. Remove the connector, you will not require it.

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!

• Next, you will need to carefully remove part of the jacket covering the wires so that you can get to the ends of the wires underneath.
• Once you have exposed the wire ends, strip 1/4" from each.
• Connect the motor wires to the DHB-10 Motor Controller.
• Repeat for the second set of motor wires.

• If you labelled your encoder cables as recommended in Step 6, you can use the labels to plug your encoder cables into the DHB-10 according to the image below. If you did not label them, then connect your outside encoder cables to the headers labeled RA/LA in the image below, and the inside cables to RB/LB. Remember that your right/left is the robot's right/left when the power distribution board is on the side closest to you. Double-check your connections!

Electrical Connections, Test Code, and Troubleshooting

For making electrical connections specific to your control board, test code, and troubleshooting choose your board type from the list below:

• Propeller Activity Board WX/Original (#32912, included in Arlo Complete Robot System, or #32910) [4]
• BASIC Stamp Board of Education (#28803) [5]
• Board of Education Shield for Arduino (#35000, Arduino Uno also required – not included) [6]

If using a custom board, complete the connections and then optionally move on to Section 8: Mounting the Arlo Top Deck.

• Using four button head screws, attach each of the four standoffs to the top of the Arlo base by using the four included #¼”-20 x 5/8” button-head screws.  Insert screws from the bottom up into the standoffs as shown.

• Place the top deck onto the standoffs, making sure that the counter-sunk holes are face-up.  Secure the deck with the four included ¼”- 20 x 5/8” flat-head screws.

• (Optional) If you wish to add a second top deck (sold separately), simply replace the four flat head screws with the included 1.5” x ¼”- 20 all-thread studs.  Next, place the additional deck onto those studs, and then screw on the next set of standoffs.  Place the second top deck onto that level and secure with four flat head ¼” x 20 screws.

This completes the Arlo mechanical assembly.