Re: amateur robotics

[joshhighley@hotmail.com (Josh Highley)]

In article <36F1A10F.18990DC9@interact.net.au>, Dizzy@interact.net.au 
says...
>
>Does anyone know of any relatively cheap units/systems which let an
>amateur experiment with robotics and programming (in ADA, of course) 
for
>robotic systems ?
>
>Like simple mechanical systems which can be run from programs on my
>local machine ?
>
>Anyone ?
>
>thanks,
>
>GMW
>
>*from sunny australia*
>

I've experimented a little with controlling relays, and therefore 
motors, lights, etc; with the parallel port.  It's easy to do using the 
eight data bits, and for each bit either 1) a resistor and transitor or 
2) an IC chip , to switch a relay using an external 12V DC power supply. 
 It's easy to connect 8 relays and I believe more can be added to each 
of the control bits, with a little more work. If you can find them, 
there's articles on converting the Radio Shack Armatron for use with a 
computer.  Controlling the parallel port is easy with Ada by using Jerry 
van Dijk's IO_ports package.  The info above is from a (12 page?) paper 
of his that he sent me  several years ago on controlling relays with the 
parallel port.  By the way, if Jerry is reading this, or someone else 
who has the paper, could you please email it to me again?  I have a hard 
copy somewhere, but I'd like a computer copy also.  The paper has 
instructions, Radio Shack part numbers, Basic code, etc.  The parts cost 
only a few dollars, you just have to supply the object you want to 
control.  I hope this helps.

Josh Highley
joshhighley@hotmail.com

*from sunny Missouri, USA* :)