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Step 6The PICAXE Microcontroller
What’s this PICAXE thingy? The PICAXE is a micro-controller, or a computer on a microchip. It is the computer brain of your Roverbot. It’s not as powerful as the computer in your video game console, or your laptop computer, but it does have circuits for processing, memory, logic, input and output. You can find micro-controllers in many toys, your DVD player, your TV, your microwave oven, and nowadays even in your washing machine and dryer. In your microwave, for example, the micro-controller processes what you punch in on the keypad, outputs information on the display screen, controls the cooking time, the turntable, and the bell when your dinner has finished cooking.
The Snap Circuits block (U14) that serves as the PICAXE carrier is specially labeled to more easily identify the pins on the PICAXE microcontroller chip. Think of the chip as a square bug with eight legs. There is a notch in the top to help you orient the chip and a little dot marks leg 1. Legs and pins can sometimes get confusing, but on the U14 block the legs (and the corresponding snaps the legs are connected to) are labeled in red 1-8 going in the counterclockwise direction. The functions of each leg are labeled in blue.
Leg 1 (snap 1): This is the postive (+) voltage input. It can take from 3 volts to 5 volts. You will want to avoid putting more than 5 volts through the PICAXE since this might damage it.
Leg 2 (snap 2): S-In. Serial In pin--it is used to download your program to the PICAXE.
Leg 3 (snap 3): This pin 4! Luckily the snaps are labeled or the pin numbers could get confusing. Pin 4 can be used as an Input pin or an output pin. In the previous step this is the pin the program set to high to send current to the motor for ten seconds. then the program set the pin low to cut the power to stop the motor from spinning.
Leg 4 (snap 4): This is pin 3. It is an Input only pin
Leg 5 (snap 5): This is pin 2. It can be used as an Input pin or an output pin
Leg 6 (snap 6): This is pin 1. It can be used as an Input pin or an output pin
Leg 7 (snap 7): This is pin 0. It is an Ouptut only pin. It is also the Serial Out pin. This pin will also be used when downloading your program to the PICAXE.
Leg 8 (snap 8): This is GND or Negative (-) for the PICAXE
The Snap Circuits block (U14) that serves as the PICAXE carrier is specially labeled to more easily identify the pins on the PICAXE microcontroller chip. Think of the chip as a square bug with eight legs. There is a notch in the top to help you orient the chip and a little dot marks leg 1. Legs and pins can sometimes get confusing, but on the U14 block the legs (and the corresponding snaps the legs are connected to) are labeled in red 1-8 going in the counterclockwise direction. The functions of each leg are labeled in blue.
Leg 1 (snap 1): This is the postive (+) voltage input. It can take from 3 volts to 5 volts. You will want to avoid putting more than 5 volts through the PICAXE since this might damage it.
Leg 2 (snap 2): S-In. Serial In pin--it is used to download your program to the PICAXE.
Leg 3 (snap 3): This pin 4! Luckily the snaps are labeled or the pin numbers could get confusing. Pin 4 can be used as an Input pin or an output pin. In the previous step this is the pin the program set to high to send current to the motor for ten seconds. then the program set the pin low to cut the power to stop the motor from spinning.
Leg 4 (snap 4): This is pin 3. It is an Input only pin
Leg 5 (snap 5): This is pin 2. It can be used as an Input pin or an output pin
Leg 6 (snap 6): This is pin 1. It can be used as an Input pin or an output pin
Leg 7 (snap 7): This is pin 0. It is an Ouptut only pin. It is also the Serial Out pin. This pin will also be used when downloading your program to the PICAXE.
Leg 8 (snap 8): This is GND or Negative (-) for the PICAXE
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