Overview

The Serializer 3.0 Robot Controller provides a ready-to-use solution to interface the Microsoft™ .NET framework, or C++ applicaitons to the most common robotic hardware.

Never before has it been this easy to interface DC motors, servos, analog sensors, I2C slave devices, single and quadrature encoders, switches/relays, and other devices to the .NET framework and/or C++ applications.

Develop Intelligent Apps

The Serializer was developed to allow developers to hit the ground running with their robotic application. Why waste time re-implementing bit-twiddling routines and interfacing hardware, when that time could be better spent developing a higher level (and smarter) application that allows your robot to do something meaningful?

The Serializer requires absolutely no low level programming whatsoever. Instead, developers simply take advantage of the free Serializer .NET and Serializer C++ libraries to effortlessly query or control their hardware.

Multiple Serial Interfaces

The new Serializer 3.0 is the third generation of the Serializer, and it allows customers to use choose from four different serial interfaces (three are interchangeable). The pluggable interface modules include RS-232, USB, or XBee/XBee Pro. The TTL serial port is built into the base Serializer board. XBee, USB, and RS-232 modules are purchased separately here

Serial Interface modules (click to enlarge)

Various Serializer Configurations (click to enlarge)

Each serial interface module quickly plugs into the base Serializer board, and communication w/ the board can be established in less than a minute.

Having pluggable serial modules means you'll be able to swap the modules in/out, and you won't be stuck with a single interface. This is a great feature, especially if you plan on using the Serializer to control various projects in the future. NOTE: Only one serial interface can be used at a time with the Serializer.

The Serializer WL can be controlled by any device featuring a complimentary serial device on the other end (e.g. RS232-to-RS232, USB-to-USB, Bluetooth-to-Bluetooth, XBee-to-XBee). This could be a Personal Computer, a PDA, a Cell Phone, a PC104 board, a Single Board Computer, or a microcontroller.

Wireless Connectivity

The XBee/XBee Pro serial interface provides Wireless connectivity, making it extremely easy to communicate with the Serializer (and thus your robot) between distances reaching 100 and 300 feet (line of sight situations will yield longer distances, where communicating through dense/metal walls will yield shorter distances).

Thanks to the XBee/XBee Pro modules, customers can now connect to multiple Serializers using a single COM port on a host controller (PC, laptop, embedded controller, etc.). This means you can control multiple robots simultaneously that utilize the Serializer robot controller, using a single host computer! This allows customers to experiment developing various swarming behaviors!

Host Controllers & OSes

The Serializer WL can be controlled by any device featuring a complimentary serial device on the other end (e.g. RS232-to-RS232, USB-to-USB, Bluetooth-to-Bluetooth, XBee-to-XBee). This could be a Personal Computer, a PDA, a Cell Phone, a PC104 board, a Single Board Computer, or a microcontroller.

The Serializer WL can be used on both Windows and Linux OSes, either with the .NET or C++ libraries. Customers can leverage the .NET library under Linux using the Mono runtime, or by simply using the C++ library.

Simple Communication Protocol

The Serializer utilizes a very simple control protocol to communicate serially to host devices. Any computer can communicate using this protocol.

However, to make developing applications that communicate with the Serializer faster, you can choose to use either our Serializer™ .NET library, or our Serializer C++ Lib. The Serializer .NET and Serializer C++ libraries implement the communication protocol, and provide an easy to use object oriented interface.

NOTE: The firmware for Serializer 3.0 is not compatible with prior versions of Serializers. This is because we updated the bootloader, and added additional functionality that wouldn't fit into prior Serializer models.

New 3.0 Enhancements!

• We doubled the speed to 40Mhz!
• We doubled the size of Program space (EEPROM) to 64K!
• We added 3 additonal I/O lines!
• We removed the overlap of I/O functionality for pins 1,2 with the I2C port! I/O Pins 1,2 can now be used with the i2c port simultaneously!
• We added XBee Pro modules hardware support for greater wireless range!
• We updated the firmware so that you can use one COM port to talk to multiple Serializers!**
• We added new firmware functionality to make debugging easier!
• We moved to a more robust bootloader, making firmware upgrades incredibly easy and fast!
• We added a heatsink on the input voltage regulator to ensure cool operation at 12V!
• We added an additional power terminal for unregulated servo power input!
• We've open sourced the Serializer .NET API!
• The best of all is that we lowered the price to $99.95! Good luck finding another controller with this much functionality (and 4A h-bridges) for this price!

**Undergoing final testing. This functionality will be available early Q1 2010 - We want to make sure this functionality is properly tested to make is easy for customers to use!

Serializer Specs

• Power LED
• Onboard input voltage regulator (12V max)
• One User defineable LED + 2 Bicolor LEDs for H-Bridge duty cycle status
• Dual 4 Amp H-Bridges - control 2 DC motors, or one Bipolar Stepper Motor
• External H-Bridge interface via headers
• Velocity and Distance PID control algorithm built in (works for most drivetrain configurations)
• I2C Port
• Six 10-bit Analog Inputs (one is tied internally to battery supply voltage)
• 13 I/O lines (six can be used for servo control)
• Onboard TTL serial port
• Dual single/quadrature encoder input ports
• Three serial interface modules to choose from (RS-232, USB, and XBee/XBee Pro)
• All serial modules are interchangeable
• Reset Button
• Easy connect Board Power input screw terminals
• Easy connect Servo Power input screw terminals
• Easy connect Motor Power output screw terminals
• Input voltage regulator heat sink

(Click image for larger view)

Click on an icon below to learn more about the Serializer v3.0:


Digi X-CTU Application Download (for configuring Xbee module settings)

Older Serializer 2.0 User Documentation

Serializer 2.0 Robot Controller User Guide

• Serializer Dimensions (gif)

DC Characteristics:

Ambient temperature under bias: -55 to +125°C

Storage temperature: -65°C to +150°C

Voltage on any pin with respect to VSS: -0.3V to (VDD + 0.3V)

Voltage on VDD with respect to VSS: -0.3 to +7.5V

Total power dissipation on digital I/O pins: 1.0W

Maximum current out of VSS pin: 300 mA

Maximum current into VDD pin: 250 mA

Input clamp current, IIK (VI < 0 or="" VI="" > VDD): 20 mA

Output clamp current, IOK (VO < 0 or="" VO="" > VDD): 20 mA

Maximum output current sunk by any I/O: 25 mA

Maximum output current sourced by any I/O pin: 25 mA