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Also like "major in robotics" robotics is afaik extremely heavy in math and learning about the existing sort of toolkit of commercially available robots and parts bc industry is all about building your machines out of existing machines like giant Legos unless you really need something one off
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Oct 2, 2018 01:10
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Yeah I always wanted to work in robotics as a kid, and it's why I did mechatronic engineering, but it turns out (professional) robots are boring as hell. Make robots in your spare time, electronic product design is where the fun is.
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Oct 2, 2018 01:29
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Like I mean it's not necessarily BORING but it's a mature field that serves an incredibly capital-intensive industry, so the best way to "learn industrial robotics" would be to polish your CV, get references, and go to school formally ASAP. Or try to get a robot-adjacent EE job.
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Oct 2, 2018 01:34
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Professional robots == motor control sometimes the CAN bus fucks up and you get to debug that, too
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Oct 2, 2018 01:37
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JawnV6 posted:Professional robots == motor control I've never done any work w CAN, is there any like CAN bus stuff that's fun to do around the house or is there any reason to use it over Add Janky Wifi To Everything
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Oct 2, 2018 02:20
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Startup robotics are not as dry as the sentiment here would imply. The good news is, it's such a multidisciplinary field, you can study almost any kind of engineering (software, ME, EE) and still have a strong contribution to make. Work on whatever fun projects you want on your own time, and study SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) if you have the opportunity. That seems to be the highest demand specialization in my experience.
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Oct 2, 2018 02:24
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You can always mentor a FIRST robotics team. That got me started on a lot of tracks, and on the higher end teams, you can easily get better prep than the average purely academic university curriculum. Source: I now teach at a university and half these ECE kids can't solder or understand wire gauge let alone PID control a motor. My high schoolers put them to shame sometimes...
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Oct 2, 2018 02:36
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Edgar Allan Pwned posted:i have a weird amalgamation of electronics experience and Im ready to get into it now. It can be a good intro to G-code, which is the language/instruction set that most 3D printers operate on, and is also common in other forms of CNC machining such as milling. If it suites your interest you can also dive pretty deep into how stepper motors work, how stepper motor *drivers* work with current limiting and microstepping and all that jazz. You can also learn a lot studying the mechanical side of things like understanding the pros/cons of various forms of linear motion used in printer designs. CNC milling is something else you might try, which is on a similar level to 3D printing but maybe slightly steeper learning curve to get into first. Arduino is a good intro for getting acquainted with microcontrollers, and understanding how to interface your uC with various inputs and outputs. If functional programming is your thing you can try playing around with Lua, which is supported on a ESP8266 or ESP32 controller, which are WiFi dealies so you can make IoT stuff(teledildonics). Microcontrollers in general seem to be slowly/finally trending away from older 8-bit stuff (ATmega/PIC/MSP430/etc.) and more towards 32bit ARM based designs generally, so playing with some various ARM based dev boards definitely wouldn't hurt either. Or just watch this guy on youtube build an open source version of boston dynamics "BigDog" robot and learn some poo poo probably (i only watched a couple later vids so far but seems pretty drat impressive): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvBgUnavXrvMpuGwHP6ZxZFzWEYzzaVHj
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Oct 2, 2018 03:08
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James Bruton has been one of my idols. I don't subscribe, because for awhile there he had a lot of fluff videos, but I tune in every few months and binge.
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Oct 2, 2018 03:09
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shovelbum posted:I've never done any work w CAN, is there any like CAN bus stuff that's fun to do around the house or is there any reason to use it over Add Janky Wifi To Everything I worked for years reverse engineering and developing tools for reprogramming automotive ECU's for engine performance tuning.
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Oct 2, 2018 03:17
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sharkytm posted:I got bit when ON Semi stopped making an oddball part: a PUT, specifically the 2N6028. I bought 400+ of them from Mouser and Allied, and then Central Semi started making them again... Whatever, I've got enough to last until the end of time with my consumption of 4-6/year. I'm surprised you actually have an application for those, I've only seen one in use once. It was part of a triac controller that regulated the temperature for a 30+ year old thin film coating setup.
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Oct 2, 2018 09:55
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longview posted:I'm surprised you actually have an application for those, I've only seen one in use once. Apparently, they're also used in several electronics textbooks in sample circuits... but yeah, it's an oddball part. I'm sure I could design the part out of my board, but again, it works, and at 4-6/year, it's not worth a full blown redesign that might take a bunch of time to make reliable.
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Oct 2, 2018 14:04
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Stabby McDamage posted:the higher end teams Screw you pink team 
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Oct 2, 2018 14:40
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Edgar Allan Pwned posted:i have a weird amalgamation of electronics experience and Im ready to get into it now. C is what you're gonna want to focus on for electronics, it's pretty much the one language guaranteed to be supported by the compiler of any arbitrary processor's toolchain. As someone who has actually made sex toys talk in the past, it's not shallow and there's actually a massive amount of open source work in that area right now, check out the buttplug library (  for pictures of dildos, if your boss isn't into that). It's called that because it's a silly name, but it's meant to be a universal protocol to interface any sex toy to anything else - other sex toys, other computers, whatever. I started writing a Java implementation since the one that existed was incomplete and terrible but I never finished because 
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Oct 2, 2018 14:43
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The ideal project starting out is something that will hold your attention and that you find engaging so you want to explore and learn more about it and push through to solve problems. Not sure if I'd put this in your professional portfolio, but if it keeps you interested enough to learn stuff that's really all that matters when you're first getting into it.
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Oct 2, 2018 14:46
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Oh speaking of java projects I'll probably never finish, I'm currently working on a tool to keep track of what parts you have. Right now I keep a massive spreadsheet of everything I've ever ordered from Mouser or DigiKey or whatever, and it's gotten to the point where there's hundreds of rows and excel takes a while to load it, and it's not really easy to search or sort since excel doesn't know what a microfarad is or that only capacitors have them. I'm not aware of any inventory system specifically targeted at electronic components, at least not one that's available to the hobbyist, so I figured I'd make my own. I've got the basic structure and database stuff written already, but that's only like 20% of the whole thing so who knows if I'll ever finish it. I'll post in the thread if I do 
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Oct 2, 2018 14:59
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Partkeepr Partsbox.io Ecdb.net HardInventory Part-DB
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Oct 2, 2018 16:07
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This seemed like the most applicable thread to ask this in, I think: What would this type of connector be called, so I can find and buy some?  I recently got a 3D printer (ender 3) and also just bought what I think will be a nice soldering iron (TS80) to replace the $5 radioshack iron I bought in high school. I want to use my 18v Ridgid tool batteries to power the TS80 (via a quickcharge 3.0 usb adapter) and modeled a battery adapter in fusion 360. Using Ridgid batteries for this should be fine as the battery protection stuff is built into the battery and not the tool. I need a connector to attach to the flat spade-type terminals in the battery. I have a couple of Ridgid replacement connector parts but their size and shape aren't particularly amenable to what I'm making. I found the above picture with connectors which look perfect, I just don't know if those are available or where to buy them
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Oct 2, 2018 20:48
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Drill manufacturers will do everything in their power to prevent you from hijacking their ecosystem. You might have luck looking for drill battery parts on Thingiverse, but doubtful you'll be able to find a bespoke solution on Digikey or whatever
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Oct 2, 2018 20:54
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ante posted:Drill manufacturers will do everything in their power to prevent you from hijacking their ecosystem. Ridgid makes a $20 battery to USB charger, 2.0A though which might be too slow for what he wants. What's the need for a battery soldering iron here, anyway?
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Oct 2, 2018 21:28
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ante posted:Partkeepr I admit I didn't actually look very hard because I wanted an excuse to build a thing 
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Oct 2, 2018 21:40
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I went down a diy robot rabbit hole and now I want to build a pick and place
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Oct 2, 2018 21:43
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On thingiverse there's two battery power adapters that use ridgid replacement parts and one that takes apart an AC adapter to use the plates: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1089814 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1441414 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2379492 It's worth reading the comments for parts before printing them to see if anyone's had trouble or there's good information available. Looks like it's pretty easy to get 18V out of those packs. Ridgid flashlights are $10-15 on ebay which I'm sure could be hacked apart for the same use but probably won't look as clean.
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Oct 2, 2018 21:48
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ante posted:Drill manufacturers will do everything in their power to prevent you from hijacking their ecosystem. I'm sorry I might not have been clear. I'm just looking for the metal part which doesn't really seem proprietary. The part in the picture is from an ebay ad for a $75 ridgid to makita battery adapter. I assume the people who made the pictured adapter bought the metal part from somewhere (the plastic part is just 3D printed). The people on thingiverse and such have either used a replacement battery connector part (which I have and won't work as well as I'd like) or have taken apart a household electrical plug assembly for the plug part, which also isn't ideal. edit: Rexxed posted:On thingiverse there's two battery power adapters that use ridgid replacement parts and one that takes apart an AC adapter to use the plates: Yeah I've looked through those. The electrical connection solutions they have are usable but not ideal. The plastic battery connector models also aren't super great so I made my own. And yeah I'm staying away from hacking up old tool housing to avoid hacking up and gluing things together and also because of the price (I'm also going to make a couple battery adapters to use on other manufacturers tools) dyne fucked around with this message at 22:04 on Oct 2, 2018 |
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Oct 2, 2018 21:53
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I'm really curious what you're going to be soldering where the only power source you have is power tool batteries.
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Oct 2, 2018 22:19
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Search for battery holder. You can buy contacts separately from housings
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Oct 2, 2018 22:38
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ate all the Oreos posted:I admit I didn't actually look very hard because I wanted an excuse to build a thing And I want people to not reinvented the wheel, instead focusing on improving existing tools that the rest of us can use
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Oct 2, 2018 22:40
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shovelbum posted:I'm really curious what you're going to be soldering where the only power source you have is power tool batteries. I suppose for the same reason most homeowners use cordless tools when they could use corded, just convenience. Half the time I'm soldering stuff it's away from the workbench for one reason or another and it's annoying to deal with finding an outlet (and sometimes an extension cord).
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Oct 2, 2018 22:46
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dyne posted:I suppose for the same reason most homeowners use cordless tools when they could use corded, just convenience. Half the time I'm soldering stuff it's away from the workbench for one reason or another and it's annoying to deal with finding an outlet (and sometimes an extension cord). They make cordless soldering irons...
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Oct 2, 2018 22:48
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And he has one. A TS80, which is quite decent, even as a daily driver. Those butane ones are hot garbage. I guess I'm not understanding the confusion here. For those that just travel between home, office, repeat, why do you have a phone that requires batteries?
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Oct 2, 2018 22:50
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Also what's the entry point into a modern microcontroller vs an AVR? STM32?
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Oct 2, 2018 23:23
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I designed a similar thing for my TS100 that takes Makita batteries. And the reason that I did that, fwiw, is because I find myself soldering things on my motorcycle or my car, and lol I can't afford a garage in San Francisco so I do the work in the street. I also work with a high school competitive robotics team and sometimes you just gotta do a last-second repair right next to the field and you can't drag out an extension cord. Sure, butane irons exist, and I have a Portasol too, but the TS100 has better temperature control. kinda hard to see what's going on i guess but the idea is that it clips onto the battery and makes a little stand for the iron, and you can take it apart and fold it up and it's a carrying case:  Anyway, you can maybe buy the relevant battery connector as a replacement part? The specific piece I got to make mine was called a "terminal" and here it is for sale: https://www.ereplacementparts.com/terminal-p-719473.html
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Oct 3, 2018 00:25
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shovelbum posted:Also what's the entry point into a modern microcontroller vs an AVR? STM32? Yeah, I like the $3 STM32 from China. Called Blue Pill sometimes. You need to pick up the SWD adapter too, about $2
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Oct 3, 2018 00:59
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Sagebrush posted:I designed a similar thing for my TS100 that takes Makita batteries. And the reason that I did that, fwiw, is because I find myself soldering things on my motorcycle or my car, and lol I can't afford a garage in San Francisco so I do the work in the street. I also work with a high school competitive robotics team and sometimes you just gotta do a last-second repair right next to the field and you can't drag out an extension cord. Sure, butane irons exist, and I have a Portasol too, but the TS100 has better temperature control.
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Oct 3, 2018 01:22
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Yo is that design for FDM printing, and if so is it up on Thingiverse or anywhere? I've got Makita batteries everywhere.
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Oct 3, 2018 01:45
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shovelbum posted:Also what's the entry point into a modern microcontroller vs an AVR? STM32? My preference is the Kinetis line from NXP, but the STM32 is a good option, too.
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Oct 3, 2018 12:42
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Can someone ELI5 what ISCsquared is? I hear it a lot looking at projects and Arduino stuff. Not sure if it's something I need to learn, it seems to be the way two devices speak with eachother? And there are connectors?
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Oct 3, 2018 14:05
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Can we what? Also: https://www.isc2.org/ 
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Oct 3, 2018 14:11
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Explain like I'm 5. Think of it like CANBUS for micros.
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Oct 3, 2018 14:53
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ante posted:And I want people to not reinvented the wheel, instead focusing on improving existing tools that the rest of us can use I looked at those after you posted em' because I do get your sentiment, but the only open source ones either ran on PHP or were some weird electron/javascript abomination that used google docs as the database and neither of those seems like they would be at all... pleasant... to work with... sorry 
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Oct 3, 2018 14:59
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