FM VERİCİ

Bluetooth Controlled Mobot using Z8F0823 and LMX9838.



It's supposed to be my entry for a friendly competitions of "sumobots". But, I wasn't able to make it "autonomous" on time for the event. It only have four sensors on each corner to detect "black" lines, but no sensor for detecting an opponent. And so that I can still test the hardware, I just made it manually controllable by using my phone's bluetooth. The bluetooth module is the same circuit I used in my BT minibot . I also used the same python S60 script for my N6120c (Symbian phone) controller.























forum link: Filipino Version of Robot Wars

It is basically based on technical note (TN004201-0905) by ZiLOG: Technique for Measuring System Temperature Using the On-chip Temperature Sensor of the Z8 Encore! XP®. I just copied the routine for measuring the temperature. The main difference is, in stead of sending the result through the UART of Z8F042A (i.e. using Hyperterminal), I used Nokia 5110 LCD to display the temperature reading. N5110 LCD has the same LCD controller with that of N3310 LCD (so, N3310 LCD can also be used with this project).

The equation used for temperature reading is:

integrated on-chip temperature sensor (ITS) temperature:
T = (25/128)*ADC – 77
where,
T is the temperature in C
ADC represents the 10-bit compensated ADC register value

I was also able to implement a different approach in computing the temperature of the on-chip sensor using the sample code from this application note AN019102-0708 also by ZiLOG: Reading Temperature Using the F082A Series MCUs. Unfortunately, I don't know why the result is different from the previous approach. And I don't have the time (and an accurate thermometer) to test which one is correct (although both of them are not accurate enough compared to of using external temperature sensor). Also, in the datasheet of F082A series, there's a parameter called TSCAL (Temperature Sensor Calibration Data) which I never noticed in the sample codes of the two. I also tried doing my own code starting from 'scratch' (using the datasheet as the only reference), but I always failed. The hardest part is on the compensating of the ADC results.

Download:
source code (w/ HEX) and schematic: Z8042A temperature sensor.rar

edited (Jan 16, 2009):
uses this equation from the datasheet in stead of the previous one:

V = 0.01 * T + 0.65 (where T is the temperature in C; V is the sensor output in Volts)

forum link: digital thermometer using 8-pin Z8F042A

Due to their wide availability in the local markets, old Nokia LCDs are the best alternatives for those expensive GLCDs. They can be bought cheaply at many cellphone parts shops (N3310 lcds usually cost only around Php100 each). Interfacing them with microcontrollers can easily be done using serial communication (e.g. SPI protocol).

Nokia 3530/3510i LCD
98x67 pixels , 4096 colors








Nokia 6610/6100 LCD
132x132 pixels, 4096 colors
(good backlights,
but the connector is difficult to use)







Nokia 3310/5110 LCD
84x48 pixels, monochrome
(very common and relatively cheap)








some links for N3310/N5110 LCDs:
Using Nokia 3310 LCD as Display for PIC Projects
Nokia 3310 LCD LPH7779
Nokia 3310 LCD Image Encoder
DIY scope using Z8F0823 and N3310 LCD

Serial Port Flash Loader for 8-Pin Z8F Zilog Encore(XP)

One major problem for the ZiLOG 8-pin mcu's is that it needs an expensive usb smart cable in order for the program to be 'flashed'/'burned' to their memory. This application aims to address this problem, by using a common serial port for flash loading (reading and erasing as well) instead of using an expensive tool.



For now,it's only tested with 8-pin Z8F042A. Hopefully in the future, it can also support other ZiLOG MCUs, not only these 8-pins (those 20- and 28-pins should be easier to program).

download: Flash Loader for 8-Pin Z8F.rar

forum link for project progress: Serial Port Flash Loader for 8-Pin Zilog MCUs

update(123009):
already tested with 8-pin z8f0423 and 28-pin z8f082a (yes, soic-28 also)

update(010110):
Win32 Executable verion: Flash Loader for 8-Pin Z8F (WIN32 Executable).rar
it only requires msvcp90.dll - most Win32 OS already have this; if not yet installed, it can be downloaded from Microsoft.