MechRC Shadow Stalker, User Manual

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Page 2: ...e Control Handset does not contain any user serviceable parts Disassembling the Remote Control Handset will invalidate the product warranty The robot s servos do not contain any user serviceable parts Disassembling the servos will invalidate the product warranty Never touch the connections on the Control Module with your fingers or metallic objects as short circuits and electrostatic discharge may...

Page 3: ...ient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help Note The serial cable with ferrite bead attached is designed for exclusive use with this product Don t use others for this product ...

Page 4: ... product liability if you observe this advice MechRC does not accept liability if unapproved software parts or accessories made by other manuf acturers or third parties are used as MechRC are not in a position to assess these for their sui tability and safety Appropriate usage The MechRC Entertainment Robot System has been developed to be used as an entertainment platform an experimental platform ...

Page 5: ...or within 30 days from the date of payment of the Licence Fee the warranty period Licensor shall at its discretion correct by patch or new release at its option that part of the software which does not so comply PROVIDED THAT such non compliance has not been caused by any modification variation or addition to the software not performed by Licensor or caused by its incorrect use abuse or corruption...

Page 6: ...MechRC Ltd All other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies IN CONTRACT TORT NEGLIGENCE statutory duty OR OTHERWISE to the Licensee for any loss or damage whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with this Licence the software its use or otherwise EVEN IF LICENSOR IS NOTIFIED IN ADVANCE OF SUCH POSSIBILITY exc...

Page 7: ...he mechrc battery 15 preparing the handset for use 16 Changing the Infrared channel 17 turning on the robot handset 18 pre flight check 19 using the handset 20 handset layout 21 default handset functions 22 part ii mechrc commander software introduction to mechrc commander 26 installing mechrc commander 27 installing the usb serial adapter 29 main window layout 30 connecting to the robot 31 motion...

Page 8: ...ing an audio play list 54 creating a controller configuration 57 part iii advanced features Setting the robot s trim data 62 Setting the robot s home position 66 Renaming and adding extra joints 69 Input and output settings 72 Appendix A Decal application Decal application guide 78 ...

Page 9: ...utionary new product Every aspect of the MechRC system has been meticulously designed with you the user in mind to ensure that we provide you with the most rewarding experience that we can The MechRC system will appeal to robotics novices and enthusiasts alike delivering exciting functionality out of the box as well as a host of expansion options to keep you enthralled by this electrifying hobby W...

Page 10: ...your MechRC experience Each text box is characterised by one of the icons shown below to alert you to the significance of its contents This guide is intended to provide you with everything you need to know to get the most out of your MechRC robot taking you from robotics novice to MechRC guru in a series of easy to follow steps The guide comprises of 3 sections each one building on the last to pro...

Page 11: ...luded in the MechRC system Please take the time to check the contents of the MechRC package against the image below and the checklist in the side panel MechRC Commander The easy to use MechRC Commander Software gives you complete control over your robot s actions Electronic Expansion The MechRC control module allows users to experiment and build their own electronic peripherals Mechanical Expansio...

Page 12: ...orward Back Left Knee Left Foot Forward Back Left Foot Side to Side Right Shoulder body Right Hip Side to Side Right Shoulder arm Right Elbow Right Hip Forward Back Right Knee Right Foot Forward Back Right Foot Side to Side Power Switch RS232 Connection Battery Cover Screw Battery Connection Your left or mine Throughout this guide and in the software we will refer to left and right from the point ...

Page 13: ...12 13 Part I Getting Started ...

Page 14: ... battery adapter 2 When the battery has finished charging the green light on t h e c h a r g e r w i l l illuminate Unplug the charger unit from the mains power 4 Undo the battery cover screw located on the b a c k o f t h e r o b o t between the legs It should be possible to undo with your fingers but if the screw is tight you may need to use a medium flat bladed screwdriver 1 Remove the battery ...

Page 15: ...annels 1 and 2 with the selector switch located on the underside of the handset 3 Warning Please pay careful attention to the battery warning notices printed at the start of this guide Incorrect installation of batteries could cause perma nent damage to the remote control handset and may re sult in fire The factory default channel setting for both the robot and the handset is Channel 1 If you need...

Page 16: ...t falling over and causing damage to itself pay careful attention for sud den movements of the joints which could cause fingers to be trapped or crushed The safest place to hold the robot during power up is on the side of the body below the chest indicated by the arrows on the illustration on the fac ing page For further safety instructions on operating the robot please refer to the guidelines pri...

Page 17: ... controlling the robot For maximum range of communication between the handset and robot please observe the illustration below when operating the robot Right Direction Pad RD Left Direction Pad LD Right Joystick RJ Function Pad F Right Joystick LJ Right Shoulder Button RS Right Trigger RT L e f t S h o u l d e r Button LS Left Trigger L T using the handset 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 45 O ...

Page 18: ...e Motion Description Looping Motion RD6 Matrixed MRCmot Robot prepares for battle No RD7 Karate MRCmot Robot performs the crane move No LS RD1 Bounce MRCmot Robot bounces up and down No LS RD2 Flapper Right MRCmot Robot stands on left leg and flaps arms No LS RD3 Sink and Swim Robot does a dance from the 60 s No LS RD4 Pirouette Right MRCmot Robot stands on left leg and stretches No LS RD5 Russian...

Page 19: ...24 25 Part II MechRC Commander Software ...

Page 20: ...h e n t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n program runs click the Next button to preceed with the installation process 2 If you agree to the terms and conditions set out in the End User License Agreement select I accept and click on the Next button 3 If you want to expand your knowledge of the MechRC Commander software beyond the information given in this guide log on to the official MechRC website for v...

Page 21: ...2 adapter To install the adapter please follow the instructions on this page Windows Vista Users Windows Vista includes the required drivers as standard and will automatically install the required drivers when the adapter is plugged in Select the shortcut icons you wish to be installed 5 6 Additional components that may be installed on your computer During the installation p r o c e s s t h e i n ...

Page 22: ...n in the Control Panel or right click on My Computer and select Properties 1 Select the Hardware tab and then click Device Manager to view your hardware configuration 2 Locate the Ports COM LPT entry in the hardware list to see what physical serial ports your PC has if your PC has a 9 pin serial connection it will be listed here or which COM port the USB adapter is providing This port will be deno...

Page 23: ...screen 6 Power up the robot and click on the Connect to Robot icon on the universal tool bar 8 To disconnect from the robot click on the Disconnect from Robot icon on the universal tool bar 10 If the connection fails check the physical connections to the robot and double check the COM port settings in the device manager Note that if you are connecting to a serial port built into the PC there may b...

Page 24: ...to the next By stringing together a number of these frames complex motions can be sequenced Motions are edited under the Motion tab in the main program window the layout of which is shown below Joint Selection Tool Pan Camera Rotate Camera Zoom Camera In Out Fit Robot to Screen Apply Loop to Frame Set Frame Transition Time Set Frame Delay Time Set Frame I O Insert Home Frame Insert Duplicate Frame...

Page 25: ... arrows to the left of the field to fine tune the value Next you will need to move the joints of the robot to give the pose that you want for the first step in the motion Most joints can be moved to any position between 90 and 90 degrees although the arc of travel for some joints may be limited by the frame of the robot This can be done in one of the three ways described here Note that if a connec...

Page 26: ...f a connection to the robot is established the robot will move simultaneously with the robot on screen 8 R e m e m b e r t o save your motion file by clicking on the Save icon on the universal tool bar The file will be saved as a MRCmot file in the MechRC Data Motions Shadow Stalker f o l d e r i n M y Documents 9 First transition time in a motion file New frames not those copied from elsewhere ar...

Page 27: ...rame immediately before the location you wish to insert the copied frame 2 At any point while editing a motion file a controller file or settings you may click the Undo button to cancel the last action performed Undo and Redo The MechRC Commander software includes these standard editing facilities to help you to recover from accidental changes made to your work You can undo or redo up to five leve...