Setting Up the Zybot - Hardware, Round and Tall Edition

This Instructable is one part of a six-part series that will go through building the Zybot. This Instructable will guide you through everything you need to assemble the hardware of the Zybot.

For more information about the Zybot view this blog post.

There are two instructables on the hardware of the Zybot for two different versions. It doesn't matter which you follow.

The Zybot is a robot that is controlled by an Xbox controller through WiFi. It also has a camera that you can access via the WiFi. The ZYBO is an embedded software and digital circuit development board that we are using to run Linux.

At this point you should have completed the power considerations instructable. We are going to be setting up the hardware for the robot. Including the body, motor, camera arm and other miscellaneous parts we need for the robot to run. To make the Zybot you will need a lot of materials. I don't want to make a huge list here so I will list the parts in the next 2 steps, grouped based on where you might find these parts.

What You'll Need:

- 2 Printed Base Plates

The Printed Base plate is a rounded base plate and the STL file can be here. You can either 3D print them if you have access or send them out to a 3D printing service.

- 1 Motor Mount

- 2 DC Motors

- 2 GWS Servos

- Servo Mounting Bracket Kit

- Wheel Kit D-Hub

- Wheel Kit Spined Hub

- Sticky Rubber Tires

- 2 Pin MTE Power Cables

- 2 Pmod HB5

- 1 PmodCON3

- 3 Pmod Clips

- 1 ZYBO

- 1 VRM

or a suitable alternative

- 1 USB Webcam or equivalent

- 1 USB Wireless Adapter or equivalent

- This WiFi dongle will work as the original reached it's end of life

- 1 Tail Skid

- 1 Zybo Accessory Kit

- 1 USB Hub

- 1 Long Screw and Nut Kit

6 of each 1/2 inch screws

- Long Standoffs

At least 2 inch tall standoffs, like the ones found on this page.

- 3 Pmod Cables

You can find all of the Digilent Parts in this wishlist.

Assorted Parts:

- Zipties

- Neck Piece

The Neck piece can be made of a variety of materials. What it is depends on the height you want from the camera. You can see the piece I choose in the image above. It is a piece of a 3D printed platform.

- Two Colors of Wire

Tools:

- Screwdriver

- Wire Strippers

- Wire Cutters

- Pliers

Grab one of the round base plates and place with the ridges facing up.

Open the motor mount and set aside the large motor mount screw kit. Set the motor mount on the base plate with the center screw holes on top of the reinforced screw holes.

Find the Long Screw Kit, or the long screws and nuts that you purchased.

Using the long screws and nuts, attach the motor mount to the base plate. Make sure the tops of the screws are face up.

Take out the two DC motors and their tiny screw kits.

Using the tiny screws, attach the motors to the motor mount.

Note: These screws are outrageously tiny, if you drop them, you will never find them again.

Grab the black plastic tail skid, and two more of the long screws and nuts.

Attach the tail skid to the base plate where there are raised ridges on the round side. Use the long screws and nuts.

Find the wheel kit with the D-hub connector. These would be the wheels with the D shaped hole in the center.

Attach the wheels to the motors. To do this you just push the wheels on the shaft of the motor.

Obtain two of the three Pmod clips.

Attach the two Pmod clips to the base plate with the enclosed screws and nuts. You can see the placement in the image in this step.

Pop in the two PmodHB5s to the Pmod clips. Plug in the PmodHB5sto the motors.

Obtain the long standoffs, short standoffs, and 4 small screws from the servo bracket kit.

Attach one of the long and short standoffs to the base plate in the position shown in the image. Stick the screw end of the long standoff into the hole on the base plate and screw the short standoff onto the long standoff.

Attach the other 3 standoffs in a similar manner.

Attach the second base plate to the long standoffs using the small screws from the servo kit.

Get out the two servo mounts from the servo mounting kit.

Attach the two servo mounts together using the large screws from the double motor mount kit.

Get out one servo. Remove the white circular attachment from the servo by unscrewing it.

Attach the servo without the white attachment as shown with 4 of the screws and nuts from the servo mounting kit.

Attach the other servo as shown in the image attached to this step.

Find the wheels with the splined connector. Get out one wheel.

Attach the Splined wheel to the top base plate using the final two long screws and nuts. The placement is shown in the image in this step.

Attach the Zybo to the top base plate using 4 screws from the servo mounting kit.

Attach the third Pmod clip to the top base plate with the enclosed screws and nuts.

Pop the VRM into the Pmod clip you attached in the last step.

Plug the Pmod CON 3 into the top row of Pmod Port JD.

Plug in the first PmodHB5. Take one Pmod cable and plug it into the top of the Pmod port to the left of the PmodCON3. Pay close attention to the start on the cable. Note which pin it is plugged into.

Plug the other end of the same cable into the PmodHB5, again taking note of the placement of the star. If it was on pin one of the Pmod port, it needs to be on pin one on the PmodHB5.

Plug in the second PmodHB5.

Take the two Pmod cables and one 6 pin header. Plug the two cables together paying close attention to the location of the stars. Make sure the stars are together.

Plug one end of the extended cable into the same Pmod Port as before, but the lower set, and the other end of the second PmodHB5. Again, pay attention to the location of the stars.

Obtain the USB Hub.

Plug the USB Hub into the Zybo.

Place the USB hub on the bottom base plate as shown.

Using two zipties, attach the USB hub to the bottom base plate. Secure the cord with another ziptie.

Attach the USB WiFi Dongle to one of the USB ports of the USB hub.

Using more zipties, secure the Pmod cables.

Attach the Zybo to power using one of the MTE cables. Plug one end into the 5V and GND input of the Zybo and the other end into the 5V side of the VRM.

Attach the PmodCON3 to power using another MTE cable. Plug one end into the VRM 5 V output and one end into the input of the PmodCON3. Plug in the center Voltage input but do not plug in the ground of the PmodCON3.

Cut wires to power the PmodHB5s. You need to cut one wire for ground and one wire for power, one set for each Pmod. You can judge the length by eye from the VRM 12V screw terminal to the PmodHB5 screw terminal.

Strip about a quarter inch off each end.

Screw in the wires to the 12 V side of the VRM. Two into VCC, two into GND.

Attach the wires to the PmodHB5s screw terminals paying close attention to which wire is voltage and which wire is ground.

Using some more zip ties contain the wires.

Get out the Sticky Rubber Tires and put them on the wheels.

Plug the servos into the splined wheel hub. Pushing the splined hub of the servo without a round plastic piece, into the splined hub hole of the wheel.

Plug the two servos into the PmodCON3 paying close attention to the orientation.

Attach the camera with zip ties and whatever camera neck piece you decided on.

Double check all the parts with this image and the previous steps and move on to setting up the controller.

If you want more information about the Zybot view all the instructables in the collection, and read the introductory blog post.