HANcoder/Training Material/SmartCar
Contents
Introduction
The smart car developed in part by HAN-AR is an all-in-one solution for beginner automotive students. It has built-in support for an OLIMEXINO-STM32, which utilizes a 32-bit microcontroller from STMicroelectronics. additionally, the platform has support for the following modules/features:
- Third party Arduino shields
- Third party motor drivers
- Inertial measurements unit (IMU)
- It has room for implementing your own electronics with a prototyping pcb (5*7cm) & breadboard
- Onboard speed sensor
- LIPO battery with an XT60 connector
- Current measurement functionality (±20A)
- Wireless emergency stop functionality
Schematic & Board images
EAGLE files, parts list
Eagle files: File:Eagle Smart Car PCB.zip
Parts list: File:Parts list.zip
Assembly Instructions
How to put the thing together
Mechanical construction
The vehicle’s base frame
The vehicle consists of a basic frame that is manufactured by a company called “Reely”. This frame is pre-built and consists of the following components:
- The chassis containing
- Transmission
- Drive shaft
- Differential
- Suspension
The frame comes without a motor and wheels. Therefore, these components must also be included in the construction of the vehicle. The wheels and the motor are thus separately ordered. The motor type is a brushed DC motor instead of the brushless alternative. This is because brushless DC motors are easier to drive, as this can be done with an H-bridge circuit. The dimensions of the vehicle are as follows:
- Length : 365mm
- Width : 190mm
- Height : 122mm
- Wheelbase : 260mm
Mounting frame
The mounting frame is the frame on which the electronics can be fastened to. This mounting frame can be fastened to the vehicle via four posts. Under normal circumstances, these posts are used to mount a cover in order to style the vehicle. This is now retrofitted in order to fasten a plate to the vehicle. See the figure below.
The frame is made from 6mm thick birch plywood. Birch plywood has been chosen as the material because of the following reasons:
- It can easily be cut by a laser cutter
- It is cheap and widely available
- It is not brittle compared to other materials such as acrylic
Mainboard funtionalities
Olimexino support
The OLIMEXINO-STM32 is a development board that houses a 32-bit microcontroller within. With the help of the OLIMEXINO-STM32, it is possible to control the vehicle's actions. The vehicle has a mainboard with built-in support for the OLIMEXINO-STM32. The OLIMEXINO can be fitted to a dedicated slot. See figure below.
There are several pins the user has access to when the OLIMEXINO-STM32 is utilized. The pins that are accessible are:
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Third party Arduino shield support
The mainboard on the vehicle has support for Arduino shields. Many different Arduino compatible shields can be fitted onto the mainboard in order to expand the functionality of the vehicle. A dedicated connector has been made to fit this purpose. See figure below.
For more information about third party Arduino shields, click here.
