we’ll use the
Plus
moniker only when we need to highlight a difference between them.
Both sport the new microcontroller based on the Hitachi H8S microprocessor with new
control systems and I/O expansion capabilities. Only the
Plus
has the new enhanced
motor-power board and systems.
Software-wise, the Performance PeopleBots are upwardly compatible with all other
Activ
Media robots, including Pioneer 2. The new
Activ
Media Robotics Operating System
(AROS) software extends—but does not replace—the original PSOS and P2OS. This
means that even programs that interface at the lowest communication levels will work
with
all
Activ
Media robot platforms. This also means that the higher level clients and
applications, including Saphira, ARIA, Basic Suite, and others including your own
software, will work with AROS and any host
Activ
Media robot just as they had worked
with PSOS or P2OS.
Of course, you will have to extend your client software in order to
take full advantage of AROS.
To the relief of those who have invested years in developing software for Pioneer 1 and
Pioneer 2, the Performance PeopleBot truly does combine the best of the new mobile
robot technologies with the tried-and-true Pioneer architecture.
M
ODES OF
O
PERATION
You may operate your Performance PeopleBot in one of five modes:
Server
Joydrive
Self-test
Maintenance
Standalone
Server Mode
The H8S microcontroller comes with fully programmable 128K FLASH and 32K dynamic
RAM included in its Hitachi 18-MHz H8S/2357 microprocessor. An additional 512K of
dynamic RAM or FLASH-ROM is available as optional equipment. But we don't
recommend that you start learning H8S programming. Rather, the robot comes to you
installed with the latest AROS robotics server software.
In conjunction with client software, such as ARIA, Saphira, or
Activ
Media Basic Suite
Navigator running on an onboard or other user-supplied computer, AROS lets you take
advantage of modern client-server and robot-control technologies to perform
advanced robot tasks.
Most users operate their
Activ
Media robot in server mode, because it gives them quick,
easy access to its robotics functionality while working with high-level software on a
familiar host computer.
Maintenance and Standalone Modes
For experiments in microcontroller-level operation of your robot’s functions, you may
reprogram the onboard FLASH for direct and standalone operation of your
Activ
Media
robot. We supply the means to download, but not the microcontroller's programming
software, for you to work in standalone mode.
The utilities we provide for you to reprogram the H8S-based microcontroller's FLASH also
may be used to update and upgrade your robot’s AROS. In a special Maintenance
Mode, you also adjust your robot’s operating parameters that AROS uses as default
6
The two-time gold medal winners of the International RoboCup robot soccer competition used Pioneer 1s one
year and quickly converted to Pioneer 2s in the next year.
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