Lever Switch for Bluebot Obstacle Avoiding Robot

[deleted-321806]

I have searched everywhere on the internet for the lever switch required to make my robot for my science fair project. I didn't order the kit just to save money but I can't find specific lever switch with leads to finish it. I was wondering what the model is. Please help because I am pretty much stuck at this point. Thank you!

[deleted-249560]

It's likely that the group assembling the kits for Science Buddies added the wires. For most people, a lever switch with breadboard leads wouldn't be of much use. The good news is that you can buy just about any lever switch you like (http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... _187805_-1 is one from Jameco which looks pretty close) and modify it any way you need to.

To attach the leads, the easiest way is to take two or three longer breadboard jumper wires you might have, leave one male pin end and cut off the other. Strip the wire back, put it through the hole in the tab and twist it on. Now you have three ways of making it more secure if you want to.

1) The best way is to solder it in place. An inexpensive soldering iron is $10 or less (Jameco has one http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... 2131151_-1 or you can find them at Radio Shack and many other places). Make sure you have permission to use hot things and get help if you need it, but carefully heat the connection and apply a little solder. That's how connections are made in commercial products and how professional engineers would do this.

2) http://www.amazon.com/Sciplus-Electrica ... B000Z9H7ZW is an example of electrically conductive glue. I can't specifically recommend this brand as i haven't used it, but putting a dab of this on your twisted connection ought to work fine.

3) Just a bit of tape to hold it in place might work but it's not going to work as well as the other two methods.

If you aren't comfortable trying to solder at home, you might ask at your school if the shop teacher or computer teacher has a soldering iron and would help you attach your wires. As you go on and build more robots you'll find that your 'maker' skills in finding and using parts will help you build cooler and cooler robots. Good luck at the fair!

Write back if you have other questions of any trouble finding what you need for parts.

Howard

[bfinio]

Hi Ceejay327,

Howard is correct that the company that assembles the BlueBot kits attaches the leads for us. We do that since many of our users do not have soldering irons. This is the switch used in the kit, but the one Howard linked should also work:

http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... llDownView

Hope that helps.

-Ben

[deleted-321806]

Thank you for the valuable information!

[deleted-321806]

One more question, I have purchased the chassis and the red lead for my right DC Motor broke off. I was wondering where I can find a place to replace it quickly or repair it somehow? Thank you!

[bfinio]

Hi Ceejay,

Are you asking where you can buy replacement leads, or where you can buy replacement motors? Like what Howard described with the switch, this is a pretty easy repair to do if you have a soldering iron. You can just solder the lead right back on. If not, you can try using electrically conductive glue, or worst-case scenario try taping it back on. It's kind of silly (and expensive) to buy new motors just because one lead broke off. Even if you wanted to do that, I'm not sure if anyone sells just the motors (without the chassis) with the leads already attached. Jameco does sell the motors but I don't think they come with leads attached:

http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... 2150432_-1

If you just need to buy new leads, there are a variety of jumper wire kits available from Jameco: http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... =jamecoall and you could solder one end of those onto the motors, like Howard described previously for the switch.

Also, to pre-emptively avoid breaking the rest of the leads, you can try gluing or taping the connection point on the motor, to reinforce it and make the lead harder to break off.

Hope that helps, please write back if you have more questions.

[deleted-321806]

Hello! Just a quick question. Is there any way to wire the following lever switch:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/40923147?wmls ... 29&veh=sem

[deleted-249560]

The switch called for in the project is an SPDT switch (Single Pole Double Throw) which means it makes one connection when the switch is released (normal state) and one when it's pressed. The description of the switch you provided says it's an SPDT switch so it should be fine. There should be one terminal marked C (Common) which is used in both connections, one marked NO (Normally Open) which is NOT connected when the switch is just sitting there and IS connected when the switch is pressed, The third connection is NC (Normally Closed) which is connected when the switch just sits and NOT connected when you press it.

The circuit diagram in the project idea page isn't marked as it should be, but I'll guess that the switches are shown in the normal or not pressed state. Looking at the switch on the far right, the topmost connection is NC, the center (off to the right) is C and the bottom is NO.

Write back if you have any other questions. Nice find on the switch with screw terminals. That one is likely to be a beast though. It can handle a lot of power so it may be pretty big and heavy.

Howard

[deleted-321806]

So would you strip a wire, solder the tips, and wrap it around the screw, or do I need a screw terminal wire connector?

[deleted-249560]

You still need a breadboard tip to go into the breadboard, but you can get those by taking wires from your wiring kit and cutting them in half. Where you cut the wire, strip off a bit and then either wrap it around the screw if it's that type, or some screw terminal have a hole where you insert the wire and then hold in place with the screw. I can't tell from the picture which type that is. You don't need to solder the wire before connecting it to the screw although that would help keep it rigid enough to wrap. If you don't solder it, give it a really good twist to keep the strands as tightly squeezed together as possible if it's stranded wire.

Howard

[deleted-321806]

Ok so I finally got my robot working thanks to you Howard . Only problem is now, once the lever switches are pressed, the robot's wheels just stop instead of going in reverse.

[deleted-249560]

Are you having the problem with just one side or with both?

Since the circuit is so simple, you must either have a wiring issue or a bad part (switch or the H-bridge chip). I have to assume you've double and triple checked your wiring for errors? Can you shoot a few clear pictures of the breadboard so I can see what you did?

Just to make sure, the switch you got had three terminals and you identified one as common, one as NO and one as NC? Also, do you have a multimeter?

Howard

If you can't post here, I'll give you another link to upload them.

[deleted-330573]

This is not exactly about the lever switch for the robot but it pertains to the experiment.

I started making the RedBot version of this project and now I can't find that one ANYWHERE. I have all the materials and everything necessary for the project and I do not want to buy the bluebot kit. So if anyone has the old instructions, then could they please email them to me at: [removed by administrator]

I really need these instructions and I can not buy the new kit. So please please please send it to me as soon as possible. Thank you.

[bfinio]

Hi,

If you see this message, please delete your email address from your post. We have a policy about not posting personal contact information in the forums. Otherwise a moderator will remove the contact info anyway, but I doubt anyone was checking the forums over the holiday weekend.

We will still be able to send you a PDF of the old Redbot directions, but I believe you might have to email our customer service first (that avoids publicly posting your email in the forums). I will check back as soon as I hear from our customer service person about how to do that.

Finally, for future reference it is probably best to create a new thread for questions like this.

Thanks,

Ben