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Perhaps the easiest way to make a tail is to use a short length of spiral wrap. If you don't have spiral
wrap then you can make some by feeding a drinking straw through a pencil sharpener. The pencil
sharpener will probably need a new blade as it has to be sharp.
Plug one end with some hotglue or putty. Then use a self tapping screw to mount it at the back of the
chassis as shown in the second photo. If you can get hold of a small shaker motor from an old mobile
phone then mount it on the tail and connect it to the left motor output. The sample code will shake the
tail harder as your hand gets closer.
Step 23. Installing the software
To install the sample code you must first have the Arduino IDE version 18 or later running on your
computer. Download here .
The Magician controller uses the CP2102 interface IC. Depending on your OS you may need to install
drivers. You can download the USB drivers as well as the QuadBot Puppy program from my support
site .
Once you have the Arduino IDE running, you can open the program. Make sure you have the version
suited to the batteries you are using so that the robot will be able to stand on it's hind legs. You will see
that the code has a constants tab and an IO pins tab.
The constants tab stores values such as the center positions of servos. This makes it quick and easy to
fine tune your code. The IOpins tab is like a map for your wiring. It tells you which device is connected
to what pin.
Go to the tools menu and select your board type. The Magician controller is compatible with "Arduino
NG or older /w ATmega8"
Now plug in your USB cable. After a few seconds your computer should detect the USB interface of
the Magician controller. Go back to the tools menu and select your USB virtual serial port.
Press the reset button on the controller and upload the program.
Step 24. Controlling your robot
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