Page 1: Table Of Contents
Based on the SparkFun RedBoard and programmable in the Arduino environment, the RedBot has all the I/O you need to make a small robot in no time at all. Page 1 of 46...
Page 2 RedBot Buzzer RedBot Mechanical Bumper Again, you do not need these parts to assemble your RedBot, but they will be present throughout this guide. Please ignore any instances of said extra sensors should you not need to assemble them. Sections pertaining strictly to these extra parts will be marked with asterisks.
Page 3: Wheel Encoder Screws
RedBot Sensor - Wheel Encoder to the bottom chassis. **If you do not have a RedBot Sensor - Wheel Encoder, you will want to skip this section and move on to the Motors section on this Assembly Guide. ** Locate the following: 1x Bottom Chassis Piece 2x 4-40 3/8"...
Page 4 Place one of the 4-40 screw through the chassis piece in the correct location. This side of the chassis piece will now be your bottom side. Tightly screw down the 4-40 hex nut on the top side of the chassis piece to hold the 4-40 screw down.
Page 5: Motors
Place the second 4-40 screw and nut in the second located position on the chassis piece. You will want to place the 4-40 screw through the bottom side of the chassis. Then screw in the 4-40 nut on the top side of the chassis. Motors Page 5 of 46...
Page 6 Locate the correct location on the bottom chassis piece. Place one of the motor holders through the right opening in the chassis. If you are using the RedBot Sensor - Wheel Encoder, make sure you are on the top side of the chassis piece. The top side will have the 4-40 hex nuts showing.
Page 7 Push the motor holder all the way down. If you did not install the encoder screws from the previous section, you can ignore the screws in these photos. Page 7 of 46...
Page 8 Make sure that the red wire is on top and away from the chassis piece. If you are adding wheel encoders to your RedBot, do so now. If not, ignore the encoder (the red gear looking piece) in the following pictures. Make sure the encoder wheel fits in the chassis opening without touching the opening's sides.
Page 9 Now you can add the second motor holder on the opposite side of the motor. Place M3*30 screw through the two motor holders and the motor. The M3*30 screw head should be on the outside edge side of the chassis. Page 9 of 46...
Page 10 Add a M3 nut to the M3*30 screw. Do not tighten down the nut all the way yet. Add the second M3*30 screw and M3 nut to the second hole openings. Now you can tighten both nuts. It helps to hold the nut steady and turn the screw with the screwdriver, threading the screw into the nut.
Page 11: Ball Caster
Using the same steps as above, you can now add the second motor on the opposite end on the same bottom side of the chassis piece. You might find it helpful to add the encoder wheel to the motor before placing the motor in the correct spot. Ball Caster Page 11 of 46...
Page 12 In this section, you will be adding the ball caster to the bottom side of your bottom chassis piece. Locate the following: 4x M3*6 Screws 2x L25 Metal Standoffs 1x Ball Caster There are different types of screws in this kit. Make sure you use the M3*6 screws for this section. Place a M3*6 screw through one of the ball caster's holes.
Page 13 Using a M3*6 screw, screw on the second L25 standoff on the other side of the ball caster. Locate the two positions on the chassis piece where you will be screwing down the ball caster. Page 13 of 46...
Page 14: Redbot Wheel Encoder
Now you can use two M3*6 screws to tighten down the ball caster to the bottom side of the chassis piece. The ball caster should be on the same chassis side as the motors. **RedBot Wheel Encoder** Page 14 of 46...
Page 15: Redbot Line Followers
**If you are not using the RedBot Sensor - Wheel Encoder, you may skip to the next section. ** If you are using the RedBot Sensor - Wheel Encoder, in this section you will be tightening down the RedBot Sensor - Wheel Encoder to the bottom chassis piece.
Page 16 Followers. Make sure to tighten the standoff on the line follower's header side. The top of the screw should be on the same side as the RedBot Sensor - Line Follower's sensor. Do this for the other two RedBot Sensor - Line Followers.
Page 17 You will screw on another standoff on top of the one already on the screw. The screw's end should now be covered as pictured below. Do this for all other two RedBot Sensor - Line Followers. Page 17 of 46...
Page 18 Place a 4-40 1/4" Phillips screw through the top side of the chassis piece. Tighten down the standoff with a RedBot Sensor - Line Follower into bottom chassis piece. The RedBot Sensor - Line Follower should be on the bottom side of the chassis piece. The headers on the RedBot Sensor - Page 18 of 46...
Page 19 Line Follower should be pointing in towards the chassis. Using your other two 4-40 1/4" Phillips screws, hand tighten the other two RedBot Sensor - Line Followers in the suggested locations. Page 19 of 46...
Page 20: Wheels
Wheels In this section, you will be putting two wheels on the RedBot motors. Locate the following: 2x Wheels Place the two tires on the ends of the motors. Make sure the tires are on all the way. Page 20 of 46...
Page 21: Standoffs
Standoffs In order to connect the top chassis piece to the bottom piece, you will need to put stand offs between the two chassis pieces. Follow along to see the best locations to place the metal stand offs. Locate the following: 4x L25 Metal Standoffs 4x M3*6 Screws Locate the four L25 metal standoff locations.
Page 22: Battery Holder
Using M3*6 screws, tighten down all four metal standoffs on the top side of the bottom chassis piece. Battery Holder Page 22 of 46...
Page 23 Before connecting the top chassis piece to the bottom piece, you will want to add the battery holder. Locate the following: 1x Battery Holder 2x M3*10 Flathead Screw 2x M3 Nuts 1x Top Chassis Piece Locate the M3*10 flathead screw. Locate two positions on the top chassis piece for the M3*10 flathead screws.
Page 24 Screw down the battery holder. Make sure they are screwed down nice and tight on the top chassis. Page 24 of 46...
Page 25: Redbot Mainboard Standoffs
RedBot MainBoard Standoffs Since the battery holder is screwed down, it is now easier to add the metal L10 standoffs in the locations where the RedBot Mainboard will go. Locate the following: 4x M3*6 Screw 4x L10 Metal Standoffs Locate the following locations on the top chassis piece where you will add four L10 metal standoffs.
Page 26: Jumper Wires
Using the M3*6 screws, add all four L10 metal standoffs on the top chassis piece with the L10 metal standoffs located on the same side as the battery holder. Jumper Wires Page 26 of 46...
Page 27 It will make it easier to connect the sensors to the RedBot mainboard later if you add the jumper wires to the Line Followers and Wheel Encoder (if you installed in earlier) now, before screwing down the top chassis piece.
Page 28 Middle RedBot Sensor - Line Follower → RedBot Mainboard GND → Black VCC → Red OUT → Blue Right RedBot Sensor - Line Follower → RedBot Mainboard GND → Black VCC → Red OUT → Green Make sure to push the jumper wires in all the way.
Page 29 Connecting the Wheel Encoder Add four jumper wires to the RedBot Sensor - Wheel Encoder. There should be a jumper wire each one of the following pins: OUTB, OUTA, VCC, and GND. See below if you are following along with the jumper wire colors to help lessen confusion when hooking up to the RedBot Mainboard later in the guide.
Page 30: Redbot Mechanical Bumpers
**RedBot Mechanical Bumpers** **Read on if you are using the RedBot Sensor - Mechanical Bumpers. If not, skip to the Chassis section. ** You will need to prepare the music wire by bending the wire itself. Then, you will add standoffs and screws to your bumpers.
Page 31 Bend the wire 90 degrees. Bend the wire 90 degrees again. Page 31 of 46...
Page 32 Now that the wire is bent, take the wire out of the PCB hole. Screw down one of the 4-40 screws through the bottom side of one of the bigger holes on the Mechanical Bumper. Then add a 4-40 screw from the bottom and loop the bent wire around the screw. It is very important that you do not let wire touch the other side's nut and 4-40 screw, since that is what triggers the sensor.
Page 33 Twist on a nylon standoff on top of the screw to secure the wire. Double check that the wire does not touch the other side's nut and 4-40 screw. Take note of which side your nylon standoff is on for the first Mechanical Bumper. Do the opposite Page 33 of 46...
Page 34: Adding The Bumpers
Double check that there is one Mechanical Bumper that has a nylon standoff on the right side of the "RedBot Bumper" silkscreen and one that has a nylon standoffs on the left side. **Adding the Bumpers** In this section, you will need to screw the Mechanical Bumpers into place on the front end of your RedBot chassis.
Page 35 Using two 4-40 1/4" screws, tighten down the Mechanical Bumpers, with the two wires pointing in opposite directions, on the bottom side of the top chassis piece. The Mechanical Bumpers' header pins should be pointing towards the chassis piece. Add jumper wires to the GND and OUT pins on both of the Mechanical Bumpers. You will not add Page 35 of 46...
Page 36 5V pins. Again, which color jumper wires you choose does not matter, but it might be helpful to follow along with this assembly guide. Left RedBot Sensor - Mechanical Bumper → RedBot Mainboard GND → Green OUT →...
Page 37: Top Chassis
Make sure the jumper wires are all the way through. Top Chassis Now it is time to connect the top chassis piece to the bottom chassis piece. Page 37 of 46...
Page 38 Locate the following: 4x M3*6 Screws First, push all the jumper wires through top chassis piece. After all the jumper wires are through the top, you can screw down the top chassis piece to the four L25 metal standoffs already on the bottom chassis piece. Page 38 of 46...
Page 39: Redbot Mainboard
Place the RedBot Mainboard on the top of the L10 metal standoffs. When looking down on your RedBot, the battery pack will be on the top end, the RedBot Mainboard's power jack will be on the right side, and the USB will be on the left. Using four M3*6 screws, screw down the RedBot Mainboard to the L10 metal standoffs.
Page 40: Redbot Accelerometer
Locate the following: RedBot Sensor - Accelerometer Locate the position on the RedBot Mainboard to add the Accelerometer. Line up the "A4" pin on the Accelerometer to the "A4" male header pin in the "SENSOR" section on the RedBot Mainboard.
Page 41: Redbot Buzzer
Locate the position on the RedBot Mainboard to add the RedBot Buzzer. With the buzzer side and female header PCB side of the RedBot Buzzer facing to the left, place the RedBot Buzzer on top of the "9", "POW", and "GND" male header pin row in the "SERVO" section on the RedBot Mainboard.
Page 42: Redbot Mainboard Hook-Up
Please note, the jumper wire colors is only to help find which jumper wire goes to which pin, if you have been following along with this guide. The color of the jumper wire do not matter otherwise. What matters is that the correct pins on the RedBot add-ons are connected to the right pins on the RedBot Mainboard.
Page 43 OUT/Yellow → 10 Right RedBot Sensor - Mechanical Bumper → RedBot Mainboard GND/Yellow → 11 OUT/Blue → GND Left RedBot Sensor - Line Follower → RedBot Mainboard GND/Black → GND VCC/Red → 5V OUT/Yellow → A3 Middle RedBot Sensor - Line Follower → RedBot Mainboard GND/Black →...
Page 44 Made with Fritzing.org The only wires left should be for the motors. Connect the left motor's red wire to the RedBot Mainboard's "RED" female header pin in the "LEFT MOTOR" section. Connect the left motor's black wire to the RedBot Mainboard's "BLACK" female header pin in the "LEFT MOTOR" section.
Page 45: Batteries
4x AA batteries Use the graphics on the Battery Pack Holder to place the batteries in the right orientation. Plug in the Battery Pack Holder's barrel power plug into the barrel power jack on the RedBot Mainboard. Page 45 of 46...
Page 46: Resources And Going Further
Resources and Going Further Ready to start driving your RedBot? Check out the Getting Started with the RedBot! learn.sparkfun.com CC BY-SA 3.0 | SparkFun Electronics | Niwot, Colorado Page 46 of 46...

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