Date: 07/10/2010

Robotics evaluation board from TI for use with Micrium's RTOS

Texas Instruments has made available its new Robotic Evaluation Board (EVALBOT) for use with Micrium's uC/OS-III. This kit enables developers to evaluate Stellaris ARM Cortex-M3-based LM3S9B92 MCU in applications that leverage the integrated 10/100 Ethernet MAC/PHY, USB, CAN, and motion control capabilities. The EVALBOT is available with a Stellaris-specific version of uC/OS-III: The Real-Time Kernel by Jean J. Labrosse.

The key features of Stellaris EVALBOT include:
--80 MHz Stellaris LM3S9B92 MCU with 256K flash, 96K SRAM, StellarisWare software in ROM.
--Two DC gear-motors for drive and steering, opto-sensors that detect wheel rotation with 45 degree resolution, and sensors for "bump" detection
--TI motor drivers, voltage regulators, audio codec, interface and logic devices
--Bright 96 x 6 blue OLED display and on-board speaker
--Integrated In-Circuit Debug Interface (ICDI) requiring single (included) USB cable for software debugging, flash programming and serial port connectivity
--Two 20-pin headers enable wireless communications using standardized TI low-power embedded radio modules
--Stellaris-specific version of uC/OS-III: The Real-Time Kernel includes example display, audio and motor control projects for EVALBOT
--EVALBOT robot operates on 3-AA batteries, included in kit

"The ability to perform pre-determined implementation exercises contained in the book on the amazing EVALBOT board will go a long way to demonstrate features and ease-of-use," said Jean Labrosse, the book's author and Micrium's president and CEO. "Placing 80 MHz Stellaris LM3S9B92 microcontrollers in the hands of engineers in the form of a mini robot is sheer genius."

Price:
Stellaris Robotic Evaluation Board plus Micrium's uC/OS-III book: US$199.
Stellaris Robotic Evaluation Board: US$149.