Research On The Multi-functional Educational Robot Based On ARM Cortex-M4Processer

Educational Robot is an electronic information product for teaching and assessment,which integrates computer science, electronics, sensors, mechanical etc. With thedeepening development of the micro-controller technology and software technology, theways of code updates, the improvement of hardware and software performance anddiversification of functions have become the hot-spot issues in the research field ofeducational Robot. In2004, Freescale Embedded R&D Center of Soochow Universitybegan to develop educational robot system, and have introduced two educational robotsystems based on Freescale S08and S12MCUs succesively, which has laid a solidfoundation for this paper. Freescale Semiconductor Inc. officially released Kinetis K60series microcontroller in November2010, which is the first microcontroller based on theARM Cortex-M4processer in its line. Entrusted by Freescale and offered with its robotstructure, guided by the theoretical framework of software component, taking K60as itscore, and on the basis of the experiences and lessons drawn from the labatory, the paperdesigns and implements a multifunctional educational robot system, MER-ARM-CM4,that integrates graphical programming, code compilation and machine code download. Themain task will be as follows:(i) Guided by the idea of embedded components, the paper designs and implementsthe main hardware control board of MER-ARM-CM4. The control board contains somemodules such as the mini system of K60, USB OTG interface, TF card reader and writerinterface, triaxial acceleration sensor, servo motor driver interface and debug interface.(ii) Guided by the idea of underlying component and encapsulated into graphiccomponents, the paper designs the development software of educational robot. Thesoftware relalize the unified functions of graphical programming, code compiling andmachine code downloading.(iii) The paper realizes and figures out the ways of coding updates by means of serialport, USB Device, USB flash disk and TF card. The realization is the difficult point ofMER-ARM-CM4; it is also the innovative points of this study. The method helps make thecode updating not limited to the emulators; it not only simplifies the circuit of the code updating but also increases the speed of the code updating.(iv) Another innovation of the MER-ARM-CM4is that multi-functional application ofthe robot in terms of tracking lines, tracking objects and exploration is realized based oncombination of hardware and software.The tests and preliminary practice show that the advantages such as flexible moduleinterface, simple graphical programming, convenient machine code downloading, fastercode updating, stable performance realized by MER-ARM-CM4contribute to adding anew educational robot system in educational robot family which features compact structure,high performance, various functions and conveniency to second development.