Documentation

Step 20 - Installing the LM386:

No slow 286 chip for us, and a 486 or Pentium would be overkill (just a little joke there for

anybody over 35...). Time to install the chip! Bend the legs in a bit, and push it into the

IC carrier - Just make sure the notch is on the right side!

20A: Installing the LM386

Note notch position!

20B: Herbie brains installed

Step 21 - Installing the BATTERY:

Yes, we’re going to take a BOLD step and install the battery. Now. Why?

Well, it’s easier for us to make sure everything is working well

before we go on and add the nose whiskers. Slide the battery pack

in between the motors and snap it into the contact snaps on the

battery board.

If you have to wedge the battery between the motors to make

it fit, that’s ok - it will help keep the battery securely in place.

Step 22 - Checking Herbie Operation:

Pretty simple. Turn on and HOLD onto your Herbie and shine a flashlight into one of the eyes.

One motor should speed up, and the other slow down. Do it for the other eye. Similar results?

Good! No? Uh oh... time to make sure you’ve got all your connections soldered, and the chip

is in right.

Put it down on the floor. Does it promptly run towards the brightest thing in the room (and

we don’t mean you with your radiant personality)? Good. Does it spin around in very tight

circles? Oh. Bet you installed one motor in backwards. Remember, plus signs go forward!

Does it do lazy loops? You may have one motor receiving power, or the motor alignment isn’t

quite right. Poor alignment will make it hard for Herbie to steer towards light!

Is it continually going in reverse? Make sure the tail-spring ring isn’t touching the spring tail.

If this doesn’t fix it, you may have both motors in backwards. When you hit the tail sensor,

you should hear an audible “click”, and the motors will spin in reverse for about 3 seconds.

So everything checks out fine? It seeks light, and reverses when the tail is touched? Cool. Pop

the battery out, add the whisker sensors and finish your Solarbotics Herbie the Mousebot!

Solarbotics Herbie the Mousebot

21A: 9V battery wedge between motors