Chapter 5 Challenges

Questions
1. What kind of electrical connection is a
whisker?
> open, momentary, single-pole, single-throw tactile
switch.
1. When a whisker is pressed, what
voltage occurs at the I/O pin monitoring it?
What binary value will the digitalRead
function return? If digital pin 8 is used to
monitor the whisker circuit, what value does
digitalRead return when a whisker is pressed,
and what value does it return when a whisker
is not pressed?
> Zero (0) volts, resulting in binary zero (0) returned by
digitalRead.
digitalRead(8) == 0 when whisker is pressed.
digitalRead(8) == 1 when whisker is not pressed.
1. If digitalRead(7)== 1, what does that
mean? What does it mean if
digitalRead(7)== 0? How about
digitalRead(5)== 1 and digitalRead(5)== 0?
> digitalRead(7)== 1 means the right whisker is not
pressed.
digitalRead(7)== 0 means the right whisker is pressed.
digitalRead(5)== 1 means the left whisker is not pressed.
digitalRead(5)== 0 means the left whisker is pressed.
1. What statements did this chapter use to call
different navigation functions based on whisker
states?
> chapter used if, ifelse, and ifelse ifelse statements
to evaluate whisker conditions and call navigation
functions.
1. What is the purpose of having nested if
statements?
> If one condition turns out to be true, the code might need
to evaluate another condition with a nested if statement.
Exercises
1. Write a routine that uses a single
variable named whiskers to track whisker
contacts. It should store a 3 when no
whiskers are contacted, a 2 if the right
whisker is contacted, a 1 if the left whisker is
 contacted, or 0 if both whiskers are contacted.
Hint: multiply the result by two.
> Since digitalRead returns 1 or 0, your code can multiply
digitalRead(5) by 2 and store the result in the whiskers
variable. It can then add the result of digitalRead(7) to the
whiskers variable and the result will be 3 for no whiskers.
1. Modify the loop function in Roaming
With Whiskers so that it makes the BOE
Shield-Bot stop and not restart when both
whiskers contact at the same time.
> In the if((Left == 0) && (wRight == 0)) block, remove the
backward and turn Left function and replace them with
calls to servoLift.detach and servoRight.detach.
1. Add a function named pause to
Roaming With Whiskers. It should make the
BOE Shield-Bot stay still for a certain amount
of time.
> void pause(int time) // Pause drive wheels
{
servoLeft.writeMicroseconds(1500); // Left wheel stay
still
servoRight.writeMicroseconds(1500); // Right wheel stay
still
delay(time); // Maneuver for time ms
}
1. Modify the loop function so that the
BOE Shield-Bot stays still for 0.5 seconds
before backing up and turning.
> Make sure not to call this pause in the else condition
because the forward function is only supposed to go
forward for 20 ms before checking the whiskers again.
Projects
1. Modify Roaming With Whiskers so that
the BOE Shield-Bot stops and makes a 4 kHz
beep that lasts 100 ms before executing its
usual evasive maneuver. Make it beep twice
if both whisker contacts are detected during
the same sample. HINT: Use the pause
function you developed in the Exercises
section to make it pause immediately after
the tone starts playing. Also, a 0.2 second
pause after the tone call separates the 0.1
second tone from servo motion, or allows you
to hear a second tone.
> The key to solving this problem is to write a statement
that makes a beep with the required parameters. As soon
as the beep starts, call the pause function to keep the
BOE Shield-Bot still while it beeps. Make sure not to add
any pause calls to the else statements code block. It
needs to repeatedly go forward for 20 ms, without any
pauses
1. Modify Roaming With Whiskers so that the
BOE Shield-Bot roams in a 1 yard (or 1 meter)
diameter circle. When you touch one whisker, it will
cause the BOE Shield-Bot to travel in a tighter circle
(smaller diameter). When you touch the other
whisker, it will cause the BOE Shield-Bot to navigate
in a wider diameter circle.
> Start with the Circle sketch from Chapter 4 Solutions.
Comment the detach calls and move the circle code to the
loop function and reduce the delay to 50 ms so that it can
check the whiskers for contacts 20 times per second.
Then, add the whisker monitoring code with an if
statement that reduces or increases a variable that slows
the right wheel when the right whisker is pressed, or
speeds up the right wheel if the left whisker is pressed.