I realized when I received my 3Pi+ that I made an incorrect selection for my environment. Can anyone tell me any reason I would not be able to purchase an OLED Control Board and replace the one in my 3Pi+? Perhaps it would be simpler and less prone to problems to just purchase the correct unit? Suggestions? Recommendations?
Joe
Hello, Joe.
The robot was designed to allow for removing the electronics (i.e. the control board with the battery contacts and motors soldered to it) after assembly, so it is possible to swap out the 3pi+ 32U4 Control Board for the 3pi+ 32U4 OLED Control Board on the 3pi+ chassis. However, please note that if your robot is already assembled, you will have to desolder the motors to transfer them to the new control board. Once you have the motors desoldered from the old board, you can essentially follow the assembly instructions in the “Assembling the 3pi+ 32U4 kit” section of the 3pi+ 32U4 user’s guide starting at step 8.
Also, please note that the 3pi+ 32U4 OLED Control Board does not come with the OLED display, but we do carry it as a standalone product which you can find here.
Brandon
Awesome, thanks for your analysis. I am not enthusiastic about reworking my 3pi+ but a few sensors would boost it’s functionality for me 10fold. I have IR distance sensors and wifi capability I would like to add on my own. Will the electronics on this control board support the interface required? I notice connectors for expansion? Do you market those capabilities for the 3pi+ as expansion boards? I haven’t found any but need to ask before I continue. I have big plans to see just how much intelligence (h/w and s/w) to this cool little dude. Great product.
It isn’t clear to me what interface your IR distance sensors use, but you can find details about what pins are available (or what pins you can free up by disabling built-in features) in the “The 3pi+ 32U4 in detail” section of the 3pi+ 32U4 user’s guide. The “Expansion headers” sub-section in particular is a good resource for seeing where each pin on the board is and what it is used for.
Brandon
I sincerely apologize but at least I discovered the timely responses I can expect from the community. I egregiously violated the first rule before asking for Help. Read The Fine Manual. A lot of people put a lot of work in creating it. Thanks, Brandon, for patiently pointing that out.