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3117-POLOLU A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller LV with Raspberry Pi Bridge

Manufacturer: Pololu
Price:
US$46.13
3117-POLOLU
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3117-POLOLU A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller LV with Raspberry Pi Bridge

This programmable module combines with a Raspberry Pi to serve as the control center of a small robot or electronics project. Its Atmel ATmega32U4 microcontroller comes preloaded with an Arduino-compatible bootloader, and the board includes dual motor drivers that can deliver 1.8 A per channel to two brushed DC motors. An efficient voltage regulator and level shifters enable it to power and communicate with a Raspberry Pi. This version (item #3117) is assembled with selected through-hole connectors and components installed for use as a Raspberry Pi add-on.

The A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller LV with Raspberry Pi Bridge is a programmable module well-suited for robotics applications, designed to work either as an auxiliary controller mounted to a Raspberry Pi or as a standalone control solution for a small robot. This A-Star (abbreviated A*) is based on Atmel’s ATmega32U4 AVR microcontroller, which has built-in USB functionality, and it ships with a preloaded Arduino-compatible bootloader. Its complement of peripheral hardware includes dual motor drivers capable of delivering a continuous 1.8 A per channel, along with pushbuttons, LEDs, and an optional buzzer for building a user interface. An efficient switching voltage regulator allows the controller to work over a wide range of input voltages (2.7 V to 11 V).

The robot controller board conforms to the Raspberry Pi HAT specification, allowing it to be used as an add-on for a Raspberry Pi with a 40-pin GPIO header (Model B+, Model A+, and Pi 2 Model B). On-board level shifters make it easy to set up I²C communication and interface other signals between the two controllers, and the A-Star automatically supplies 5 V power to an attached Raspberry Pi. In this setup, the Raspberry Pi can handle the high-level robot control while relying on the A-Star for low-level tasks like reading analog sensors and controlling timing-sensitive devices (e.g. servos).

This product requires a USB A to Micro-B cable (not included) to connect to a computer.

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