The BREAD (Broadly Reconfigurable and Expandable Automation Device) Servo Motor Control Slice is a circuit board with an Arduino Nano and five ports at which one can connect a servo motor. Commands can then be sent through the Arduino, allowing the motors to be controlled.

Documentation[edit | edit source]

Command Structure

Argument 1: Command ID

• Command 1: mode command
• Command 2: value command

Argument 2: read / write bit (!R/W)

• 0: read
• 1: write

Argument 3: Parameter 1

• Currently always used to specify the motor channel

Argument 4: Parameter 2

• Currently always used to specify data to be written when !R/W = 1 (write), and always ignored when !R/W = 0 (read)

All 4 of these arguments are stored as integers for the time being.

Command 0 - Test

Does nothing.

Command 1 - Mode

!R/W:

• 0: read
  • The command will return the motor's mode
• 1: write
  • Set the motor's mode

Param1: Channel - Select which motor to apply the command to

• Acceptable values: 0 <= X <= 5

Param2:

• Read Mode: N/A
• Write Mode: Mode to set the motor to

Acceptable Mode Values:

• 0: Normal Mode
  • Motor will move as fast as possible
• 1 - 5: Slow Mode
  • Motor will turn more slowly, with 5 being the slowest
  • Values greater than 5 may work, but are untested

Command 2 - Value

!R/W:

• 0: read
  • The command will return the motor's current position
• 1: write
  • Set the motor's target position

Param1: Channel - Select which motor to apply the command to

• Acceptable values: 1 <= X <= 5

Param2:

• Read Mode: N/A
• Write Mode: The position to move the motor to

Slow Mode

When the mode of a motor channel is set to a non-zero value (1 <= X <= 5), the motor will not move at its mazimum speed. Instead, it will turn at a rate determined by the value of the mode, with 1 being the fastest, and 5 being the slowest. Currently, this is implemented by turning the motor by 1 degree every (5 * (mode^2)) loop cycles.

Usage Examples[edit | edit source]

If you wanted the motor connected to channel 5 to turn slowly, you could enter "1, 1, 5, 3":

• 1 - mode command
• 1 - write
• 5 - motor 5
• 3 - slow mode

The command "1, 0, 5, X" would then return the mode that you previously wrote

• 1 - mode command
• 1 - write
• 5 - motor 5
• X - this value is ignored, so it can be any integer
• returns "3" - This is the motor's current mode

To turn the motor to the 180 degree position, you could then enter "2, 1, 5, 180"

• 2 - value command
• 1 - write
• 5 - motor 5
• 180 - target position

Video Example

Note that the motor in the video is connected to channel 5.

Commands used in the video:

• 1, 0, 5, 0 - reads the mode that motor 5 is currently set to
• 2, 1, 5, 0 - turns the motor to the 0 degree position
• 1, 1, 5, 4 - sets motor 5 to mode 4
• 1, 0, 5, 0 - reads the mode again
• 2, 0, 5, 0 - reads the motor's current rotational position
• 2, 1, 5, 180 - rotates the motor to the 180 degree position

Download[edit | edit source]

A download, which includes the firmware and further documentation, will be made available soon via OSF.