Hardware list:
- 12V, 20W Lavie solar panel and 12V-24V, 10A Wellsee charge controller (http://cgi.ebay.com/Solar-system-solar-panel-controller-cable-connectors-/270581575997?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item84b6ee2c1f)
- Baby O 328B robot controller (http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1220)
- HMC6352 compass module-tells panel azimuth/compass direction-inserted in breadboard (http://www.parallax.com/Store/Sensors/CompassGPS/tabid/173/ProductID/596/List/0/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName)
- DE-ACCM2G2 2-axis accelerometer-tells panel altitude/vertical tilt (http://www.dimensionengineering.com/DE-ACCM2G2.htm)
- Parallax GPS receiver-gets data needed by the sun position algorithm (http://www.parallax.com/Store/Sensors/CompassGPS/tabid/173/ProductID/396/List/0/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName)
- 2 - 12V, 1RPM gear motors (http://www.servocity.com/html/1_rpm_gear_motor.html)
- gear motor end caps (http://www.servocity.com/html/gearmotor_end_caps.html)
- I used the clamping hubs below, but had to tap them:
2 - clamping hubs-attach wheel to azimuth motor,lid-hinge to altitude motor (http://www.servocity.com/html/clamping_hubs.html)
I think these would work better:
2 - 1/4" bore set-screw hubs-attach wheel to azimuth motor,lid-hinge to altitude motor (http://www.servocity.com/html/set_screw_hubs.html) - foam wheel-drives panel horizontally (http://www.servocity.com/html/2_00__foam_wheels.html)
- wheel adaptors attach hubs to wheel (http://www.servocity.com/html/wheel_adaptors__wad5130_.html)
- 2 - limit switches-to protect altitude motor from stripping gears (http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1403)
- 6in. lid hinge (local hardware store)
- Cobra 400W power inverter (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RNOHBC/ref=oss_product)
- 12V, 14AH AGM battery (http://www.batteryspec.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?action=link&product=223)
- breadboard, 5A fuse, 3A diode, 7805 & 7812 regulators, 22GA hookup wire, 4.7K resistors, 4-conductor m/f plugs,
pack of colored electrical tape-to identify wire functions (Radio Shack) - Sheet metal base and panel support is 1/8" scrap aluminum (local recycler)
- #8 nuts, bolts, small angle brackets, teflon tape, washers, 6" lid hinge-drives panel up an down vertically,
(#6-32 hardened allen screws for tapped clamping hubs) (local hardware store) - 6" lazy-suzan turntable (Home Depot)
Software:
i2cmaster.c and i2c master.h courtesy of Jim Remington and Peter Fleury. Baby O-compatible version is at: http://www.uoxray.uoregon.edu/orangutan/i2c.zip
Get the main C program, header file and optional declination table development kit at my Pololu Forum post
Read the comment sections for explanations of how each function works and examine the pinout diagram for each sensor.
The _myincludes.h should be the only #include needed as it contains all needed pololu .h references.
I stored _myincludes.h in the avr/../pololu/ subdirectory and call it from the main program with #include <pololu/_myincludes.h>
