Example Code for Arduino-Hexapod Walking

Hardware Preparation

• Arduino Mega 1280 microcontroller board * 1.
• Mega IO Expansion Shield for Arduino Mega * 1.
• Hexapod robot frame kit * 1.
• Uptech CDS5516 Servos * 18.
• Servo driver board * 2.
• 7.4v battery * 1.
• Servo debugger board.

Software Preparation

Development tools: Arduino IDE.

You must import the below three libraries first:

• CDS5500_2Serials.h
• Hexapod_Servo.h
• ServoConsole.h

Download links for libraries:
libraries.zip

Wiring Diagram

Other Preparation Work

You must set the IDs of the servo according to the documents :

• IDs of the servos of the left front leg: 0, 1, 2 (inner, middle, outer)
• IDs of the servos of the left middle leg: 10, 11, 12(inner, middle, outer)
• IDs of the servos of the left back leg: 20, 21, 22 (inner, middle, outer)
• IDs of the servos of the right back leg: 30, 31, 32(inner, middle, outer)
• IDs of the servos of the right middle leg: 40, 41, 42 (inner, middle, outer)
• IDs of the servos of the right front leg: 50, 51, 52(inner, middle, outer)

Ensure the Arduino Mega is connected correctly. The code uses Serial1 (1000000 baud) for right side servos and Serial2 (1000000 baud) for left side servos.

Sample Code

/*
*Sample code for the hexapod robot.
*Author: Danfei Xu
*Created on Aug 9th, 2011
*You must import the below three libraries first.
*/


#include <CDS5500_2Serials.h>
#include <Hexapod_Servo.h>
#include <ServoConsole.h>


// Below are the ID arrays of servos. You must set the IDs of the servo according
//to the documents :
//IDs of the servos of the left front leg: 0, 1, 2 (inner, middle, outer)
//IDs of the servos of the left middle leg: 10, 11, 12(inner, middle, outer)
//IDs of the servos of the left back leg: 20, 21, 22 (inner, middle, outer)
//IDs of the servos of the right back leg: 30, 31, 32(inner, middle, outer)
//IDs of the servos of the right middle leg: 40, 41, 42 (inner, middle, outer)
//IDs of the servos of the right front leg: 50, 51, 52(inner, middle, outer)
int axisA[] = {0, 20, 40};
int axisB[] = {10, 30, 50};
int hipA[] = {1, 21, 41};
int hipB[] = {11, 31, 51};
int legA[] = {2, 22, 32};
int legB[] = {12, 32, 52};
int axis[] = {0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50};
int hips[] = {1, 11, 21, 31, 41, 51};
int legs[] = {2, 12, 22, 32 ,42, 52};
// servo controller
ServoConsole console;

void setup(){
  Serial.begin(115200); //For printing out data, or debugging.
  Serial2.begin(1000000); // Used for control servos on left side.
  Serial1.begin(1000000);// Used for control servos on right side.
}

void loop(){
   console.Move(legs, 6, 170, 511); //Legs move to 170 for standing up
   console.Move(hips,6, 480, 511); // hips move to 480 for standing up
   console.Move(axisA, 3, 130, 511); // axis group A move to 130. Prepare for walking
   console.Move(axisB, 3, 70, 511); // axis group B move 70. Prepare for walking
   delay(1000); // waits for their moving

   while(1){
     walk();
     //walking loop
   }
}

void walk(){
  delay(500);
  console.MoveUp(hipB, 3, 100, 500); //hips group B move up 100
  console.MoveUp(axisB, 3, 60, 300);// axis group B move forward 60
  console.MoveDown(axisA, 3, 60, 300);// axis group A move backward 60
  delay(500);// waits for movement
  console.MoveDown(hipB, 3, 100, 500);//hips group B move down 100
  delay(500);// waits for movement
  console.MoveUp(hipA, 3, 100, 500);//hips group A move up 100
  console.MoveDown(axisB, 3, 60, 300);// axis group B move backward 60
  console.MoveUp(axisA, 3, 60, 300);// axis group A move forward 60
  delay(500);// waits for movement
  console.MoveDown(hipA,3, 100, 500);//hips group A move down 100
}

Result

The hexapod will first move the legs to 170 and hips to 480 to stand up. Then it moves axis group A to 130 and axis group B to 70 to prepare for walking. After a 1-second delay, it enters a walking loop where it moves the hips and axes to walk forward. The expected phenomena are the hexapod standing up and then walking continuously.