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[MannyNZ]

Hi,

im just reading the Pleo Programmers Guide that came along with the PDK.

In the Hardware section it says: (See the Pleo Hardware Specification for more detail)

Has anyone found that Specification file yet?

I've looked up the FAQ sections on the Pleo Homepage, the Pleo Programmers Guide and the Pleo Mointor document, but haven't found any more details as mentioned.

Manny

[Crewella]

Does this help?

Some useful technical posts/links:

Since i'm really interested in the tech side of robotics aswell as everything else i thought i'd just post a couple of articles that helped me to get to grips with what pleo touch sensors are and how they work for anyone thats interested. Enjoy!

Quite a nice simple article on what the touch/capacitive sensors are/do and what pleo can do with them
http://www.tablix.org/~avian/blog/archives/2008/11/08/T20_26_49/

This article actually has info on alot of pleos tech and software but was published before pleo even had a camera lol
http://www.tablix.org/~avian/blog/archives/2008/11/08/T20_26_49/

Just a simple article on capacitive sensors
http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/capacitive-sensors-are-not-a-house-hold-name-though-they-should-be-642896.html

Ok i managed to find some info on pleos camera which is  a "omnivision" ov6650 colour

This first link is the cameras specs (it seems a little buddys are capable of fair bit but don't seem to do a lot with it running the current OS)
http://www.ovt.com/data/parts/pdf/OV6650_PB%20(1.7).pdf

The second link gives a bit more detail and says that it was the smallest image sensor available at the time of its introduction
http://www.ovt.com/data/newsreleases/english/pr_2004_02_23b.pdf

I really hope either ugobe releases some firmware to really harness the power of pleo or that they release the tools so that we as the owners and lovers of pleo can try.

CPU specifications:

Main CPU

The main controller is an Amtel AT91SAM7S256 processor.  Atmel AT91SAM 32-bit ARM® Flash MCUs and embedded MPUs are designed for system control, wired and wireless connectivity, user interface management, low power and ease of use. They have received wide acceptance in markets like POS terminals, security, building automation, industrial control, medical, white goods, PC and gaming peripherals, toys and cellular phone accessories.

Atmel’s AT91SAM7S is a series of low pincount Flash microcontrollers based on the 32-bit ARM RISC processor. It features a high-speed Flash and an SRAM, a large set of peripherals, including a USB 2.0 device (except for the AT91SAM7S32 and AT91SAM7S16), and a complete set of system functions minimizing the number of external components. The device is an ideal migration path for 8-bit microcontroller users looking for additional performance and extended memory.

The embedded Flash memory can be programmed in-system via the JTAG-ICE interface or via a parallel interface on a production programmer prior to mounting. Built-in lock bits and a security bit protect the firmware from accidental overwrite and preserves its confidentiality. The AT91SAM7S Series system controller includes a reset controller capable of managing the power-on sequence of the microcontroller and the complete system. Correct device operation can be monitored by a built-in brownout detector and a watchdog running off an integrated RC oscillator.

The AT91SAM7S Series are general-purpose microcontrollers. Their integrated USB Device port makes them ideal devices for peripheral applications requiring connectivity to a PC or cellular phone. Their aggressive price point and high level of integration pushes their scope of use far into the cost-sensitive, high-volume consumer market.

Overview
Summary (51 pages)
Technical Reference Manual (284 pages)

CPU in the head (audio & video processing)

The NXP (founded by Philips) LPC2103 is an ARM7TDMI-S based high-performance 32-bit RISC Microcontroller with Thumb extensions 10-bit A/D converters provides eight analog inputs, Two 32-bit timers/external event counters, Two 16-bit timers/external event counters, Low power Real-Time Clock (RTC) with dedicated 32 kHz clock input, Multiple serial interfaces including two UARTs (16C550), two Fast I2C-buses (400 kbit/s), SPI and SSP with buffering and variable data length capabilities 32KB on-chip Flash ROM with In-System Programming (ISP) and In-Application Programming (IAP), 8KB RAM.

Product description and links pdf
Data Sheet pdf
RealView Microcontroller Development Kit

Motor controllers

TLCS-870/C CPU is an 8-bit microcontroller with flash memory, 10-bit AD converter and
various serial interfaces'

Overview pdf

The FAN8100N and FAN8100MTC are monolithic two channel DC motor drive IC designed for low voltage operated systems. They have dual H-bridge drivers, using NPN and vertical PNP power transistors with a low saturation voltage. Power packages with heat sinks endure high continuos output current. The high current and low saturation voltage feature make these devices suitable for DC motor applications such as toy cars. They also have a built-in thermal shutdown protection circuit with hysteresis.

Ovierview

Pleo evolves on four legs and two ARMs
By Jeff Brown 
7/24/2008 4:00 PM EDT
EE Times

http://www.eetimes.com/design/industrial-control/4005761/Pleo-evolves-on-four-legs-and-two-ARMs

Following in the pawprints of the Sony Aibo, released in June 1999, the Ugobe Pleo dinosaur pet robot is the most recent incarnation of a learning and evolving personal robotic toy. Like the Aibo, the Pleo starts out as an infant animal and evolves over time based on interaction with the owner of the pet robot. Other characteristics of the Pleo similar to those of the Sony Aibo include the ability to mimic emotion depending on human interaction, communicate through gestures and sounds and adapt its behavior based on sensory inputs.

After the Pleo is removed from its colorful, fern-green box, the immediately noticeable difference from prior generations of robotic toys is how lifelike it looks and feels. The hand-painted, texturized rubber skin surrounding the plastic exoskeleton, along with natural-looking eyes featuring irises and opening and closing eyelids, make the Pleo a somewhat eerily real-looking robot.

As important as the skin is in creating a realistic toy, it virtually eliminates any possibility of fixing a broken Pleo. Any defective Pleos that fall under warranty would have to be replaced with a new or reconditioned robot from Ugobe. To maintain the personality of an individual Pleo and pass it along to a replacement, the Pleo comes with both an SD memory card slot and a USB port to allow the transfer of accumulated "learning" from one robot to another.

The SD slot and USB port located in the Pleo's underside also allow updates to the proprietary Life OS developed by Ugobe.

Located next to the memory slot and USB port is the cavity for the 2,200- milliamp-hour NiMH rechargeable battery pack, housing six AA-sized cells.

Sensory overload

After installing the freshly charged battery pack, the quick-start instructions recommend placing a hand on the Pleo's back and gently shaking it. Touch, one of the robot's defining senses, is provided by eight capacitive touch-sensor foils, with four located on each of the front upper sections of the legs, two located on the back and two located on the top and bottom of the head. A light touch is all that is required to solicit a location-dependent reaction from the robot toy.

Complementing the touch sensors is an optical interrupter switch on the bottom of each foot pad that helps prevent the robot from walking off the edge of a table and causes the robot to squirm when it is lifted off of the floor as all four switches spring into the open position.

Hearing is provided by two microphones located on each side of the robot's head, with audio conversion and processing handled by an NXP LP2103F 32-bit ARM7TDMI RISC processor. The NXP processor also provides the brains behind the OmniVision OV6650 CIF color CMOS sensor housed in the snout-mounted camera module. The camera module provides sight for the robot, allowing it to avoid obstacles and detect the presence of something placed in front of the mouth. Underneath the camera module is an IR emitter/detector pair used to communicate with other Pleos. Another IR emitter connected to the sensor board is located in the mouth to detect the presence of food placed in the mouth, which causes a subsequent mouth-closing action.

The primary processor inside the Ugobe Pleo is an Atmel AT91SAM7S256 32-bit ARM7TDMI RISC processor with 256 kbytes of embedded flash memory. It is located on the main board between the front-leg shoulders. Supplementing the memory found in the Atmel processor, and likely storing the Pleo's learning, is a 4-Mbyte Atmel AT45DB321D flash memory component.

The Atmel ARM7 processor orchestrates the movement of the Pleo through four Toshiba TMP86FH47AUG 8-bit microcontrollers and is the main processor for the Life OS. Two of the Toshiba microcontrollers are responsible for the eight motors providing the locomotion of the Pleo. Between the eight leg motors and the Toshiba microcontrollers are four Fairchild FAN8100N two-channel motor drivers. The remaining two Toshiba microcontrollers and three Fairchild FAN8100N motor drivers control the six remaining motors, which provide the lifelike movement of the head, mouth, eyes, torso and tail.

The snorts, coos, growls and other realistic sounds emanating from the Pleo are provided by two speakers located in the mouth and in front of the tail and are driven by a Generalplus GPY003A audio driver.

The Ugobe Pleo is a complex mechanical and electrical toy requiring at least 75 screws (not including subassemblies) to hold the robot together. The "nervous system" of the Pleo comprises more than 63 feet of 22-gauge wire, eight pc boards and nearly 50 electrical connectors to link the various wiring harnesses, motors, sensors and boards.

Markings on each of the eight boards strategically placed throughout the Pleo indicate the use of Jetta Co. Ltd. for board design. Given the number of steps required to make electrical connections and perform final assembly for the robot, it comes as no surprise that the Pleo is hand-assembled in China.

After the Sony Aibo was introduced in 1999--at a price of $2,500--future generations of the pet dog robot incorporated voice recognition, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, face recognition, self-charge and visual pattern recognition. Sony managed to lower the price to $599 before discontinuing the robot in 2006. Although the Pleo is lacking in electronic features compared with the Sony robot, its lifelike appearance and behavior, along with a $349 starting price, have already attracted a large group of passionate Pleo devotees.

Given the history of advancements in electronic components and the legacy of the Sony Aibo, expect future generations of Ugobe Pleos to incorporate more sophisticated features at a lower price point.

[MannyNZ]

Can't tell

The topic or board you are looking for appears to be either missing or off limits to you.

[Crewella]

Sorry - I realised that - it's still being put together, so I copied the body of text for you. 

Just wasn't quick enough!! 

[MannyNZ]

Awesome, thats quite a lot of information, i can work with

I hope I can give something back someday to this lovely community ^^

Thanks Crewella for digging up that thread for me.

greets
Manny

[Crewella]

Excellent - have fun!