Embedded Files
Robot Club - Generic Hardware Resources
Overview, Introduction & Prerequisites:
This is a repository of Hardware that is used with the Robots & Rovers... Mostly
Prerequisites:
No explicit prerequisite course work, Electronics, Logic, or coding knowledge is required. Come as you are. 🧠
Topics:
Random Robot / Rovers Hardware
iRobot Motors
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- Unit: Robot Club
- Neato / Roomba Vacuum Type Rovers
- This is a LEARNING Activity : Lesson / Lab
- Last Revised: Oct 01, 2026 - Authored: Sept 13, 2025
- Original Author: Jim Burnham - TopClown@STEAMClown.org
- Content License: Distributed as Open Source. See Rights & Usage
Note: TEACHERS!!!! If you are going to use any of these lessons or labs, please let me know. I would really like to understand how you are using this material. I want to know what works, what does not work, what would you like me to add, and how I can make it better. If you changed something, let me know, because it's probably a good idea and you should share it with me, so I can add it and share with everyone else.
This Module or lesson is how I teach in my class. Many of the lessons might be specific to my class, but you could probably adjust them for your class. I'll try to make them a neutral as I can, so they can be used in any Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or any other Engineering / Technology class. Let me know how I can make that better. I'll try to keep this unit current and relevant. Please let me know if any resource links are broken or not accessible.
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Overview and Introduction:
Overview and Introduction:
Author: Jim Burnham - TopClown@STEAMClown.org. License: Distributed as Open Source.
Sponsor Shout Out
Sponsor Shout Out
I would like to thank <Your Company or Organization Here> for their generous support of my classroom and curriculum development. <Your Company or Organization Here> has <Your value proposition, call to action, & related content and message>
(If you would like to sponsor this, or other Modules or presentation, please contact TopClown@STEAMClown.org or check out my "How To Help Page"
If you would like to sponsor other Curriculum Development, check out my "How To Help Page" or contact TopClown@STEAMClown.org
Learning Objective:
Learning Objective:
Module Scope:
- Introduction to the creation of a LinkedIn Profile
- Description of best practices for creating a LinkedIn Profile
- Present Tips and Tricks to build a professional LinkedIn Profile
- Create and Publish a LinkedIn Profile
- Understand why LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networking platforms in the world
- Appreciate the importance of the LinkedIn Profile and how it affects interactions with your professional network
Prior Knowledge:
- Basic understanding of how to use Social Media
- Basic Resume and Cover Letter skills
- Awareness of our own individual personality and characteristics
- PC, Laptop or Other device to access the LinkedIn application
- Each lesson will have specific items needed to complete the labs and tasks
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
No explicit prerequisite course work or coding knowledge is required, but students are expected to have a good understanding of basic computer principles.
Caution & Safety Considerations:
Caution & Safety Considerations:
Primer: "Aaron, I can imagine no way in which this thing could be considered anywhere remotely close to safe. All I know is I spent six hours in there and I'm still alive... You still want to do it?"
As with any activity, please make sure you are using appropriate safety equipment. If you are coding, writing, reading, or working a lab, make sure you stand up and stretch every hour or so, Please consider any safety issues connecting to a Raspberry Pi, Arduino, computers and other electronic equipment.
Essential Questions:
Essential Questions:
What is the value of a professional network?
Which is more important, "Who you know" or "What you know"?
Key Academic Vocabulary or Concepts:
Key Academic Vocabulary or Concepts:
What is “LinkedIn”
First Impression
Professional Profile
Networking?
Sensor Topics
Sensor Topics
Hardware Topics
Hardware Topics
Drive Types
Drive Types
Omni is a poor fit for grass.
Mecanum (4 wheels, with a pivoting axle or suspension) works, but expect weak strafing.
Swerve if omnidirectional performance outdoors is the main goal.
Skid steer with the plain hub tires if you mostly just need to go places and turn in place. <-- Most Differential Drive rovers are "Skid" Drive.
iRobot Motor & The PCB Signal Pinout
iRobot Motor & The PCB Signal Pinout
Pro-Tip: When you open the iRobot vacuum, you can desolder the motor female connector fairly easily. Then you can use it later to solder wire to, and then still slip on the PCB.
A = Motor A - These A/B pins would connect to your motor controller Motor pins, and you would control them with your In1, In2, EnB on a standard motor controller. The motor voltage can be 12v... though I would run them at around 9v
B = Motor B
5V = 5v from some 5v supply. Most of our Rover builds will have a Battery-2-5volt DC/DC regulator.
ENC = HallEfect sensor (low) for Encoder value, The hall effect actually switch from GND to "floating" so it is safe to connect to the 3.3 Raspberry Pi pins.
WD(not) = Switch (Active Low) Switch to
GND = Ground
See a good YouTube - Hacking Robot Vacuum (Roomba) Wheel and Motor Modules for Raspberry Pi or Arduino Robot Project
Hall Effect Sensor:
Question: For a hall effect sensor, what does it mean when doc say it switched between GND and "floating" so it's safe to connect to a 5 Arduino or a 3,3 Raspberry Pi input?
Answer: What they’re describing is an open-collector (or open-drain) output, and the wording “switches between GND and floating” is the key clue.
What “GND ↔ floating” actually means
What “GND ↔ floating” actually means
The Hall effect sensor does NOT drive the output high. Instead, it behaves like this:
Active state: internally connects the output pin to GND (0V)
Inactive state: disconnects the output pin → it becomes floating (high impedance)
So the sensor only ever pulls the line LOW, never pushes it HIGH.
Why that’s safe for both 5V Arduino and 3.3V Raspberry Pi
Why that’s safe for both 5V Arduino and 3.3V Raspberry Pi
Because you control the HIGH voltage, not the sensor.
You add a pull-up resistor to whatever voltage your system uses:
On an Arduino Uno → pull-up to 5V
On a Raspberry Pi 4 → pull-up to 3.3V
The sensor just pulls the line down to ground when triggered.
When it’s “floating,” the pull-up resistor brings the line up to your logic voltage.
👉 That means:
The sensor never outputs 5V or 3.3V directly
So it can’t over-voltage your Pi’s GPIO (which is critical—Pi pins are NOT 5V tolerant)
Simple wiring concept
Simple wiring concept
Vcc (sensor power)
|
[Hall Sensor] ENC pin
|
+-----> GPIO input
|
[Pull-up resistor]
|
+3.3V (Pi) OR +5V (Arduino)
Why this is commonly used
Why this is commonly used
This design is popular because it enables:
Level shifting for free (same sensor works at different voltages)
Multiple devices on one line (wired-AND behavior)
Safer interfacing with mixed-voltage systems
One thing to watch
One thing to watch
Don’t leave it truly floating:
You must use a pull-up resistor (typically 4.7kΩ–10kΩ), OR
Enable the microcontroller’s internal pull-up
Otherwise, your input will read random noise.
Reference, Attribution & Resources:
Reference, Attribution & Resources:
License - "Be A Hero"... Distribute Your Content As Open Source... That Is What I'm Doing...
License - "Be A Hero"... Distribute Your Content As Open Source... That Is What I'm Doing...
The content on this site may have been pulled from other open source sites, but typically the interpretation and presentation is primarily the Intellectual Property of Jim Burnham, - TopClown@STEAMClown.org at www.steamclown.org and the Student curriculum can be found under the specific Mechatronics Engineering Units section of this web site.
If you do use my material, and make changes, I would appreciate getting a copy... because if you are making changes, it means that you think there is a better way to teach this… and I would really appreciate understanding that. Please send me feedback on my Questions or Feedback form. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions or comment.
You also should keep and include my STEAM Clown Logo and Copyright in any derivative works you create. I would appreciate if you would include one of these images found on my Steam Clown License page and link it to www.steamclown.org
If you do use my material, and make changes, I would appreciate getting a copy... because if you are making changes, it means that you think there is a better way to teach this… and I would really appreciate understanding that. Please send me feedback on my Questions or Feedback form. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions or comment.
You also should keep and include my STEAM Clown Logo and Copyright in any derivative works you create. I would appreciate if you would include one of these images found on my Steam Clown License page and link it to www.steamclown.org
Teachers - Unit, Module and Lesson Plans
Teachers - Unit, Module and Lesson Plans
If you are a teacher and want to connect and teach this Lesson or Module, discuss how I teach it, give me feedback, please contact me at TopClown@STEAMClown.org
To access this Lesson Plan and the Teacher collaboration area, you will have needed to connect with me so I can Share the content with you. Please go to the Teachers & Partner Page, check out my Licensing and fill out my Collaboration and Curriculum Request Form. I'll review and then grant you access to the requested areas and lesson plans if they exist.
If you have questions or feedback on how I can make a presentation, lesson, lab better please give use my Feedback Form.
Standards Alignments & Objectives:
Standards Alignments & Objectives:
I’ll work on getting these in, but it’s the last thing I want to work on :-) When I have them updated, I’ll move to the top of the Lesson Plan.
NGSS: <list standard numbers>
California CTE Standards: <list standard numbers>
Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT): <list standard numbers>
CCSS: nnn, RSIT: nnn, RLST: nnn, WS: nnn, WHSST: nnn, A-CED: nnn, ETS: nnn <list standard numbers>
Main Standard:
Priority standards:
National Standards:
Resource Attribution:
Sites Referenced or Summarized:
Resource Attribution:
Sites Referenced or Summarized:
Reference Text Book - Basic College Mathematics with Early Integers 4th edition - Elayn Martin-Gay - University of New Orleans - Pearson
Reference Sites -
Images:
Images:
https://imgbin.com/png/ZJtzkYZZ/under-construction-png
Random Stuff To Sort
Random Stuff To Sort
Resource Key:
Resource Key:
<Unit> - <Module Name> - Lessons - Daily/Weekly Lesson Plan
<Unit> - <Module Name> - Lessons - Daily/Weekly Lesson Plan
Key: 📰 Slides / Audio 🎧 / 📽️▶️ Video/YouTube / 🎧▶️📽️ Audio/Video / ✨ Resources / 🖼️ Tutorial / 📖 Reading Activity / 📝 Writing Activity / 📖 📝 Reading/Writing / 📟 Coding / 🛠️ LAB Activity / 🚀 Quiz / 🔎 Review / ✔️ Mastery Check / ✍️ Sign Up /🍕 Extra Credit / 🕸️ Web Links / 👩🏽🎓🧑🏽🎓🧑🏿🎓👩🏫 Class / 🏵️📜📃 Certificate / 🗂️ 📈 Collecting Survey Data
/🧟 Review / 🦾 Practice / 🆙Level Up /
🎚️🦑📤🎯 🚧
- 🦑 Special Project -
Assignment Type: ⚓ Establishing (Minimum Standard) / ⛏️ Developing (Digging Deeper) / 💎 Aspiring (Putting It Together)
This is an ⚓ Establishing Assignment (Minimum Standard) - "Everyone Do" Assignment
This is an ⛏️ Developing (Digging Deeper) - "Everyone Should Do, To Stretch" Assignment
This is an 💎 Aspiring (Putting It Together) - "When you have done the ⚓ Establishing and⛏️ Developing" Assignment
🚀 Formative Quiz - 🔎 Review
🚀 Quiz -🔀 Mastery Path
🚀 Summative Quiz -✔️ Skills Mastery Check
Quiz - verify that they are all listed as a "Formative", "Mastery Path", or "Summative"
🚀 Formative Quiz - These are quizzes that the students can take a few times. I have them either set for unlimited times, or 3-5 times, where the final score is their average. The idea is that these Formative Quizzes are designed for students to learn and master a skill. while I want them to ger 100%, and when it's set to unlimited tries, the student should get 100% eventually. When the quiz is set to 3-5 tries with an average, then they should be prepared and should take the quiz seriously. I set the quiz to not show the right answer, but I do let them see their wrong answer. I also put the explanation of the right and wrong answer in the right and wrong answer prompt for each question. That way they can see why they got the answer wrong and learn from that experience.
8.1.0.3.2.4 - Python - Ch 3 - Functions - Quiz #2 -Built-In Functions - 🚀 Formative Quiz
🚀 Quiz -🔀 Mastery Path - These Mastery path quizzes are to be presented after the student has had a chance to do some labs and some Formative quizzes. The goal is to let students have 2 chances to take this quiz, and take the average of the 2 attempts. Based on the average, they will be presented with a Canvas Mastery Path, where they will have an option for take additional quiz and assignments to help with remediation. This will get them ready to take the Summative Quizzes.
8.1.0.3.3.1 - Python - Ch 3 - Functions - Mastery Quiz #1 - 🚀 Quiz -🔀 Mastery Path
🚀 Summative Quiz -✔️ Skills Mastery Check - These Mastery path quizzes are to be presented after the student has had a chance to do some labs and some Formative quizzes. The goal is to let students have 2 chances to take this quiz, and take the average of the 2 attempts. That will be their final module/subject topic grade.
8.1.0.3.3.1 - Python - Ch 3 - Functions - Skills Mastery Check Quiz #1 - 🚀 Summative Quiz -✔️ Skills Mastery Check
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