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AlphaBot 2 User Manual

AlphaBot 2
User Manual
August 2017
V1.3

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AlphaBot 2 User Manual

To the Reader
Selection Guide
Note: Accessories may be different in different product package. This manual describes all the
compatible accessories but perhaps the product you bought doesn’t contain some of them. The
figure below shows most the compatible accessories:
Package Contents

Products
AlphaBot2

Item

Description

-Ar
Pack

AlphaBot2-Base

Motor driver, integrates sensors for
obstacle avoiding, line tracking
Adapter

AlphaBot2-Ar

board,

for

connecting

Arduino

AlphaBot2-Pi

Acc

AlphaBot2
-Ar

√

Adapter board, for connecting RPi3 B

AlphaBot2-PiZero

UNO PLUS

Enhanced Arduino compatible board

√

-PiZero Acc
Pack
√

√
√
√

Ultrasonic sensor

Ultrasonic obstacle avoiding, ranging

√

IR remote controller

remotely control the robot

√

RPi Camera (B)

Raspberry Pi camera, adjustable focus

Adapter

-Pi

AlphaBot2

√

Dual-mode Bluetooth Dual-mode Bluetooth module

5V 2.5A

Pack

Acc

Zero W
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B

Servo, working with the pan head,
controlling the rotation of the camera

Micro SD Card 16GB

-Pi

AlphaBot2

Adapter board, for connecting RPi

RPi3 B

SG90

AlphaBot2

16GB Miro SD Card, class 10

Power RPi3 B requires 2.5A or above power
supply

√
√

√

Note:
AlphaBot2-Ar Acc Pack requires an Arduino compatible controller, if you don't have one in hand,
please consider the all-in-one kits: AlphaBot2-Ar.
AlphaBot2-Pi Acc Pack requires the controller Raspberry Pi, if you don't have one in hand, please
consider the all-in-one kit: AlphaBot2-Pi.
AlphaBot2-PiZero Acc Pack requires the controller Raspberry Pi Zero/Zero W, which should be
purchased separately.
Due to the structure design, ultrasonic sensor module can NOT be used with the AlphaBot2-Pi kit.

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Recommendation
Reading this document can be a challenge for a freshman. We advise that the reader
need to have some knowledge of the programming in Raspberry Pi Python or
Arduino, which can be helpful for understanding the programming fundamentals.
Due to space constraint, only a few of the programming fundamentals can be
explored here. If you want to have a thorough understand of them, please check
the source code. Here, we will describe more about the practical experience of smart
robot development.
Raspberry Pi tutorial:
http://www.waveshare.com/wiki/Raspberry_Pi_Tutorial_Series
Due to the electrical characteristic limitation, user should be more careful to use this
product in a safe and correct matter, to prevent the Raspberry Pi board or Arduino
board from irreversible damage by the smart robot chassis. For your first time in
using this product, please follow the steps described in the document.

Get details
Waveshare Wiki provides detailed data of AlphaBot2, including user manual,
schematic diagram, Demos, data sheet and the likes. Users can apply the product
in a safe and correct matter by reading them.

☺ Resource Link: www.waveshare.com/wiki/AlphaBot2

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Contents
AlphaBot 2 User Manual

To the Reader

Selection Guide

Recommendation

Get details

Contents

What’s on board?

Introduction

AlphaBot2-Base

AlphaBot2-Ar

AlphaBot2-Pi

AlphaBot2-PiZero

Quick start

Arduino examples

Raspberry Pi examples

FAQ

Safety Precautions

Notice Please reserve the following information for future use.

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What’s on board?
Introduction
AlphaBot2 robot kits includes a chassis (AlphaBot2-Base chassis) and an adapter
board (one of the adapter boards AlphaBot2-Ar / AlphaBot2-Pi / AlphaBot2-PiZero).
The robot supports Arduino / Raspberry Pi 3 Model B / Raspberry Pi Zero W with
different adapter boards.
It features rich common robot functions including line tracking, obstacle avoiding,
Bluetooth / infrared / WiFi remote control, video monitoring, etc.
Thanks to the highly integrated modular design, it is fairly easy to assemble by a
snap, no soldering, no wiring. After a few minutes spent on hardware assembling,
you're almost there, our open source demo codes is ready to help you get started
fast.
Accessories may be different in different product package. This manual describes
all the compatible accessories but perhaps the product you bought doesn’t
contain some of them.

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AlphaBot2-Base

1. AlphaBot2 control interface: for connecting sorts of controller adapter board
2. Ultrasonic module interface
3. Obstacle avoiding indicators
4. Omni-direction wheel
5. ST188: reflective infrared photoelectric sensor, for obstacle avoiding
6. ITR20001/T: reflective infrared photoelectric sensor, for line tracking
7. Potentiometer for adjusting obstacle avoiding range
8. TB6612FNG dual H-bridge motor driver
9. LM393 voltage comparator
10. N20 micro gear motor reduction rate 1:30, 6V/600RPM
11. Rubber wheels diameter 42mm, width 19mm
12. Power switch
13. Battery holder: supports 14500 batteries
14. WS2812B: true color RGB LEDs
15. Power indicator

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AlphaBot2-Ar

1.
2.
3.
4.

AlphaBot2 control interface: for connecting AlphaBot2-Base
Arduino expansion header: for connecting Arduino shields
Arduino interface: for connecting Arduino compatible controller
Xbee connector: for connecting dual-mode Bluetooth module, remotely control
the robot via Bluetooth
5. IR receiver
6. PC8574: I/O expander, SPI interface
7. Arduino peripheral jumpers
8. TLC1543: 10-bit AD acquisition chip
9. Buzzer
10. 0.96inch OLED SSD1306 driver, 128x64 resolution
11. Joystick

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AlphaBot2-Pi

1. AlphaBot2 control interface: for connecting AlphaBot2-Base
2. Raspberry Pi interface: for connecting Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
3. Servo interface
4. USB TO UART: easy for controlling the Pi via UART
5. LM2596: 5V voltage regulator
6. TLC1543: 10-bit AD acquisition chip, allows the Pi to use analog sensors
7. PCA9685: servo controller, make it more smoothly to rotate the pan head
8. CP2102: USB TO UART converter
9. Joystick
10. IR receiver
11. Buzzer

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AlphaBot2-PiZero

1. AlphaBot2 control interface: for connecting AlphaBot2-Base
2. LM2596: 5V voltage regulator
3. Raspberry Pi interface: for connecting Raspberry Pi Zero/Zero W
4. IR receiver
5. Buzzer
6. FE1.1S: USB HUB chip
7. 12M crystal
8. USB TO UART: easy for controlling the Pi via UART
9. USB HUB interface: extends the USB port of Raspberry Pi Zero/Zero W
10. CP2102: USB TO UART converter
11. PCA9685: servo controller, make it more smoothly to rotate the pan head
12. TLC1543: 10-bit AD acquisition chip, allows the Pi to use analog sensors
13. Servo interface
14. USB indicators
15. USB ports: more USB capability

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Quick start
We have provided the control programs for Arduino and Raspberry Pi, which can
implement many functions, such as tracking, obstacle avoidance, remote control,
video monitoring and so on.
You can get the example programs described in the following sections from the
website of Waveshare Wiki. To apply these examples to your application, you need
to copy the file libraries under the directory of Arduino into the folder libraries
under the installation directory of Arduino IDE. Then, restart the Ariduino IDE, and
click File-> Example to see if there is an option TRSensors. If yes, it means the
libraries are imported successfully. When using the Raspberry Pi, you should extract
the example programs and place them in the directory of /home/pi under the
operation system of Raspbian.

Arduino examples
Motor testing
Compile and download the program Run-Test. Normally, the smart robot moves
forward when the program runs and drives the motor to rotate. In case that the
direction of motion is wrong, you may need to modify the motor wring or change
the pin settings in your program. We recommend the latter one. If left wheels of the
robot run in a wrong direction, you should exchange the settings of AIN1 and AIN2.
For right wheels, exchange the settings of BIN1 and BIN2.
In the event that all the wheels run in a wrong direction, you should modify the
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settings in the demos, like:

5-way Joystick
Compile and download the program Joystick. This Joystick has 5 control directions:
Up, Down, Left, Right and Center (Enter). Open the serial monitor, and set the baud
rate to 115200. Then, the monitor displays the current key press. When there is a
key pressed down, the buzzer sounds and the motor rotates in the direction
according to the key. If the wheel(s) runs in the wrong direction, you should modify
the settings of the corresponding pins.

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Infrared remote control
Compile and download the program IR. You can control the smart robot by pressing
down the numeric keys on the infrared remote controller, in which, “2”is for go
forwards, “8” for go backwards, “4” for turn left, “6” for turn right, and “5”
for stop. Keys “-“ and “+” can adjust the speed of the robot, and “EQ” can
restore the default setting of the speed.
The key encoding may change with different Infrared remote controller. You can
modify the program as required.

Infrared obstacle avoidance
Compile and download the program Infrared-Obstacle-Avoidance. When there is
no obstacle ahead of the robot, the green LEDs on the robot are off. When the
obstacle is detected, the green LEDs will light up. In case that the LEDs are always
off or always on, you can try to adjusted the potentiometers on the bottom of the
robot to make the LEDs work properly.
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In this example, the robot goes straight when there is no obstacle, and turns right
when obstacle is detected.

Ultrasonic distance measurement
Compile and download the program Ultrasonic_Ranging. Open the serial monitor,
and set the baud rate to 115200. Then, the monitor displays the current measured
distance.

Ultrasonic obstacle avoidance
Compile and download the program Ultrasonic-Obstacle-Avoidance. In this
example, the robot goes straight when there is no obstacle, and turns right when
obstacle is detected. Since the ultrasonic can be reflected, if the obstacle is not in
the front of the robot, but is at an angle with the robot, the distance measured
between the robot and the obstacle may be inaccurate.
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Ultrasonic infrared obstacle avoidance
Compile and download the program Ultrasonic-Infrared-Obstacle-Avoidance. In
this example, the robot goes straight when there is no obstacle, and turns right
when obstacle is detected.

Tracker sensor testing
Import the library TRSensors to the file libraries under the installation directory of
Arduino IDE. Then, click File -> Example -> TRSensors ->TRSensorExample to open
the project. Compile and download the program to the development board Arduino.
The tracker sensor can detect the black line in the background color of white. You
can choose a black adhesive tape with 15cm width, and paste it to a white KT board
to create the smart robot tracking line scenario. The dark background color will
reduce the capability of the smart robot on the tracking line.
Open the serial monitor, and set the baud rate to 115200. When the monitor
displays the characters “TRSensor example”, you should hold the robot in the
middle of the black line and close to the ground, then swing the robot from side to
side. Then, the smart robot goes into the calibration mode, identifying the Max. and
the Min. threshed of each sensor. Calibration can have a direct influence to the
tracking line capability of the robot.
After the calibration, the monitor shows the Max. and the Min. threshed of each
sensor. And then, the measured values of sensors are displayed as well. The larger

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value means the deeper color. The last column of values indicate the position of the
black line, in which “2000” means the black line is in the middle of the robot, “0”
means the black line is on the leftmost side of the robot, and “4000” means the
black line is on the rightmost side of the robot.
When this program runs well, the line tracking sensor works properly. Or else, the
sensor cannot perform line tracking.

Infrared line tracking
Compile and download the program Infrared-Line-Tracking. Turn on the power
adapter, and hold the robot in the middle of the black line and close to the ground,
then swing the robot from side to side. The smart robot goes into the calibration
mode, identifying the Max. and the Min. threshed of each sensor. Calibration can
have a direct influence to the tracking line capability of the robot. When the wheels

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of the robot begin to move, you can release the robot and it will run along with the
black line.

RGB LEDs
Compile and download the program W2812. There are 4 RGBn LEDs (red, green,
blue and yellow, respectively) on the bottom of the robot.
To run this program, you should import the corresponding library to Arduino IDE.

OLED
Compile and download the program OLED. The example program demonstrates the
basic functions of character display and drawing operation, including drawing line,
cycle, rectangle box and the likes. To run this program, you should import the
corresponding library to Arduino IDE.

Comprehensive program
Compile and download the program Line-Tracking. Turned on the power adapter,
you can see the OLED display the characters “AlphaBot2”. Then, place the robot
on the black line and press down the key. Now, the smart robot goes into the
calibration mode, moving to left and then right. And the RGB LED is in green. When
the calibration finished, the RGB LED is in blue. OLED shows the information as the
figure below on the right, in which “**”indicates the current position of the black
line. When the smart robot moves to left or right, this symbol will be moved along.
Pressing down the key again, the smart robot runs along with the black line, and
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the RGB LED shows different colors. When there is an obstacle detected, the smart
robot stops and the buzzer sounds. When the obstacle disappears, the smart robot
continue to run. If you take up the robot, it will stop as well. Then, place it on the
black line, it will run again.

Smart robot running mazes
Compile and download the program MazeSolver. Turned on the power adapter, you
can see the OLED display the characters “AlphaBot2”. Then, place the robot on
the black line and press down the key. Now, the smart robot goes into the
calibration mode, moving to left and then right. And the RGB LED is in green. When
the calibration finished, the RGB LED is in blue. OLED shows the information as the
figure below on the right, in which “**”indicates the current position of the black
line. When the smart robot moves to left or right, this symbol will be moved along.
If the smart robot comes across the right angle, it will take a turn and look for the
end automatically. The smart robot stops when it arrives the end. Now, put the
smart robot to the start again, and press down the key, you will find that the smart
robot runs to the end along with the shortest route.

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Here are some requirements in making the maze: the corner should be a right angle,
and the maze should not has any loop.
About the program: when the smart robot detects any corner, it will slow down and
detects if there is a corner once again. As the difference at motor and operation
voltage in used, the smart robot may be unable to identify the corner. In this case,
you can modify the speed setting and delay time in the program. Further, when the
smart robot has to turn a corner, it need to increase delay time to judge the degree
of the angle. Therefore, if there is any problem in turning a corner, you can modify
the speed setting and delay time in the program as well.

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Bluetooth control smart robot
Compile and download the program Bluetooth. You should remove the Bluetooth
module from the smart robot before downloading, or else the program cannot be
loaded. When finished, you should insert the Bluetooth module to the smart robot
again.

Then, scan the QR code below with your mobile phone, and download the relative
APP according to your mobile phone OS. For iOS, Bluetooth BLE is applied to
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communicate with the module, and iphone4S or above is required. For Android,
Bluetooth EDR is applied.

Startup the APP, and click the option “Scan” (Note: Turn on the Bluetooth on
your mobile phone). Then, insert the Bluetooth module to the smart robot. After a
few second, you can find the corresponding Bluetooth device in the list. For iOS,
select “Waveshare_BLE” device. For Android, select “Waveshare_ERD”
device. Then, enter the next page, and choose “remote control mode”.

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Note: If your Android mobile phone support Bluetooth BLE as well, it will scan two
devices. At this moment, please select the device with the MAC address of
00:0E:0E.

Select “Remote control mode”, and click the option Settings to configure the
commands according to the program. When there is key pressed down, it will
trigger corresponding command. And when the key is released and bound up, it
will trigger the “Stop” command.

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When the color of the speed button changes from gray to black, it means the
program has been linked. Now, pressing down the key, you can control the smart
robot. At a meanwhile, the RGB LED display different colors.
For more information about Dual-mode Bluetooth, please refer to the corresponding
user manual
Chinese user manual: http://www.waveshare.net/wiki/Dual-mode_Bluetooth
English user manual: http://www.waveshare.com/wiki/Dual-mode_Bluetooth

Bluetooth control smart robot (JSON formatted command)
Remove the Bluetooth module, then, compile and download the program
Bluetooth-json. Next, startup the APP, and insert the Bluetooth module to the robot.
Then, select the option “Remote control mode” to control the robot, and choose
the option “Peripheral control” to control the buzzer to sound and RGD LED to
display different colors. (RGD LED may be unavailable in other robot. So you may
not control it on other robot.)

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Raspberry Pi examples
Extract the package AlphaBot2.tar.gz and place it to the directory of /home/pi under
raspbian system.
Before using this extension board, you should install the library python to your
Raspberry Pi.
In case that the example is unable to be performed after installing the library, you
can try to apply the command chmod +x filename to grant the program the
executable permission.
Explanation: For the freshmen of Raspberry Pi, please refer to the Raspberry Pi
Tutuiral. You can optionally read the following content.
① Raspberry Pi Tutuiral Serial: Access your Pi
② Libraries Installatin for RPi (Only python need to be operated)

Motor testing
Enter the Linux terminal, and input the following commands:
cd ~/AlphaBot2/python
sudo python AlphaBot2.py
Expectation result: The smart robot moves forward when the program runs and
drives the motor to rotate.
In case that the direction of motion is wrong, you may need to modify the motor
wring or change the pin settings in your program. We recommend the latter one. If
left wheels of the robot run in a wrong direction, you should exchange the settings
of ain1 and ain2. For right wheels, exchange the settings of bin1 and bin2.
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5-way joystick
Enter the Linux terminal, and input the following commands:
cd ~/AlphaBot2/python
sudo python Joystick.py
Expectation result: This Joystick has 5 control directions: Up, Down, Left, Right and
Center (Enter). Open the serial monitor, and set the baud rate to 115200. Then, the
monitor displays the current key press. When there is a key pressed down, the
buzzer sounds and the motor rotates in the direction according to the key. If the
wheel(s) runs in the wrong direction, you should modify the settings of the
corresponding pins.

Infrared remote control
Enter the Linux terminal, and input the following commands:
cd ~/AlphaBot2/python
sudo python IRremote.py
Expectation result: You can control the smart robot by pressing down the numeric
keys on the infrared remote controller, in which, “2”is for go forwards, “8” for
go backwards, “4” for turn left, “6” for turn right, and “5” for stop. Keys ““ and “+” can adjust the speed of the robot, and “EQ” can restore the default
setting of the speed.
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(Note: The key encoding may change with different Infrared remote controller. You
can modify the program as required.)

Infrared obstacle avoidance
Enter the Linux terminal, and input the following commands:
cd ~/AlphaBot2/python
sudo python Infrared_Obstacle_Avoidance.py
When there is no obstacle ahead of the robot, the green LED on the robot is off.
When the obstacle is detected, the green LED will light up. In case that the LED is
always off or always on, you can try to adjusted the potentiometers on the bottom
of the robot to make the LED work properly.
Expectation result: The robot goes straight when there is no obstacle detected by
the sensor on the left, and turns right when obstacle is detected.

Ultrasonic distance measurement (Raspberry Pi 3B kit does not
contain ultrasonic unit)
Enter the Linux terminal, and input the following commands:
cd ~/AlphaBot2/python
sudo python Ultrasonic_Rangeing.py
Expectation result: The terminal will display the current measured distance.

Ultrasonic distance measurement (Raspberry Pi 3B kit does not
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contain ultrasonic unit)
Enter the Linux terminal, and input the following commands:
cd ~/AlphaBot2/python
sudo python Infrared_Obstacle_Avoidance.py
Expectation result: The robot goes straight when there is no obstacle detected by
the sensor on the left, and turns right when obstacle is detected.

RGB LED
Copy the file rpi_ws281x-master.zip into your Raspberry Pi, and run the following
command to extract the file.
unzip rpi_ws281x-master.zip
Install the depended-upon software.
sudo apt-get build-essential python-dev install scons swig
Compile the program.
cd rpi_ws281x-master
sudo scons

Run the following command to perform the testing, you can see the RGB LED
flickering.
sudo ./test

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Enter the commands below to install the library python.
cd python
sudo python setup.py install

Run the library python for testing, you can see the RGB LED flickering.
cd examples
sudo python lowlevel.py

Now, the library has been installed.

Enter the following commands under the terminal:
cd ~/AlphaBot2/python
sudo python ws2812.py
Expectation result: The four RGB LEDs on the bottom of the smart robot will be in
red, green, blue and yellow, respectively.
If they display the wrong color, you can find out the file /boot/config.txt and add
the lines below into it. Restart the module to make the lines take effect. The RGB
LED use DMA control, which can occupy the audio output DMA channels on the
Raspberry Pi. So, adding these lines may cause the earphone interface to be
unavailable.
hdmi_force_hotplug=1
hdmi_force_edid_audio=1

Tracker sensor testing
Enter the Linux terminal, and input the following commands:
cd ~/AlphaBot2/python
sudo python TRSensors.py

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Expectation result: You can see five set of data printed on the terminal, they are
corresponding to five sensors. When the smart robot is placed on the white KT
board, the data value will be in the range of 800~900. When it is held in the air, the
value can be in the range of 0~100. And, when it on the black line, the value can be
in the range of 100~300.

Infrared line tracking
Enter the Linux terminal, and input the following commands:
cd ~/AlphaBot2/python
sudo python LineFollow.py
Expectation result: While the program is running, the smart robot goes into the
calibration mode, moving to left and then right. When the calibration finished, you
can swing the smart robot side to side, and the terminal will display the current
position of the black line and the values of five sensors. Place the smart robot on
the black line, and press down the center key on the joystick. Now, you can see the
smart robot run along with the black line, and the RGB LEDs on the bottom of the
robot display different colors.

Servo
Enter the Linux terminal, and input the following commands:
cd ~/AlphaBot2/python
sudo python PCA9685.py
Expectation result:：The servo will move to left and right, and its rotational range
can reach 180 degree.

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mjpg-streamer software real-time monitoring
"MJPG-streamer" takes JPGE from the web camera, and streams them over an IPbased network to various types of viewers.
a) Run the command raspi-config to start up the camera before using it:
sudo raspi-config
Select Enable Camera

b) For the camera with CSI interface, the system may be unable to find out the
device under the directory of /dev/video0. In this case, you should add a line,
bcm2835-v4l2, into the file /etc/modules.
sudo nano /etc/modules
Add the line: bcm2835-v4l2

c) After reboot, the system will load the module name stored in this file, and find
out the device video0 under the directory of /dev. (Please take a notice that the
letter l in the command bcm2835-v4l2 is the lower case of L.)

Explanation: After performing the steps a), b) and c）, if you still cannot find out the
device video0 under the directory of /dev, and all the operations and commands
are correct, you should run the command: rpi-update.

The software mjpg-streamer in the program has been compiled. You only need to
run the following lines to start up the mjpg-streamer:
cd AlphaBot2/lib/mjpg-streamer
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sudo ./start.sh

Then, open the browser, and enter the IP address of RPi and the port number: 8080
into the address bar. (Notices: the port number here is 8080, other than 8000 what
we used before.) The website will show the information about the M-JPEG streamer.
Click the option Stream, it will real-time display the image captured by the camera.

Under the terminal, pressing the keys Ctrl + C can end the program. However, we
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recommend you to keep the program running, since we still need it in the following
operations.

Remote control via webiopi
Webiopi is a web framework that can control GPIO of RPi. Here is the website:
http://webiopi.trouch.com/
However, this software is no longer to be updated after the version 0.7.1. The
software here we provided is the improvement version, able to support Raspberry
Pi 3B.
To install the webiopi, you should open a new terminal, and keep the route
described above running.

cd AlphaBot2/lib/WebIOPi-0.7.1-raspi2
sudo ./setuo.sh

Check if the library is installed successfully by running the line webiopi –h. if the
library has been installed, you can see the interface as the figure shows below:

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Enter the terminal, and run the lines:
sudo webiopi -d -c /etc/webiopi/config

Then, open the browser on your PC or cell phone, and enter the IP address of RPi
and the port number: 8000 into the address bar. For example, input
http://192.168.1.16:8000 (the address can be changeable according to your actual
condition). To login the website, you should enter your account and password. The
default account name is webiopi, and the original password is raspberry. When
finished the steps above, if you can enter the webpage WebIOPi Main Menu, it
means the environment is configured well.

Click the option “GPIO Header”, then, you can see the interface below. In this
webpage, you can control the level of the GPIO.
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Enter the directory of mjpg-AlphaBot, and modify the video source IP.
cd ~/AlphaBot2/mjpg-AlphaBot/
sudo nano index.html

Find out the link: http://192.168.10.235:8080/?action=stream

In here, 192.168.10.235 is the IP address of RPi, and it can be changeable according
to your actual condition. The port number should be set to 8080 (This port is used
for transmitting stream).
Start up the Raspberry Pi camera program:
cd ~/AlphaBot2/mjpg-AlphaBot
sudo webiopi -c config

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Then, open the browser, and enter the IP address of RPi and the port number: 8000
into the address bar. (Notices: the port number here is 8000, other than 8080.) The
image captured by the camera will be shown in the website. Clicking the direction
icon on the website can control the action of the robot.

If you cannot enter this webpage, we recommend

you to use the Chrome browser or the Firefox browser.
Furthermore, please make sure the current directory of
Raspberry Pi is：
~/AlphaBot2/mjpg-AlphaBot/mjpg-AlphaBot
since there is a file index.html under this directory. And
then, input the code：
sudo webiopi -c config
to enter the index.html. Or else, you will go to the
WebIOPi Main Menu webpage.

Configure boot-up option:
Replace the file config
cd ~/AlphaBot2/mjpg-AlphaBot
sudo cp config /etc/webiopi/config

Run the command below to set the webiopi to be started up on boot.
sudo update-rc.d webiopi defaults

Open the file /etc/rc.local with your editor to add the following commands:
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sudo vi /etc/rc.local

Add the commands following the comments. Please make sure the line exit 0 is the
last line. And then, save the modification and exit.
cd /home/pi/AlphaBot2/lib/mjpg-streamer
sudo ./start.sh &

Remote control via Bottle
Bottle is a simple and effective micro python Web framework complying with WSGI. By
Bottle, you can fast and easily implement Web control.
1) Install the library:
sudo apt-get install python-bottle

2) Perform web control RGB LED via Bottle
cd ~/AlphaBot2/Web-RGB
sudo python main

3) Then, enter the IP address of your Pi and the port number 8000 into the address bar
of the browser. Clicking different position of the pallet, you can see RGB LED displays
different colors. There are 3 display modes selectable, static, breath and flash.
(Note: This web-RGB program only support the mobile phone browser. It is unavailable for
PC browser.)

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To implement web video control the smart robot by Bottle, you should modify the
IP address for the video stream.
cd ~/AlphaBot2/Web-Control
vi index.html
Find out the line below, and change the IP address to the actual RPI address and set
the port to the stream port.

Then, run the following command to start the program:
sudo python main

Then, open the browser, and enter the IP address of RPi and the port number: 8000
into the address bar. (Notices: the port number here is 8000, other than 8080.) Then,
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you can see the following webpage. Clicking the direction icon on the website can
control the action of the robot.

You can set the program to be started up on boot. Open the file /etc/rc.local with
your editor and add the following line into it.
sudo vi /etc/rc.local

Add the commands following the comments. Please make sure the line exit 0 is the
last line. And then, save the modification and exit.
cd /home/pi/AlphaBot2/lib/mjpg-streamer
sudo ./start.sh &
cd /home/pi/AlphaBot2/Web-Contrl
sudo python main &

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Since the Raspberry Pi uses dynamic IP which may change each time the device
restart, you can add the following lines under the directory of /etc/dhcpcd.comf to
set the static IP:
interface wlan0
static ip_address = 192.168.1.114/24
static routers = 192.168.1.1

In here, “192.168.1.1” is the router IP address, and “192.168.1.114” is the IP
address to be set, following which the“/24” should not be removed.

Remote control via software
To implement video control the smart robot via the software on your mobile phone
or PC, you should modify the IP address in the program firstly.
cd ~/AlphaBot2/App-Control
vi main.py
Find out the line below, and change the IP address to the actual RPI address and set
the port to the stream port.
Host = '192.168.10.235'

Then, run the following command to start the program:
sudo python main

Open a new terminal to run the mjpg-streamer.

Run the program AlphaBot.exe on your PC, and enter the IP address, the port
numbers of mjpg-stream and smart robot Soket sever.
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Click the button Viedeo Connet to connect to the video. When the connection is
built up, the button will turn to green. Then, click the button Cmd Connect to
connect to the smart robot sever. You will see the button turn to green, if the
connection is successful. Now, you can control the action of the smart robot by
pressing down the keys on the left, and control the camera and steer by the keys
on the right.

Then, scan the QR code below with your mobile phone, and download the relative
APP.

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Enter the actual IP address of RPi, and click the button Connect. Then, you can see
the images captured by the camera. Next, click the button Connect under the image.
When the control port has been connected to the program, this button will change
from green to blue. Now, you can control the actions of the smart robot and the
steer by pressing down the corresponding keys. By dragging the slider, you can
change the speed of the robot.

Open the file /etc/rc.local with your editor to add the following commands:
sudo vi /etc/rc.local

Add the commands following the comments. Please make sure the line exit 0 is the
last line. And then, save the modification and exit.
cd /home/pi/AlphaBot/lib/mjpg-streamer
sudo ./start.sh &
cd /home/pi/AlphaBot/App-Contrl
sudo python main &

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You should connect the Raspberry Pi to the router at every restart. Of course, you
can enable the AP function of the RPi wireless network adapter, taking the RPi as
sever. For more information about the operation, please refer to the Raspberry Pi
tutorial.

Remote control via RPi Bluetooth
1) Upgrade the relative packages of the Bluetooth, and install the depended-upon
software.
sudo
sudo
sudo
sudo

apt-get
apt-get
apt-get
apt-get

update
upgrade -y
dist-upgrade -y
install pi-bluetooth bluez bluez-firmware blueman

2) Add the pi user to the Bluetooth group.
sudo usermod –G Bluetooth –a pi
3) Restart the Raspberry Pi.
sudo reboot
4) Start/Add the SPP, and turn on the Bluetooth device.
sudo vi /etc/systemd/system/dbus-org.bluez.service

Modify two lines in the following file:

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After restarted the RPi, enter the command hciconfig (similar to the command
ifconfig) to check the Bluetooth service.

If the Bluetooth has been working, you will see the device hci0 displayed on the
screen. When the Bluetooth does not work, no Bluetooth device can be identified.

Note: If the line dtoverlay=pi3-miniuart-bt exists in the file /boot/config.txt, it
should be commented out.

5) Connect to Bluetooth device
Input the following command to enter the Bluetooth control interface (you can
input the command help to check the command list after entered the interface).
sudo bluetoothctl

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agent on

After entered the interface, input the following lines (you can input the command
help to check the command list after entered the interface).
agent on
default-agent
Following the scan on, you can see the physical address of the scanned Bluetooth
device, similar to XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX.

For Bluetooth pairing, use the following command (In here, XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX can
be replaced to your device address. For Android mobile phone, you can check the
Bluetooth address by Setting-> About phone-> Status information）
pair XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

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When pairing is successful, add the device to the trust list.
trust XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

Next, connect to the device.
connect XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

At last, enter the command quit to exit the interface. After the settings above, as
the Bluetooth device is turned on, the Raspberry Pi will automatically connect to it.

Note: If you are unable to build up the connection with the command line, you can
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enter the graphic interface to make the connection.

Click the Bluetooth icon and add new device.

Select the corresponding Bluetooth device. Please make sure the Bluetooth on the
mobile phone should be enable and set to discoverable.

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On the RPi, select the option OK for pairing. And at the same time, on the mobile
phone, click the option Pair.

Then, you may see the prompt saying that “Paired successfully, but this device has
no services which can be used with Raspberry Pi.”

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Now, the connection has been built up.
Run the following commands to start the program:
cd /AlphaBot2/Bluetooth-Control
sudo rfcomm watch hci0 1 python bluetooth.py
Then, scan the QR code below with your mobile phone, and download the relative
APP. (This is the software for controlling the Dual-mode Bluetooth module. If you
has installed this software in your Arduino mobile phone, you can skip this step)

Start the APP, and click the option Scan. (Note: please make sure the Bluetooth on
your mobile phone is turned on) Normally, you can see the relative Bluetooth
devices in the list. Then, select the option “raspberrypi”. Go to the next page, and
select the option Remote control.

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If the Bluetooth of the Raspberry PI can not be searched, you can run the following
lines to enable the Bluetooth and set it to discoverable.

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FAQ
Question 1: Comparing with AlphaBot, is there any improvement on AlphaBot2?
Answer:


AlphaBot2 has a smarter dimensions and more stable structure. Sensors are
highly integrated in it.



High-precision metal motor with low noise.



TB6612FNG motor driver chip with high efficiency, smarter dimensions, and no
heat produced, comparing with L298P.



Increase more peripherals for debugging, such as keys, buzzer, RBG LED, USB
converter and the likes.



AlphaBot2-Ar adapter board adds OLED, and AlphaBot2-PiZero adapter board
adds usb Hub.



PCA9685 steer control chip, able to avoid jittering when using Raspberry Pi
software to PWM control the steer.



Provide much more programs. For Raspberry Pi, it has Andiron App video
control and on-board Bluetooth remote control. For PC, it provide Qt software
control.

Question 2: What kind of battery can be applied on Alphabot2 smart robot？
Answer: It uses 14500 type battery which is in the diameter of 14mm and length of
50mm. For a single battery, its rate voltage is 3.7V, full voltage is 4.2V， and its

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lowest voltage should not be lower than 2.75V, or else the battery may be
permanently damaged. This battery has a same dimensions with AA battery. But
you should not use the AA battery to replace it, since the AA battery cannot provide
enough voltage.

Question 3: Why the smart robot cannot perform infrared obstacle avoidance?
Answer: Firstly, you should check the whether the infrared detection module on the
smart robot works properly. When there is no obstacle ahead of the robot, the green
LEDs on the robot are off. When the obstacle is detected, the green LEDs will light
up. In case that the LEDs are always off or always on, you can try to adjusted the
potentiometers on the bottom of the robot to make the LEDs work properly.

Question 4: What can I do, if the motion of the smart robot is wrong?
Answer: In case that the direction of motion is wrong, you may need to change the
pin settings in your program.

Question 5: The rotational range of the steer is abnormal.
Answer: The rotational range of the steer can reach 180 degree. In normal condition,
the steer can turn to left at 90 degree, and turn to right at 90 degree as well. If there
is a big difference between the both sides, you should reassemble the steer and
make adjustment.

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Question 6: How to know if the battery has power?
Answer: If there is low battery, the smart robot will move slowly. Normally, when the
Raspberry Pi shuts down or become unable to connect, you should charge the
battery. When the battery voltage is low, you should stop using the battery, or else
it may be permanently damaged and cannot be applied any more.

Question 7: Can other MCUs control the base board of the smart robot?
Answer: Of course, they can. We have provided the schematic diagram and the
dimension diagram of the smart robot for users to perform secondary development.

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Safety Precautions
Notice
Please reserve the following information for
future use.
Caution
To prevent AlphaBot2, a precision device, from breaking down or being
damaged, please follow the requirement listed below.


The product employs two series 14500 batteries for power supply with input
voltage of 7.4V. When working with Arduino and Raspberry Pi at a same time,
the external power supply should be applied. Any external power supply has to
obey to the regulations and standards of power supply for your area.



The product should be applied under a well-ventilated environment, to
guarantee the heat dissipation of power supply and product performance.



The disassembly chassis should be placed on the stable, flat and nonconducting surface, without touching any conductive materials.



Installing the incompatible device to the chassis may cause damage and void
the warranty.



The product should not expose to water and moisture, or not be placed on
conductive surface, in the course of any operations.



AlphaBot2 should not touch any heat source, to make sure reliability service
under normal room temperature environment
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

Protect the printed circuit board and the components on it from mechanical or
electrical damages, in the course of any operations.



Avoid touching the energized printed circuit board in the course of any
operations. Touching the edge of the board is allowed, which can reduce the
risk electrostatic discharge.

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