Building block programming robot main controller

Abstract

The building block programming robot main controller is characterized by comprising a main control module, a lower control module and a power supply module, the main control module comprises an embedded microprocessor and a display module, the embedded microprocessor is provided with an operating system, and the display module is electrically connected with a corresponding port of the embedded microprocessor; the lower control module comprises a microcontroller, a motor module and a voice recognition module, the microcontroller is provided with a sensor interface, the motor module is electrically connected with a corresponding port of the microcontroller, and the voice recognition module is electrically connected with a corresponding input and output end of the microcontroller; the embedded microprocessor is communicated with the microcontroller; the power supply module supplies power to the master control module and the lower control module. The main controller of the building block programming robot adopts a double-SOC framework, so that the overall performance and the resource utilization rate of the system can be improved, and meanwhile, diversified functional requirements are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of building block programming robots, in particular to a main controller of a building block programming robot. Background Art

[0002] With the development of technology, robotics has been widely used in many fields. For fields such as education, entertainment, and home services, building block programming robots are a very popular type of robots. However, the existing building block programming robot main controller usually adopts a single SOC framework. The traditional single SOC framework can generally only support specific functions and components. Integrating multiple functions and components may lead to resource limitations, performance bottlenecks, and power consumption problems, making it difficult to meet the flexible needs of different users or markets. The traditional single SOC framework has difficulty handling scenarios that require running multiple complex tasks at the same time, because each function and task shares limited resources, which may lead to performance bottlenecks, slow system response, or freezes.

[0003] Existing programmed robots usually have the following disadvantages:

[0004] 1. Limited functions and execution capabilities. They can only perform simple operations such as basic movement, turning, making sounds or lights, and cannot achieve more complex tasks and behaviors. This limits children's creativity and flexibility in the programming process.

[0005] 2. The lack of diverse sensors and actuators limits the robot’s ability to interact with the environment. For example, the lack of touch sensors, cameras, sound recognition and other functions makes it impossible for the robot to perceive and respond to rich information in the environment. Summary of the invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a main controller of a building block programming robot, which adopts a dual SOC framework, can improve the overall performance and resource utilization of the system, and meet diverse functional requirements. The adopted technical solution is as follows:

[0007] A main controller of a building block programming robot, characterized in that it includes a main control module, a lower control module and a power module; the main control module includes an embedded microprocessor and a display module, the embedded microprocessor is equipped with an operating system, and the display module is electrically connected to the corresponding port of the embedded microprocessor; the lower control module includes a microcontroller, a motor module and a voice recognition module, the microcontroller has a sensor interface, the motor module is electrically connected to the corresponding port of the microcontroller, and the voice recognition module is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output terminals of the microcontroller; the embedded microprocessor communicates with the microcontroller; the power module supplies power to the main control module and the lower control module.

[0008] The sensor interface of the above microcontroller can be connected to various sensors, such as RGB, LED, digital tube, temperature sensor, brightness sensor, distance sensor, infrared line patrol sensor, pressure sensor, geomagnetic sensor, color sensor, etc.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the main control module further comprises a WiFi module, which is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output terminals of the embedded microprocessor. The WiFi module enables users to access the Internet via a wireless network.

[0010] In the preferred embodiment, the display module includes a display switching circuit, a display screen, an external display driving circuit and a capacitive touch screen. The display switching circuit is electrically connected to the corresponding output terminal of the embedded microprocessor, the display screen and the external display driving circuit are electrically connected to the corresponding output terminals of the display switching circuit, and the capacitive touch screen is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output terminals of the embedded microprocessor. The capacitive touch screen (such as a 5-inch high-definition capacitive touch screen) can provide users with convenient control and display. Through the external display driving circuit, an external extended display can be connected through the micro HDMI interface to display the picture on the external display. The display switching circuit is used to select whether to use the display screen or the external display for display.

[0011] In the preferred embodiment, the main control module includes a USB expansion interface, which is electrically connected to the corresponding port of the embedded microprocessor. The USB interface can be connected to a mouse, keyboard, USB camera, USB interface storage, etc. When matched with an external USB keyboard and mouse, a portable personal PC can be formed.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the main control module includes an audio interface, which is electrically connected to a corresponding port of the embedded microprocessor and can be connected to an external speaker and an earphone socket.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the main control module further includes an external memory module, which is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output terminals of the embedded microprocessor. The external memory module can be a TF card.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the motor module includes a second microcontroller and a plurality of motor interfaces. The microcontroller is electrically connected to the second microcontroller through corresponding ports, and each motor interface is electrically connected to a corresponding output terminal of the second microcontroller. The second microcontroller may use an STC8H1K16 single-chip microcomputer to control the operation of the motor. The motor module may include four motor interfaces (M1-M4) to support driving DC motors and servo motors.

[0015] In a more preferred solution, the motor module further includes a gyroscope sensor, which is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output terminals of the second microcontroller. In terms of the drive of the motor, an independent MCU, i.e., the second microcontroller, is used to control the motor, and with the feedback of the gyroscope sensor, accurate speed control can be achieved.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the speech recognition module is an offline speech recognition module.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the power module includes a rechargeable battery and a charging plate capable of charging the rechargeable battery, and the charging plate has a charging port.

[0018] In a specific solution, the embedded microprocessor in the above-mentioned main control module adopts the Rockchip RV1126 chip; the microcontroller in the lower control module adopts the ESP32 chip.

[0019] Rockchip RV1126 chip is a domestic chip and is Rockchip's new generation of intelligent vision chip. It is based on the quad-core ARMCortex-A7 core, has a built-in 2T computing power NPU, and supports 4K30FPS H.264 / H.265 video encoding and decoding. Based on Rockchip's self-developed ISP2.0 technology, RV1126 can achieve multi-level noise reduction, 3-frame HDR, and black light full-color technical features; at the same time, it has a built-in HDAEC algorithm and supports microphone voice arrays to effectively enhance sound collection and pickup distance. RV1126 can be equipped with the Linux system, providing users with a practical and convenient operating system.

[0020] The ESP32 series of single-chip microcomputers provide a rich set of peripheral interfaces, support UART, I2C and other protocol communications, and support driving high-power peripherals such as DC motors and servo motors. The ESP32 chip uses the Tensilica Xtensa LX6 microprocessor, including dual-core and single-core versions, with built-in antenna switches, RF modules, power amplifiers, low-noise receiving amplifiers, filters and power management modules. The ESP32 chip used in the utility model is the ESP32WROOM32E series. The ESP32WROOM32E series supports Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g / n), classic Bluetooth and low-power Bluetooth dual-mode, and is configured with 8 MB Flash, 64 Mbit SPIFlash, and an onboard UFL antenna. It has rich peripheral interfaces and provides a total of 8 sensor expansion interfaces (S1-S8), of which S1-S4 are ADC+GPIO interfaces, S5 is a UART interface, and S6-S8 are I2C interfaces. Various sensors can be connected externally, including RGB, LED, digital tube, temperature sensor, brightness sensor, distance sensor, infrared line patrol sensor, pressure sensor, geomagnetic sensor, color sensor, etc.

[0021] Compared with other technologies, the programming robot main controller using RV1126 and ESP32 as the main chip has the following advantages: 1. Powerful processing power. RV1126 and ESP32 are powerful microcontrollers that can efficiently handle various complex robot control tasks. They integrate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions to facilitate communication and control between robots and external devices; 2. Support for multiple programming languages. ESP32 supports multiple programming languages, including C, Python, JavaScript, etc. This allows developers to choose the appropriate programming language for development according to their needs. This flexibility undoubtedly enhances the adaptability of the main controller. 3. Rich peripheral interfaces. ESP32 has rich peripheral interfaces, including GPIO, SPI, I2C, UART, etc., which can easily communicate with other devices, which means that the robot can be more easily connected and configured with various sensors and other devices; 4. Good scalability. The combination of RV1126 and ESP32 makes the main controller have good scalability (RV1126, as a powerful microcontroller, can support a variety of additional expansion boards and additional components; ESP32's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions enable the robot to easily communicate wirelessly with other devices), so that its functions can be easily expanded.

[0022] The present invention adopts a dual SOC framework, using two independent SOC chips in one device. This framework has rich structural ductility, can provide support for different peripherals and structural components, and can be formed into different shapes. The dual SOC framework can effectively solve problems such as resource limitations, performance bottlenecks and power consumption by allocating different functions to different SOC chips, and provide higher flexibility and performance, improve the overall system performance and resource utilization, and meet diverse functional requirements. The dual SOC framework allows different functions and components to run independently on their respective SOC chips, achieving mutual coordination and division of labor, which can fully utilize hardware resources, reduce conflicts and interference, and improve the overall performance, stability and reliability of the system.

[0023] The PC can communicate with the main control module, thereby realizing communication between the PC and the main controller of the building block programming robot, and then realizing the PC's control of peripheral devices such as sensors and motors.

[0024] In terms of usage, the main controller of the building block programming robot of the utility model supports directly burning the firmware into the lower control module after programming through the Scratch platform on the local machine, thereby realizing an application closed loop from programming to operation on the local machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a circuit principle block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the main controller of the building block programming robot includes a main control module 1, a lower control module 2 and a power module 3; the main control module 1 includes an embedded microprocessor (RV1126 chip) and a display module, the embedded microprocessor is equipped with an operating system, and the display module is electrically connected to the corresponding port of the embedded microprocessor; the lower control module 2 includes a microcontroller (ESP32 chip), a motor module and a voice recognition module (SU-03T), the microcontroller has a sensor interface, the motor module is electrically connected to the corresponding port of the microcontroller, and the voice recognition module is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output terminals of the microcontroller; the embedded microprocessor communicates with the microcontroller; the power module 3 supplies power to the main control module 1 and the lower control module 2. The embedded microprocessor in the main control module adopts the Rockchip RV1126 chip; the microcontroller in the lower control module adopts the ESP32 chip.

[0027] The sensor interface of the microcontroller (ESP32 chip) can be connected to various sensors, such as RGB, LED, digital tube, temperature sensor, brightness sensor, distance sensor, infrared line sensor, pressure sensor, geomagnetic sensor, color sensor, etc. In this embodiment, the microcontroller has eight sensor interfaces S1-S8

[0028] The main control module also includes a WiFi module, and the WiFi module is electrically connected to corresponding input and output terminals of the embedded microprocessor.

[0029] The display module includes a display switching circuit, a display screen, an external display driving circuit and a capacitive touch screen. The display switching circuit is electrically connected to the corresponding output terminal of the embedded microprocessor, the display screen and the external display driving circuit are electrically connected to the corresponding output terminals of the display switching circuit, and the capacitive touch screen is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output terminals of the embedded microprocessor. The capacitive touch screen (such as a 5-inch high-definition capacitive touch screen) can provide users with convenient control and display. Through the external display driving circuit, an external extended display can be connected through the micro HDMI interface to display the picture on the external display. The display switching circuit is used to select whether to use the display screen or the external display for display.

[0030] The main control module includes a USB expansion interface, which is electrically connected to the corresponding port of the embedded microprocessor. The USB interface can be connected to a mouse, keyboard, USB camera, USB interface storage, etc.

[0031] The main control module includes an audio interface, which is electrically connected to a corresponding port of the embedded microprocessor, and the audio interface can be externally connected to a speaker and an earphone socket.

[0032] The main control module also includes an external expansion memory module, which is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output terminals of the embedded microprocessor. In this embodiment, the external expansion memory module uses a TF card.

[0033] The motor module includes a second microcontroller (STC8H1K16 single-chip microcomputer) and four motor interfaces (M1-M4). The microcontroller is electrically connected to the second microcontroller through corresponding ports, and each motor interface is electrically connected to the corresponding output terminal of the second microcontroller. The second microcontroller (STC8H1K16 single-chip microcomputer) controls the operation of the motor. The motor module includes 4 motor interfaces (M1-M4) and supports driving DC motors and servo motors. The motor module also includes a gyroscope sensor, which is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output terminals of the second microcontroller.

[0034] In this embodiment, the power module 3 includes a rechargeable battery and a charging plate capable of charging the rechargeable battery, and the charging plate has a charging port. The rechargeable battery can be a 7.4V polymer lithium battery with a capacity of 3000mA. The battery module can have an independent construction shell, and graphite sheets are used for heat dissipation. The above-mentioned power module also includes a voltage conversion module, and the voltage conversion module includes a DC-DC voltage conversion circuit: 7.4V→5V, 5V→3.3V, etc.

[0035] The above-mentioned speech recognition module adopts an offline speech recognition module, and the offline speech recognition module of this embodiment adopts a SU-03T speech recognition module. In the lower control module, by carrying the SU-03T speech recognition module, the SU-03T speech recognition module is a hardware device based on digital signal processing technology, which has functions such as natural language speech recognition and text-to-speech synthesis. The SU-03T speech recognition module does not rely on cloud services, but performs speech recognition and synthesis directly on the device, which has advantages in response speed, stability and security. The SU-03T speech recognition module adopts professional-grade DSP chips and far-field microphone technology, which can achieve accurate speech recognition and command control within a long distance range, and supports up to 100 offline speech recognitions; at the same time, the SU-03T speech recognition module supports multi-language recognition, which can meet the market needs of various regions around the world. In addition, the SU-03T speech recognition module also supports offline language package upgrades, and can update speech recognition and synthesis technology at any time to improve user experience. The voice recognition module SU-03T supports serial port communication, supports direct speaker driving, and the microphone can receive voice input, which can directly realize voice recognition and voice control, greatly improving the intelligence of the product, broadening the application scenarios, and truly realizing AI voice recognition and control functions.

Claims

1. A main controller of a building block programming robot, characterized in that It includes a main control module, a lower control module and a power module; the main control module includes an embedded microprocessor and a display module, the embedded microprocessor is equipped with an operating system, and the display module is electrically connected to the corresponding port of the embedded microprocessor; the lower control module includes a microcontroller, a motor module and a voice recognition module, the microcontroller has a sensor interface, the motor module is electrically connected to the corresponding port of the microcontroller, and the voice recognition module is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output terminals of the microcontroller; the embedded microprocessor communicates with the microcontroller; the power module supplies power to the main control module and the lower control module.

2. The main controller of the building block programming robot according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The main control module also includes a WiFi module, which is electrically connected to corresponding input and output terminals of the embedded microprocessor.

3. The main controller of the building block programming robot according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The display module includes a display switching circuit, a display screen, an external display driving circuit and a capacitive touch screen. The display switching circuit is electrically connected to the corresponding output end of the embedded microprocessor, the display screen and the external display driving circuit are electrically connected to the corresponding output end of the display switching circuit respectively, and the capacitive touch screen is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output ends of the embedded microprocessor.

4. The main controller of the building block programming robot according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The main control module comprises a USB expansion interface, and the USB expansion interface is electrically connected to a corresponding port of the embedded microprocessor.

5. The main controller of the building block programming robot according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The main control module comprises an audio interface, which is electrically connected to a corresponding port of the embedded microprocessor.

6. The main controller of the building block programming robot according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The main control module also includes an external expansion memory module, which is electrically connected to the corresponding input and output terminals of the embedded microprocessor.

7. The main controller of the building block programming robot according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The motor module includes a second microcontroller and a plurality of motor interfaces, the microcontroller is electrically connected to the second microcontroller through corresponding ports, and each motor interface is electrically connected to a corresponding output terminal of the second microcontroller; The motor module also includes a gyroscope sensor, which is electrically connected to corresponding input and output terminals of the second microcontroller.

8. The main controller of the building block programming robot according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The speech recognition module adopts an offline speech recognition module.

9. The main controller of the building block programming robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power module comprises a rechargeable battery and a charging plate capable of charging the rechargeable battery, wherein the charging plate has a charging port.

10. The main controller of the building block programming robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The embedded microprocessor in the main control module adopts Rockchip RV1126 chip; the microcontroller in the lower control module adopts ESP32 chip.

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