CHRP 2.0
CHRP 2.0 features
- 28-pin PIC16F886 microcontroller
- 8 buffered LED outputs*
- 8 pushbutton inputs*
- piezo beeper output
- audio low-pass filter output
- 2 IR LED outputs*
- 2 line X 16 character LCD*
- high-current motor driver output for 2 DC motors or 1 stepper motor*
- 6 servo motor outputs*
- 2 analogue phototransistor inputs
- 1 analogue potentiometer input
- 1 analogue temperature input
- IR demodulator input
- RS-232 serial I/O
- built-in power supply with rectifier, voltage regulator, and power LED
*Specific combinations of inputs and outputs can be active simultaneously. Refer to the schematic for all possible I/O combinations.
CHRP resources
CHRP 2.0 schematic diagram (152kB 
).
CHRP 2.0 parts layout (172kB ).
CHRP 2.0 Gerber files (148kB 
).
CHRP 2.0 parts list (92kB 
).
CHRP - Common Hardware Robotics Project
We call it CHRP ('chirp'). CHRP was created to help highschool students learn about electronics and computer technology in a fun, hands-on way. It's also great for introductory to advanced college and univeristy courses. The capabilities of the CHRP board are designed to grow as the students progress, providing level-appropriate challenges for each grade (10-11-12). CHRP is cost effective, since students build it in stages, adding new parts, and new capabilities, each year.
CHRP is versatile. You can use CHRP to create rolling robots, walking robots, animatronics, alarm circuits, games, sound generators, weather stations, automated houses, computer peripherals, data loggers, and much more!
It's an educational electronics tool
Use the CHRP construction activities to learn about electronic parts and circuits as you build and test parts of the CHRP board. Learn about resistors, capacitors, diodes, LEDs, power supplies, series circuits, and parallel circuits.
It's an assembly code tutor
Use the CHRP programming activities to learn how to write programs that control outputs and sense inputs using PICmicro® assembly code.
It's a versatile development system
Use the built-in and tested I/O circuits on the CHRP board to debug programs separately from circuits, reducing potential errors and saving you time.
It's a complete system
The CHRP has so much circuitry on-board that you can use it as a stand-alone controller in many applications. Just connect it to your hardware and program it to do what you whatever you want.
These three different variations of the CHRP board correspond to the hardware requirements and software sophistication of the programming activities below - level 1, level 2, level 3.
Build a CHRP
What you will need
A CHRP printed circuit board. You can buy one from the products page. If you need many CHRP boards, you can save money by buying directly from our pcb supplier. Or, download the CHRP Gerber files (above) and have your preferred pcb facility make them.
Parts. All of the electronic components can be ordered from Digi-Key (www.digikey.com) using the part numbers in the CHRP parts spreadsheet (above).
Tools - soldering iron, electronic solder, solder flux remover, needle-nose pliers, screwdriver, and diagonal cutters.
CHRP construction activities
- CHRP Schematic Scavenger Hunt
- CHRP Activity 1 - Resistors
- CHRP Activity 1.1 - Series Circuits
- CHRP Activity 1.2 - Parallel Circuits
- CHRP Activity 2 - Diodes
- CHRP Activity 2.1 - Diode Rectifiers
- CHRP Activity 2.2 - LEDs
- CHRP Activity 3 - Capacitors
- CHRP Activity 3.1 - Capacitor Filtering.
- CHRP Activity 4 - Voltage regulator
Program CHRP
What you will need
Microchip's MPLAB IDE (www.microchip.com) or another PIC assembler, and Microchip's PICkit-2 USB programmer/downloader.
A CHRP (of course!)—any of the three levels will work for the level 1 activities.
A Windows compatible PC with a free USB port.
Batteries or a power supply to power the CHRP.
CHRP programming activities
Level 1
- Output program
- Count program
- Chaser program
- Input program
- Math program
- Decision program
- Analogue input program
- Loops program
- Time delay loops program
- Included subroutine program
- CHRP robot program
Advanced programs
Sound, light and communication programs
Level 2
- Jump table program
- Sound program
- Pulse-width-modulation (PWM) program
- Multi-output PWM program
- Servo program
- Data conversion program
- Serial transmit program
- Serial receive program
- IR receive program
- IR transmit program
Level 3
- Interrupt programming
- LCD display program
- LCD custom character program
- User interface programming
CHRP 1.2
CHRP 1.2 features
- 28-pin PIC16F876 microcontroller
- 8 buffered LED outputs*
- piezo beeper output
- audio low-pass filter output
- 2 IR LED outputs*
- 2 line X 16 character LCD*
- motor driver output for 2 DC motors or 1 stepper motor*
- 4 servo motor outputs*
- 8 pushbutton inputs*
- 2 phototransistor inputs*
- 1 analogue potentiometer input*
- 1 analogue voltage divider input
- IR demodulator input*
- RS-232 serial I/O*
- built-in power supply with rectifier, voltage regulator, and power LED
- power control circuit for programmable shutdown
*Not all inputs and outputs can be active simultaneously. Refer to the schematic for possible I/O combinations.
CHRP additional resources
CHRP 1.2 schematic diagram (148kB ).
CHRP 1.2 parts layout (576kB ).
CHRP 1.2 Gerber files (156kB ).
CHRP 1.2 parts list (44kB ).
CHRP 1.2 - Common Hardware Robotics Project
We call it CHRP ('chirp'). CHRP was created to help highschool students learn about electronics and computer technology in a fun, hands-on way. It's also great for introductory college and univeristy courses. The capabilities of the CHRP board are designed to grow as the students progress, providing level-appropriate challenges for each grade (10-11-12). CHRP is cost effective, since students build it in stages, adding new parts, and capabilities, each year.
CHRP is versatile. You can use CHRP to create rolling robots, walking robots, animatronics, alarm circuits, games, sound generators, weather stations, automated houses, computer peripherals, and much more!
It's an educational electronics tool
Use the CHRP assembly activities to learn about electronic parts and circuits as you build and test parts of the CHRP board. Learn about resistors, capacitors, diodes, LEDs, power supplies, series circuits, and parallel circuits.
It's an assembly code tutor
Use the CHRP programming activities to learn how to write programs that control outputs and sense inputs using PICmicro® assembly code.
It's a versatile development system
Use the built-in and tested I/O circuits on the CHRP board to debug programs separately from circuits, reducing potential errors and saving you time.
It's a complete system
The CHRP has so much circuitry on-board that you can use it as a stand-alone controller in many applications. Just connect it to your hardware and program it to do what you whatever you want.
These three different variations of the CHRP board correspond to the hardware requirements and software sophistication of the programming activities below - level 1, level 2, level 3.
