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I don't own a iRobot but a Neato mainly because of cost. But I really like how iRobot sells the Create series [1]. [1] https://store.irobot.com/en_US/create-pr

I don't own a iRobot but a Neato mainly because of cost. But I really like how iRobot sells the Create series [1]. [1] https://store.irobot.com/en_US/create-programmable-programmable-robot-irobot-create-2/RC65099.html https://store.irobot.com/en_US/create-programmable-programma...

neilv 6y ago
Besides the Create, iRobot also left an easily accessible serial port connector on various series of Roombas, and published the interface protocols, and sold a cable, for education/hobby purposes. A lot of general info about this is collected in the documentation for a particular library that uses it: https://www.neilvandyke.org/racket/roomba/ https://www.neilvandyke.org/racket/roomba/ I wrote this library when I found a Roomba 400 in a Goodwill thrift store for $20. When, if living in the future of having your own robot vacuum cleaner was not cool enough, hey, what's this mini-DIN connector for... :) (Also on the topic of liking iRobot: That same $20 Roomba was also the first time I met an iRobot person. I eventually bought a used 530, and was giving the 400 to a friend. Since I owned robots but not a car, I strapped the Roomba's retail box to my trusty little luggage cart, to meet my friend for lunch. Afterwards, as we're walking along the dirt path along a bank of the Charles River near Harvard Square, rolling the Roomba behind us, this jogger comes running along, and then stops. Turns out she worked for iRobot, was super-nice, and was tickled to see a vintage Roomba in nature.)
- deleted 6y ago
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- esel2k 6y ago
  I tried playing around with the connector but my chip was getting superhot. So I gave up. What hardware component did you use? I might want to try again now. Thanks
  - neilv 6y ago
    Level converter chip? FTDI chip? I used various iRobot cables, plus sometimes generic FTDI-based RS232-to-USB adapter. If you're making your own cable, be advised that some of the pinouts are bad. Various cable-related tidbits are at: https://www.neilvandyke.org/racket/roomba/#%28part._.Cables%29 https://www.neilvandyke.org/racket/roomba/#%28part._.Cables%...
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neilv 6y ago

Besides the Create, iRobot also left an easily accessible serial port connector on various series of Roombas, and published the interface protocols, and sold a cable, for education/hobby purposes. A lot of general info about this is collected in the documentation for a particular library that uses it: https://www.neilvandyke.org/racket/roomba/ https://www.neilvandyke.org/racket/roomba/ I wrote this library when I found a Roomba 400 in a Goodwill thrift store for $20. When, if living in the future of having your own robot vacuum cleaner was not cool enough, hey, what's this mini-DIN connector for... :) (Also on the topic of liking iRobot: That same $20 Roomba was also the first time I met an iRobot person. I eventually bought a used 530, and was giving the 400 to a friend. Since I owned robots but not a car, I strapped the Roomba's retail box to my trusty little luggage cart, to meet my friend for lunch. Afterwards, as we're walking along the dirt path along a bank of the Charles River near Harvard Square, rolling the Roomba behind us, this jogger comes running along, and then stops. Turns out she worked for iRobot, was super-nice, and was tickled to see a vintage Roomba in nature.)

deleted 6y ago
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esel2k 6y ago
I tried playing around with the connector but my chip was getting superhot. So I gave up. What hardware component did you use? I might want to try again now. Thanks
- neilv 6y ago
  Level converter chip? FTDI chip? I used various iRobot cables, plus sometimes generic FTDI-based RS232-to-USB adapter. If you're making your own cable, be advised that some of the pinouts are bad. Various cable-related tidbits are at: https://www.neilvandyke.org/racket/roomba/#%28part._.Cables%29 https://www.neilvandyke.org/racket/roomba/#%28part._.Cables%...

deleted 6y ago

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