[WheelCommander] Re: Wheel Commander update

[Pete Skeggs <peters@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear WheelCommander owners and prospective customers,

We are actively debugging the firmware update, which adds a number of
key features mentioned on this list before.

We're having trouble getting the current design to handle the larger
numerical values that arise when one uses a higher resolution encoder
than the WheelWatcher at a higher RPM than RC servos are capable of.
The firmware for the WheelCommander was originally designed with those
constraints in mind, and so 8 and 16 bit math was used extensively to
save code space and make it run fast.  With the demand for higher
encoder resolutions and speeds, we're rewriting the requisite parts to
use 32 bit math.

The good news is that quadrature encoders work fine with the current
development version of the WC-132 firmware.  We hope to resolve the
remaining issues as soon as we can.

Thank you all for your tremendous patience.  I'm sorry that this
firmware update has taken so long, and I've lost your trust.

Sincerely,
Pete Skeggs
Owner, Noetic Design, Inc., maker of the Nubotics line of robotics
accessories

Jeff Terrell wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I posted a message about a week ago on the nubotics forum and haven't heard
> anything back...
> I don't mean to rush you...would just like to know of the progress or if
> you've even begun working on the
> update for the WC?
> I purchased the WC with the understanding that there would be an update
> fairly soon with in weeks
> but its been about three months...
> The Project that I'm working on is getting to the line...I have been working
> with others on a roboitcs forum to hopefully develop a prototype robot and
> others I'm sure would also be interested if they were able to implement
> their own
> quad encoders...and h-bridges...
> If the update is going to be greatly delayed please let me know so I can
> find another hardware solution...
>
> Thanks and Sincerely
> Jeff Terrell
>
>