CONTENTS:

- Bionic Robots
- On the Net
- Software
- Eco Power
- Hints & Tips (battery technology)

BIONIC ROBOTS
...have arrived! This kit (p/n 57486) constructs four walking robots - two hexapods (6 legged), one quadruped (4 legged) and one biped (2 legged). Fischertechnik has given them names like; Mike, Jack, Joe and Jim! Each model is driven by two power motors which are controlled by the ‘intelligent’ interface unit (30402) allowing autonomous operation away from the computer. Click here to see three models.

For years, researchers from various universities around the world have been experimenting with walking robots - now it’s possible to build, program and play with these robots at home or at school.

The 57486 kit contains; 2 power motors, 6 switches and more than 300 other parts. A detailed assembly manual and an activity manual is also provided.

Procon Technology provides the option of purchasing a ‘complete’ kit (57486-2) with 30402 interface, 30407 LLWIN software and 34969 Accu Set (rechargeable battery and re-charger). Also available is the 57486-3 Bionic Robot kit with ABC (AVR Basic Controller) mini-board plus 16554 slave module and Accu Set.

Please note, it is possible to use the 30263 battery holder (with 6 x AA batteries) in place of the Accu battery. The 30263 is provided in the Mobile Robots kit (30400) or it may be purchased separately.

ON THE NET
Don’t forget to check our website for the latest information, software and discount specials:

http://www.procontechnology.com.au

If you wish to be notified as soon as the latest newsletter is published on the web or about specials just email us at: procon@tpgi.com.au

SOFTWARE
Fischertechnik has released a FREE upgrade to LLWIN version 3. The version 3.03 upgrade file may be downloaded directly from the German website www.fischertechnik.de or from our software webpage. The new version is mainly for those using Windows XP or NT. Don’t forget that you can also download a FREE working copy of LLWIN for evaluation purposes. LLWIN is an easy-to-use flowchart style programming language designed especially for machine control applications.

Procon Technology now provides both 16 bit and 32 bit versions of VisualBASIC software with all COMPLETE computer kits purchased (excluding 57486). All versions of Windows are now supported. Half price upgrades are also available.

LLWIN version 3 example programs for the Profi Computing Kit (30490 or 30330) are now available for download from our software webpage. We have also added example programs for the ‘Tune Memory Game’ and the ‘CD-Reader’. Note, limited stocks of the Profi Computing kit are still available!

Two projects from the Profi kit may also be constructed with the Computing Starter Kit (16553 or 18353). They are; the ‘Reaction Tester’ - consisting of two lamps and two associated switches - which allows you to compete with your friends for the quickest reaction time by waiting until one of the lamps is lit and then hitting the associated switch as soon as possible. The other project is the ‘Tune Memory Game’ - consisting of 3 or 4 lamps and associated switches - which plays a series of notes whilst illuminating the lamps and expects the player to repeat back the sequence until an error is made. The one that can play the longest sequence is the winner!

ECO POWER

The new Profi Eco Power kit (p/n 57485) is now available. This ‘alternative energy’ or ‘renewable energy’ kit provides 8 projects with examples of water, wind and solar power generation. In addition energy storage, with the use of a 10 Farad gold capacitor, is illustrated. This capacitor is capable of driving the energy-efficient motor/generator in the kit for more than 20 minutes when fully charged. The motor operates between 0.3 and 2 Volts and would run for more than 10 days on a single 1.5V AA alkaline battery! There are also some creative uses of the solar cells in the kit - for forward and reverse operation of a hoist and to track the sun (i.e. solar tracker).

Our own evaluation of this kit suggests that it is excellent for those interested in alternative energies and for schools interested in experimenting with this technology. Any of the eight models can be constructed in 10 to 15 minutes making it ideal for a 45 minute lab class in primary or secondary schools.

The kit contains over 150 parts with an easy-to-follow assembly manual and an activity booklet that explains the operation and use of the technology.

HINTS & TIPS

The fischertechnik 34969 Accu set contains a 8.4V 850mAh Ni-Cd battery pack which is designed to attach to fischertechnik models and a 240V Australian or New Zealand charger. It is also available in 110-120VAC for US or Canadian outlets (part no. 57487) and in 230VAC for UK outlets (part no. 79833). A 220VAC German version is also available (shown above).

STOP PRESS, we now recommend the Ansmann NiCd & NiMH battery charger for use with fischertechnik battery packs as it is a universal charger that can be used anywhere in the world! The standard ACCU battery is now a 1500mAh NiMH battery and Procon Technology can also supply a 2100mAh NiMH Ready2Use battery pack - it retains 85% of it's charge after 12 months!

With fischertechnik now using the Accu Set (Accu means accumulator), I thought it might be a good time to discuss battery technology and how to get the most out of your batteries. Before starting, there are two things that need to be understood. Firstly, a batteries voltage is important. With a higher voltage your fischertechnik motors will run faster. With a lower voltage the motors will run slower - that’s what happens the longer a battery is used. For example, a standard AA battery will start at 1.5 Volts and discharge to around 1 Volt, after which you will need to be disposed of it or recharge it. The amount of time that the battery can be operated is referred to as the battery capacity. A batteries capacity is measured in Ah (Amp hours) or mAh (milliAmp hours) where 1Ah = 1000mAh. If a batteries capacity is 1Ah (roughly the capacity of the Accu battery) then you could run a 1 Amp device for 1 hour or you could use a 0.1 Amp device for 10 hours. If it’s a rechargeable battery then the reverse is also true when recharging the battery. E.g. Since the Accu Set will recharge in 2 hours then it’s recharge current must be more than 0.5 Amps. OK?

The cheap non-rechargable Zinc-Carbon batteries (general purpose or heavy-duty) can be used in low drain applications (e.g. remote controls, clocks etc.) however for high-drain, frequent use applications (e.g. toys, boombox, torches, digital camera and flashes etc.) you would have to be mad not to use rechargeable batteries. This will initially cost more but in the long run you will save heaps!

There are three types of batteries that we will consider here. Firstly, when an AA size battery is required (such as in the old Mobile Robots kit), We now recommend using standard alkaline batteries and the Rezap Battery Doctor universal charger. Click here for more information. The advantage of using alkaline batteries over rechargeable types is that they have a full 1.5 Volt output, they have a high capacity, they keep their charge over long periods of time (over 5 years) and they can be used ANYWHERE a standard alkaline battery is used - including devices which say ‘no rechargeables’ and 'believe it or not' in devices where high capacity NiMH batteries don't fit!!! Standard alkaline batteries are in fact re-chargable up to 15 times. To do this you will need the Rezap Battery Doctor. Note, this charger also allows 9V alkaline batteries to be recharged up to 5 times. Ideal for the junior and Profi range of fischertechnik kits which use a 9V PP3 size battery.

The most common type of rechargeable battery is the Nickel-Cadium or Ni-Cad. They are often used in battery packs such as the old fischertechnik 850mAh Accu battery. Inside this battery pack is 7 x AA batteries connected in series - since each battery is 1.2 Volts only - that makes a total of 8.4 Volts. The capacity of a Ni-Cad AA battery is around 1Ah. The major drawback with the Ni-Cad is the ‘memory-effect’ which means you should always fully discharge this type of battery before recharging it to maximum capacity. Fischertechnik assure me that this DOES NOT apply to the ACCU SET. You may re-charge the ACCU battery at any time using the fischertechnik charger.

The other type of rechargeable battery - that can be used in place of the Ni-Cad - is the Nickel Metal Hydride or Ni-MH. This type of battery is 1.2 Volts also, can have 50-100% more capacity in the same size and doesn’t suffer from the ‘memory effect’. The Rezap Battery Doctor re-charger can also be used to recharge Ni-MH and Ni-Cad batteries.

One of the problems with series connected batteries is that weak cells may have a reverse voltage applied to them - for this reason you should only use the SAME make and type of fully-charged batteries in any device! If this happens to a Ni-Cad or Ni-MH battery pack then try recharging it. Fischertechik says that its' re-charger may initially indicate ‘fully charged’ (light glows constantly) but after a while it will start to recharge correctly (light flashes). For the same reason, I do not advise purchasing a charger that re-charges batteries in series - get one that charges each cell individually - like the Rezap RBC883. Please note, that some re-charged alkaline batteries may be a bit weak (have reduced capacity) that means one cell may discharge quicker than the others and drop below the critical 0.9 Volts required for re-charge by Rezap. For this reason, it's recommended that alkaline batteries be recharged frequently - after every heavy use - do not wait until the device stops operating. i.e. if your device has a low battery indicator, replace or recharge the batteries as soon as this indicator shows.

If your expensive battery pack still doesn’t work - don’t throw it away! Often you can open it up and either recharge the cells individually or replace the bad cell. If you don’t wish to do this with your fischertechnik Accu battery, then trade it in on a new one! Just email us for further details.

Postscript: I did at one time advise the use of Grandcell rechargable RAM (Rechargable Alkaline Manganese) batteries however I've just seen test results of the Grandcell battery compared to other alkaline batteries and they have the worst performance! In brief, you can get up to 50% more power out of a normal alkaline battery. I think it's partly because of the Grandcell's high internal resistance. Anyhow, because of their extra cost and lousy performance, I have to recommend normal alkaline batteries recharged using the Rezap Battery Doctor. It is also interesting to note (as Rezap have) that you can get almost as good and sometimes better performance from a cheaper alkaline battery than some heavily advertised brands! Also note that the Rezap manufacturers have discovered that many no-name brand of NiMH batteries DO NOT have the capacity stated! In general, alkaline batteries (especially C and D sizes) have up to twice the capacity of the best NiMH batteries ... plus the higher voltage! Say no more!

e.g. the stated capacity of Varta HIGH ENERGY 'silver-top' alkaline batteries is: AAA - 1220mAh, AA - 2850mAh, C - 7800mAh, D - 16500mAh and 9V - 550mAh. For Energizer Titanium e2 batteries (these are no longer manufactured): AAA - 1375mAh, AA - 3135mAh, C - 9185mAh, D - 18000mAh and 9V - 655mAh. The normal capacity available in 9V NiMH is 150-180mAh, so alkaline batteries have more than three times the capacity! PLUS you'll be able to fit alkaline batteries into all your devices - sometimes high-capacity NiMH batteries (AA and 9V particularly) don't fit!

The VARTA HIGH ENERGY 'silver-top' batteries are MADE IN GERMANY and last as long as Duracell CopperTop and Energizer Max but cost less! Varta doesn't spend millions on expensive TV advertising and can pass the savings onto you. Varta provides one of the best value-for-money alkaline batteries on the market today. A recent 2010 test by Stiftung Warentest (Germany) rated the Varta High Energy AA or Mignon battery second only to the more expensive Panasonic Evoia or Evolta in the alkaline category.

Special note: Our NiMH battery tests show that the Energizer AAA size NiMH are 'Made in China' and had the worst capacity of any battery we tested. In the AA size they were 'Made in Japan' and the best capacity tested - but they lost their charge very quickly! We recommend the for value-for-money the Varta Ready2Use battery with LSD (Low Self Discharge) - which we now stock!

STOP PRESS: The Varta Ready2Use NiMH batteries in AA and AAA sizes (for devices that require C and D size batteries try our converters) work straight from the pack! These batteries retain their charge over much longer periods (after 12 months they still have more than 85% of their capacity left whereas other NiMH batteries would be flat after 3 months) We are now recommending that you buy these. Our tests in the Creative MP3 player show they lasted 12 hours straight from the pack and up to 16 hours when re-charged! These batteries also work well at low temperatures so now you can use your digital camera in the snow or at the ski resort with confidence.

SPECIAL UPDATE: I have now used a set of AAA SANYO eneloop batteries in my old Nokia 3810 mobile phone (it's so old that it uses a NiMH battery pack) for THREE YEARS and this mobile phone gets charged at least once a day and it's still working like new! p.s. with a little dab of DeOxit on the battery contacts!

Alkaline battery leakage: All batteries can leak - not just alkaline! It is therefore always recommended that if you are not using a device (e.g. torch, remote control) for a long period of time that you remove the batteries. When a 'good quality' alkaline battery leaks it first appears to have a discolouration around the metal terminals (sometimes a white powder appears). Look out for this and always dispose of these batteries (thoughtfully). In my experience the worst batteries are Duracell*, which will leak a liquid everywhere inside a device which will then require extensive cleaning (if not cleaned up immediately the battery terminals may corrode). Warning: always wash your hands after touching any leaking battery and do not touch sensitive parts of the body (i.e. your eyes or mouth). Varta batteries, on the other hand, have a unique 'leakage protection' in that small amounts of liquid will flow under the outside jacket of the battery and not inside your device! When buying alkaline batteries, or using those which have been sitting around, always check the use-by date. On the Varta 'HIGH ENERGY' range of batteries this is clearly printed on each battery in the format 'JUN-2013' or 'JUN2013'. Note, some batteries will show the manufacture date and not the best-before date and some will show it in the numerical format MM-YY which could be YY-MM, who knows? Others will print it as MM-YYYY which is better but 'JUN-2013' is definitely the best! A typical alkaline battery has a shelf life of 5 years+. Over time a battery will lose charge (i.e. some capacity). If a battery is near its use-by date try recharging it using Rezap before use. Note, you often can buy batteries near or past their use-by date cheaply!

*I recently sold many packs of batteries to a hi-tech medical equipment supplier (who supplies the Australian military) who insisted on using Varta batteries. He told me that Duracell were the worst, in his experience, for leakage! I told him that many fake Duracell batteries had been supplied out of China and that I don't trust any alkaline battery from China! To illustrate my point, I currently have a pack of Energizer batteries supplied with a Chinese made product that have started to leak!!!!

*According to these articles, 'Duracell' batteries can even exploded !?!?
Case 1: click here. Case 2: click here. Case 3: click here. Case 4: click here. (posted 19 Dec 2009)

+The use-by date (best before date or shelf life) is generally when the battery has lost 15% of it's capacity (i.e. has 85% left). Some manufacturers now use a figure of 80% (20% lost capacity) so, of course, these batteries have a longer shelf life (e.g. 7 years). Note, the new Panasonic Evolta has a 10 year shelf life!

To clean up after a battery has leaked: I use a video-head cleaner or contact cleaner such as the Australian product: CO Contact Cleaner made by CRC Industries. It's important to use a product that does not affect plastic and does not leave a residue. The cleaner is used to flush away the chemicals leaked from the battery and then evaporates quickly (leaving no residue) - you can also use a clean tissue or cloth to aid cleanup. If your battery terminals have corroded then harsher cleaning of the contacts may be necessary using a small metal file to rid the contact of all corrosion. All contacts can then be treated with a 'good' contact rejuvenator such as DeOxit from Caig Laboratories (which we now sell). In fact, treating your battery terminals (and all metal inside the battery holder) with DeOxit before leakage occurs will help stop corrosion! Note, Caig Laboratories uses a leaking Duracell coppertop battery in one of their examples!