Claimed to deliver a fun platform for learning and evaluating real-time software and Stellaris microcontrollers, Texas Instruments has announced the availability of its robotic evaluation board (EVALBOT). The board is designed for use with Micrium's µC/OS-III. The evaluation kit is a mini robot that allows developers to experience the Stellaris ARM Cortex-M3-based LM3S9B92 microcontroller in real-world applications that leverage the processor's integrated 10/100 Ethernet MAC/PHY, USB On-The-Go, CAN, and motion control capabilities. Based on a complete analogue and embedded processing signal chain from the semiconductor company, the kit includes all of the hardware and software required for quick assembly so that developers can begin evaluation in 10 minutes or less, it is claimed. The kit is available with a Stellaris-specific version of μC/OS-III: The Real-Time Kernel by Jean J. Labrosse, which reveals how a real-time kernel works, using Micrium's μC/OS-III and the Stellaris EVALBOT as references. The kit also features two DC gear-motors that provide drive and steering, opto-sensors that detect wheel rotation with 45° resolution, and sensors for bump detection; there is also a bright, 96x6 blue OLED display and on-board speaker.
