Pololu AVR Library Command Reference

Pololu AVR Library Command Reference © 2001–2010 Pololu Corporation
Pololu AVR Library

Command Reference
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Orangutan Analog-to-Digital Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3. Orangutan Buzzer: Beeps and Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4. Orangutan Digital I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5. Orangutan LCD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
6. Orangutan LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
7. Orangutan Motor Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
8. Orangutan Pushbuttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
9. Orangutan Serial Port Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
10. Orangutan Servos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
11. Orangutan SPI Master Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
12. Orangutan SVP Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
13. Orangutan System Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
14. QTR Reflectance Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
15. Timing and Delays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
16. Wheel Encoders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
17. 3pi Robot Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Page 1 of 52
1. Introduction
This document describes a programming library designed for use with Pololu products.
The library is used to create programs that run on Atmel ATmega1284PA, ATmega324PA,
ATmega328P, ATmega168 and ATmega48 processors, and it supports the following
products:
Pololu 3pi robot: a mega168/328-based robot controller. The 3pi robot essentially
contains an SV-328 and a 5-sensor version of the QTR-8RC, both of which are in the
list below.
Pololu Orangutan SVP-324: based on the mega324, the SVP-324 robot controller
is a super-sized version of the SV-328, with a built-in AVR ISP programmer, more I/O
lines, and more regulated power.
Pololu Orangutan SVP-1284: based on the mega1284, the SVP-1284 robot
controller is a super-sized version of the SV-328, with a built-in AVR ISP programmer,
more I/O lines, more regulated power, and more memory.
Pololu Orangutan SV-328: a full-featured, mega328-based robot controller that
includes an LCD display. The SV-328 runs on an input voltage of 6-13.5V, giving
you a wide range of robot power supply options, and can supply up to 3 A on its
regulated 5 V bus. This library also supports the original Orangutan SV-168, which
was replaced by the SV-328.
Pololu Orangutan LV-168: a full-featured, mega168-based robot controller that
includes an LCD display. The LV-168 runs on an input voltage of 2-5V, allowing two
or three batteries to power a robot.
Pololu Baby Orangutan B-48: a compact, complete robot controller based on the
mega48. The B-48 packs a voltage regulator, processor, and a two-channel motor-
driver into a 24-pin DIP format.
Pololu Baby Orangutan B-328: a mega328 version of the above. The mega328
offers more memory for your programs (32 KB flash, 2 KB RAM). This library also
supports the Baby Orangutan B-168, which was replaced by the Baby B-328.
Pololu QTR-1A and QTR-8A reflectance sensors (analog): an analog sensor
containing IR/phototransistor pairs that allows a robot to detect the difference
between shades of color. The QTR sensors can be used for following lines on the
floor, for obstacle or drop-off (stairway) detection, and for various other applications.
Pololu QTR-1RC and QTR-8RC reflectance sensors (RC): a version of the above
that is read using digital inputs; this is compatible with the Parallax QTI sensors.
Encoder for Pololu Wheel 42x19 mm: a wheel encoder solution that allows a
robot to measure how far it has traveled.
The library is written in C++ and may be used in three different programming
environments:
• Arduino [http://www.arduino.cc]: a popular, beginner-friendly programming

environment for the mega168, using simplified C++ code. We have written a guide
to using Arduino with Orangutan controllers [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J17] to help
you get started.
1. Introduction Page 2 of 52
• C++: supported by the AVR-GCC/WinAVR project. See the Pololu AVR C/C++
Library User’s Guide [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J20] to get started.
• C / AVR Studio: bindings to the C language are included in the library so that
you can write programs entirely in C, which is the standard for Atmel’s AVR
Studio [http://www.atmel.com/avrstudio/]. See the Pololu AVR C/C++ Library User’s
Guide [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J20] to get started.
1. Introduction Page 3 of 52
2. Orangutan Analog-to-Digital Conversion

The OrangutanAnalog class and the C functions in this section allow easy access to the
analog inputs on the Orangutan controllers and 3pi. These functions take care of configuring
and running the analog-to-digital converter.
For a higher level overview of this library and example programs that show how this library
can be used, please see Section 5.a of the guide to Programming Orangutans and the
3pi Robot from the Arduino Environment [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J17] or Section 6.c
of the Pololu AVR C/C++ Library User’s Guide [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J20].
2. Orangutan Analog-to-Digital Conversion Page 4 of 52

Channels
The tables below give a summary of the analog inputs available on your AVR. Some of
these pins are hardwired to sensors or trimpots built in to your device, while other pins are
available for you to connect your own sensors to. Please refer to the pin assignment table in
the user’s guide for your device for more information.
Analog Channels on the 3pi robot, SV-xx8, LV-168, and Baby Orangutan
Channel Pin Keyword Note
0 PC0/ADC0
1 PC1/ADC1
2 PC2/ADC2
3 PC3/ADC3
4 PC4/ADC4
5 PC5/ADC5
6 ADC6 TEMP_SENSOR External temperature sensor on LV-168
7 ADC7 TRIMPOT User trimmer potentiometer
Analog Channels on the Orangutan SVP

Channel Pin Keyword Note
0 PA0/ADC0
1 PA1/ADC1
2 PA2/ADC2
3 PA3/ADC3
4 PA4/ADC4
5 PA5/ADC5
6 PA6/ADC6
7 PA7/ADC7
ADC/SS TRIMPOT Measured by auxiliary processor
A CHANNEL_A Measured by auxiliary processor
B CHANNEL_B Measured by auxiliary processor
C CHANNEL_C Measured by auxiliary processor
D/RX CHANNEL_D Measured by auxiliary processor
Reading the analog channels on the Orangutan SVP that are measured by the auxiliary
processor requires the auxiliary processor to be in the correct mode. See the documentation
for the setMode command in Section 12 for more information.

Function Reference
C++ and Arduino methods are shown in red.
C functions are shown in green.
static void OrangutanAnalog::setMode(unsigned char mode)

void set_analog_mode(unsigned char mode)
Used to set the ADC for either 8-bit or 10-bit conversions. The mode argument should
be the either MODE_8_BIT or MODE_10_BIT. When the ADC is in 8-bit mode, conversion
results will range from 0 to 255 for voltages ranging from 0 to 5 V. When the ADC is in
10-bit mode, conversion results will range from 0 to 1023 for voltages ranging from 0 to
5 V. The default mode setting is MODE_10_BIT.
Example:
// run the ADC in 10-bit conversion mode
OrangutanAnalog::setMode(MODE_10_BIT);
static unsigned char OrangutanAnalog::getMode()

unsigned char get_analog_mode()
Returns the current ADC mode. The return value will be MODE_8_BIT (1) if the ADC is in
8-bit conversion mode, otherwise it will be MODE_10_BIT (0). The default mode setting is
MODE_10_BIT.
static unsigned int OrangutanAnalog::read(unsigned char channel)

unsigned int analog_read(unsigned char channel)
Performs a single analog-to-digital conversion on the specified analog input channel and
returns the result. In 8-bit mode, the result will range from 0 to 255 for voltages from 0
to 5 V. In 10-bit mode, the result will range from 0 to 1023 for voltages from 0 to 5 V. The
channel argument should be a channel number from 0 to 7 or a keyword from the tables
above. This function will occupy program execution until the conversion is complete
(approximately 100 us). The specified pin is configured as an input and its internal pull-up
resistor is automatically disabled during the conversion; after the conversion, the pin is
restored to its previous state.
static unsigned int OrangutanAnalog::readMillivolts(unsigned char channel)

unsigned int analog_read_millivolts(unsigned char channel)
This function is just like analog_read except the result is returned in millivolts. A return
value of 5000 indicates a voltage 5 V. In most cases, this function is equivalent to
to_millivolts(analog_read(channel)). However, on the Orangutan SVP, the channels
measured by the auxiliary processor are reported to the AVR in millivolts, so calling
analog_read_millivolts is more efficient for those channels.
static unsigned int OrangutanAnalog::readAverage(unsigned char channel,

unsigned int numSamples)
unsigned int analog_read_average(unsigned char channel, unsigned int
numSamples)
Performs numSamples analog-to-digital conversions on the specified analog input channel
and returns the average value of the readings. In 8-bit mode, the result will range from 0
to 255 for voltages from 0 to 5 . In 10-bit mode, the result will range from 0 to 1023 for
voltages from 0 to 5 V. The channel argument should be a channel number from 0 to 7 or
a keyword from the tables above. This function will occupy program execution until all of
the requested conversions are complete (approximately 100 us per sample). The specified
pin is configured as an input and its internal pull-up resistor is automatically disabled

during the conversions; after the conversions, the pin is restored to its previous state.
On the Orangutan SVP, the channels measured by the auxiliary processor are averaged
on the auxiliary processor, and the library does not support further averaging. For those
channels, this function is equivalent to analog_read.
static unsigned int OrangutanAnalog::readTrimpot()

unsigned int read_trimpot()
Performs 20 analog-to-digital conversions on the output of the trimmer potentiometer
on the 3pi, Orangutan SV-xx8, Orangutan LV-168, or Baby Orangutan B and returns the
average result. This function also works on the Orangutan SVP. In 8-bit mode, the result
will range from 0 to 255 for voltages from 0 to 5 . In 10-bit mode, the result will range
from 0 to 1023 for voltages from 0 to 5 V. The trimpot is on analog input 7, so this method
is equivalent to readAverage(TRIMPOT, 20).
static int OrangutanAnalog::readTemperatureF()

int read_temperature_f()
Performs 20 analog-to-digital conversions on the output of the temperature sensor on the
Orangutan LV-168 and returns average result in tenths of a degree Farenheit, so a result
of 827 would mean a temperature of 82.7 degrees F. The temperature sensor is on analog
input 6, so this method is equivalent to readAverage(TEMP_SENSOR, 20) converted to tenths of a
degree F.
static int readTemperatureC()

int read_temperature_c()
This method is the same as readTemperatureF() above, except that it returns the
temperature in tenths of a degree Celcius.
static int readBatteryMillivolts_3pi()

int read_battery_millivolts_3pi()
Performs 10 analog-to-digital conversions on the battery voltage sensing circuit of the 3pi
and returns the average result in millivolts. A result of 5234 would mean a battery voltage
of 5.234 V. For rechargeable NiMH batteries, the voltage usually starts at a value above
5 V and drops to around 4 V before the robot shuts off, so monitoring this number can be
helpful in determining when to recharge batteries.
static int readBatteryMillivolts_SV()

int read_battery_millivolts_sv()
Just like read_battery_millivolts_3pi() above, but uses the correct voltage factor for the
Orangutan SV-xx8. The minimum operating voltage for the SV-xx8 is 6 V, but if the
batteries drop significantly below their rated value, whatever it is, they should be
recharged. For example, a six-cell NiMH pack should be recharged if it drops below about
7 V.
static int readBatteryMillivolts_SVP()

int read_battery_millivolts_svp()
Returns the battery voltage reading on the Orangutan SVP in millivolts.
static void OrangutanAnalog::startConversion(unsigned char channel)

void start_analog_conversion(unsigned char channel)
Initiates an ADC conversion that runs in the background, allowing the CPU to perform
other tasks while the conversion is in progress. The channel argument should be a channel
number from 0 to 7 or a keyword from the tables above. The procedure is to start a

conversion on an analog input with this method, then poll isConverting() in your main
loop. Once isConverting() returns a zero, the result can be obtained through a call to
conversionResult() and this method can be used to start a new conversion. Note that this
function automatically configures the specified pin as an input and disables its internal
pull-up resistor. Since this function only initiates the conversion, it cannot restore the pin
to its previous state once the conversion is finished like the read() method does.
static unsigned char OrangutanAnalog::isConverting()

unsigned char analog_is_converting()
Returns a 1 if the ADC is in the middle of performing an analog-to-digital conversion,
otherwise it returns a 0. The AVR is only capable of performing one conversion at a time.
static unsigned int conversionResult()

unsigned int analog_conversion_result()
Returns the result of the previous analog-to-digital conversion. In 8-bit mode, the result
will range from 0 to 255 for voltages from 0 to 5 V. In 10-bit mode, the result will range
from 0 to 1023 for voltages from 0 to 5 V.
static unsigned int toMillivolts(unsigned int adcResult)

static unsigned int to_millivolts(unsigned int adc_result)
Converts the result of an analog-to-digital conversion to millivolts. This assumes a board
power level of exactly 5000 mV.
Example:
OrangutanAnalog::toMillivolts(OrangutanAnalog::read(0));
// e.g. will return 5000 if analog input 0 is at 5 V

3. Orangutan Buzzer: Beeps and Music

The OrangutanBuzzer class and the C functions in this section allow various sounds to be
played on the buzzer of the Orangutan SV, Orangutan SVP, Orangutan LV-168, and 3pi,
from simple beeps to complex tunes. The buzzer is controlled using one of the Timer1 PWM
outputs, so it will conflict with any other uses of Timer1. Note durations are timed using
a Timer1 overflow interrupt, which will briefly pause your main program at the frequency
of the sound. In most cases, the interrupt-handling routine is very short. However, when
playing a sequence of notes in PLAY_AUTOMATIC mode (the default mode) with the play()
command, longer interrupts occur between notes. It is important to take this into account
when writing timing-critical code.
can be used, please see Section 5.b of the guide to Programming Orangutans from the
Arduino Environment [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J17] or Section 6.d of the Pololu AVR
C/C++ Library User’s Guide [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J20].
Note: The OrangutanServos and OrangutanBuzzer libraries both use Timer 1,

so they will conflict with eachother and any other code that relies on or
reconfigures Timer 1.
3. Orangutan Buzzer: Beeps and Music Page 9 of 52

Reference
static void OrangutanBuzzer::playFrequency(unsigned int frequency, unsigned int

duration, unsigned char volume)
void play_frequency(unsigned int freq, unsigned int duration, unsigned char
volume)
This method will play the specified frequency (in Hz or 0.1 Hz) for the specified duration
(in ms). frequency must be between 40 Hz and 10 kHz. If the most significant bit of
frequency is set, the frequency played is the value of the lower 15 bits of frequency in
units of 0.1 Hz. Therefore, you can play a frequency of 44.5 Hz by using a frequency of
DIV_BY_10 | 445. If the most significant bit of frequency is not set, the units for frequency
are Hz. volume controls the buzzer volume, with 15 being the loudest and 0 being the
quietest.
Example
// play a 6 kHz note for 250 ms at half volume
OrangutanBuzzer::playFrequency(6000, 250, 7);
// wait for buzzer to finish playing the note
while (OrangutanBuzzer::isPlaying());
// play a 44.5 Hz note for 1 s at full volume

OrangutanBuzzer::playFrequency(DIV_BY_10 | 445, 1000, 15);
// wait for buzzer to finish playing the note
// (or just use a 1000 ms delay)
while (OrangutanBuzzer::isPlaying());
Caution: frequency*duration/1000 must be no greater than 0xFFFF (65535). This

means you can’t use a max duration of 65535 ms for frequencies greater than
1 kHz. For example, the maximum duration you can use for a frequency of 10 kHz
is 6553 ms. If you use a duration longer than this, you will produce an integer
overflow that can result in unexpected behavior.
static void OrangutanBuzzer::playNote(unsigned char note, unsigned int duration,

unsigned char volume)
void play_note(unsigned char note, unsigned int duration, unsigned char volume);
This method will play the specified note for the specified duration (in ms). volume controls
the buzzer volume, with 15 being the loudest and 0 being the quietest. The note argument
is an enumeration for the notes of the equal tempered scale (ETS):
Note Macros
To make it easier for you to specify notes in your code, this library defines the following
macros:
// x will determine the octave of the note

#define C( x ) ( 0 + x*12 )
#define C_SHARP( x ) ( 1 + x*12 )
#define D_FLAT( x ) ( 1 + x*12 )
#define D( x ) ( 2 + x*12 )
#define D_SHARP( x ) ( 3 + x*12 )
#define E_FLAT( x ) ( 3 + x*12 )
#define E( x ) ( 4 + x*12 )
#define F( x ) ( 5 + x*12 )
#define F_SHARP( x ) ( 6 + x*12 )
#define G_FLAT( x ) ( 6 + x*12 )

#define G( x ) ( 7 + x*12 )
#define G_SHARP( x ) ( 8 + x*12 )
#define A_FLAT( x ) ( 8 + x*12 )
#define A( x ) ( 9 + x*12 )
#define A_SHARP( x ) ( 10 + x*12 )
#define B_FLAT( x ) ( 10 + x*12 )
#define B( x ) ( 11 + x*12 )
// 255 (silences buzzer for the note duration)

#define SILENT_NOTE 0xFF
// e.g. frequency = 445 | DIV_BY_10

// gives a frequency of 44.5 Hz
#define DIV_BY_10 (1 << 15)
static void OrangutanBuzzer::play(const char* sequence)

void play(const char* sequence)
This method plays the specified sequence of notes. If the play mode is PLAY_AUTOMATIC
(default), the sequence of notes will play with no further action required by the user. If
the play mode is PLAY_CHECK, the user will need to call playCheck() in the main loop to
initiate the playing of each new note in the sequence. The play mode can be changed while
the sequence is playing. The sequence syntax is modeled after the PLAY commands in GW-
BASIC, with just a few differences.
The notes are specified by the characters C, D, E, F, G, A, and B, and they are played
by default as “quarter notes” with a length of 500 ms. This corresponds to a tempo of
120 beats/min. Other durations can be specified by putting a number immediately after
the note. For example, C8 specifies C played as an eighth note, with half the duration of
a quarter note. The special note R plays a rest (no sound). The sequence parser is case-
insensitive and ignore spaces, which may be used to format your music nicely.
Various control characters alter the sound:

• ‘A’ – ‘G’: used to specify the notes that will be played
• ‘R’: used to specify a rest (no sound for the duration of the note)
• ’>’ plays the next note one octave higher
• ’<’ plays the next note one octave lower
• ’+’ or ’#’ after a note raises any note one half-step
• ’-’ after a note lowers any note one half-step
• ’.’ after a note “dots” it, increasing the length by 50%. Each additional dot adds half
as much as the previous dot, so that “A..” is 1.75 times the length of “A”.
• ‘O’ followed by a number sets the octave (default: O4).
• ‘T’ followed by a number sets the tempo in beats/min (default: T120).
• ‘L’ followed by a number sets the default note duration to the type specified by the
number: 4 for quarter notes, 8 for eighth notes, 16 for sixteenth notes, etc. (default:
L4).
• ‘V’ followed by a number from 0-15 sets the music volume (default: V15).
• ‘MS’ sets all subsequent notes to play play staccato – each note is played for 1/2 of
its allotted time, followed by an equal period of silence.
• ‘ML’ sets all subsequent notes to play legato – each note is played for full length.
This is the default setting.

• ’!’ resets the octave, tempo, duration, volume, and staccato setting to their default
values. These settings persist from one play() to the next, which allows you to more
conveniently break up your music into reusable sections.
• ‘1’ – "2000": when immediately following a note, a number determines the duration
of the note. For example, C16 specifies C played as a sixteenth note (1/16th the length
of a whole note).
Examples:
// play a C major scale up and back down:
OrangutanBuzzer::play("!L16 V8 cdefgab>cbagfedc");
// the first few measures of Bach's fugue in D-minor

OrangutanBuzzer::play("!T240 L8 a gafaeada c+adaeafa >aa>bac#ada c#adaeaf4");
static void playFromProgramSpace(const char* sequence)

void play_from_program_space(const char* sequence)
A version of play() that takes a pointer to program space instead of RAM. This is desirable
since RAM is limited and the string must be stored in program space anyway.
Example:
#include <avr/pgmspace.h>
const char melody[] PROGMEM = "!L16 V8 cdefgab>cbagfedc";
void someFunction()
{
OrangutanBuzzer::playFromProgramSpace(melody);
}
static void OrangutanBuzzer::playMode(unsigned char mode)

void play_mode(char mode)
This method lets you determine whether the notes of the play() sequence are played
automatically in the background or are driven by the playCheck() method. If mode is
PLAY_AUTOMATIC, the sequence will play automatically in the background, driven by
the Timer1 overflow interrupt. The interrupt will take a considerable amount of time to
execute when it starts the next note in the sequence playing, so it is recommended that
you do not use automatic-play if you cannot tolerate being interrupted for more than a
few microseconds. If mode is PLAY_CHECK, you can control when the next note in the
sequence is played by calling the playCheck() method at acceptable points in your main
loop. If your main loop has substantial delays, it is recommended that you use automatic-
play mode rather than play-check mode. Note that the play mode can be changed while
the sequence is being played. The mode is set to PLAY_AUTOMATIC by default.
static unsigned char OrangutanBuzzer::playCheck()

unsigned char play_check()
This method only needs to be called if you are in PLAY_CHECK mode. It checks to see
whether it is time to start another note in the sequence initiated by play(), and starts it if
so. If it is not yet time to start the next note, this method returns without doing anything.
Call this as often as possible in your main loop to avoid delays between notes in the
sequence. This method returns 0 (false) if the melody to be played is complete, otherwise
it returns 1 (true).
static unsigned char isPlaying()

unsigned char is_playing()

This method returns 1 (true) if the buzzer is currently playing a note/frequency. Otherwise,
it returns 0 (false). You can poll this method to determine when it’s time to play the next
note in a sequence, or you can use it as the argument to a delay loop to wait while the
buzzer is busy.
static void OrangutanBuzzer::stopPlaying()

void stop_playing()
This method will immediately silence the buzzer and terminate any note/frequency/melody
that is currently playing.

4. Orangutan Digital I/O

This section of the library provides commands for using the AVR’s pins as generic digital
inputs and outputs.
For a high-level explanation of what the AVR’s digital I/O pins can do, and example programs
using this section of the library, see Section 6.e of the Pololu AVR C/C++ Library User’s
Guide [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J20].
The pin argument

All of the functions in this section of the library take a pin number as their first argument.
On the ATmegaxx8-based Orangutans and 3pi robot, this pin numbers are consistent with
the Arduino pin numbering system. However, the library defines keywords that you can use
instead of remembering the numbers. The keywords have the form IO_LN where L is the
port letter and N is the pin number. For example, the keyword IO_C0 refers to pin PC0.
4. Orangutan Digital I/O Page 14 of 52

Reference
void OrangutanDigital::setOutput(unsigned char pin, unsigned char outputState);

void set_digital_output(unsigned char pin, unsigned char output_state);
Sets the specified pin as an output. The pin argument should be one of the IO_* keywords
(e.g. IO_C0). The output_state argument should either be LOW (to drive the line low),
HIGH (to drive the line high), or TOGGLE (to toggle between high and low).
void OrangutanDigital::setInput(unsigned char pin, unsigned char inputState);

void set_digital_input(unsigned char pin, unsigned char input_state);
Sets the specified pin as an input. The pin argument should be one of the IO_* keywords
(e.g. IO_C0). The input_state argument should either be HIGH_IMPEDANCE (to disable
the pull-up resistor) or PULL_UP_ENABLED (to enable the pull-up resistor).
unsigned char OrangutanDigital::isInputHigh(unsigned char pin);

unsigned char is_digital_input_high(unsigned char pin);
Reads the input value of the specified pin. The pin argument should be one of the IO_*
keywords (e.g. IO_C0). If the reading is low (0 V), this method will return 0. If the reading
is high (5 V), it will return a non-zero number that depends on the pin number. This
function returns the value of the pin regardless of whether it is configured as an input or
an output. If you want the pin to be an input, you must first call setInput to make the pin
an input.
4. Orangutan Digital I/O Page 15 of 52

5. Orangutan LCD
The OrangutanLCD class and the C functions in this section provide a variety of ways of
displaying data to the LCD screen of an Orangutan SV, Orangutan LV-168, Orangutan SVP,
and 3pi robot, providing an essential tool for user interfaces and debugging. The library
implements the standard 4-bit HD44780 protocol, and it uses the busy-wait-flag feature
to avoid the unnecessarily long delays present in other 4-bit LCD Arduino libraries. It is
designed to gracefully handle alternate use of the four LCD data lines. It will change their
data direction registers and output states only when needed for an LCD command, after
which it will immediately restore the registers to their previous states. This allows the LCD
data lines to function, for example, as pushbutton inputs and an LED driver on the 3pi and
Orangutans.
For a list of the standard characters available on the LCD, see page 17 of the HD44780
interface datasheet [http://www.pololu.com/file/download/HD44780.pdf?file_id=0J72] (330k pdf).
For C and C++ users, the standard C function printf() is made available. See below for
more information.
can be used, please see Section 5.c of the guide to Programming Orangutans from the
Arduino Environment [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J17] or Section 6.f of the Pololu AVR
5. Orangutan LCD Page 16 of 52

Reference
static void OrangutanLCD::clear()

void clear()
Clears the display and returns the cursor to the upper-left corner (0, 0).
void OrangutanLCD::initPrintf()
void lcd_init_printf()
Initializes the display for use with the standard C function printf(). This is not available
in the Arduino environment. See the avr-libc manual [http://www.nongnu.org/avr-libc/user-
manual/group__avr__stdio.html] for more information on how to use printf with an AVR, and
please note that using printf() will consume a significant amount of your Orangutan’s
resources.
static void OrangutanLCD::print(unsigned char character)

Prints a single ASCII character to the display at the current cursor position.
static void OrangutanLCD::print(char character)

void print_character(char character)
Prints a single ASCII character to the display at the current cursor position. This is the
same as the unsigned char version above.
Example:
OrangutanLCD::print('A');
static void OrangutanLCD::print(const char *str)

void print(const char *str)
Prints a zero-terminated string of ASCII characters to the display starting at the current
cursor position. The string will not wrap or otherwise span lines.
Example:
OrangutanLCD::print("Hello!");
static void OrangutanLCD::printFromProgramSpace(const char *str)

void print_from_program_space(const char *str)
Prints a string stored in program memory. This can help save a few bytes of RAM for each
message that your program prints. Even if you use the normal print() function, the strings
will be initially stored in program space anyway, so it should never hurt you to use this
function.
Example:
const char hello[] PROGMEM = "Hello ";
void someFunction()
{
OrangutanLCD::printFromProgramSpace(hello);
OrangutanLCD::printFromProgramSpace(PSTR("there!"));
}
static void OrangutanLCD::print(int value)

Prints the specified signed integer (2-byte) value to the display at the current cursor
position. It will not wrap or otherwise span lines. There is no C version of this method, but
print_long(value) should be sufficient.
Example:
OrangutanLCD::print(-25);
static void OrangutanLCD::print(long value)

void print_long(long value)
Prints the specified signed long (4-byte) value to the display at the current cursor position.
It will not wrap or otherwise span lines.
static void OrangutanLCD::print(unsigned int value)

Prints the specified unsigned integer (2-byte) value to the display at the current cursor
position. The value will not wrap or otherwise span lines and will always be positive.
static void OrangutanLCD::print(unsigned long value)

void print_unsigned_long(unsigned long value)
Prints the specified unsigned long (4-byte) value to the display at the current cursor
position. The value will not wrap or otherwise span lines and will always be positive.
static void OrangutanLCD::printHex(unsigned int value)

void print_hex(unsigned int value)
Prints the specified two-byte value in hex to the display at the current cursor position. The
value will not wrap or otherwise span lines.
static void OrangutanLCD::printHex(unsigned char value)

void print_hex_byte(unsigned char value)
Prints the specified byte value in hex to the display at the current cursor position. The
value will not wrap or otherwise span lines.
static void OrangutanLCD::printBinary(unsigned char value)

void print_binary(unsigned char value)
Prints the specified byte in binary to the display at the current cursor position. The value
will not wrap or otherwise span lines.
static void OrangutanLCD::gotoXY(unsigned char x, unsigned char y)

void lcd_goto_xy(int col, int row)
Moves the cursor to the specified (x, y) location on the LCD. The top line is y = 0 and
the leftmost character column is x = 0, so you can return to the upper-left home position
by calling lcd.gotoXY(0, 0), and you can go to the start of the second LCD line by calling
lcd.gotoXY(0, 1);
static void OrangutanLCD::showCursor(unsigned char cursorType)

void lcd_show_cursor(unsigned char cursorType)
Displays the cursor as either a blinking or solid block. This library defines literals
CURSOR_BLINKING and CURSOR_SOLID for use as an argument to this method.
static void OrangutanLCD::hideCursor()

void lcd_hide_cursor()
Hides the cursor.

static void OrangutanLCD::moveCursor(unsigned char direction, unsigned char

distance)
void lcd_move_cursor(unsigned char direction, unsigned char num)
Moves the cursor left or right by distance spaces. This library defines literals LCD_LEFT
and LCD_RIGHT for use as a direction argument to this method.
static void OrangutanLCD::scroll(unsigned char direction, unsigned char distance,

unsigned int delay_time)
void lcd_scroll(unsigned char direction, unsigned char num, unsigned int
delay_time)
Shifts the display left or right by distance spaces, delaying for delay_time milliseconds
between each shift. This library defines literals LCD_LEFT and LCD_RIGHT for use as a
direction argument to this method. Execution does not return from this method until the
shift is complete.
static void OrangutanLCD::loadCustomCharacter(const char *picture_ptr, unsigned

char number)
void lcd_load_custom_character(const char *picture_ptr, unsigned char number)
Loads a custom character drawing into the memory of the LCD. The parameter ‘number’
is a character value between 0 and 7, which represents the character that will be
customized. That is, lcd.print((char)number) or print_character(number) will display this
drawing in the future.
Note: the clear() method must be called before these characters are used.
The pointer picture_ptr must be a pointer to an 8 byte array in program space containing
the picture data. Bit 0 of byte 0 is the upper-right pixel of the 5x8 character, and bit 4 of
byte 7 is the lower-left pixel. The example below demonstrates how to construct this kind
of array.
Example:
// the PROGMEM macro comes from the pgmspace.h header file
// and causes the smile pointer to point to program memory instead
// of RAM
const char smile[] PROGMEM = {
0b00000,
0b01010,
0b01010,
0b01010,
0b00000,
0b10001,
0b01110,
0b00000
};
void setup()
{
// set character 3 to a smiley face
OrangutanLCD::loadCustomCharacter(smile, 3);
// clear the lcd (this must be done before we can use the above character)
OrangutanLCD::clear();
// display the character

OrangutanLCD::print((char)3);
}

6. Orangutan LEDs
The OrangutanLEDs class and the C functions in this section are a very simple interface to
the two user LEDs included on Orangutan controllers and 3pi. Note that the red LED is on
the same pin as the UART0 serial transmitter (PD1), so if you are using UART0 for serial
transmission then the red LED functions will not work, and you will see the red LED blink
briefly whenever data is transmitted on UART0. Note that the green LED is on the same pin
as an LCD control pin; the green LED will blink briefly whenever data is sent to the LCD, but
the two functions will otherwise not interfere with each other.
can be used, please see Section 5.d of the guide to Programming Orangutans from the
Arduino Environment [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J17] or Section 6.g of the Pololu AVR
6. Orangutan LEDs Page 20 of 52

Reference
static void OrangutanLEDs::red(unsigned char state)

void red_led(unsigned char state)
This method will turn the red user LED off if state is zero, otherwise it will turn the red
user LED on. You can use the keyword HIGH as an argument to turn the LED on, and you
can use the keyword LOW as an argument to turn the LED off.
Example:
OrangutanLEDs::red(1); // turn the red LED on
static void OrangutanLEDs::green(unsigned char state)

void green_led(unsigned char state)
This method will turn the green user LED off if state is zero, otherwise it will turn the
green user LED on. Within the Arduino environment, you can use the keyword HIGH as an
argument to turn the LED on, and you can use the keyword LOW as an argument to turn
the LED off. This method will not work on the Baby Orangutan as it does not have a green
user LED.
Example:
OrangutanLEDs::green(1); // turn the green LED on
static void OrangutanLEDs::left(unsigned char state)

void left_led(unsigned char state)
For the Orangutan SV-xx8, Orangutan LV-168, and the 3pi, this method is an alternate
version of red(). The red LED is on the left side of these boards. For the Orangutan SVP,
this method is an alternate version of green().
static void OrangutanLEDs::right(unsigned char state)

void right_led(unsigned char state)
For the Orangutan SV-xx8, Orangutan LV-168, and the 3pi, this method is an alternate
version of green(). The green LED is on the right side of these boards. For the Orangutan
SVP, this method is an alternate version of red().
6. Orangutan LEDs Page 21 of 52

7. Orangutan Motor Control

The OrangutanMotors class and the C functions in this section allow PWM speed control of
the two motor channels on the Orangutan controllers and 3pi. The motor control functions
rely on PWM outputs from Timer0 (except on the Orangutan SVP) and Timer2, so they will
conflict with other code using these timers. Unfortunately the Arduino environment relies on
Timer0 for its millis() and delay() functions, but this library enables a Timer2 interrupt that
restores the functionality of millis() and delay() to normal. This interrupt is not included in
the C and C++ versions of the library.
can be used, please see Section 5.e of the guide to Programming Orangutans from the
Arduino Environment [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J17] or Section 6.h of the Pololu AVR
7. Orangutan Motor Control Page 22 of 52

Reference
static void OrangutanMotors::setM1Speed(int speed)

void set_m1_speed(int speed)
This method will set the speed and direction of motor 1. Speed is a value between -255
and +255. The sign of speed determines the direction of the motor and the magnitude
determines the speed. speed = 0 results in full brake while speed = 255 or -255 results in
maximum speed forward or backward. If a speed greater than 255 is supplied, the motor
speed will be set to 255. If a speed less than -255 is supplied, the motor speed will be set
to -255.
static void OrangutanMotors::setM2Speed(int speed)

void set_m2_speed(int speed)
This method will set the speed and direction of motor 2.
static void OrangutanMotors::setSpeeds(int m1Speed, int m2Speed)

void set_motors(int m1, int m2)
This method will set the speeds and directions of motors 1 and 2.
7. Orangutan Motor Control Page 23 of 52

8. Orangutan Pushbuttons
The OrangutanPushbuttons class and the C functions in this section provide access to
the three pushbuttons on the Orangutan SV, Orangutan SVP, Orangutan LV-168, and 3pi.
Various methods are provided for accessing button presses, which will be useful in different
situations.
For a higher level overview of this library and programs that show how this library can
be used, please see Section 5.f of the guide to Programming Orangutans from the
Arduino Environment [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J17] or Section 6.i of the Pololu AVR
8. Orangutan Pushbuttons Page 24 of 52

Reference
static unsigned char OrangutanPushbuttons::waitForPress(unsigned char buttons)

unsigned char wait_for_button_press(unsigned char buttons)
This method will wait for any of the buttons specified by buttons to be pressed, at
which point execution will return. The argument buttons can be a combination of the
keywords TOP_BUTTON, MIDDLE_BUTTON, and BOTTOM_BUTTON (for the Orangutans)
or BUTTON_A, BUTTON_B, and BUTTON_C (for the 3pi) separated by the bitwise OR
operator |. The returned value is the ID of the button that was pressed. Note that this
method takes care of button debouncing.
Example:
unsigned char button = OrangutanPushbuttons::waitForPress(TOP_BUTTON | BOTTOM_BUTTON);
static unsigned char OrangutanPushbuttons::waitForRelease(unsigned char

buttons)
unsigned char wait_for_button_release(unsigned char buttons)
This method will wait for any of the buttons specified by buttons to be released, at which
point execution will return. The returned value is the ID of the button that was released.
Note that this method takes care of button debouncing.
static unsigned char OrangutanPushbuttons::waitForButton(unsigned char

buttons)
unsigned char wait_for_button(unsigned char buttons)
This method will wait for any of the buttons specified by buttons to be pressed, and then
it will wait for the pressed button to be released, at which point execution will return.
The returned value is the ID of the button that was pressed and released. Note that this
method takes care of button debouncing.
static unsigned char OrangutanPushbuttons::isPressed(unsigned char buttons)

unsigned char button_is_pressed(unsigned char buttons)
This method will returns the value of any of the buttons specified by buttons that is
currently pressed. For example, if you call buttons.isPressed(ALL_BUTTONS) and both
the top and middle buttons are pressed, the return value will be (TOP_BUTTON |
MIDDLE_BUTTON). If none of the specified buttons is pressed, the returned value will
be 0. The argument buttons can refer to multiple buttons (see the waitForPress() method
above).
8. Orangutan Pushbuttons Page 25 of 52

9. Orangutan Serial Port Communication

The OrangutanSerial class and the C functions in this section provide access to the serial
port(s) on the Orangutan controllers and 3pi robot., enabling two-way TTL-level
communication with another microcontroller, a serial device, or (through a USB-serial
adapter or RS-232 level converter) a personal computer.
The Baby Orangutan B, Orangutan SV, Orangutan LV-168, and 3pi robot are based on
the ATmega48/168/328 line of AVR processors, which have a single UART that enables
communication on pins PD0 (RXD) and PD1 (TXD). Since there is only one UART on these
devices, you must omit the port argument when using the commands below.
The Orangutan SVP is based on the AVR ATmega324PA or ATmega1284P processor, which
has two UARTs. Port UART0 uses pins PD0 (RXD0) and PD1 (TXD0). Port UART1 uses
pins PD2 (RXD1) and PD3 (TXD1). The SVP also has a port called USB_COMM which lets
you connect your Orangutan directly to a computer to send and receive bytes over USB.
When using this port, you must call check() regularly because this port does not support
interrupts. See the Orangutan SVP User’s Guide for more information about using this port.
Since there are multiple serial ports, you must include the port argument when using the
commands below, and it must be either UART0, UART1, or USB_COMM.
When sending data on a UART, a UDRE interrupt vector is called after each byte is sent,
allowing the library to automatically start sending the next byte from the send buffer. When
receiving data, an RX interrupt vector is called after each byte is received, allowing the
library to automatically store the byte in the receive buffer. To use a polling method instead
of interrupts, see the setMode() and check() functions below.
These functions are not available within the Arduino environment, which has its
own serial functions.
For a higher level overview of this library and programs that show how this library can
be used, please see Section 6.j of the Pololu AVR C/C++ Library User’s
9. Orangutan Serial Port Communication Page 26 of 52

Reference
C++ methods are shown in red.
static void OrangutanSerial::setBaudRate([unsigned char port,] unsigned long

baud)
unsigned char serial_set_baud_rate([unsigned char port,] unsigned long baud)
Sets the baud rate on the serial port. Standard values up to 115200 should work fine; for
higher speeds, please consult the AVR documentation. This function is only needed for
UART-based serial ports; it has no effect on the Orangutan SVP’s USB_COMM port.
static void OrangutanSerial::receive([unsigned char port,] char *buffer, unsigned

char size)
void serial_receive([unsigned char port,] char *buffer, unsigned char size)
Sets up a buffer for background reception. This function returns immediately, but data
arriving at the serial port will be copied into this buffer until size bytes have been stored.
static char OrangutanSerial::receiveBlocking([unsigned char port,] char *buffer,

unsigned char size, unsigned int timeout_ms)
char serial_receive_blocking([unsigned char port,] char *buffer, unsigned char size,
unsigned int timeout_ms)
Receives data, not returning until the buffer is full or the timeout (specified in
milliseconds) has expired. Returns 1 if the timeout occurred before the buffer filled up.
Returns 0 if the buffer has been filled up. This function is useful for simple programs and
for situations in which you know exactly how many bytes to expect.
static void OrangutanSerial::receiveRing([unsigned char port,] char *buffer,

unsigned char size)
void serial_receive_ring([unsigned char port,] char *buffer, unsigned char size)
Sets up a ring buffer for background reception. This is a more advanced version of
receive() that is useful when you need to read in data continuously without pauses. When
the buffer is filled, getReceivedBytes() will reset to zero, and data will continue to be
inserted at the beginning of the buffer.
static void OrangutanSerial::cancelReceive([unsigned char port])

void serial_cancel_receive([unsigned char port])
Stops background serial reception.
static inline unsigned char OrangutanSerial::getReceivedBytes([unsigned char

port])
unsigned char serial_get_received_bytes([unsigned char port])
Returns the number of bytes that have been read into the buffer; this is also the index of
the location at which the next received byte will be added.
static inline char OrangutanSerial::receiveBufferFull([unsigned char port])

char serial_receive_buffer_full([unsigned char port])
Returns 1 (true) when the receive buffer has been filled with received bytes, so that serial
reception is halted. Returns 0 (false) otherwise. This function should not be called when
receiving data into a ring buffer.
static void OrangutanSerial::send([unsigned char port,] char *buffer, unsigned char

size)

void serial_send([unsigned char port,] char *buffer, unsigned char size)

Sets up a buffer for background transmission. Data from this buffer will be transmitted
until size bytes have been sent. If send() is called before sendBufferEmpty() returns
true (when transmission of the last byte has started),
the old buffer will be discarded and tramission will be cut short. This means that you
should almost always wait until the data has been sent before calling this function again.
See sendBlocking(), below, for an easy way to do this.
static void OrangutanSerial::sendBlocking([unsigned char port,] char *buffer,
unsigned char size)
void serial_send_blocking([unsigned char port,] char *buffer, unsigned char size)
Same as send(), but waits until transmission of the last byte has started before returning.
When this function returns, it is safe to call send() or sendBlocking() again.
Warning: When using the Orangutan SVP’s USB_COMM port, sendBlocking()

might never return because the rate at which bytes can be sent to the computer
is dictated by how often the computer requests to read bytes from the Orangutan.
If the Orangutan’s USB port is not connected, or for some reason the computer
has stopped reading bytes from the Orangutan’s USB Communications port, then
this function might never return. This is not a problem for UART-based serial ports
because the rate of transmission is dictated only by the AVR’s code and the baud
rate, so all the bytes will finish transmitting in a relatively predictable amount of
time.
static inline unsigned char OrangutanSerial::getSentBytes([unsigned char port])

unsigned char serial_get_sent_bytes([unsigned char port])
Returns the number of bytes that have been sent since send() was called.
static char OrangutanSerial::sendBufferEmpty([unsigned char port])

char serial_send_buffer_empty([unsigned char port])
Returns 1 (true) when the send buffer is empty; when there are no more bytes to send.
Returns 0 (false) otherwise.
static void OrangutanSerial::setMode([unsigned char port,] unsigned char mode)

void serial_set_mode([unsigned char port,] unsigned char mode)
Sets the serial library to use either interrupts (with the argument SERIAL_AUTOMATIC)
or polling (SERIAL_CHECK). If SERIAL_CHECK is selected, your code must call check()
often to ensure reliable reception and timely transmission of data. The default mode for
all UART-based ports is SERIAL_AUTOMATIC. The default and only allowed mode for the
Orangutan SVP’s USB_COMM port is SERIAL_CHECK.
static char OrangutanSerial::getMode([unsigned char port,] unsigned char mode)

char serial_get_mode([unsigned char port])
Returns the current serial mode.
static void OrangutanSerial::check()

void serial_check()
Checks for any bytes to be received or transmitted (on all available ports) and performs
the required action. You only need to use this function if one of your ports is in
SERIAL_CHECK mode. If all of your ports are in SERIAL_AUTOMATIC mode, you will not

need to use this function. The default and only allowed mode for the Orangutan SVP’s
USB_COMM port is SERIAL_CHECK, so you should call this function often if you want to
use that port.

10. Orangutan Servos

This section of the library provides the ability to control servos by generating digital pulses
directly from your Orangutan without the need for a separate servo controller.
This library uses the AVR’s Timer 1 and several interrupts TIMER1_CAPT,
TIMER1_COMPA (not used on the Orangutan SVP), and TIMER1_COMPB.
For a higher-level overview of how servo control works and how the library works on the
different Orangutan models, see Section 6.k of the Pololu AVR C/C++ Library User’s
Note: The OrangutanServos and OrangutanBuzzer libraries both use Timer 1,

so they will conflict with eachother and any other code that relies on or
reconfigures Timer 1.
10. Orangutan Servos Page 30 of 52

Reference
unsigned char OrangutanServos::init(const unsigned char servoPins[], unsigned

char numPins)
unsigned char servos_init(const unsigned char servoPins[], unsigned char
numPins)
Configures the AVR’s Timer 1 module to generate pulses for up to 8 servos. The numPins
parameter should be the length of the servoPins array. A nonzero return value indicates
that the needed memory could not be allocated.
The servoPins parameter should be the RAM address of an array of AVR IO pin numbers
defined using the IO_* keywords provided by the library (e.g. IO_C0).
The Orangutan SVP version of this function takes an array of AVR pins that you have
wired to the demux selection pins. The length of the array should be 0–3. The number of
servos you can control is 2numPins. The servo pulses are transmitted on pin PD5, which is
connected to the input of the demux.
On the other Orangutans, this function takes an array of AVR pins that you have connected
to the signal pins on your servos. The length of the array should be 0–8. Each pin controls
one servo.
unsigned char OrangutanServos::init(const unsigned char servoPins[], unsigned

char numPins, const unsigned char servoPinsB[], unsigned char numPinsB)
unsigned char servos_init_extended(const unsigned char servoPins[], unsigned
char numPins, const unsigned char servoPinsB[], unsigned char numPinsB)
Configures the AVR’s Timer 1 module to generate pulses for up to 16 servos. A nonzero
return value indicates that the needed memory could not be allocated. The servoPins
and numPins parameters serve the same purpose here as they do in the function above.
The numPinsB parameter should be the length of the servoPinsB array. The servoPinsB
parameter should be the RAM address of an array of AVR pin numbers defined using the
IO_* keywords provided by the library (e.g. IO_C0). The pins should be connected to the
signal pins on your servos. If you don’t want this secod set of servos, use a numPinsB value
of 0 or use the function above.
void OrangutanServos::setServoTarget(unsigned char servoNum, unsigned int

pos_us)
unsigned int OrangutanServos::getServoTarget(unsigned char servoNum)
void OrangutanServos::setServoTargetB(unsigned char servoNum, unsigned int
pos_us)
unsigned int OrangutanServos::getServoTargetB(unsigned char servoNum)
void set_servo_target(unsigned char servoNum, unsigned int pos_us)
unsigned int get_servo_target(unsigned char servoNum)
void set_servo_targetB(unsigned char servoNum, unsigned int pos_us)
unsigned int get_servo_targetB(unsigned char servoNum)
These functions get and set a servo’s target position in units of microseconds. This is the
pulse width that the library intends to transmit eventually; this pulse width may not have
been transmitted yet if there is a speed limit set for the servo, or if the target was changed
within the last 20 ms. A position value of 0 turns off the specified servo (this is the default).

Otherwise, valid target positions are between 400 and 2450 us. The servoNum parameter
should be a servo number between 0 and 7.
unsigned int getServoPosition(unsigned char servoNum)

unsigned int getServoPositionB(unsigned char servoNum)
unsigned int get_servo_position(unsigned char servoNum)
unsigned int get_servo_positionB(unsigned char servoNum)
These functions get a servo’s current position in units of microseconds. This is the last
pulse width that the library transmitted to the servo; this pulse width might not be equal
to the target if there is a speed limit set for the servo, or if the target has changed with the
last 20 ms. This method does not rely on feedback from the servo, so if the servo is being
restrained or overly torqued, it might not return the actual position of the servo. If there
is a speed limit set for this servo, you can use this method to determine when the servo
pulse signal has reached its desired target width.
void OrangutanServos::setServoSpeed(unsigned char servoNum, unsigned int

speed)
unsigned int OrangutanServos::getServoSpeed(unsigned char servoNum)
void OrangutanServos::setServoSpeedB(unsigned char servoNum, unsigned int
speed)
unsigned int OrangutanServos::getServoSpeedB(unsigned char servoNum)
void set_servo_speed(unsigned char servoNum, unsigned int speed)
unsigned int get_servo_speed(unsigned char servoNum)
void set_servo_speedB(unsigned char servoNum, unsigned int speed)
unsigned int get_servo_speedB(unsigned char servoNum)
These functions get and set a servo’s speed limit in units of tenths of a microsecond per
20 ms. A speed value of 0 means there is no speed limit. A non-zero speed value means
that each time the library sends a servo pulse, that pulse’s width will be within speed/10 µs
of the previous pulse width sent to that servo. For example, with a speed value of 200, the
pulse width will change by at most 20 µs each time the library sends a pulse. The library
sends a pulse every 20 ms, so it will take 1000 ms (50 pulses) to change from a pulse width
of 1000 µs to a pulse width of 2000 µs.

11. Orangutan SPI Master Functions

This section of the library provides commands for using the AVR’s Serial Peripheral Interface
(SPI) module in master mode to communicate with slave SPI devices.
SPI is a synchronous communication protocol where the basic transaction consists of the
master pulsing the SPI clock (SCK) line 8 times while bits are simultaneously exchanged
between the (selected) slave and the master on the Master-in/Slave-out (MISO) and Master-
out/Slave-in (MOSI) lines. There is no way for the master to send a byte without receiving
one, and there is no way for the master to receive a byte without sending one.
The functions in this section will automatically configure the MOSI and SCK lines as outputs
and the MISO line as an input.
The AVR’s SPI module is designed so that if the SS pin is an input and it reads low (0 V), then
the SPI module will automatically go in to slave mode (the MSTR bit in SPCR will become
zero) and all SPI transmission functions in this library will return a result of zero. Therefore,
it is recommended to make SS an output before doing SPI master communication. If SS is
an input, then the SPI inititialization routine in this library will enable the pull-up resistor on
that line.
The Orangutan SV, Orangutan LV-168, Baby Orangutan B, and 3pi robot are based on
the ATmega48/168/328 line of AVR processors, so SS is pin PB2, MOSI is PB3, MISO is PB4,
and SCK is PB5.
The Orangutan SVP is based on the AVR ATmega324 or ATmega1284, so SS is pin PB4,
MOSI is PB5, MISO is PB6, and SCK is PB7.
11. Orangutan SPI Master Functions Page 33 of 52

Reference
static void OrangutanSPIMaster::init(unsigned char speed_divider, unsigned char

options)
void spi_master_init(unsigned char speed_divider, unsigned char options)
Initializes the AVR’s hardware SPI module in master mode. This command makes the
MOSI and SCK pins outputs so that the AVR can send data to the slave device. This
command makes MISO an input so that the AVR can receive data from the slave device. If
SS is an input, this function enables its pull-up resistor so that it is less likely that SS goes
low and knocks the SPI module out of master mode (see note above).
The speed_divider parameter specifies the ratio of the AVR’s clock frequency to the SPI
frequency. The library defines several keywords of the form SPI_SPEED_DIVIDER_xxx for
use as the speed_divider argument. These keywords are shown in the table below:
Valid values for speed_divider

speed_divider SPI Frequency (assuming 20 MHz clock)
SPI_SPEED_DIVIDER_2 10 MHz
SPI_SPEED_DIVIDER_4 5 MHz
SPI_SPEED_DIVIDER_8 2.5 MHz
SPI_SPEED_DIVIDER_16 1.25 MHz
SPI_SPEED_DIVIDER_32 625 kHz
The options argument controls three important configuration options for the SPI module.
The options argument can be 0 to select all the default options. To over-ride the defaults,
the options argument should be a combination of some of the following keywords,
combined using the inclusive-or operator ”|”.
• SPI_SCK_IDLE_LOW (default): The idle state of SCK will be low; the leading edge
will be rising and the trailing edge will be falling.
• SPI_SCK_IDLE_HIGH: The idle state of SCK will be high; the leading edge will be
falling and the trailing edge will be rising.
• SPI_MSB_FIRST (default): Bytes will be transmitted/received starting with the
most-significant bit first.
• SPI_LSB_FIRST: Bytes will be transmitted/received starting with the least-
significant bit first.
• SPI_EDGE_LEADING (default): The AVR will sample data on MISO on the leading
edge of SCK.
• SPI_EDGE_TRAILING: The AVR will sample data on MISO on the trailing edge of
SCK.
Example usage:

// Initialize the SPI module in master mode at 20/2 = 10 MHz, sample on the trailing edge,
// LSB first, SCK idle state low.
OrangutanSPIMaster::init(SPI_SPEED_DIVIDER_2, SPI_EDGE_TRAILING | SPI_LSB_FIRST);
static unsigned char OrangutanSPIMaster::transmit(unsigned char data)

unsigned char spi_master_transmit(unsigned char data)
Transmits the given byte of data to the SPI slave device, and returns the byte that the
slave simultaneously sent back.
static unsigned char OrangutanSPIMaster::transmitAndDelay(unsigned char data,

unsigned char post_delay_us)
unsigned char spi_master_transmit_and_delay(unsigned char data, unsigned char
post_delay_us)
This command is just like transmit() except that after the transmission has finished it
delays for the specified number of microseconds before returning. This added delay is
useful if you are communicating with any slave device that requires some time between
SPI transmissions to give it time to process the byte it has received (e.g. the auxiliary
processors on the Orangutan X2 and Orangutan SVP). post_delay_us should be a number
between 0 and 255.

12. Orangutan SVP Functions

This section of the library provides commands that are only available on the Orangutan
SVP [http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1325].
For a higher level overview of how the library works on the Orangutan SVP, please see
Section 6.l of the Pololu AVR C/C++ Library User’s Guide [http://www.pololu.com/docs/
0J20].
12. Orangutan SVP Functions Page 36 of 52

Reference
static void OrangutanSVP::setMode(unsigned char mode)

void svp_set_mode(unsigned char mode)
This command sets the mode of the Orangutan SVP’s auxiliary processor. The mode
parameter determines the functions of the auxiliary lines A, B, C, and D.
• If mode is SVP_MODE_RX, then lines A, B, and C will be analog inputs (Section

2) and D/RX will be used as the serial receive line. TTL-level serial bytes received on
D/RX will be sent to the computer on the Pololu Orangutan SVP TTL Serial Port. The
D/RX line, along with the TX line (which is always the serial transmit line), let you
use the Orangutan as a two-way USB-to-serial adapter. This is the default mode; the
auxiliary processor will be in this mode whenever it starts running, and will revert to
this mode whenever the AVR is reset for any reason.
• If mode is SVP_MODE_ANALOG, then lines A, B, C, and D will be analog inputs.
• If mode is SVP_MODE_ENCODERS, then lines A and B together are inputs for a
quadrature encoder (called encoder AB), and lines C and D together are inputs for a
quadrature encoder (called encoder CD). The functions below whose names end in AB
or CD provide access to the output from these encoders.
Additionally, the mode parameter can be inclusively ored with the keyword
SVP_SLAVE_SELECT_ON to enable the SPI slave select feature.
• If SPI slave select is not enabled (default), then the ADC/SS line will be an analog
input. This line is hardwired to a user trimpot, so the name of the analog channel is
TRIMPOT. However, if you want to use this analog input for something else, you can
cut the labeled trace between POT and ADC/SS on the bottom of the board. This is the
default mode; the auxiliary processor will be in this mode whenever it starts running,
and will revert to this mode whenever the AVR is reset for any reason.
• If SPI slave select is enabled, then the line will be used as the SPI slave select
line, SS. When SS is high, the auxiliary processor will ignore all bytes received on SPI
and will not drive the MISO line. This allows the AVR to communicate with other SPI
devices using the hardware SPI module. See Section 11. When SS is driven low, then
the AVR can communicate with the auxiliary processor over SPI as usual. The SS line
is pulled high through a 100 kilo-ohm pull-up resistor.
static unsigned char OrangutanSVP::usbPowerPresent()
unsigned char usb_power_present()
Returns 1 if the voltage on the power line of the USB connector is high. This indicates
that the device is plugged in to a computer or USB power supply. Returns 0 otherwise.
This function is useful if you want your Orangutan to behave differently when it is
plugged in to USB (for example, by not running its motors).
static unsigned char OrangutanSVP::usbConfigured()

unsigned char usb_configured()
Returns 1 if the device has reached the USB Configured State as defined in the USB
2.0 Specification. This indicates that the device is plugged in to a computer and the
right drivers might be installed. Returns 0 otherwise.

static unsigned char OrangutanSVP::usbSuspend()

unsigned char usb_suspend()
Returns 1 if the device is in the USB Suspend State. If the device is connected to a
computer, this usually indicates that the computer has gone to sleep, but on some
computers the Suspend State occurs several times whenever the device is plugged in.
static unsigned char OrangutanSVP::dtrEnabled()

unsigned char dtr_enabled()
Returns either 0 or 1, indicating the value of the DTR virtual handshaking line on
the Pololu Orangutan SVP USB Communications Port. This line is controlled by the
computer’s virtual serial port driver and terminal software. This line corresponds to
the DtrEnable member of the .NET System.IO.Ports.SerialPort class. This line defaults
to 0. Several standard terminal programs set this line to 1 when they connect to a
serial port, and then set it to 0 when they disconnect. Therefore this command can
be used to determine whether a terminal program is connected to the Orangutan, and
make the Orangutan’s behavior dependent on that.
static unsigned char OrangutanSVP::rtsEnabled()

unsigned char rts_enabled()
Returns either 0 or 1, indicating the value of the RTS virtual handshaking line on
the Pololu Orangutan SVP USB Communications Port. This line is controlled by the
computer’s virtual serial port driver and terminal software. This line corresponds to
the RtsEnable member of the .NET System.IO.Ports.SerialPort class. This line defaults
to 0.
static int OrangutanSVP::getCountsAB()

static int OrangutanSVP::getCountsCD()
int svp_get_counts_ab()
int svp_get_counts_cd()
Returns the number of counts measured on encoder AB or CD. For the Pololu wheel
encoders, the resolution is about 3 mm/count, so this allows a maximum distance of
32767 × 3 mm or about 100 m. For longer distances, you will need to occasionally
reset the counts using the functions below. The counts will be increase if A/C changes
before B/D, and decrease if B/D changes before A/C.
static int OrangutanSVP::getCountsAndResetAB()

static int OrangutanSVP::getCountsAndResetCD()
int svp_get_counts_and_reset_ab()
int svp_get_counts_and_reset_cd()
Returns the number of counts measured on encoder AB or CD, and resets the stored
value to zero.
static int OrangutanSVP::checkErrorAB()

static int OrangutanSVP::checkErrorCD()
int svp_check_error_ab()
int svp_check_error_cd()
These commands check whether there has been an error on AB or CD; that is, if both
A/B or C/D changed simultaneously. They return 1 if there was an error, then reset the
error flag to zero.
static unsigned char OrangutanSVP::getFirmwareVersion()

unsigned char svp_get_firmware_version()

This command asks the Orangutan SVP’s auxiliary processor what version of its
firmware is running. The return value of this function for all Orangutans released
so far should be 1. This command can be useful for testing or debugging the SPI
connection to the auxiliary processor.

13. Orangutan System Resources

This section of the library is intended to provide access to information about resources that
are available on the Orangutan board. Currently, it only provides information about the
amount of free RAM on the AVR.
static unsigned char OrangutanResources::getFreeRAM()

unsigned char get_free_ram()
Returns an estimate of the available free RAM on the AVR, in bytes. This is computed as
the difference between the bottom of the stack and the top of the static variable space
or the top of the malloc() heap. This function is very useful for avoiding disastrous and
diffucult-to-debug problems that can occur at any time due to the nature of the C and C++
programming languages. Local variables and the location of function calls are stored on
the stack in RAM, global and data variables take up additional RAM, and some programs
dynamically allocate RAM with the malloc() set of functions. While malloc() will refuse to
allocate memory that has already been used for another purpose, if the stack grows large
enough it will silently overwrite other regions of RAM. This kind of problem, called a stack
overflow, can have unexpected and seemingly random effects, such as:
• a program restart, as if the board was reset,

• sudden jumps to arbitrary locations in the program,
• behavior that seems logically impossible, and
• data corruption.
Small stack overflows that happen rarely might cause bugs that are subtle and hard to
detect. We recommend that you use getFreeRAM() within your main loop and also at
some points within function calls, especially any recursive or highly nested calls, and cause
your robot to display an error indicator or a warning of some type if memory gets tight.
If your Orangutan is controlling a system that might damage itself or cause danger to
an operator it should go into a safe shutdown mode immediately upon detection of a low
memory error. For example, a BattleBot could shut down all motors, and a robotic aircraft
could deploy its parachute.
By checking available memory at various levels within your code, you can get an idea of
how much memory each function call consumes, and think about redesigning the code
to use memory more efficiently. The getFreeRam() function itself should not take a
noticeable amount of time and use just 6 bytes of RAM itself, so you can use it freely
throughout your code.
See the avr-libc malloc page [http://www.nongnu.org/avr-libc/user-manual/malloc.html] for

more information about memory organization in C on the AVR.
13. Orangutan System Resources Page 40 of 52

14. QTR Reflectance Sensors

The PololuQTRSensors class and the C functions in this section provide an interface for
using Pololu’s QTR reflectance sensors [http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/961] together
with the Orangutan or Arduino. The library provides access to the raw sensors values as well
as to high level functions including calibration and line-tracking.
We recommend not using this part of the library directly on the 3pi. Instead, we
have provided an initialization function and convenient access functions through the
Pololu3pi class. See Section 17 for details.
This section of the library defines an object for each of the two QTR sensor types, with
the PololuQTRSensorsAnalog class intended for use with QTR-xA sensors and the
PololuQTRSensorsRC class intended for use with QTR-xRC sensors. This library takes care
of the differences between the QTR-xA and QTR-xRC sensors internally, providing you with
a common interface to both sensors. The only external difference is in the constructors.
This is achieved by having both of these classes derive from the abstract base class
PololuQTRSensors. This base class cannot be instantiated.
The PololuQTRSensorsAnalog and PololuQTRSensorsRC classes are the only classes in the
Pololu AVR library that must be instantiated before they are used. This allows multiple QTR
sensor arrays to be controlled independently as separate PololuQTRSensors objects. The
multiple independent array support is not available within the C environment, but multiple
arrays can still be configured as a single array, as long as the total number of sensors does
not exceed 8.
For calibration, memory is allocated using the malloc() command. This conserves RAM: if
all eight sensors are calibrated with the emitters both on an off, a total of 64 bytes would
be dedicated to storing calibration values. However, for an application where only three
sensors are used, and the emitters are always on during reads, only 6 bytes are required.
Note that the PololuQTRSensorsRC class uses Timer2 during sensor reads to time the sensor
pulses, so it might not work with code that uses Timer2 for other purposes. Once the sensor
read is complete, Timer2 is restored to its original state; there are no restrictions on its use
between sensor reads. The PololuQTRSensorsAnalog class does not use Timer2 at all, and
all of the PololuQTRSensors code is compatible with the other Pololu AVR libraries.
can be used, please see the guide Arduino Libraries for the Pololu QTR Reflectance
Sensors [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J19] or Section 6.m of the Pololu AVR C/C++ Library
User’s Guide [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J20].
14. QTR Reflectance Sensors Page 41 of 52

Reference
void PololuQTRSensors::read(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned char readMode

= QTR_EMITTERS_ON)
void qtr_read(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned char readMode)
Reads the raw sensor values into an array. There MUST be space for as many values as
there were sensors specified in the constructor. The values returned are a measure of
the reflectance in units that depend on the type of sensor being used, with higher values
corresponding to lower reflectance (a black surface or a void). QTR-xA sensors will return
a raw value between 0 and 1023. QTR-xRC sensors will return a raw value between 0 and
the timeout argument provided in the constructor (which defaults to 4000). The units will
be in Timer2 counts, where Timer2 is running at the CPU clock divided by 8 (i.e. 2 MHz
on a 16 MHz processor, or 2.5 MHz on a 20 MHz processor).
The functions that read values from the sensors all take an argument readMode, which
specifies the kind of read that will be performed. Several options are defined:
QTR_EMITTERS_OFF specifies that the reading should be made without turning on the
infrared (IR) emitters, in which case the reading represents ambient light levels near
the sensor; QTR_EMITTERS_ON specifies that the emitters should be turned on for the
reading, which results in a measure of reflectance; and QTR_EMITTERS_ON_AND_OFF
specifies that a reading should be made in both the on and off states. The values returned
when the QTR_EMITTERS_ON_AND_OFF option is used are given by on + max – off,
where on is the reading with the emitters on, off is the reading with the emitters off, and
max is the maximum sensor reading. This option can reduce the amount of interference
from uneven ambient lighting. Note that emitter control will only work if you specify a
valid emitter pin in the constructor.
Example usage:
unsigned int sensor_values[8];
sensors.read(sensor_values);
void PololuQTRSensors::emittersOn()
void qtr_emitters_on()
Turn the IR LEDs on. This is mainly for use by the read method, and calling these functions
before or after the reading the sensors will have no effect on the readings, but you may
wish to use these for testing purposes. This method will only do something if a valid
emitter pin was specified in the constructor.
void PololuQTRSensors::emittersOff()
void qtr_emitters_off()
Turn the IR LEDs off. This is mainly for use by the read method, and calling these functions
before or after the reading the sensors will have no effect on the readings, but you may
wish to use these for testing purposes.
void PololuQTRSensors::calibrate(unsigned char readMode = QTR_EMITTERS_ON)

void qtr_calibrate(unsigned char readMode)
Reads the sensors for calibration. The sensor values are not returned; instead, the
maximum and minimum values found over time are stored internally and used for the
readCalibrated() method. You can access the calibration (i.e raw max and min sensor
readings) through the public member pointers calibratedMinimumOn,

calibratedMaximumOn, calibratedMinimumOff, and calibratedMaximumOff. Note that

these pointers will point to arrays of length numSensors, as specified in the constructor,
and they will only be allocated after calibrate() has been called. If you only calibrate with
the emitters on, the calibration arrays that hold the off values will not be allocated.
void PololuQTRSensors::readCalibrated(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned char

readMode = QTR_EMITTERS_ON)
void qtr_read_calibrated(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned char readMode)
Returns sensor readings calibrated to a value between 0 and 1000, where 0 corresponds
to a reading that is less than or equal to the minimum value read by calibrate() and
1000 corresponds to a reading that is greater than or equal to the maximum value.
Calibration values are stored separately for each sensor, so that differences in the sensors
are accounted for automatically.
unsigned int PololuQTRSensors::readLine(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned

char readMode = QTR_EMITTERS_ON, unsigned char whiteLine = 0)
void qtr_read_line(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned char readMode)
Operates the same as read calibrated, but with a feature designed for line following: this
function returns an estimated position of the line. The estimate is made using a weighted
average of the sensor indices multiplied by 1000, so that a return value of 0 indicates
that the line is directly below sensor 0, a return value of 1000 indicates that the line
is directly below sensor 1, 2000 indicates that it’s below sensor 2000, etc. Intermediate
values indicate that the line is between two sensors. The formula is:
0*value0 + 1000*value1 + 2000*value2 + ...

--------------------------------------------
value0 + value1 + value2 + ...
As long as your sensors aren’t spaced too far apart relative to the line, this returned value
is designed to be monotonic, which makes it great for use in closed-loop PID control.
Additionally, this method remembers where it last saw the line, so if you ever lose the line
to the left or the right, it’s line position will continue to indicate the direction you need to
go to reacquire the line. For example, if sensor 4 is your rightmost sensor and you end up
completely off the line to the left, this function will continue to return 4000.
By default, this function assumes a dark line (high values) surrounded by white (low
values). If your line is light on black, set the optional second argument whiteLine to true.
In this case, each sensor value will be replaced by the maximum possible value minus its
actual value before the averaging.
unsigned int* PololuQTRSensors::calibratedMinimumOn

unsigned int* qtr_calibrated_minimum_on()
The calibrated minumum values measured for each sensor, with emitters on. The pointers
are unallocated and set to 0 until calibrate() is called, and then allocated to exactly the
size required. Depending on the readMode argument to calibrate(), only the On or Off
values may be allocated, as required. This and the following variables are made public so
that you can use them for your own calculations and do things like saving the values to
EEPROM, performing sanity checking, etc. The calibration values are available through
function calls from C.
unsigned int* PololuQTRSensors::calibratedMaximumOn

unsigned int* qtr_calibrated_maximum_on()
The calibrated maximum values measured for each sensor, with emitters on.

unsigned int* PololuQTRSensors::calibratedMinimumOff

unsigned int* qtr_calibrated_minimum_off()
The calibrated minimum values measured for each sensor, with emitters off.
unsigned int* PololuQTRSensors::calibratedMaximumOff

unsigned int* qtr_calibrated_maximum_off()
The calibrated maximum values measured for each sensor, with emitters off.
PololuQTRSensors::~PololuQTRSensors()
The destructor for the PololuQTRSensors class frees up memory allocated for the
calibration arrays. This feature is not available in C.
PololuQTRSensorsRC::PololuQTRSensorsRC()
This constructor performs no initialization. If it is used, the user must call init() before
using the methods in this class.
PololuQTRSensorsRC::PololuQTRSensorsRC(unsigned char* pins, unsigned char

numSensors, unsigned int timeout = 4000, unsigned char emitterPin = 255);
This constructor just calls init(), below.
void PololuQTRSensorsRC::init(unsigned char* pins, unsigned char numSensors,

unsigned int timeout = 4000, unsigned char emitterPin = 255)
void qtr_rc_init(unsigned char* pins, unsigned char numSensors, unsigned int
timeout, unsigned char emitterPin)
Initializes a QTR-RC (digital) sensor array.
The array pins contains the (Arduino) pin numbers for each sensor. For example, if pins
is {3, 6, 15}, sensor 0 is on digital pin 3 or PD3, sensor 1 is on digital pin 6 or PD6, and
sensor 2 is on digital pin 15 or PC1 (Arduino analog input 1). Digital pins 0 – 7 correpsond
to port D pins PD0 – PD7, respectively. Digital pins 8 – 13 correspond to port B pins PB0
– PB5. Digital pins 14 – 19 correspond to port C pins PC0 – PC5, which are referred to in
the Arduino environment as analog inputs 0 – 5.
numSensors specifies the length of the ‘pins’ array (the number of QTR-RC sensors you
are using). numSensors must be no greater than 16.
timeout specifies the length of time in Timer2 counts beyond which you consider the
sensor reading completely black. That is to say, if the pulse length for a pin exceeds
timeout, pulse timing will stop and the reading for that pin will be considered full black.
It is recommended that you set timeout to be between 1000 and 3000 us, depending on
factors like the height of your sensors and ambient lighting. This allows you to shorten the
duration of a sensor-reading cycle while maintaining useful measurements of reflectance.
On a 16 MHz microcontroller, you can convert Timer2 counts to microseconds by dividing
by 2 (2000 us = 4000 Timer2 counts = timeout of 4000). On a 20 MHz microcontroller,
you can convert Timer2 counts to microseconds by dividing by 2.5 or multiplying by 0.4
(2000 us = 5000 Timer2 counts = timeout of 5000).
emitterPin is the Arduino digital pin that controls whether the IR LEDs are on or off. This
pin is optional and only exists on the 8A and 8RC QTR sensor arrays. If a valid pin is
specified, the emitters will only be turned on during a reading. If an invalid pin is specified
(e.g. 255), the IR emitters will always be on.
PololuQTRSensorsAnalog::PololuQTRSensorsAnalog()

This constructor performs no initialization. If this constructor is used, the user must call
init() before using the methods in this class.
PololuQTRSensorsAnalog::PololuQTRSensorsAnalog(unsigned char* analogPins,

unsigned char numSensors, unsigned char numSamplesPerSensor = 4, unsigned
char emitterPin = 255)
This constructor just calls init(), below.
void OrangutanAnalog::init(unsigned char* analogPins, unsigned char

numSensors, unsigned char numSamplesPerSensor = 4, unsigned char emitterPin
= 255)
void qtr_analog_init(unsigned char* analogPins, unsigned char numSensors,
unsigned char numSamplesPerSensor, unsigned char emitterPin)
Initializes a QTR-A (analog) sensor array.
The array pins contains the analog pin assignment for each sensor. For example, if pins
is {0, 1, 7}, sensor 1 is on analog input 0, sensor 2 is on analog input 1, and sensor 3 is
on analog input 7. The ATmegaxx8 has 8 total analog input channels (ADC0 – ADC7) that
correspond to port C pins PC0 – PC5 and dedicated analog inputs ADC6 and ADC7.
numSensors specifies the length of the analogPins array (the number of QTR-A sensors
you are using). numSensors must be no greater than 8.
numSamplesPerSensor indicates the number of 10-bit analog samples to average per

channel (per sensor) for each reading. The total number of analog-to-digital conversions
performed will be equal to numSensors times numSamplesPerSensor. Increasing this
parameter increases noise suppression at the cost of sample rate. Recommended value: 4.
emitterPin is the digital pin (see qtr_rc_init(), above) that controls whether the IR LEDs
are on or off. This pin is optional and only exists on the 8A and 8RC QTR sensor arrays. If
a valid pin is specified, the emitters will only be turned on during a reading. If an invalid
pin is specified (e.g. 255), the IR emitters will always be on.

15. Timing and Delays

The following timing and delay functions are designed for the Orangutans and 3pi, which
run at 20 MHz. They will give different results at other processor frequencies. These
functions are not available within the Arduino environment, which has its own delay
functions. For the functions in this section only, the C functions are also available from
C++.
The timing functions use an interrupt on Timer2, which is configured when time_reset(),
get_ms(), or an equivalent function is called. This means that the timing code will conflict
with other code that uses Timer2. However, the functions here are compatible with the other
uses of Timer2 within the Pololu library.
15. Timing and Delays Page 46 of 52

Reference
C++ methods are shown in red.
C/C++ functions are shown in green.
static void OrangutanTime::delayMilliseconds(unsigned int milliseconds)

void delay_ms(unsigned int milliseconds)
void delay(unsigned int milliseconds)
Delays for the specified number of milliseconds. Note that if the supplied argument
milliseconds has a value of zero, this function will return execution immediately (unlike
delayMicroseconds(0), which will delay for the maximum time possible).
static void OrangutanTime::delayMicroseconds(unsigned int microseconds)

void delayMicroseconds(unsigned int microseconds)
void delay_us(unsigned int microseconds)
Delays for the specified number of microseconds. Note that if the supplied argument
microseconds has a value of zero, this function will delay for 65536 us (unlike
delayMilliseconds(0), which produces no delay at all).
static void OrangutanTime::reset()

void time_reset()
Starts/resets the system timer. This begins using an interrupt on Timer2 to record the
elapsed time since reset.
static unsigned long OrangutanTime::ms()

unsigned long get_ms()
unsigned long millis()
Returns the number of elapsed milliseconds since reset. The value can be as high as the
maximum value stored in an unsigned long, 4,294,967,295 ms, which corresponds to a
little more than 49 days, after which it starts over at 0.
15. Timing and Delays Page 47 of 52

16. Wheel Encoders

The PololuWheelEncoders class and the associated C functions provide an easy interface for
using the Pololu Wheel Encoders [http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1217], which allow a
robot to know exactly how far its motors have turned at any point in time.
This section of the library makes uses of pin-change interrupts to quickly detect and record
each transition on the encoder.
For a higher level overview of this library and example programs that show how this
library can be used, please see Section 6.n of the Pololu AVR C/C++ Library User’s
16. Wheel Encoders Page 48 of 52

Reference
static void PololuWheelEncoders::init(unsigned char m1a, unsigned char m1b,

unsigned char m2a, unsigned char m2b)
void encoders_init(unsigned char m1a, unsigned char m1b, unsigned char m2a,
unsigned char m2b)
Initializes the wheel encoders. The four arguments are the four pins that the wheel
encoders are connected to, according to the Arduino numbering: Arduino digital pins 0 – 7
correpsond to port D pins PD0 – PD7, respectively. Arduino digital pins 8 – 13 correspond
to port B pins PB0 – PB5. Arduino analog inputs 0 – 5 are referred to as digital pins 14 – 19
(these are the enumerations you should use for this library) and correspond to port C pins
PC0 – PC5. The arguments are named m1a, m1b, etc. with the intention that when motor
M1 is spinning forward, pin m1a will change before pin m1b. However, it is difficult to get
them all correct on the first try, and you might have to experiment.
static int getCountsM1()

static int getCountsM2()
int encoders_get_counts_m1()
int encoders_get_counts_m2()
Returns the number of counts measured on M1 or M2. For the Pololu wheel encoders, the
resolution is about 3mm/count, so this allows a maximum distance of 32767 × 3mm or
about 100m. For longer distances, you will need to occasionally reset the counts using the
functions below.
static int getCountsAndResetM1()

static int getCountsAndResetM2()
int encoders_get_counts_and_reset_m1()
int encoders_get_counts_and_reset_m2()
Returns the number of counts measured on M1 or M2, and resets the stored value to zero.
static unsigned char checkErrorM1()

static unsigned char checkErrorM2()
unsigned char encoders_check_error_m1()
unsigned char encoders_check_error_m2()
These functions check whether there has been an error on M1 or M2; that is, if both m1a/
m2b or m2a/m2b changed simultaneously. They return 1 if there was an error, then reset
the error flag automatically.
16. Wheel Encoders Page 49 of 52

17. 3pi Robot Functions

This section of the library provides convenient access for 3pi-specific hardware. Currently,
it only provides access for the 5 QTR-based line sensors that are included in the 3pi. That is,
the QTR functions described in Section 14 do not need to be used for the 3pi. The functions
described below are enabled by including one of the 3pi files:
#include <pololu/3pi.h> // use this line for C

#include <pololu/Pololu3pi.h> // use this line for C++
The necessary Orangutan include files will be included automatically.
Using this library will automatically configure Timer2, which will cause it to conflict with
other libraries that use Timer2. See Section 7 (Motors) and Section 14 (Sensors) for more
information.
For a higher level overview of this library and programs that show how this library can be
used, please see the Pololu 3pi Robot User’s Guide [http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J21].
static unsigned char Pololu3pi::init(unsigned int line_sensor_timeout = 1000,

unsigned char disable_emitter_pin = 0)
unsigned char pololu_3pi_init(unsigned int line_sensor_timeout)
unsigned char pololu_3pi_init_disable_emitter_pin(unsigned int
line_sensor_timeout)
Initializes the 3pi robot. This sets up the line sensors, turns the IR emitters off to
save power, and resets the system timer (except within the Arduino environment). The
parameter line_sensor_timeout specifies the timeout in Timer2 counts. This number should
be the length of time in Timer2 counts beyond which you consider the sensor reading
completely black. It is recommended that you set timeout to be between 500 and 3000
us, depending on factors like the ambient lighting. This allows you to shorten the duration
of a sensor-reading cycle while maintaining useful measurements of reflectance. For the
3pi, you can convert Timer2 counts to microseconds by dividing by 2.5 or multiplying
by 0.4 (2000 us = 5000 Timer2 counts = line_sensor_timeout of 5000). Setting
disable_emitter_pin to 1 (C++) or calling the function
pololu_3pi_init_disable_emitter_pin() causes pin PC5 to not be used at all by the library, so
that you can use it for something else.
void Pololu3pi::read(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned char readMode =

IR_EMITTERS_ON)
void read_line_sensors(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned char readMode)
Reads the raw sensor values into an array. There MUST be space for five unsigned int
values in the array. The values returned are a measure of the reflectance, between 0 and
the line_sensor_timeout argument provided in to the init() function.
The functions that read values from the sensors all take an argument readMode, which
specifies the kind of read that will be performed. Several options are defined:
IR_EMITTERS_OFF specifies that the reading should be made without turning on the
infrared (IR) emitters, in which case the reading represents ambient light levels near the
sensor; IR_EMITTERS_ON specifies that the emitters should be turned on for the reading,
which results in a measure of reflectance; and IR_EMITTERS_ON_AND_OFF specifies that
a reading should be made in both the on and off states. The values returned when the
IR_EMITTERS_ON_AND_OFF option is used are given by on + max – off, where on is
17. 3pi Robot Functions Page 50 of 52

the reading with the emitters on, off is the reading with the emitters off, and max is the
maximum sensor reading. This option can reduce the amount of interference from uneven
ambient lighting. Note that emitter control will only work if you specify a valid emitter pin
in the constructor.
Example usage:
unsigned int sensor_values[5];
read_line_sensors(sensor_values);
void Pololu3pi::emittersOn()
void emitters_on()
Turn the IR LEDs on. This is mainly for use by read_line_sensors(), and calling this
function before or after the reading the sensors will have no effect on the readings, but
you may wish to use it for testing purposes.
void Pololu3pi::emittersOff()
void emitters_off()
Turn the IR LEDs off. This is mainly for use by read_line_sensors(), and calling this
function before or after the reading the sensors will have no effect on the readings, but
you may wish to use it for testing purposes.
void Pololu3pi::calibrate(unsigned char readMode = IR_EMITTERS_ON)

void calibrate_line_sensors(unsigned char readMode)
Reads the sensors for calibration. The sensor values are not returned; instead, the
maximum and minimum values found over time are stored internally and used for the
readLineSensorsCalibrated() method.
void Pololu3pi::readLineSensorsCalibrated(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned

char readMode = IR_EMITTERS_ON)
void read_line_sensors_calibrated(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned char
readMode)
Returns sensor readings calibrated to a value between 0 and 1000, where 0 corresponds
to a reading that is less than or equal to the minimum value read by calibrate() and
1000 corresponds to a reading that is greater than or equal to the maximum value.
Calibration values are stored separately for each sensor, so that differences in the sensors
are accounted for automatically.
unsigned int Pololu3pi::readLine(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned char

readMode = IR_EMITTERS_ON, unsigned char whiteLine = 0)
unsigned int read_line(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned char readMode)
unsigned int read_line_white(unsigned int *sensorValues, unsigned char readMode)
Operates the same as read calibrated, but with a feature designed for line following: this
function returns an estimated position of the line. The estimate is made using a weighted
average of the sensor indices multiplied by 1000, so that a return value of 0 indicates
that the line is directly below sensor 0, a return value of 1000 indicates that the line
is directly below sensor 1, 2000 indicates that it’s below sensor 2000, etc. Intermediate
values indicate that the line is between two sensors. The formula is:
0*value0 + 1000*value1 + 2000*value2 + ...

--------------------------------------------
value0 + value1 + value2 + ...

As long as your sensors aren’t spaced too far apart relative to the line, this returned value
will be monotonic, which makes it great for use in closed-loop PID control. Additionally,
this method remembers where it last saw the line, so if you ever lose the line to the left or
the right, its line position will continue to indicate the direction you need to go to reacquire
the line. For example, since sensor 4 is your rightmost sensor, if you end up completely off
the line to the left, this function will continue to return 4000.
By default, this function assumes a dark line (high values) surrounded by white (low
values). If your line is light on black, set the optional second argument whiteLine to true or
call read_line_white(). In this case, each sensor value will be replaced by the maximum
possible value minus its actual value before the averaging.
unsigned int* Pololu3pi::getLineSensorsCalibratedMinimumOn()

unsigned int* get_line_sensors_calibrated_minimum_on()
The calibrated minumum values measured for each sensor, with emitters on. The pointers
are unallocated and set to 0 until calibrate() is called, and then allocated to exactly the
size required. Depending on the readMode argument to calibrate(), only the On or Off
values may be allocated, as required. You can use them for your own calculations and do
things like saving the values to EEPROM, performing sanity checking, etc.
unsigned int* PololuQTRSensors::getLineSensorsCalibratedMaximumOn()

unsigned int* get_line_sensors_calibrated_maximum_on()
The calibrated maximum values measured for each sensor, with emitters on.
unsigned int* PololuQTRSensors::getLineSensorsCalibratedMinimumOff()

unsigned int* get_line_sensors_calibrated_minimum_off()
The calibrated minimum values measured for each sensor, with emitters off.
unsigned int* PololuQTRSensors::getLineSensorsCalibratedMaximumOff()

unsigned int* get_line_sensors_calibrated_maximum_off()
The calibrated maximum values measured for each sensor, with emitters off.

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Pololu AVR Library

• Arduino [http://www.arduino.cc]: a popular, beginner-friendly programming

2. Orangutan Analog-to-Digital Conversion

2. Orangutan Analog-to-Digital Conversion Page 4 of 52

Analog Channels on the Orangutan SVP

2. Orangutan Analog-to-Digital Conversion Page 5 of 52

static void OrangutanAnalog::setMode(unsigned char mode)

static unsigned char OrangutanAnalog::getMode()

static unsigned int OrangutanAnalog::read(unsigned char channel)

static unsigned int OrangutanAnalog::readMillivolts(unsigned char channel)

static unsigned int OrangutanAnalog::readAverage(unsigned char channel,

2. Orangutan Analog-to-Digital Conversion Page 6 of 52

static unsigned int OrangutanAnalog::readTrimpot()

static int OrangutanAnalog::readTemperatureF()

static int readTemperatureC()

static int readBatteryMillivolts_3pi()

static int readBatteryMillivolts_SV()

static int readBatteryMillivolts_SVP()

static void OrangutanAnalog::startConversion(unsigned char channel)

2. Orangutan Analog-to-Digital Conversion Page 7 of 52

static unsigned char OrangutanAnalog::isConverting()

static unsigned int conversionResult()

static unsigned int toMillivolts(unsigned int adcResult)

2. Orangutan Analog-to-Digital Conversion Page 8 of 52

3. Orangutan Buzzer: Beeps and Music

Note: The OrangutanServos and OrangutanBuzzer libraries both use Timer 1,

3. Orangutan Buzzer: Beeps and Music Page 9 of 52

static void OrangutanBuzzer::playFrequency(unsigned int frequency, unsigned int

// play a 44.5 Hz note for 1 s at full volume

Caution: frequency*duration/1000 must be no greater than 0xFFFF (65535). This

static void OrangutanBuzzer::playNote(unsigned char note, unsigned int duration,

// x will determine the octave of the note

3. Orangutan Buzzer: Beeps and Music Page 10 of 52

// 255 (silences buzzer for the note duration)

// e.g. frequency = 445 | DIV_BY_10

static void OrangutanBuzzer::play(const char* sequence)

Various control characters alter the sound:

3. Orangutan Buzzer: Beeps and Music Page 11 of 52

// the first few measures of Bach's fugue in D-minor

static void playFromProgramSpace(const char* sequence)

static void OrangutanBuzzer::playMode(unsigned char mode)

static unsigned char OrangutanBuzzer::playCheck()

static unsigned char isPlaying()

3. Orangutan Buzzer: Beeps and Music Page 12 of 52

static void OrangutanBuzzer::stopPlaying()

3. Orangutan Buzzer: Beeps and Music Page 13 of 52

4. Orangutan Digital I/O

The pin argument

4. Orangutan Digital I/O Page 14 of 52

void OrangutanDigital::setOutput(unsigned char pin, unsigned char outputState);

void OrangutanDigital::setInput(unsigned char pin, unsigned char inputState);

unsigned char OrangutanDigital::isInputHigh(unsigned char pin);

4. Orangutan Digital I/O Page 15 of 52

5. Orangutan LCD Page 16 of 52

static void OrangutanLCD::clear()

static void OrangutanLCD::print(unsigned char character)

static void OrangutanLCD::print(char character)

static void OrangutanLCD::print(const char *str)