Jimmy

Jimmy is an Arduino Mechanical Spider Robot that looks like a spider

  Day 7-8

Process: Wrote the first functional movement draft and refined it into a modular library.  

Challenge: Non-Standard Hardware. Since the Nano + PCA9685 combo was unconventional for this specific robot model, standard libraries failed to produce fluid motion.  

Tackle: Developed a "Library-Style" abstraction layer using void() functions. Instead of raw PWM values, I created functions like move_leg_up() and move_front(), allowing for clean, readable code in the main execution loop.

  Day 6

Process: Identified the precise movement range for each joint.  

Challenge: Physical constraints of the 3D-printed joints meant that "90 degrees" in software did not always equal a neutral physical position.  

Tackle: Created a calibration graph for every leg part and wiring position to define safe operating limits (e.g., Left Knee range: 150° to 0°).

  Day 4-5

Process: Mounted the 12 SG90 servos to the chassis and completed the wiring for the PCA9685 servo driver and Arduino Nano.  

Challenge: Complexity of Wiring. Managing 12 separate signal lines plus power delivery without creating a "rat's nest" of wires.  

Tackle: Created a formal circuit diagram and servo pin arrangement table (Leg 1: Channels 1, 2, 3; Leg 2: Channels 5, 6, 7, etc.) to ensure systematic debugging.

  Day 2-3

Process: Assembled the tibia and coxa joints and test-fitted 3D-printed body parts (hold.stl).  

Challenge: Mechanical Integrity. M1 screws were too small to "bite" into the 3D-printed chassis, making the legs unstable.  

Tackle: Identified the failure point, ordered larger custom-fit hardware, and manually tailored the 3D prints to ensure a secure mechanical bond.