SunSPOT makes an excellent application brain for TrackBot. One SPOT kit gives you a base station and two mobile SPOTs - enough for two TrackBots. Each SPOT kit includes a plastic mounting clip. The SPOT eDemo board (that's what the sensor board is called) has a set of 2x10 pads for connection to external I/O, but there is no connector or adapter installed, so you need to choose your connector option and do a bit of soldering yourself. Each SPOT kit includes a low-profile 2x10 socket for use with a male/pin type ribbon cable connector, or a pin-to-pin adapter with a standard IDC ribbon cable. We call this low-profile socket the "Sun" connector option. Or you can solder in a more rugged, taller, and lower cost 2x10 pin header on SPOT's eDemo and use a rugged and low cost IDC ribbon cable receptacle to connect between TrackBot and SPOT. We call this the "Systronix" option. The Sun connector approach allows you to still use the SPOT "Sun roof" when you aren't using the external cable, and you can poke solid breadboard wire into the socket, but the pin ribbon connector or pin-to-pin adapter are expensive and relatively fragile. The Systronix option doesn't allow you to use the Sun roof or plug in wires (you can plug on standard .025" prototyping jumpers or clip leads) but is much more rugged and less expensive. We recommend the Systronix approach for classroom use/abuse, and we use it ourselves.

To mount SPOT to TrackBot you need:

1. The plastic clip which lets you snap SPOT onto TrackBot - this comes with your SPOT kit.
2. Some mounting hardware (available from us) which must be the correct size to not interfere with SPOT or TrackBot's internal battery pack.
3. A SunSPOT-to-TrackBot cable which connects SPOT's serial port to TrackBot. There are multiple options for this, depending on the mating connector you use on SPOT's eDemo board.
4. You will need to solder a header - there are at least two options for that - into the SPOT eDemo board.
5. One of our chargers (or use your own 1 amp max 7.2V R/C charger with our Tamiya adapter)
6. A way to update TrackBot's runtime firmware such as an Atmel AVRISP2, Dragon or similar programmer. Available from Systronix, DigiKey and other vendors (li>Optional: a short USB cable for powering and recharging SPOT from the TrackBot power system.

Please order your Sun SPOT kit direct from Sun. Educational pricing (or even free kits) may be available through Sun sales offices or online at www.sunspotworld.com.

If you already have SPOTs, you can get everything else you need in our TrackBot-SPOT Starter Kit below.

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Help with Starter Kits:

If you are ordering only one TrackBot:

• Order a Starter Kit #3. If you already have an AVR programmer, you can order Starter Kit #3A.
• Add options such as Cliff Sensors

If you are ordering multiple TrackBots:

• Order at least one Starter Kit #3. If you already have an AVR programmer, you can order Starter Kit #3A.
• The remaining TrackBots can be Starter Kit #3A, or TrackBot BASIC plus the SPOT clip mounting hardware and SPOT-to-TrackBot cable.
• Add options such as Cliff Sensors.

You can share a battery charger with two or three TrackBots. One AVR programmer is sufficient for any number of TrackBots.

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