Using Brainy-Motor with Flowol

Install Flowol 3

First, install Flowol 3. For instructions, see the Flowol 3 tutorial.

Install Brainy Control Interface Pack (Windows PC only)

If you have Flowol 3 PC version 3.0 or 3.1, you will need to also install the Brainy Control Interface Pack to add support for the Brainy-Motor.

Connect USB Cable

Then connect the USB cable to an available USB port on the computer. The first time the cable is connected, Windows PC users will notice some messages on the notification area of the Taskbar as Windows installs the drivers for the device. This should happen automatically as the device drivers were installed with Flowol 3.2 or the Interface Pack.

Configure Flowol 3 for the Brainy-Motor

  • Launch Flowol 3.
  • Open the 'Settings' menu and choose 'Interfaces...'.
  • Select 'Brainy-Motor' from the list.
  • The option to 'Limit features to those that will work while disconnected from the computer' should be checked when you are developing programs to be downloaded to the Brainy-Motor.
  • Click OK.

Connecting the Brainy-Motor

Next, connect the USB cable to the Brainy-Motor and connect the batteries to the Brainy-Motor. If Flowol has detected the connection to the Brainy-Motor, then the connection button (below the run/stop) button will be green: Flowol Connected Button. If Flowol has not detected the Brainy-Motor, the connection button will be black: Flowol Disconnected Button. Click this button to instruct Flowol to connect or disconnect from the Brainy-Motor.

If Flowol cannot connect to the Brainy-Motor the button will flash black/green a few times as it tries to connect. If this happens, check the USB connection and check the batteries powering the Brainy-Motor. Sometimes batteries which are losing their charge will illuminate the LED on the board, but are not strong enough to connect to the computer. Also try disconnecting and reconnecting the batteries.

When the Brainy-Motor is connected, the outputs and motors can be manually turned on and off by clicking on the output number on the monitor bar at the bottom of the Flowol window. The status of the inputs are also displayed there. When connected, clicking on the Run button will execute a Flowol flowchart in online mode, where you can see the status of the program on screen and also on the Brainy-Motor.

Downloading to the Brainy-Motor

Once you have created a flowchart and tested it while the Brainy-Motor is connected to the computer, the next step is to download the program. While the Brainy-Motor is connected (green button being shown Flowol Connected Button), click the Remote/Download button below and the program will be downloaded to the Brainy-Motor. Once downloading has finished, Flowol will disconnect from the Brainy-Motor and the program will start running on the FlowIC microcontroller on the Brainy-Motor. You can now disconnect the USB cable and the program will continue to run.

If you need to change the program, reconnect the USB cable and instruct Flowol to connect to the Brainy-Motor. The running program will now stop and Flowol is now in control of the Brainy-Motor, and another program can be downloaded.
A FlowIC microcontroller can only hold one program at once, but that program can be replaced many many times.