Quadruped Robot Circuit Design

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Below is one way to represent the circuit connections in a tabular format. This design connects a 3.7 V LiPo battery through an XL4015 buck converter to provide a regulated 5 V rail. That 5 V rail powers the ESP32 (via its Vin input) as well as two L298n DC motor drivers. In addition, 12 servo motors (one per joint in the spider‐quadruped robot) are connected to specific ESP32 digital pins for their PWM control signals. All subsystems share a common ground.

Power & Supply Section


Connection DescriptionFromToNotes
Battery Supply3.7V LiPo BatteryXL4015 Buck Converter – InputThe LiPo battery supplies raw voltage to the buck converter.
Voltage RegulationXL4015 Buck Converter – Output (5 V rail)ESP32 – VinThe regulated 5 V output is fed into the ESP32’s Vin (the onboard regulator can then create the proper core voltages if needed).
Powering Motor DriversXL4015 Buck Converter – Output (5 V rail)Both L298n DC Motor Driver modules – Vcc pinsThe same 5 V rail supplies the L298n modules that drive the DC motors.
Common GroundBattery, Buck Converter, ESP32, L298n modulesAll devices (including servos)Connect all GND nodes together to form a common reference.

Servo Control Subsystem
Each servo’s control (signal) pin is driven by a dedicated ESP32 digital (PWM) output. The servo’s power is assumed to be supplied from the common regulated 5 V rail (or via its separate power supply, as needed, with a common ground).

Table


Leg NumberServo NumberESP32 PinFunction
Leg 1Servo 1D32PWM control signal for servo 1
Servo 2D33PWM control signal for servo 2
Servo 3D25PWM control signal for servo 3
Leg 2Servo 4D14PWM control signal for servo 4
Servo 5D12PWM control signal for servo 5
Servo 6D13PWM control signal for servo 6
Leg 3Servo 7D22PWM control signal for servo 7
Servo 8TX0PWM control signal for servo 8
Servo 9RX0PWM control signal for servo 9
Leg 4Servo 10RX2PWM control signal for servo 10
Servo 11D4PWM control signal for servo 11
Servo 12D2PWM control signal for servo 12

L298n DC Motor Driver Section
For the two L298n motor driver boards:

Table


Connection DescriptionFromToNotes
Motor Driver VccXL4015 Buck Converter – Output (5 V)L298n module – Vcc pinsBoth L298n modules take the same 5 V rail from the buck converter.
Control Signals for DC MotorsESP32 digital outputs (pins as per your motor control design)L298n IN/EN pinsUse additional ESP32 digital pins to drive the DC motor drivers.
Note: The exact control pin assignments for each L298n depend on your DC motor control strategy.

Summary Schematic Overview
  • The 3.7 V LiPo battery feeds the XL4015 Buck Converter, which outputs a regulated 5 V supply.
  • The 5 V rail powers:
    • The ESP32 via its Vin pin.
    • Both L298n motor driver modules.
    • (Optionally) the servo power lines (if they are designed for 5 V operation – note many servos are rated for 4.8–6 V).
  • The ESP32 sends PWM signals to 12 servo motors with the following pin assignments:
    • 1st leg: Servo 1 (D32), Servo 2 (D33), Servo 3 (D25)
    • 2nd leg: Servo 4 (D14), Servo 5 (D12), Servo 6 (D13)
    • 3rd leg: Servo 7 (D22), Servo 8 (TX0), Servo 9 (RX0)
    • 4th leg: Servo 10 (RX2), Servo 11 (D4), Servo 12 (D2)
  • Common ground ties all devices together for a unified reference.

This tabulated description serves as a guide for laying out the schematic in your EDA tool. If you need further details (such as decoupling capacitor placements or specific wiring tips), please let me know.
Decoupling capacitor advice
Servo power supply confirmation
L298n control signals
271 days

Ready.


IMU 1
What are these for?

That's correct!
5y
These 5 LEDs indicate the battery status.

1

5y
What are these for?

1

5y
Someone is typing...
@lwcassid - good choice of servos you've got here!

@lwcassid - good choice of servos you've got here!

1

5y
Someone is typing...
4
create a high level mermaid block diagram of this project. Include key component...

@copilot create a high level mermaid block diagram of this project. Include key component's manufacturer part number in each block whenever possible.
1y
Creating a high-level block diagram for your DIY Quadruped Robot project is a great idea to visualize how your system components are interconnected. Below is a simplified representation in the format suitable for Mermaid, which is a markdown-like script language for generating diagrams from text.
Given that not all components have manufacturer part numbers (MPN) visible in the project description, I'll include them where available and identify others by their designator or description for clarity.
Please note that for complex projects like this, a full detailed schematic diagram is necessary for precise electrical connections, but this high-level overview will give you an idea of the major component interactions.

Mermaid


graph LR
    subgraph Raspberry Pi node_4B
    end

    subgraph Arduino Mega
    end

    Raspberry_Pi_4B[Raspberry Pi node_4B] --> |"Control & I/O"| Arduino_Mega[Arduino Mega]
    Arduino_Mega -->|PWM| Servos
    Arduino_Mega -->|I2C| IMU_1[IMU 1]
    Arduino_Mega -->|DATA +, DATA -| Raspberry_Pi_4B
    Arduino_Mega -->|Power| UBEC[UBEC]

    subgraph Power_System
        ON_OFF_Switch[ON/OFF switch] -->|Power Control| UBEC
        Battery[LiPo Battery BT] -->|Source| ON_OFF_Switch
        UBEC -->|5V Power Out| Arduino_Mega
        UBEC -->|5V Power Out| Servos
    end

    subgraph LED_System
        Arduino_Mega -->|GPIO Control| LEDs[LEDs 1 to 5]
        Resistors -->|Current Limiting| LEDs
    end

    subgraph Servos
        S1 -->|Leg 1| Leg_1["Leg 1 (S1, S2, S3)"]
        S2 -->|Leg 1| Leg_1
        S3 -->|Leg 1| Leg_1
        S4 -->|Leg 2| Leg_2["Leg 2 (S4, S5, S6)"]
        S5 -->|Leg 2| Leg_2
        S6 -->|Leg 2| Leg_2
        S7 -->|Leg 3| Leg_3["Leg 3 (S7, S8, S9)"]
        S8 -->|Leg 3| Leg_3
        S9 -->|Leg 3| Leg_3
        S10 -->|Leg 4| Leg_4["Leg 4 (S10, S11, S12)"]
        S11 -->|Leg 4| Leg_4
        S12 -->|Leg 4| Leg_4
    end

    subgraph Resistors
        R1$500\Omega R1$
        R2$500\Omega R2$
        R3$500\Omega R3$
        R4$Vishay 500\Omega R4$
        R5$500\Omega R5$
        R6$500\Omega R6$
        R7$Vishay 500\Omega R7$
    end

    %% Connection Lines for clarity
    Raspberry_Pi_4B --> Power_System
    Raspberry_Pi_4B --> LED_System

    %% Implicit Connections (not explicitly shown due to complexity and high level nature of diagram)
    %% All servos S1 to S12 are assumed to connect to the UBEC for power and the Arduino Mega for control signals (PWM).

    %% Legends for clarification (Mermaid does not support legends natively, this is for informational purposes only)
    %% S1 to S12: Servos
    %% R1 to R7: Resistors, with R4 and R7 having specific Vishay manufacturer part numbers provided for reference.
Please adjust or specify further details as needed. This diagram provides a high-level overview but does not capture detailed wiring specifics, voltage levels, or other low-level connections essential for actual construction.
1y
Someone is typing...
5
@lwcassid looks like this is a voltage divider going to the voltage sense of ard...

@jharwinbarrozo correct, this will measure the voltage of the battery, so the Arduino would know if it’s time for recharge.
5y
@lwcassid looks like this is a voltage divider going to the voltage sense of arduino

1

5y
Someone is typing...
3
R1
Resistance
500 Ω
S1
LED 1
R3
Resistance
500 Ω
R5
Resistance
500 Ω
LED 3
LED 5
Arduino Mega


  • Ground
    A common return path for electric current. Commonly known as ground.
  • Net Portal
    Wirelessly connects nets on schematic. Used to organize schematics and separate functional blocks. To wirelessly connect net portals, give them same designator. #portal
  • Power Net Portal
    Wirelessly connects power nets on schematic. Identical to the net portal, but with a power symbol. Used to organize schematics and separate functional blocks. To wirelessly connect power net portals, give them the same designator. #portal #power
  • Generic Resistor
    A generic fixed resistor for rapid developing circuit topology. Save precious design time by seamlessly add more information to this part (value, footprint, etc.) as it becomes available. Standard resistor values: 1.0Ω 10Ω 100Ω 1.0kΩ 10kΩ 100kΩ 1.0MΩ 1.1Ω 11Ω 110Ω 1.1kΩ 11kΩ 110kΩ 1.1MΩ 1.2Ω 12Ω 120Ω 1.2kΩ 12kΩ 120kΩ 1.2MΩ 1.3Ω 13Ω 130Ω 1.3kΩ 13kΩ 130kΩ 1.3MΩ 1.5Ω 15Ω 150Ω 1.5kΩ 15kΩ 150kΩ 1.5MΩ 1.6Ω 16Ω 160Ω 1.6kΩ 16kΩ 160kΩ 1.6MΩ 1.8Ω 18Ω 180Ω 1.8KΩ 18kΩ 180kΩ 1.8MΩ 2.0Ω 20Ω 200Ω 2.0kΩ 20kΩ 200kΩ 2.0MΩ 2.2Ω 22Ω 220Ω 2.2kΩ 22kΩ 220kΩ 2.2MΩ 2.4Ω 24Ω 240Ω 2.4kΩ 24kΩ 240kΩ 2.4MΩ 2.7Ω 27Ω 270Ω 2.7kΩ 27kΩ 270kΩ 2.7MΩ 3.0Ω 30Ω 300Ω 3.0KΩ 30KΩ 300KΩ 3.0MΩ 3.3Ω 33Ω 330Ω 3.3kΩ 33kΩ 330kΩ 3.3MΩ 3.6Ω 36Ω 360Ω 3.6kΩ 36kΩ 360kΩ 3.6MΩ 3.9Ω 39Ω 390Ω 3.9kΩ 39kΩ 390kΩ 3.9MΩ 4.3Ω 43Ω 430Ω 4.3kΩ 43KΩ 430KΩ 4.3MΩ 4.7Ω 47Ω 470Ω 4.7kΩ 47kΩ 470kΩ 4.7MΩ 5.1Ω 51Ω 510Ω 5.1kΩ 51kΩ 510kΩ 5.1MΩ 5.6Ω 56Ω 560Ω 5.6kΩ 56kΩ 560kΩ 5.6MΩ 6.2Ω 62Ω 620Ω 6.2kΩ 62KΩ 620KΩ 6.2MΩ 6.8Ω 68Ω 680Ω 6.8kΩ 68kΩ 680kΩ 6.8MΩ 7.5Ω 75Ω 750Ω 7.5kΩ 75kΩ 750kΩ 7.5MΩ 8.2Ω 82Ω 820Ω 8.2kΩ 82kΩ 820kΩ 8.2MΩ 9.1Ω 91Ω 910Ω 9.1kΩ 91kΩ 910kΩ 9.1MΩ #generics #CommonPartsLibrary
  • Generic Capacitor
    A generic fixed capacitor ideal for rapid circuit topology development. You can choose between polarized and non-polarized types, its symbol and the footprint will automatically adapt based on your selection. Supported options include standard SMD sizes for ceramic capacitors (e.g., 0402, 0603, 0805), SMD sizes for aluminum electrolytic capacitors, and through-hole footprints for polarized capacitors. Save precious design time by seamlessly add more information to this part (value, footprint, etc.) as it becomes available. Standard capacitor values: 1.0pF 10pF 100pF 1000pF 0.01uF 0.1uF 1.0uF 10uF 100uF 1000uF 10,000uF 1.1pF 11pF 110pF 1100pF 1.2pF 12pF 120pF 1200pF 1.3pF 13pF 130pF 1300pF 1.5pF 15pF 150pF 1500pF 0.015uF 0.15uF 1.5uF 15uF 150uF 1500uF 1.6pF 16pF 160pF 1600pF 1.8pF 18pF 180pF 1800pF 2.0pF 20pF 200pF 2000pF 2.2pF 22pF 20pF 2200pF 0.022uF 0.22uF 2.2uF 22uF 220uF 2200uF 2.4pF 24pF 240pF 2400pF 2.7pF 27pF 270pF 2700pF 3.0pF 30pF 300pF 3000pF 3.3pF 33pF 330pF 3300pF 0.033uF 0.33uF 3.3uF 33uF 330uF 3300uF 3.6pF 36pF 360pF 3600pF 3.9pF 39pF 390pF 3900pF 4.3pF 43pF 430pF 4300pF 4.7pF 47pF 470pF 4700pF 0.047uF 0.47uF 4.7uF 47uF 470uF 4700uF 5.1pF 51pF 510pF 5100pF 5.6pF 56pF 560pF 5600pF 6.2pF 62pF 620pF 6200pF 6.8pF 68pF 680pF 6800pF 0.068uF 0.68uF 6.8uF 68uF 680uF 6800uF 7.5pF 75pF 750pF 7500pF 8.2pF 82pF 820pF 8200pF 9.1pF 91pF 910pF 9100pF #generics #CommonPartsLibrary
  • Generic Inductor
    A generic fixed inductor for rapid developing circuit topology. *You can now change the footprint and 3D model at the top level anytime you want. This is the power of #generics
  • Terminal
    Terminal
    An electrical connector acting as reusable interface to a conductor and creating a point where external circuits can be connected.
  • RMCF0805JT47K0
    47 kOhms ±5% 0.125W, 1/8W Chip Resistor 0805 (2012 Metric) Automotive AEC-Q200 Thick Film #forLedBlink
  • 875105359001
    10uF Capacitor Aluminum Polymer 20% 16V SMD 5x5.3mm #forLedBlink #commonpartslibrary #capacitor #aluminumpolymer #radialcan
  • CTL1206FYW1T
    Yellow 595nm LED Indication - Discrete 1.7V 1206 (3216 Metric) #forLedBlink

Inspect

DIY Quadruped Robot

DIY Quadruped Robot
Description

Created
Last updated by lwcassid
5 Contributor(s)
lwcassid
jharwinbarrozo
purple-san-hill
coral-dud-bolt
bronze-watto

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