Replacing Vector Robot Brain Board
Worked for 1 min 54 sec
Created a project doc
Passive Wiretap Board Status
This board has been redesigned as a safe listen-only wiretap for the Vector head/body 4-wire cable. It no longer includes the ESP32-C3 or ac...
Done — I redesigned it as a passive listen-only wiretap.
What changed:
- Removed ESP32-C3 and level-shifter from the signal path.
- Kept only headers + protection resistors.
- Mapped the confirmed Vector wires:
- black
GND - red
VMAIN - white
BODY_RX - green
TX1.8
- black
- Routed the simplified PCB.
- Ran ERC/DRC checks: no errors/warnings came back in the checked categories.
Saved status here:
Passive Wiretap Board Status
Passive Wiretap Board Status
Open item:
- This is still a hand-wired/probe board, not the final drop-in Vector connector board.
Document, BOM, export
Create wiring guide
Check BOM cost
Export files
Review manufacturability
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Reverse Engineering Notes — Vector Robot Boards
Inputs Reviewed
- Board photos of Vector body/head boards.
- PDF labeled Vector Body Board Schematic.
- New pasted EasyEDA/LCEDA-style schematic text containing component library/package/net metadata.
High-Confidence Findings from PDF / Schematic Text
The uploaded schematic data appears to be reverse-engineered or community-created, not necessarily official Anki/DDL design data. Treat it as a strong starting point, but verify pinouts and values by continuity probing before connecting new electronics.
Body Board MCU
- MCU identified as STM32F030C8T6TR.
- Package: LQFP-48, 0.50 mm pitch.
- Main logic rail shown as +2.8 V.
- Important shown functions:
- I2C on PB10/PB11 and PF6/PF7
- USART body communication on PB6/PB7
- Encoder inputs for left tread, right tread, lift, and head
- Motor PWM/control outputs
- Touch analog input on PA6
- Battery voltage analog input on PA4
- SWD/debug on PA13/PA14
Power / Charging
- Battery charger IC identified in the PDF as MP2617BGL-Z.
- Charger contacts shown as Charger+ and Charger-.
- A measured rail is noted around 2.788 V.
- Schematic text includes single-pin 2.54 mm header-style entries for charger contacts, likely a schematic abstraction rather than the real mechanical connector.
- Photos show a regulator section with a 3R3 inductor.
Sensors / Optics
- IR/encoder sensors are noted as Sony GP1S092HCPIF in the PDF.
- New schematic text also references:
- H21A1 / H21A2-style slotted opto sensor package
- PT17-21C-L41-TR8 phototransistor
- 38 kHz modulated IR sensor block
- VL6180 ToF range finder sensor block
- Earlier PDF OCR referenced VL53L0X; the new schematic text references VL6180. This conflict needs physical verification from the actual head/front sensor board markings or a known Vector teardown source.
Motor Driver
- Motor-driver reconstruction suggests discrete MOSFET drive.
- Candidate MOSFET package/part from PDF: DMC2038LVT-7, but the schematic itself marks parts of this section uncertain.
- Treat motor drive as high-risk until verified because mistakes here can burn motors, MOSFETs, or the battery path.
Findings from Photos
- Body board marking appears to include Body_rev_D / 410-00021.
- Head board appears marked HEAD 410-00022 REV A.
- Head board includes a Qualcomm APQ8009 application processor and likely memory/storage nearby.
- Visible labels include BAT+ / BAT-, VBAT, SCL2/SDA2, BODY_TX / BODY_RX, TXD/RXD, USB D+/D-/GND, and head encoder labels.
- Photos are useful for orientation and connector labeling, but not sufficient alone for a final PCB clone.
ESP32-C3 Suitability
The ESP32-C3 can help, but should not be treated as the full replacement brain.
Good fit:
- Wi-Fi bridge to home server
- Low-level body controller experiments
- Simple telemetry and command link
- LEDs/simple sensors
- Safe fallback behavior if server disconnects
Poor fit:
- Drop-in replacement for Qualcomm/Linux head board
- Camera capture/processing
- Display/UI rendering
- Multi-mic audio processing
- Local speech recognition or LLM inference
- Full Vector-like software stack onboard
Recommended role: use ESP32-C3 as a bridge or secondary controller while a home server handles speech, LLM context, and higher-level behavior. If onboard camera/audio/display handling is needed, use a small Linux module/SBC or possibly ESP32-S3 for limited camera/audio experiments.
Recommended Architecture Direction
- Preserve or emulate the existing body board STM32 role first.
- Use ESP32-C3 as a Wi-Fi bridge / low-level controller for early experiments.
- Let the home server run:
- Speech-to-text
- LLM conversation/context
- Text-to-speech
- Optional vision/perception
- For final replacement, consider either:
- Conservative path: keep body board, replace or augment the head brain.
- Ambitious path: design a full board with MCU + Linux-capable module.
Next Hardware Data Needed
- Clear macro photos of both sides of body and head boards.
- Connector pin counts and wire destinations.
- Battery voltage and chemistry confirmation.
- Physical confirmation of the ToF/proximity sensor part: VL53L0X vs VL6180.
- Whether original display/camera/mics/speaker must be reused exactly.
- Whether the first prototype should be a non-destructive interposer/breakout or a true replacement board.
Inputs Reviewed
High-Confidence Findings from PDF / Schematic Text
Body Board MCU
Power / Charging
Sensors / Optics
Motor Driver
Findings from Photos
ESP32-C3 Suitability
Recommended Architecture Direction
Next Hardware Data Needed
