Mobile Command Center User Manual
- SolveBOTICS LLC
- Nov 10, 2024
- 7 min read
Table of Contents
Section 1 - Overview
The Mobile Command Center uses a Raspberry Pi 4B computer with 8GB of RAM. The full specification are listed below:
Processor: Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.8GHz
RAM: 8 GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM
Wireless: 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz IEEE 802.11
Bluetooth: 5.0, BLE
Operating System: Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit)
Section 2 - Panels and Power
Both the battery access and SD card access panels are held in place by four m3x6mm screws. The Mobile Command Center includes a 2.5mm Allen Wrench to loosen and re-tighten all of the access panels.
The Mobile Command Center includes a 12V power supply, however it can be powered by an internal 12V NIMH rechargeable battery (battery not included). The exact type of battery the command center is designed to work with is a 10-cell, 12V, 2000mAH NIMH battery as shown in the image below. This and other power sources are fully explained in section 4, Power Supply Options.
Section 3 - Setup and Operation
Locate the two stabilizer legs in the rear of the mobile command unit and swing these outward as shown below.
Position the Mobile Command Center upright with stabilizer legs extended as shown below.
After extending the stabilizer legs, open the mobile command center by releasing the two latches on top, then swinging the bottom part downward.
The mobile command center can be powered by a range of different power supplies, however this section will only focus on using the included 12V DC power supply to power the unit. Other power sources are covered in the next section. The included 12V DC power supply is packaged in a smaller box. Locate this power supply.
Locate the DC input jack on the side of the mobile command center and open it by turning the dust cover clockwise or counter-clockwise.
Plug the 12V power supply into this port (5.5mm x 2.5mm), then plug the other side of the 12V power supply (AC/DC adapter) into a standard 120V outlet.
Turn on the mobile command center by flipping the power switch on and allowing 20 seconds for the the embedded Raspberry Pi to boot. You are now ready to use the mobile command center!
The Mobile Command Center ships with a pre-configured image of the 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS. The default username and password are set as:
Username: mc2
Password: solvebotics
To enable security, it is recommended to change the password as soon as possible. This can be done by opening a terminal window and running the “sudo raspi-config” command.
The micro SD card in the command center is removable, so it can be replaced or re-written with a different OS. Refer to section 6, “Accessing the micro SD card” to learn how to remove the SD card. IMPORTANT NOTE: Eject the micro SD card by first pushing it up into the slot, then pulling it back down.
Section 4 - Power Supply Options
WARNING: DO NOT EXCEED 24V FOR THE INPUT VOLTAGE!
The mobile command center has flexible options for power and can be powered by the following supplies:
The included 12V DC power supply
View of the included 12V DC power supply Internal 12V 2000mAH NIMH rechargeable battery (Battery not included)
View of the 12V NIMH rechargeable for use with the Command Center (Battery not inlcuded) External battery by using XT60 Female to 5.5mm x 2.5mm DC plug adapter. Polarity of the plug should be center-positive.
Example of adapter that will allow an external battery to power the Mobile Command Center The input voltage range for the command center is 9.6V – 24V DC.
WARNING: DO NOT EXCEED 24V FOR THE INPUT VOLTAGE!
Two power sources, such as the 12V DC power supply and a 12V NIMH battery can be connected simultaneously to the command center. The command center will automatically select the supply with the higher voltage. This feature gives the command center hot-swap capability, which means the command center does not need to be powered down to switch from the 12V NIMH battery to the 12V DC power supply, or vice-versa! This power feature is demonstrated in the next three images.
In the first picture below, both the AC/DC adapter and 12V NIMH rechargeable battery are connected.
The command center will detect the highest voltage and will automatically switch to using it. In this second picture, the 12V NIMH rechargeable battery has disconnected, but the command center detected this and seamlessly switched to using the AC/DC adapter with no interruption of power.
The command center will detect the highest voltage and will automatically switch to using it. In this third picture, the AC/DC adapter is now disconnected, but the command center detected this and seamlessly switched to using the 12V NIMH battery with no interruption of power.
The Mobile Command Center includes a toolkit, which is stored under the keyboard. This toolkit includes an adapter to connect universal NIMH chargers, which typically use a standard Tamiya connector to the connector used by the command center.
The toolkit includes the following items (from left to right):
Adapter to convert a standard female Tamiya connector to the command center power plug
Charging adapter to connect a charger to a rechargeable battery using the command center power plug.
Extra female command center power plug
2.5mm Allen wrench to remove access panels
The Mobile Command Center is designed to work with a 10-cell, 12V NIMH rechargeable battery (*battery not included). This battery may ship with stripped power leads that can be connected to any type of connector.
These batteries can be charged with a Universal Battery charger as shown below:
Most of these chargers use a standard female Tamiya connector as shown below:
The toolkit includes a male Tamiya connector to power plug cable, which will allow the charger cable to connect to the charging adapter, which can then connect to the battery.
Screw terminals on the power plug are used to connect the bare leads of the battery to the power plug. The charging adapter is also used to connect the battery with the correct polarity.
Insert the extra power plug into the charging adapter as shown below:
Next, use a small flat blade screwdriver to fully open the screw terminals by turning each screw counter-clockwise.
Note the polarity markings printed onto the charging adapter. Use these markings to connect the battery to the power plug with the correct polarity. (The Red lead connects to the “+” terminal and the Black lead connects to the “-” symbol as shown below)
After verifying the correct polarity, use a small flat blade screwdriver to fully tighten the screw terminals of the power plug.
With everything connected, the full NIMH charging setup will appear as follows:
The charger will indicate when the battery is fully charged. After charging, remove the battery access panel as shown below:
Connect the power plug of the battery into the “BATT1” or “BATT2” connector header of the circuit board as shown below.
Verify that the Mobile Command Center powers on using the battery. If it works, then proceed to replace the battery access panel and fully tighten the four screws.
An 8-cell AA battery holder (not included), can also power the Mobile Command Center for a short period of time using alkaline batteries. This power solution will not have the same performance as the NIMH rechargeable battery, but does offer a more accessible source of power. The polarity markings of the charging adapter would be used to connect the battery pack with the correct polarity. CAUTION: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHARGE ALKALINE OR NON-RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES WITH THE BATTERY CHARGER! In this case, the charging adapter is only used to figure out the correct polarity for the power plug.
Section 5 - Powering down the Mobile Command Center
The mobile command center uses an embedded Raspberry Pi running the Raspberry Pi 64-bit Operating System (OS). To avoid corrupting the OS, care should be taken to shut down the OS completely before turning off the main power switch. This can be done by either: using the touchscreen to select the Raspberry Pi menu, then selecting “Shutdown”, or by issuing the “shutdown” command in a terminal. Both methods are illustrated below.
Use the touchscreen or mouse to click on the main menu, then select “Shutdown”.
When this screen appears, select “Shutdown”, then wait at least 10 seconds before turning off power.
A shutdown can also be done by opening a terminal window and typing
“sudo shutdown -h now”, then pressing the <ENTER> key.
The terminal window can be opened from the menu, or by pressing the key sequence:
<CTRL><ALT><T>.
In either case, wait for at least 10 seconds for a complete shutdown before turning off the main power switch. The image below shows the ideal moment to turn off the power switch.
Section 6 - Accessing the micro SD card
The Mobile Command Center is pre-configured with the Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit). If you prefer to run a different operating system, then the SD card can be removed and replaced with an SD card that has a different OS image. Accessing the micro SD card is accomplished by the following steps:
Shut down and power off the Mobile Command Center, then loosen the 4 M3x6mm screws to remove the right-hand side expansion panel, as shown below.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The micro SD card holder/slot uses a push-to-release mechanism.
Eject the micro SD card by first pushing it up into the slot, then pulling it back down.
Section 7 - Extra Features
The Mobile Command Center was designed to offer maximum flexibility through the use of removable expansion panels. These removable panels can be drilled or milled to install additional switches and hardware to the MC2.
The keyboard is held in place by powerful magnets. Lifting the keyboard will reveal a storage area for a small computer mouse or other accessories.
The embedded Raspberry Pi can also be accessed to replace it with another model (If replacing with a model 3 or 2, additional HDMI or USB cables will be needed). The Advanced Disassembly guide provides step by step instructions for accessing the Raspberry Pi for replacement or upgrades.
Section 8 - Care and Cleaning
Do not use alcohol or alcohol based cleaners on any of the plastic parts. Use a microfiber cloth to remove dust from the panels and use a lens cleaning cloth to clean the display.
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