Docs: Classic 500(B)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

v2 Hardware Only!

This guide here is for OpenMower v2.x Hardware! If you have v1 Hardware, follow the legacy docs here , because for v1 hardware you will also need to modify the docking station!

You have v1 hardware, if:

You are using a full-size Raspberry Pi
Your mainboard shows version v0.xx

Carrierboard 1.x – 1.1.0-beta only!

This guide is exclusively for Carrierboard version 1.x – 1.1.0-beta!

Prerequisites

Things you will need:

YardForce Classic 500(B)
Open Mower Mainboard with all modules installed (xCore, CM4, GPS, 3x ESCs)
Cover UI Board (optional)
GPS Holder (3d printed part), GPS Antenna, 2x M2,5x20 screws, 2x M4x16 screws for the GPS holder

Tools you will need:

XH connector set and some wires to crimp connectors for the emergency stops and the Cover UI board
Some basic screwdrivers for disassembly and assembly.

Step 2.4.1: Disassemble the Robot

The first step is to disassemble up the robot. This is a bit tricky in some parts, so I recommend you checking my YouTube video here: YouTube Video . The relevant time is: 2:25 - 5:08. Do not follow the video further than that, because it is outdated.

Alternatively, here is a picture guide of the disassembly process:

Unscrew top cover

Pry the cover

This is a bit tricky in some parts, so I recommend you checking YouTube video here: YouTube Video . The relevant time is: 2:25 - 5:08.

Unplug the cover

2 small wires on the front going to wheel sensors, and 1 wide wire from mainboard to cover UI board. Screwdriver is in the pictures for illustrative purposes, you can simply hold it with your hand.

Unplug the mainboard

Remove front PCB

Remove cover UI board

Info

This section assumes that you are completely replacing the stock UI board with a custom one. There is an option to reuse stock board by flashing it with custom firmware. If you are going to go this path - leave it in place. You can find more information in the Cover UI Repo *.

* Would be nice if someone could transfer this to the Knowledge Base on this website though.

Step 2.4.2: Remove Stock Electronics

You will need to remove these stock electronics:

Mainboard
Perimeter Sensor (slim PCB in the front of the robot).
All cables in the orange cover (emergency stop).

Keep the battery in place.

Step 2.4.3: Small Preparations

3.1 Cutting Plastic Tabs in the Lid

On some YardForce Classic 500 models, in the lid there are plastic tabs which are in the way when installing the OpenMower mainboard. We need to clip these tabs off. I have used a large side cutter, but you can also use a Dremel or whatever you have handy.

If your cover does not have tabs, you don’t need to do anything here.

3.2 Assemble GPS Antenna Holder

Take the GPS antenna holder and assemble it as shown in the picture.

3.3 Add new connectors to the Emergency Stop Cables

The Open Mower mainboard uses one JST XH connectors for each of the emergency stop sensors, whereas the original YardForce Classic 500 uses one large connector with all emergency stop buttons connected to it. In the following picture you can see the original connector cable.

We will now create four cables, one for each emergency stop sensor. To do this:

First, Cut the cable very close to the large connector as shown in the picture. You will need the whole length of the emergency stop cables.
Then, crimp XH connectors to the other end of the cable as shown in the picture below. Make sure to check the pinout! There is a twist in the connector!
Repeat this step for all four emergency stop sensors, so that each one has an XH connector at the end. The pinout is the same for all of them.

In the end you will have four cables with different lengths, but the same pinout.

3.4 Create a cable for the CoverUI

If you are going to use a custom CoverUI board, you will need to create a cable to connect it to the mainboard.

Take four wires with around 20 cm length.
Crimp XH connectors on both sides of the cables as shown in the picture. The connections are “straight through”, so pin 1 connectos to pin 1 on the other side and so on.

Step 2.4.4: Install OpenMower Electronics

Now you can install the OpenMower mainboard and the GPS antenna holder we prepared earlier.

Put the mainboard into the mower just as the original board was installed
(in the rear it sits between plastic tabs, on the front there are two screws holding it in place).
To fit the GPS holder into the mower, you need need to remove two of the white plastic cable ties by just pulling them upwards. Then plug it into the corresponding holes and fix it with one screw you saved earlier.
Connect all cables as shown in the picture and the list below.

When finished, it should look like this:

The connections are as follows:

Mower Motor Sensor
Main Motor Connector (Drive motors, mower motors, sensors)
Power Connector
Charging Contacts
Emergency Stop Button in the Lid (left / right side doesn’t matter)
Emergency Stop Button in the Lid (left / right side doesn’t matter)
USB Connector on the Rear of the Robot
Cover UI Board in the Lid (optional)
GPS Antenna
Lift Sensor (left / right side doesn’t matter)
Lift Sensor (left / right side doesn’t matter)

Step 2.4.5: Install external WiFi Antenna (optional)

If you want to use an external WiFi antenna for better reception, installation is simple.

Prerequisites

Things you will need:

WiFi Antenna Mount: 3D printed part available on Printables
Two Screws you can use the screws from the front sensor we removed earlier
WiFi Antenna with Cable You can get it from Amazon

Steps:

Mount the antenna to the holder
Mount the holder to the mower using the two screws
Connect the antenna to the CM4 board
Zip tie the cable to the corner of the PCB

Step 2.4.6: First Startup

It’s time to power the robot up by hitting the switch at the back of the robot.

Warning

If you see / smell anything unexpected, turn the switch off immediately!

This includes but is not limited to:

Smoke / Fire
Smell of hot electronics
Blown Fuses

Some battery packs don’t like the inrush current and will turn off immediately. If this happens, you can try to turn the switch off and on again and it should work.

Once turned on, LEDs should start blinking on the ESCs, the GPS, the xCore board and the mainboard. Keep the robot turned on for at least five minutes to maker sure the CM4 boots up properly. It does setup during the first boot.

Info

It’s a good idea to place the mower into the docking station, so that the battery doesn’t drain.

In this state, the battery does not charge, because the core board does not have the correct firmware installed, but the docking voltage will still be used to power the electronics, so the battery will not drain.

If everything seems healthy, proceed to the Software Setup .

Otherwise, stop here and ask for help on the Discord server.

OpenMower — Open Source RTK GPS Robotic Mower – Carrierboard 1.x – 1.1.0-beta

Docs: Classic 500(B)

v2 Hardware Only!

Carrierboard 1.x – 1.1.0-beta only!

Prerequisites

Things you will need:

Tools you will need:

Step 2.4.1: Disassemble the Robot

Unscrew top cover

Pry the cover

Unplug the cover

Unplug the mainboard

Remove front PCB

Remove cover UI board

Info

Step 2.4.2: Remove Stock Electronics

Step 2.4.3: Small Preparations

3.1 Cutting Plastic Tabs in the Lid

3.2 Assemble GPS Antenna Holder

3.3 Add new connectors to the Emergency Stop Cables

3.4 Create a cable for the CoverUI

Step 2.4.4: Install OpenMower Electronics

Step 2.4.5: Install external WiFi Antenna (optional)

Prerequisites

Things you will need:

Steps:

Step 2.4.6: First Startup

Warning

Info