Walking Electronic
Bug
Ramsey Electronics Model No. WEB1
Watch the little bug scoot across the table and turn to avoid
obstacles in this fun and very unique kit! Buy two bug kits and
have your own “bug wars”!
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Easy to build and fun to play with.
Runs for a long time.
Runs on 2 ‘N” batteries.
Avoids obstacles or runs away from a flashlight.
Adjustable sensitivity and speed.
Ramsey Publication No. WEB1
Manual Price Only $5.00
KIT ASSEMBLY
AND INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR
Walking Electronic Bug
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction to the WEB1.................................. 4
WEB1 Circuit Description.................................. 4
“Learn-As-You-Build” Kit Assembly ................... 5
Parts List........................................................... 6
Assembly Steps ................................................. 7
WEB1 Parts Layout Diagram........................... 10
WEB1 Schematic............................................. 11
Setup and Testing ........................................... 14
Troubleshooting Guide..................................... 16
Ramsey Kit Warranty....................................... 19
RAMSEY ELECTRONICS, INC.
590 Fishers Station Drive
Victor, New York 14564
Phone (585) 924-4560
Fax (585) 924-4555
WEB1• 3
INTRODUCTION
Here is a very unique little kit that’s great for kids. The WEB1 is a little robot
made completely out of electronic parts and wire. It’s pretty easy to build, and
once it’s adjusted properly, it will entertain for hours. It has little pager motors
in it that vibrate and propel it on its little wire feet. How fast it goes is
adjustable by bending its feet and also by a pot that controls motor speed.
When it approaches an obstacle such as a wall, it turns to avoid it. It does
this with a second little pager motor.
WEB1 CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION
This is a fairly simple circuit, and easy to follow even for a beginning kit
builder. The kit uses a 555 timer U1 to pulse the two pager motors. The 555
timer does not directly drive the motors, but instead turns them on through
transistors Q1 and Q3. This is done because although the motors don’t draw
much current on average, they do when they initially start spinning. The 555
objects to these big current spikes, so the transistors take the beating
instead. Normally only one motor is running and the WEB1 moves in a
straight line. In this state, U1 is pulsing Q3 which drives the motor attached to
pad P1. This motor’s speed is adjustable via R2. When the WEB1 gets close
to an obstacle, infrared light emitted from D1 bounces off the object and into
the infrared phototransistor Q2. Then Q2 switches on and turns on transistor
Q1 which drives the motor attached to pad P4. This motor causes the WEB1
to turn aside from the obstacle. The sensitivity of phototransistor Q2 is
adjustable through R5. Without this adjustment, sometimes room lights would
turn Q2 on and make the WEB1 turn all the time. Okay, let’s get building.
WEB1• 4
RAMSEY Learn-As-You-Build KIT ASSEMBLY
There aren’t that many solder connections on the WEB1 printed circuit
board, but you should still practice good soldering techniques.
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Use a 25-watt soldering pencil with a clean, sharp tip.
Use only rosin-core solder intended for electronics use.
Use bright lighting; a magnifying lamp or bench-style magnifier may
be helpful.
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Do your work in stages, taking breaks to check your work. Carefully
brush away wire cuttings so they don't lodge between solder
connections.
We have a two-fold "strategy" for the order of the following kit assembly
steps. First, we install parts in physical relationship to each other, so there's
minimal chance of inserting wires into wrong holes. Second, whenever
possible, we install in an order that fits our "Learn-As-You Build" Kit building
philosophy. This entails describing the circuit that you are building instead of
just blindly installing components. We hope that this will not only make
assembly of our kits easier, but help you to understand the circuit you’re
constructing.
For each part, our word "Install" always means these steps:
1. Pick the correct part value to start with.
2. Insert it into the correct PC board location.
3. Orient it correctly, follow the PC board drawing and the written
directions for all parts - especially when there's a right way
and a wrong way to solder it in. (Diode bands, electrolytic
capacitor polarity, transistor shapes, dotted or notched ends
of IC's, and so forth.)
4. Solder all connections unless directed otherwise. Use enough heat
and solder flow for clean, shiny, completed connections.
WEB1• 5
WEB1 PARTS LIST
Sort and “check off” the components in the boxes provided. We do our best to
pack all our kits correctly but it is possible that a mistake has occurred and we
missed a part. Please note that physical descriptions of parts are for those
currently being shipped. Sometimes the parts in your kit may have a different
appearance but still have the same values.
RESISTORS
ˆ 1 1K ohm resistor [brown-black-red] (R4)
ˆ 1 68 ohm resistor [blue-gray-black] (R3)
ˆ 1 330 ohm resistor [orange-orange-brown] (R1)
ˆ 2 10K ohm potentiometer (R2,R5)
CAPACITORS
ˆ 1 1 uF electrolytic capacitor (C2)
ˆ 1 10 uF electrolytic capacitor (C1)
SEMICONDUCTORS
ˆ 1 555 Timer IC [marked TS555CN] (U1)
ˆ 2 2N3904 transistor [marked 2N3904] (Q1,Q3)
ˆ 1 infrared phototransistor [black T1 case] (Q2)
ˆ 1 infrared light emitting diode (D1)
ˆ 2 blinking light emitting diodes (D2,D3)
MISCELLANEOUS
ˆ 1 red/black twisted wire, 5 inches
ˆ 1 20AWG tinned wire, 18 inches
ˆ 2 “N” cell battery holders
ˆ 1 length of double stickey foam tape
ˆ 2 little motors
ˆ 1 slide switch (S1)
WEB1• 6
WEB1 PC BOARD ASSEMBLY STEPS
ˆ 1. Let’s start with U1, the TS555 timer. The TS555 sits on the left side of
the PC board, in the middle. Be sure the notch at one end lines up with
the notch in the board diagram.
ˆ 2. Next, install R4, 1K ohm resistor [brown-black-red], below U1.
ˆ 3. Install switch S1 to the right of R4. It goes in either way.
ˆ 4. Install R3, 68 ohm resistor [blue-gray-black].
ˆ 5. Install C2, 1 uF electrolytic capacitor, right above S1. Electrolytic caps
have a polarity and must be installed in the correct orientation. Make sure
the band on the cap lines up with the right hole on the board. Only “+” is
marked on the board; the band or stripe down the side of the cap is nor-
mally negative or “-”.Be sure to observe polarity. The “-” side goes in the
hole that is NOT marked “+”. To help you a bit, the positive lead is usually
longer than the negative lead.
ˆ 6. Install C1, 10 uF electrolytic capacitor, next to C2. Watch that polarity!
ˆ 7. Install R2, 10K ohm potentiometer, next to C2.
ˆ 8. Install R1, 330 ohm resistor [orange-orange-brown], next to R2.
ˆ 9. Install R5, 10K ohm potentiometer, above R2.
ˆ 10. Install Q1, 2N3904 transistor [marked 2N3904], above C2. Make sure
the flat side lines up with the flat side on the board drawing.
ˆ 11. Install Q3, the other 2N3904 transistor [marked 2N3904], in the upper
right hand corner of the board. Watch the orientation of the flat spot again.
ˆ 12. Install D1, infrared light emitting diode [clear T1-3/4 package], above
Q3. Line up the flat edge with the flat edge on the PC board drawing. This
flat side should be toward the outside of the PC board when oriented cor-
rectly. Let the LED stick up about 3/8” above the board.
ˆ 13. Install D3, blinking LED to the left of D1. These LEDs have a flat side
or corner. Line this up with the flat side on the PC board drawing. The cut-
off corner should be toward the front of the board and to the right if you’re
looking at the board with the battery pack at the bottom toward you and
the power switch toward the right side of the board. Let the LED stick up
5/8” above the board.
ˆ 14. Install D2, the other blinking LED, next to D3. Line it up just like the
other one and let it stick up 5/8” above the board.
WEB1• 7
ˆ 15. Install Q2, infrared phototransistor [black T1 case], to the left of D2.
Make sure the flat spot faces the inside of the board. Let Q2 stick up 3/8”
above the board.
Total Length: 2 1/4"
Total Length: 2 1/4"
Feet
Feet
Runner
Runner
Top of Board
Runner
Total Length 1 3/4"
ˆ 16. Now we need to cut up little pieces of wire that will be the WEB1’s
feet. Use the tinned 20AWG wire. Cut 20, 3/4 inch pieces.
ˆ 17. Solder the feet in the holes on the sides of the board using the picture
as a guide. They should stick out the BOTTOM of the PC board, the side
opposite the one that all the components are already soldered to. Be sure
to snip off the ends of the leads on the TOP side of the board as flush as
you can. These feet are pretty much decorative and you can bend them in
any way that you think looks good. I bent mine a little out to the side.
Back
1/4"
Front
1/2"
(Side View)
WEB1• 8
ˆ Cut three pieces of wire that will be the runners that the WEB1 slides on.
The two side runners are 2 1/4” long. The back runner is 1 3/4” long. The
side runners need to be bent into a “U” shape with the front part about 1/2”
long and the back part should be about 1/4” long. These act kind of like a
sled that the WEB1 slides across the floor on. The back runner is sort of
like a big foot that pushes the WEB1 from behind. It should be bent into a
square shape and soldered into the holes as shown in the picture.
ˆ 18. Now you need to install the little motors on the circuit board. The mo-
tors come with a silicone thingy on them. This will help keep the motor in
place when it is running.
ˆ 19. Now you need to determine where you’re attaching the motors to the
PC board. To do this, take one of the motors and hold it under the BOT-
TOM of the board so that it roughly lines up with the rectangular outline on
the TOP of the board. This is just to help you place the motor in the right
spot. Take a look at the picture below or the parts layout diagram and note
that one pattern is at an angle while one is straight. The one at an angle is
for steering the bug when it approaches an obstacle, the straight one pro-
pels your electronic friend forward. It isn’t critical that the steering motor
be angled, but this may improve the steering performance. There are
many holes on the board for you to solder the hold-down wire into. Just
pick ones that are conveniently close to the motor so that the wire has a
snug hold on it. Now, cut 2, 3/4” pieces of tinned wire and place one end
of each piece in a hole that you intend to use to mount the motor. Solder
this end in place on each of the wires. Now wrap each piece of wire one
by one around the motor making sure that the pads on the motor are fac-
ing out where you can solder the wires to them and run each wire back up
through the board. Solder each wire on the top of the circuit board so that
Wire
Motor Under Board
Top of Board
WEB1• 9
WEB1 BOARD PARTS LAYOUT DIAGRAM
WEB1• 10
WEB1• 11
the motor is tightly held in place. I found that pulling the wire taut with my
needle nose pliers helped me snug it up into its proper position. Repeat
this procedure for the other motor using the other outline on the top of the
board as a guide.
ˆ 20. It’s time to solder the wires to the little pads at the end of the motor.
The motor should be held still by the hold-down wires you just installed so
it shouldn’t roll while you solder the power wires on. Cut 2 pieces of the
red/black twisted wire, each about 2 inches long. Strip back one end of
each wire about 1/16”. Now soldering the ends onto a motor is a little
tricky. Once you’re sure that the motor is secured, tin a red wire end really
well so that you have a good amount of solder on it. Next, hold the tinned
end on the right side pad and heat it with your iron until the solder flows
onto the pad. It doesn’t take much heat. Be careful when heating the pads
up. The motors are a little sensitive to the heat and can’t be baked to
death like most other components. Solder the black wire to the other pad,
and then repeat this whole process for the other motor.
ˆ 21. Let’s solder the other end of the motor wires to the PC board. Each
has a red and a black wire that you just soldered correctly to the motor in
the last step. We’ll start with the motor closest to the bottom edge of the
board. Solder its red wire up through the bottom of the board into pad P4.
Solder its black wire up through the bottom of the board into pad P3. The
other motor’s red wire goes into pad P1. Its black wire goes into pad P2.
As a last step it’s best to snug up the motor closest to the back of the bug
by putting a little piece of snipped off component lead
ˆ 22. Solder in the battery pack wires into pads BAT1. If you place the board
so you can read the BAT1 rightside up, the left hand hole of the two holes
is the negative. Solder the black wire here. The right hand hole is positive;
WEB1• 12
the red wire goes here. Now tape the battery pack to the top of the board
using the double-sided foam tape provided.
WEB1• 13
SETUP AND TESTING
If you would like, you can go ahead and put the batteries in their holders and
flip on the switch. The little flashing LEDs should blink, and at least one of the
motors should be buzzing away. At this point you can bend the flashing LEDs
in a way that you think is cute. I bent mine kind of off to the side, so they look
like eyeball stalks or something. It is possible that you have skillz and your
WEB1 will not need any adjustment. Go ahead and place it on a hard smooth
surface like a wooden desktop. It’s best that it is not completely smooth like
glass; the wire feet need a little texture to push against. If it zooms straight
ahead, then all three runners are perfectly adjusted and nothing else is neces-
sary. But, more likely it turns in a circle or just buzzes. In this case, the adjust-
ment procedure is necessary.
ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE
1. Forward motion adjust:
A. If the bug does not move forward at all, bend the back runner to
make it a little more straight or a little more angled. When you get
the angle right, your bug will move.
B. Once the bug moves forward you can make it move straight by
tweaking the side runners. They should be roughly straight about
the same height, so that the bug isn’t leaning to one side. If the
bug veers to one side, try twisting the back runner a bit in either
direction. It kind of acts like a rudder on a boat. IF you still can’t
get the bug to go straight, you may have to bend the side runners
a little differently. Try making one a little taller than the other, or
change the shape a bit. Don’t be discouraged if your bug isn’t per-
fect right away. Some adjustment is normal.
C. The last adjustment you can make is the motor speed adjust R2.
It will make your bug go faster or slower. It’s also useful because
usually the bug performs differently on different types of surfaces.
It’s best to adjust the speed to get the results you like for whatever
surface you’re running on.
WEB1• 14
2. Steering adjust:
A. The first step in adjusting the steering is to get the steering motor,
(the one that’s mounted at an angle) to come on when the bug
approaches an obstacle, or when someone shines a flashlight at
it. The first thing is to bend the Infrared phototransistor Q2, and
Infrared LED D3 as shown in the picture. Bend them down and
inward towards each other so they kind of look like the bug’s man-
dibles or something, ha ha. These two components are how the
WEB1 detects an object. The infrared LED emits infrared light,
and the infrared phototransistor detects infrared light. Hmm, how
could these two be used as an obstacle detector? Well, normally
the LED is shining out into the room and Q2 is off. When the bug
gets close to a wall (important note: not a BLACK wall), some of
the infrared light from the LED bounces off of the obstacle and
hits Q2. Then Q2 turns on, and the angled motor turns on and
makes the bug turn. A black or very dark obstacle may not cause
the bug to turn because it absorbs the infrared light instead of re-
flecting it.
B. The next step is to bring your hand or other everyday object near
the front of the bug when it is switched on. What should happen is
that the turning motor (the angled one) should come on when the
object gets close. If it’s on already, that means that Q2 and D3 are
too close. Just move them apart a little. If the turning motor is on
no matter what you do, THEN ALL IS LOST!!!!!!!!!! Well, actually
no, just turn down the sensitivity (adjust R5 counterclockwise).
Then adjust the distance between Q2 and D3 until the motor turns
on only when an obstacle is in front of the WEB1. An important
note here is that adjusting the sensitivity will be more critical if
there is bright incandescent light or a lot of sunlight at your loca-
tion. This is because they give off infrared light that Q2 picks up.
Fluorescent lights give off very little if any infrared light and hardly
affect the WEB1 at all. Further, a HeNe laser doesn’t give off any
infrared light, so if your school or home is lit with laser light you’re
all set!
WEB1• 15
D3
Q2
Top of Board
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
If your WEB1 isn’t working correctly just refer to the steps below:
Problem
Solution
No blinking, no buzzing
Check parts placement, specifically
U1 and transistor orientation.
Motor buzzes, but bug just sits there
or drifts
Readjust wire runners, especially the
back one. See page 14.
Bug keeps turning even though only
one motor is on.
Readjust the side runners. See page
13.
Both motors are always on
Turn R5 counter-clockwise and/or
move Q2 and D3 farther apart.
WEB1• 16
Bug moves forward, turning motor
Some tweaking of the side runners
comes on at obstacle, but bug does is needed. Adjust R2 up and down.
not turn
Try a different surface
Bug jumps up and attacks
Unforeseen emergent property. Call
tech support immediately!
WEB1• 17
CONCLUSION
We sincerely hope that you will enjoy the use of this Ramsey product. As al-
ways, we have tried to compose our manual in the easiest, most “user
friendly” format that is possible. As our customers, we value your opinions,
comments, and additions that you would like to see in future publications.
Please submit comments or ideas to:
Ramsey Electronics Inc.
Attn. Hobby Kit Department
590 Fishers Station Drive
Victor, NY 14564
And once again, thanks from the folks at Ramsey!
WEB1• 18
The Ramsey Kit Warranty
Please read carefully BEFORE calling or writing in about your kit. Most
problems can be solved without contacting the factory.
Notice that this is not a "fine print" warranty. We want you to understand your rights and ours too! All
Ramsey kits will work if assembled properly. The very fact that your kit includes this new manual is your
assurance that a team of knowledgeable people have field-tested several "copies" of this kit straight
from the Ramsey Inventory. If you need help, please read through your manual carefully, all information
required to properly build and test your kit is contained within the pages! However, customer
satisfaction is our goal, so in the event that you do have a problem, take note of the following.
1. DEFECTIVE PARTS: It's always easy to blame a part for a problem in your kit, Before you conclude
that a part may be bad, thoroughly check your work. Today's semiconductors and passive components
have reached incredibly high reliability levels, and its sad to say that our human construction skills have
not! But on rare occasions a sour component can slip through. All our kit parts carry the Ramsey
Electronics Warranty that they are free from defects for a full ninety (90) days from the date of
purchase. Defective parts will be replaced promptly at our expense. If you suspect any part to be
defective, please mail it to our factory for testing and replacement. Please send only the defective part
(s), not the entire kit. The part(s) MUST be returned to us in suitable condition for testing. Please be
aware that testing can usually determine if the part was truly defective or damaged by assembly or
usage. Don't be afraid of telling us that you 'blew-it', we're all human and in most cases, replacement
parts are very reasonably priced.
2. MISSING PARTS: Before assuming a part value is incorrect, check the parts listing carefully to see if
it is a critical value such as a specific coil or IC, or whether a RANGE of values is suitable (such as
"100 to 500 uF"). Often times, common sense will solve a mysterious missing part problem. If you're
missing five 10K ohm resistors and received five extra 1K resistors, you can pretty much be assured
that the '1K ohm' resistors are actually the 'missing' 10 K parts ("Hum-m-m, I guess the 'red' band really
does look orange!") Ramsey Electronics project kits are packed with pride in the USA. If you believe
we packed an incorrect part or omitted a part clearly indicated in your assembly manual as supplied
with the basic kit by Ramsey, please write or call us with information on the part you need and proof of
kit purchase.
3. FACTORY REPAIR OF ASSEMBLED KITS:
To qualify for Ramsey Electronics factory repair, kits MUST:
1. NOT be assembled with acid core solder or flux.
2. NOT be modified in any manner.
3. BE returned in fully-assembled form, not partially assembled.
4. BE accompanied by the proper repair fee. No repair will be undertaken until we have received the
MINIMUM repair fee (1/2 hour labor) of $25.00, or authorization to charge it to your credit card account.
5. INCLUDE a description of the problem and legible return address. DO NOT send a separate letter;
include all correspondence with the unit. Please do not include your own hardware such as
Ramsey cabinets, knobs, cables, external battery packs and the like. Ramsey Electronics, Inc.,
non-
reserves the right to refuse repair on ANY item in which we find excessive problems or damage due to
construction methods. To assist customers in such situations, Ramsey Electronics, Inc., reserves the
right to solve their needs on a case-by-case basis.
The repair is $50.00 per hour, regardless of the cost of the kit. Please understand that our technicians
are not volunteers and that set-up, testing, diagnosis, repair and repacking and paperwork can take
nearly an hour of paid employee time on even a simple kit. Of course, if we find that a part was
defective in manufacture, there will be no charge to repair your kit (But please realize that our
technicians know the difference between a defective part and parts burned out or damaged through
improper use or assembly).
4. REFUNDS: You are given ten (10) days to examine our products. If you are not satisfied, you may
return your unassembled kit with all the parts and instructions and proof of purchase to the factory for a
full refund. The return package should be packed securely. Insurance is recommended. Please do not
cause needless delays, read all information carefully.
WEB1• 19
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction to the WEB1................................... 4
WEB1 Circuit Description .................................. 4
“Learn-As-You-Build” Kit Assembly....................5
Parts List............................................................ 6
Assembly Steps..................................................7
WEB1 Parts Layout Diagram............................10
WEB1 Schematic..............................................11
Setup and Testing ...........................................14
Troubleshooting Guide .....................................16
Ramsey Kit Warranty........................................19
TOTAL SOLDER POINTS
60
ESTIMATED ASSEMBLY
TIME
Beginner...............2 hrs
Intermediate.........1 hrs
Advanced..............30 min
REQUIRED TOOLS
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Soldering Iron (WLC100)
Thin Rosin Core Solder (RTS12)
Needle Nose Pliers (MPP4 or RTS05)
Small Diagonal Cutters (RTS04)
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTED ITEMS
•
Helping Hands Holder for PC Board/Parts
(HH3)
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Technician’s Tool Kit (TK405)
Desoldering Braid (RTS08)
Manual Price Only: $5.00
Ramsey Publication No. MSCN-1
Assembly and Instruction manual for:
RAMSEY MODEL NO. WEB1 WALKING
ELECTRONIC BUG KIT
RAMSEY ELECTRONICS, INC.
590 Fishers Station Drive
Victor, New York 14564
Phone
Fax
(585) 924-4560
(585) 924-4555
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