DIY Pick and Place Robotic Arm using ARM7-LPC2148 ARM Microcontroller

This DIY pick and place robotic arm project operates as a manually controlled electromechanical system governed by an ARM7-LPC2148 microcontroller development board. The primary user interface consists of four 10k potentiometers and four push buttons, supplemented by four status LEDs. As a user adjusts the potentiometers, analog voltage dividers vary the voltage input supplied to the microcontroller's analog-to-digital converter (ADC) channels. Concurrently, the push buttons provide discrete digital inputs for triggering specific operational states or routines, while the four LEDs offer visual feedback regarding the system's status. The LPC2148 microcontroller processes these incoming user commands and generates the appropriate control signals—typically Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)—to drive four SG-90 servo motors. Each servo motor corresponds to a distinct joint or axis of the 3D printer or cardboard robotic arm structure, allowing precise positioning of the arm. To ensure reliable performance, the entire system is powered by a dedicated 5V (1A) DC power adapter, separating the logic supply from the higher current draw of the motors. Communication and firmware flashing between a host computer and the development board are handled via a USB cable using software tools like Keil uVision for compilation and Flash Magic for programming the microcontroller memory. Additional passive components, including four 10k resistors and four 2.2k resistors, are integrated into the breadboard wiring setup for pull-up/pull-down configurations and current-limiting purposes.