Robot Controllers

Pololu’s Orangutan robot controllers are combinations of microcontrollers and additional hardware useful for controlling robots. All Orangutans feature Atmel AVR microcontrollers, multiple H-bridges for direct control of DC motors, and most units have integrated LCD displays. All units except the Orangutan X2 require external programmers such as Atmel’s AVRISP or the Pololu USB AVR programmer.

The Orangutan family currently has five members:

• Orangutan is the original Pololu robot controller based on a mega168 microcontroller and LB1836M dual motor driver that can deliver up to 1 A peak. The operating voltage is 5-10 V. This controller is currently on clearance and is being replaced by the newer Orangutan SV-328.
• Baby Orangutan packs the same basic hardware as the Orangutan SV-328 into a familiar 24-pin DIP-size package. This is the only Orangutan product without explicit LCD support, but an LCD can be connected externally. The Baby Orangutan is available with a mega48 or a mega328 microcontroller.
• Orangutan LV-168 is similar to the original Orangutan but redesigned for low-voltage (2.5 – 5.5 V) operation. A step-up regulator provides 5 V to the microcontroller (and your sensors) while a pair of discrete, low-voltage H-bridges replace the original LB1836M motor driver to deliver up to 2 A continuous to get the most power out of low-voltage motors.
• Orangutan SV-328 is intended as a replacement for the original Orangutan. It has the same pin-out and form factor as the Orangutan LV-168 but operates at a higher 6 – 13.5 V. The hardware peripherals also match those on the LV-168, except for the motor drivers, which can deliver a continuous 1 A (3 A peak) per channel, and voltage regulator, which allows the 5V bus to deliver up to 3 A—enough to power servos and other high-power peripherals for which the battery voltage would be too high.
• Orangutan X2 is by far the most powerful Orangutan, and it is intended for small and medium-sized robots. The design features a dual-AVR architecture that leaves a mega644 microcontroller almost completely available to the user while taking care of low-level motor control tasks on the pre-programmed mega168, which also doubles as a programmer for the master processor. A stacked motor driver PCB allows the compact integration of beefy motor drivers that can deliver hundreds of watts. The Orangutan X2 is available with the VNH2SP30 or VNH3SP30 motor drivers and with or without a 4-line x 20-character LCD.

Compare all products in this category

Compare Orangutan X2 Robot Controllers The Orangutan X2 is the most powerful member of our Orangutan robot controller line. It is available with the VNH2SP30 or VNH3SP30 motor drivers and with or without a 4-line x 20-character LCD.

Compare Programmer Combination Deals Buy an Orangutan USB Programmer with your Orangutan, Orangutan LV-168, or Baby Orangutan and save!

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	Pololu item #: 1227 Price: $64.95 Quantity:
Orangutan SV-328 Robot Controller Want to build a small robot that doesn’t look like a PCB on wheels? The Orangutan is small enough for integrating into a small robot, rather than being the small robot. With Atmel’s powerful ATmega328P AVR microcontroller, motor drivers, buttons, display, and buzzer, all you need to add is your own chassis, sensors, software… you know, the fun stuff!

	Pololu item #: 775 Price: $59.95 Quantity:
Orangutan LV-168 Robot Controller The Orangutan LV-168 is a full-featured controller for low-voltage robots. Thanks to a step-up voltage regulator, you can power this Orangutan with two or three 1.2-1.5 V batteries while maintaining 5 V operation for its Atmel mega168 AVR microcontroller and your sensors. A pair of discrete, low-voltage H-bridges deliver up to 2 A continuous per channel to get the most power out of low-voltage motors.

	Pololu item #: 1220 Price: $29.95 Quantity:
Baby Orangutan B-328 Robot Controller The Baby Orangutan B-328 is a very compact but complete robot controller, packing a high-performance AVR microcontroller and two motor drive channels in the same 24-pin form factor as competing units that include just a microcontroller. You can connect your battery, sensors, and motors directly to this small module to make a miniature robot, or you can use the Baby Orangutan as an auxiliary controller in larger robots. This version includes Atmel’s new ATmega328P microcontroller with 32 KB of program memory and 2 KB of RAM.

	Pololu item #: 1215 Price: $24.95 Quantity:
Baby Orangutan B-48 Robot Controller The Baby Orangutan B-48 is a very compact but complete robot controller, packing a high-performance AVR microcontroller and two motor drive channels in the same 24-pin form factor as competing units that include just a microcontroller. You can connect your battery, sensors, and motors directly to this small module to make a miniature robot, or you can use the Baby Orangutan as an auxiliary controller in larger robots. This version includes Atmel’s ATmega48 microcontroller with 4 KB of program memory and 512 bytes of RAM.

	On sale! Pololu item #: 225 Price: $39.95 $59.95 Quantity:
Orangutan Robot Controller mega168 Clearance! Want to build a small robot that doesn’t look like a PCB on wheels? The Orangutan is small enough for integrating into a small robot, rather than being the small robot. With a powerful Atmel mega168 AVR microcontroller, motor drivers, buttons, display, and buzzer, all you need to add is your own chassis, sensors, software,... you know, the fun stuff!

	This product has been discontinued.
Orangutan SV-168 Robot Controller Want to build a small robot that doesn’t look like a PCB on wheels? The Orangutan is small enough for integrating into a small robot, rather than being the small robot. With a powerful Atmel mega168 AVR microcontroller, motor drivers, buttons, display, and buzzer, all you need to add is your own chassis, sensors, software,... you know, the fun stuff!

	This product has been discontinued.
Baby Orangutan B-168 Robot Controller The Baby Orangutan B-168 is a very compact but complete robot controller, packing a high-performance AVR microcontroller and two motor drive channels in the same 24-pin form factor as competing units that include just a microcontroller. You can connect your battery, sensors, and motors directly to this small module to make a miniature robot, or you can use the Baby Orangutan as an auxiliary controller in larger robots. This version includes Atmel’s ATmega168 microcontroller with 16 KB of program memory and 1 KB of RAM.