Hexapod Controller Board (Mochi & Nougat)

The Hexapod Controller Board (Mochi & Nougat) is the custom ESP32 carrier PCB that powers the RookiDroid Mochi and Nougat hexapods. Every servo header, both PWM drivers, and power distribution are on one board, so you don’t need a breadboard or a pile of jumper wires. Plug in your ESP32 dev board, 18 servos and a 2S 18650 battery pack, flash the open-source firmware, and your hexapod is ready to walk.

Key Specs

• Microcontroller: Socket for an ESP32 dev board (not included)
• Servo drivers: 2 × PCA9685 16-channel PWM drivers (I²C 0x40 left bank / 0x41 right bank)
• Servo outputs: 18 numbered headers (3 per leg × 6 legs), each driver bank individually enabled by the ESP32
• Power input: 2-cell 18650 Li-ion pack (7.4V nominal), with a main power switch
• Servo compatibility: MG92B (Mochi) and 21G digital servos (Nougat)
• Control: WiFi UDP at 50 Hz, plus a web-based calibration page at 192.168.4.1
• Firmware: Open-source Arduino (arduino-esp32) with over-the-air (OTA) updates

What’s Included

• Board Only: 1 × Hexapod Controller Board with the PWM drivers and servo headers already assembled
• Board + Battery Holder + Switch: the board, plus a 2-cell 18650 battery holder and an SPST toggle switch (6mm)
• Not included: ESP32 dev board, servos and 18650 batteries

Why This Board

• Clean wiring: servo connectors and power management are built in. Plug each servo into its numbered port and you’re done.
• No soldering: the PWM drivers and headers are already assembled. Just plug in your ESP32 dev board.
• Wireless from day one: connect to the hexapod’s WiFi network to drive it, calibrate each servo live in your browser, and upload new firmware without a USB cable.
• Calibration that sticks: servo offsets are saved to EEPROM and survive power cycles.
• One board, two robots: the same board and firmware base run both Mochi and Nougat.

Getting Started

1. Plug your ESP32 dev board into the controller board’s socket.
2. Install Arduino IDE, add arduino-esp32 board support, and install the Adafruit PWM Servo Driver library.
3. Open hexapod_esp32.ino, select ESP32 Dev Module, and upload.
4. Connect the 18 servos and the 2S battery pack, then switch on.
5. Join the hexapod WiFi network and open http://192.168.4.1 to calibrate.

Safety: use protected 18650 cells only. The protection circuit guards against overcharge, over-discharge, and short circuits.

Open hardware, open firmware. Plug it in and make it walk.