Robonova Crisis!
Robonova Crisis!
by Modereso
Sun May 13, 2007 9:24 pm
Finally built, charged & powered up.
However, on power up - my robonova does not seem right at all. He gets up into the stand position (left leg & arm) seems okay, but the right leg kicks backwards, really quite fast, and the arm shoots out to the side and feels very strong (can't bring it back into stand position)
Servos seem to be working fine, but right side is not right and has a mind of its own?
On the left side of the board, we have the grey wire to the right (not on the GND) and the black on the GND - on the right (grey to the left and black to GND).
Any help would be welcomed greatly.
Cheers
Mode
However, on power up - my robonova does not seem right at all. He gets up into the stand position (left leg & arm) seems okay, but the right leg kicks backwards, really quite fast, and the arm shoots out to the side and feels very strong (can't bring it back into stand position)
Servos seem to be working fine, but right side is not right and has a mind of its own?
On the left side of the board, we have the grey wire to the right (not on the GND) and the black on the GND - on the right (grey to the left and black to GND).
Any help would be welcomed greatly.
Cheers
Mode
by i-Bot
Sun May 13, 2007 10:02 pm
Grey wire towards centre of the controller board is correct.
Did you check the servos are all plugged into the right place, some of the documentation and board marking is confusing.
From the Robobasic realtime menu you should check that the joints move according to the picture.
If a servo is stalled against an obstruction or getting warm, unplug it till you are sorted.
Did you check the servos are all plugged into the right place, some of the documentation and board marking is confusing.
From the Robobasic realtime menu you should check that the joints move according to the picture.
If a servo is stalled against an obstruction or getting warm, unplug it till you are sorted.
by Modereso
Sun May 13, 2007 10:38 pm
I think I've found the problem.
The left side 'servo allocation' is correct, as are the pins. The manual however, is not very well documented - and unless you find this mistake for yourself, it leaves you following the diagram (as shown on page 42) from the ground up in the following order: 18,19,20,21,22,23 12,13,14,15,16,17 etc
It seems to me that the correct order in which this follows is not as stated in the manual but the pdf, and instead of the sequence as shown above: it should follow the order 22,21,20,19,18,14,13,12 (where those in red: 23, 17, 16, 15) should be left alone (the PDF is different to the manual by the looks of things)
I'm sure this mistake has already been documented, but clearly the problem is here - as the left half of the robot seems to be working OK and the right is with the problems. That is highly confusing, and is the only thing I could pick out whilst thinking about this problem
Please let me know if I am wrong at all
Cheers
Mode
The left side 'servo allocation' is correct, as are the pins. The manual however, is not very well documented - and unless you find this mistake for yourself, it leaves you following the diagram (as shown on page 42) from the ground up in the following order: 18,19,20,21,22,23 12,13,14,15,16,17 etc
It seems to me that the correct order in which this follows is not as stated in the manual but the pdf, and instead of the sequence as shown above: it should follow the order 22,21,20,19,18,14,13,12 (where those in red: 23, 17, 16, 15) should be left alone (the PDF is different to the manual by the looks of things)
I'm sure this mistake has already been documented, but clearly the problem is here - as the left half of the robot seems to be working OK and the right is with the problems. That is highly confusing, and is the only thing I could pick out whilst thinking about this problem
Please let me know if I am wrong at all
Cheers
Mode
by Modereso
Thu May 17, 2007 9:11 pm
Next major problem, and I can't believe this 
Downloading a working program to the robonova, when my computer decided to reboot itself in the process!
Now I'm left with a robonova without any firmware onboard. Robonova switches on, remains sat down.....and I'm getting errors when trying to upload anything to the controller board.
It can't even fetch the controller board information. Error code -4 Exceed data communication time, yet everything is plugged in and I'm able to reset the controller from roboBASIC, so it seems that the firmware has done a runner! It's a bit bad that firmware does not come shipped with the CD (which is my only wish).
Is there any way to replace the firmware/bootloader at least? I really don't want to have to send him back to hitec
... I'm totally baffled this time.
Downloading a working program to the robonova, when my computer decided to reboot itself in the process!
Now I'm left with a robonova without any firmware onboard. Robonova switches on, remains sat down.....and I'm getting errors when trying to upload anything to the controller board.
It can't even fetch the controller board information. Error code -4 Exceed data communication time, yet everything is plugged in and I'm able to reset the controller from roboBASIC, so it seems that the firmware has done a runner! It's a bit bad that firmware does not come shipped with the CD (which is my only wish).
Is there any way to replace the firmware/bootloader at least? I really don't want to have to send him back to hitec
... I'm totally baffled this time.
by i-Bot
Thu May 17, 2007 10:25 pm
Robobasic code is downloaded to EEPROM, not to flash. It is not so,likely that the flash is corrupted. If it is that can be fixed so long as the flash boot loader is OK.
I would suggest to use a serial port monitor (hhd free serial or similar) and to monitor what happens when you connect to the board.
Are you sure your serial port is working ok ? Short the tip and thin ring of the serial cable and check you get an echo with a terminal program. Is the Robobasic config OK ? (port, controller type )
I would suggest to use a serial port monitor (hhd free serial or similar) and to monitor what happens when you connect to the board.
Are you sure your serial port is working ok ? Short the tip and thin ring of the serial cable and check you get an echo with a terminal program. Is the Robobasic config OK ? (port, controller type )
by Modereso
Thu May 17, 2007 10:45 pm
Hi
This is what I can't understand. I can't seem to retrieve controller information, let alone download anything to the controller. Yet, roboBASIC can still communicate with the RN because the 'controller reset mode' seems to produce a beeping sound on the MR-C3024 (serial) - which it did in the first place.
Yes, roboBASIC config is fine. It was working, but as said it's not now. I've had the RN working fine for around 3-4 days, actually.
If I was to make a guessed diagnosis, this would be it:
'During the downloading of a program, the power cut out leaving minimal code written to the RN. It can't boot this 'hence' the controller errors and why it won't boot', but how, I don't know - because the integrity of the data should of been checked first, and the code shouldn't of even touched that sector level of the schematic in the first place (it wasn't code to reprogram the board)'.
I'm confident it's not hardware. But if it's not cable problems, then it is a bootloading/operating system problem. I've checked out MegaLoad, but as I only have one RN - I'm not sure I'm up for the job TBH.
This is what I can't understand. I can't seem to retrieve controller information, let alone download anything to the controller. Yet, roboBASIC can still communicate with the RN because the 'controller reset mode' seems to produce a beeping sound on the MR-C3024 (serial) - which it did in the first place.
Yes, roboBASIC config is fine. It was working, but as said it's not now. I've had the RN working fine for around 3-4 days, actually.
If I was to make a guessed diagnosis, this would be it:
'During the downloading of a program, the power cut out leaving minimal code written to the RN. It can't boot this 'hence' the controller errors and why it won't boot', but how, I don't know - because the integrity of the data should of been checked first, and the code shouldn't of even touched that sector level of the schematic in the first place (it wasn't code to reprogram the board)'.
I'm confident it's not hardware. But if it's not cable problems, then it is a bootloading/operating system problem. I've checked out MegaLoad, but as I only have one RN - I'm not sure I'm up for the job TBH.
by Modereso
Thu May 17, 2007 11:06 pm
Miracles can happen, and the board now works.
What an earth happened, though, I don't know. The board was still talking to the PC by the looks of things, or still in a large waiting state. C Reset didn't work, neither did C stop, but after I popped open serial monitor and sent a 'clear memory' - he was suddenly able to load the template files, thus works a treat now
My god am I glad I didn't touch hex.
What an earth happened, though, I don't know. The board was still talking to the PC by the looks of things, or still in a large waiting state. C Reset didn't work, neither did C stop, but after I popped open serial monitor and sent a 'clear memory' - he was suddenly able to load the template files, thus works a treat now
My god am I glad I didn't touch hex.