Problem with Robot Terminal

[bergere]

Hi,

I connected my CM-5 via Serial and USB-Adapter.
But newly the robot terminal doesn´t show me the output of the cm-5.
I tried to change my software because i first think that i has make a mistake but i couldn´t change the software anymore.
1. Starting Robot Terminal
2. Holding Pressed "#"
3. Starting CM-5
==> Normaly now i can change my Software but newly nothing happens. The Robot just start his normal Programm.

I connected the CM-5 to COM1 (Robot Terminal connect there, too) that couldn´t be the bug.

Could somebody help me??? Plz!

[StuartL]

I've seen lots of problems with USB serial adapters, can you describe what happens when you connect to a 'real' COM port?

Also try using the reset (mode) button instead of turning it off/on. Sometimes this is more reliable...

Do you have any debugging coming out of the COM port to know that your serial cable is good?

[BillB]

Can you connect using the Motion Editor? The Motion Editor is simply a front end to the terminal. If the Motion Editor can connect then at least you know that the USB-Serial COM port is working OK.

[le fatumbi]

if you can see some messages (boot prompt, #, ..), your com adaptor seems not bad.

I tried also, but I haven't been able to send .hex with terminal

What I understand is that procedure should be the following:
: press #
: reset the cm5 (cm5 sends 0xFF not displayed)
: wait the prompt '... boot loader..' and check that you receives echoes ('#')
: press enter (here, maybe we send 0xOd 0xOa instead of a single 0x0d ...)
: wait the second prompt '-'
: Here, only send the file.

I'm using the behaviour control program instead : menu management, recovery cm5 and use your hex file instead of the firmware.

You'll have an error message at the end, but that is only a control of a normal start-up prompt that should come from cm5... if it was a Robotis' firmware.

That works fine with my usb-rs232 adaptator.

[StuartL]

What I understand is that procedure should be the following:
: press #
: reset the cm5 (cm5 sends 0xFF not displayed)

That 0xff is just the serial port resetting and sending crap. It doesn't happen all the time and can be avoided by disabling interrupts and clearing a few registers before resetting.

: wait the prompt '... boot loader..' and check that you receives echoes ('#')
: press enter (here, maybe we send 0xOd 0xOa instead of a single 0x0d ...)
: wait the second prompt '-'
: Here, only send the file.

Don't forget you need to send the load command ('l' for Load + CR/LF) and wait for the ready prompt (plus a bit of slack, we give half a second) before sending the binary .bin file.

I'm using the behaviour control program instead : menu management, recovery cm5 and use your hex file instead of the firmware.

You'll have an error message at the end, but that is only a control of a normal start-up prompt that should come from cm5... if it was a Robotis' firmware.

Never thought of using this, it's a smart idea.

That works fine with my usb-rs232 adaptator.

I tend to find that almost all USB serial adaptors are ok when you first use them. Most of the drivers seem to lock up on USB suspend and some of them just seem to lock up randomly. In all cases restarting the connection (close/open COM port) solves the problem. I've never had any of these problems with hardware (16550 etc) COM ports and the USB serial problems occur with plenty of other products, so it's not a CM-5 problem.

[bergere]

THX for your Help but the problem was just the cable.
I changed the Cable and know everything works fine again.

Sometimes the easiest way is the best