AX-12 Failing

[JavaRN]

I had some tough workouts with one of my bioloids and ended up with a faulty ax-12. The ax-12 is shaking (vibrating) when under load (even if you just touch apply little pressure on the bracket attached to the motor). I like your feedback, what do you think is the problem. The gears? or the motor itself?

Also, I already have some ax-12 gear sets, but I don't have the grease (lubricant) they use with the gears. From where in Europe can I buy it?

Thanks a lot for your feedback.

[SK]

I don´t have much experience with AX-12, but from experience with other servos the potentiometer might also be the culprit. If it returns noisy data, the servo will always sense a control offset and try to reach the "correct" noisy goal position, leading to shaking.

[FabinovX]

check the compliance data stored into the AX12 or the softness in motion page first.
But i think SK is right when he says the potentiometer is faulty.
maybe you can try to clean it with contact spray.
as it is confined in the actuator, it doesn't see much dust particles and you may save it for a quite long time this way.
i've never try this with AX12 actuator potientiometer, but it has already works fine for me with joystick potientiometer.
edit :
another idea comes to me.
configure it as endless turn device and make it turn for a minut for exemple.
this may help for cleaning the track of the potientiometer, and if it works fine in endless turn configuration, you will be shure the potientiomete is faulty.

[limor]

sounds like a broken gear. very easy to take the servo apart and inspect the gears. We don't stock that grease but googling "rc servo grease" comes out with plenty of options and alternatives. The servo will probably be ok if you replace one gear and smear some of the grease from the box or broken servo onto the new gear.

[JavaRN]

Thanks all for your feedback. I tested the servo this morning again using usb2dynamixel, and everything seems normal. So what I did was to swap the "faulty" servo with a working one (the one I have for head pan/tilt) and I see how everything goes, if the problem repeats itself I will change the gears as limor suggested.

Thanks again.