spike relay problem?

[Maxpower57]

On the new control system cRIO we're having a bit of trouble getting the spike relays to work.

We have the code setup to run the relay forward when one button is pushed, and backwards when another is pushed. The forward button works and the relay changes, however, the reverse doesn't. The code is working, you can see the reverse light on the digital sidecar turn on, but the spike will not change like it does for for forward.we've vhecked and replaced the pwm cable several times.

My beleif is that the problem lies in the libraries controlling the pins for the relay switches incorrectly. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

[Alan Anderson]

If the light on the digital sidecar is changing as expected, I don't think there's a software issue.

What do you expect to see from the Spike, and why do you expect that? What is it doing instead?

[Maxpower57]

If the light on the digital sidecar is changing as expected, I don't think there's a software issue.

What do you expect to see from the Spike, and why do you expect that? What is it doing instead?

That was my conclusion too

I expect the relay to go forward, reverse and stop.
it only goes forward and stop, even though the digital sidecar is sending the signal, the spike isn't doing anything.
and, yes. I have tried using a different spike relay and cable.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

This may seem like a dumb question but are you using a newer Spike? There was a model change several years ago and previous models responded differently than the modern ones. The old ones were labeled with a red label as I remember.

[Russ Beavis]

Are you trying to simultaneously drive the Spike both forward AND reverse?

If you're trying to drive a motor and you set both FWD and REV, the motor will have both leads driven to battery voltage which means 0V across the motor.

You might need to check the logic in your software since you only be asserting either FWD or REV with this type of application.

Russ

[Alan Anderson]

I expect the relay to go forward, reverse and stop.
it only goes forward and stop, even though the digital sidecar is sending the signal, the spike isn't doing anything.

Please tell us what colors the light on the Spike is showing. Yellow means stop. Green means forward. Red means reverse. Off means both forward and reverse at the same time, which is probably what you're telling it to do when you think you're telling it to go from forward to reverse. It's just like stop, except that both outputs are at battery voltage instead of both being at no voltage.

A Spike has two completely independent relays. Forward and Reverse are not two different states of the same relay. They are separate relays which each can either be on or off. If you want to "go in reverse", you have to turn the reverse relay on while simultaneously turning the forward relay off.

[AustinSchuh]

I don't know the electrical pin out of the SPIKE control signals, but you could take a volt meter out and check to see if it is sending the signal you expect. I would expect that the manual has that information, or someone on CD knows.

[Dan2081]

*sneeze*