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Gatekeeper 16-01-2012 12:32
Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
We are a new team this year and just ran into a problem. We just uploaded the java code onto the robot but when we power the whole robot up the jaguars simply blink yellow. We tried olding down the user control button, turning on the jaguars, the lights would blink red and green for 4 seconds and then they would go back to blinking yellow. Any idea on how we can fix the jaguars so that they stay a solid yellow?

Thanks in advance!

jutayo23 16-01-2012 12:38
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
The Jaguars will blink yellow when they don't receive a signal. There could be a few problems here.

Do you have all of them connected to a signal source (PWM or CAN)? Is your code set to give a signal on the correct channels? Did you enable the robot from the driver station?

Hope this helps!

slijin 16-01-2012 13:00
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
What exactly is the "user control" button you cite? If it's the calibration button on the Jaguars, then you're using it in the wrong method. Refer to the Jaguar intro manunal to understand what it does.

Regardless of configuration, if your code initializes the ports the Jaguars are connected to, then the Jaguars should turn solid yellow when you enable the robot.

If you're on PWM, make sure that a)the DS module is in slot 2, b)all three power lights on the DS are active, c)the DB37 has been fixed as per FIRST's directions and is properly connected, d)you are actually generating output signals on the PWM ports the Jaguars are connected to.

If you're on CAN, make sure that a)your serial-RS45 converter has been properly assembled, b)your cables are properly made, c)there is a terminator plug at the end of the system, d)you have configured each Jaguar's firmware, and e)you are using the correct CAN IDs.

Gatekeeper 16-01-2012 13:15
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
I believe we are using PWM, that would be the brown, red, and orange cabled that hook up to them right?

AS well does this also initiate the Jaguars?

RobotDrive drive = new RobotDrive(1, 2);

We also have the Black Jaguars and the user button is on the right side of them, it is a small hole labeled with "USER"

jutayo23 16-01-2012 13:27
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Sorry, I'm unable to help you with your code since our team uses LabVIEW, but from your description, it does sound like you're using PWM. Also, there shouldn't be a need to use the USER button on the jaguars. Holding down the button for 4 seconds will reset the Jaguars to the default factory state, which shouldn't be necessary. I would recommend checking all of the things that were mentioned before and see if any of those fix your problem.

dyanoshak 16-01-2012 14:16
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jutayo23 (Post 1106894)
Holding down the button for 4 seconds will reset the Jaguars to the default factory state, which shouldn't be necessary.
That isn't correct. Holding the button for 5 seconds will put the Jaguar in calibration mode.

To reset the Jaguar, you need to hold down the button while turning it on. You will see the Jaguar blink red and green as it turns on if you have reset it successfully. I would recommend resetting the Jaguar just in case you accidentally recalibrated it when previously pressing the button.

As stated before, slowly blinking yellow means the Jaguar is not receiving signal. Double check all of your PWM cables and make sure they are in the correct orientation. Look for labeling on your digital sidecar and raised lettering over the SERVO port on the Jaguar:
S: Signal (usually white or orange)
+: Power (usually red)
-: Ground (usually black or brown)
Once the wiring checks out the next thing to check would be the Enabled state of your robot. If the robot isn't enabled by your driver's station (the classmate PC) the cRIO will not send signals to the Jaguars.

Many helpful documents can be found at www.ti.com/jaguar, including the 2012 Jaguar FAQ. They may help save some time when troubleshooting problems.

-David

slijin 16-01-2012 14:21
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Yes, those are the PWM cables. Do note that brown-red-orange is not the only color coding scheme for PWM cables (white-red-black, yellow-red-black, and yellow-red-orange are also accepted standards). Keep in mind that the USER button is the calibration button, and for your purposes (or at least your current ones) you should not be playing with this button. Messinig up the calibration will have serious effects on motor control and hamper troubleshooting.

Furthermore, that line of code does not initialize the Jaguars, but rather creates a RobotDrive object that will allow you to do so. See this edited sample code from the Getting Started Guide to Java:

Code:
public class RobotTemplate extends SimpleRobot {
  RobotDrive drive = new RobotDrive(1, 2);
  Joystick leftStick = new Joystick(1);
  Joystick rightStick = new Joystick(2);

  public void operatorControl() {
    while (isOperatorControl() && isEnabled()) // loop during enabled teleop mode
    {
      drive.tankDrive(leftStick, rightStick); // drive with the joysticks
      Timer.delay(0.005);
    }
  }
}
Emphasis mine. Of course, your code may be different, but keep in mind that simply creating drive does not generate a Jaguar signal, because you haven't created a signal source. The highlighted code above does that.

Gatekeeper 16-01-2012 14:32
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Yes we have the java code all set up like that for operating. We had the jaguars off, held the user button on the jaguar and then turned the jaguar on to do a factor reset. So we reset the jaguars but they are still blinking yellow.

jutayo23 16-01-2012 14:32
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
@dyanoshak, sorry, I wasn't clear with my response. I left out powering on the Jaguar with the button pressed. The correct instructions on how to reset the Jaguar to factory default settings are:
Quote:
  1. Power off the Jaguar.
  2. Press and hold the user button.
  3. Continue to hold down the user button and power up the Jaguar. The status LED will flash red and green.
  4. After about 4 seconds, the status LED will flash orange. Release the user button.
This can also be found on http://www.ti.com/mcu/docs/mcuorphan...ther+OT+jaguar

dyanoshak 16-01-2012 14:57
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Also, check to make sure that your ribbon cable was assembled correctly. See this document from the FIRST website: DB37 Ribbon Cable Assembly Rework Instructions

This was posted in the team updates, be sure to follow them!

Gatekeeper 16-01-2012 15:01
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Yes the DB37 cable is fixed properly the jaguars still continue to blink yellow though. We just reimaged the cRIO and updated the java code with the sample project that slijin just posted, but still no fix the the jaguars

ColonelThrtyTwo 16-01-2012 15:18
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
I'm having this issue as well. We are using the cables that came with last year's robot (the circular ones, not the ribbon cables), so I don't think that's the issue.

Here's my test code, in Java:

Code:
// Image version: v43
public class RobotMain extends SimpleRobot
{
    Jaguar jag = new Jaguar(2,1); // Module 2, channel 1
    public void autonomous() {}

    public void operatorControl()
    {
        System.out.println("Running...");
        while(isEnabled() && isOperatorControl())
        {
            jag.set(1);
            Timer.delay(0.005);
        }
        System.out.println("Stopping...");
        jag.set(0);
    }
}
The robot prints Running and Stopping over the netconsole as it should, but the Jaguar doesn't receive any signals. The status light works, so I don't think that there is cRIO <-> Digital Sidecar communication issues. I've checked the wiring numerous times and don't see anything wrong with it; the white wire connects to the signal ports on both, red to voltage, black to ground. I can't think of anything else we could be doing wrong...

slijin 16-01-2012 15:47
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
At this point, what I would do is take a PWM signal generator and plug that straight into the Jaguar and see what happens then. I'll assume you don't have something like that on hand, however, so here are your options right now:

Swap out the Jaguar for something else that has been proven to work, such as a Victor or servo (in the case of the servo, remember to toss a jumper on the pins next to the PWM output). If it still doesn't work*, try switching the PWM channel, e.g. from 1 to 10, or if possible, use a channel that has been proven to work (in Colonel's case, try using an output from last year's DS). In my experience, there are rare occasions where, for some unknown reason, a DS output will not work, and using a different output channel will remedy the situation.

*By work, you should also ensure that the response varies with respect to input - i.e. for a Victor, turn green on forward and red on backwards.

If you have a multimeter available, measure the voltage (DCv) across the black and red pins (center and darkest color) at the Jaguar's end of the PWM; the reading should be +-5V (the reading should only be negative if you're reading voltage backwards).

Another approach you could attempt is setting up the serial-RS45 connector and attempting to configure the Jaguars themselves. If this fails (assuming you've done the process correctly) - you'll be able to tell if some Jaguars respond and others don't, or if you've followed every step to the letter and none of them respond - then it's a possibility that your Jaguars themselves are bad, in which case you'll need a replacement.

In short, what you want to do is isolate the problem by removing each and every variable from the problem - use stuff that you know works, so that it becomes a controlled variable.

dyanoshak 16-01-2012 16:16
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ether (Post 1107040)
What is the point of this measurement?
The center power pin is not used by the Jag, is it?
Correct, the Jaguar doesn't use the center power pin. I believe the Victor doesn't either since they both have the same scheme for the servo input.

Joe Ross 16-01-2012 16:26
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by slijin (Post 1107015)
If you have a multimeter available, measure the voltage (DCv) across the black and red pins (center and darkest color) at the Jaguar's end of the PWM; the reading should be +-5V (the reading should only be negative if you're reading voltage backwards).
Are you sure about this? I think you will only have a voltage on the center pin if you install the jumper on the digital sidecar.

ColonelThrtyTwo 16-01-2012 16:46
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Thanks for the feedback.

I've tried moving the Jag from channel one to channel five, with no luck. I've also replaced the Jag with a Victor and the digital sidecar with a brand new one as well as the one we used on our last years robot, with no results. The voltage between the power and ground pins was zero in all of our tests. I don't have a PWM generator or a serial cable.

Another thing: our driver station says that the battery voltage is zero volts. Don't know if that has anything to do with it or not. Don't have a cable to our analog breakout yet.

slijin 16-01-2012 16:50
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Ross (Post 1107059)
Are you sure about this? I think you will only have a voltage on the center pin if you install the jumper on the digital sidecar.
I had always been under the impression that the jumper served some other purpose, but I distinctly recall measuring voltage when troubleshooting outputs my freshman year, though I could be mistaken. I'll be sure to confirm when I go into the lab tomorrow.

slijin 16-01-2012 17:01
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ColonelThrtyTwo (Post 1107070)
Thanks for the feedback.

I've tried moving the Jag from channel one to channel five, with no luck. I've also replaced the Jag with a Victor and the digital sidecar with a brand new one as well as the one we used on our last years robot, with no results. The voltage between the power and ground pins was zero in all of our tests. I don't have a PWM generator or a serial cable.

Another thing: our driver station says that the battery voltage is zero volts. Don't know if that has anything to do with it or not. Don't have a cable to our analog breakout yet.
If the system on last year's robot is fully functional, prop it up on bricks, switch one of the motor controllers out for the Jag in question, and try to run it. If this fails, then it's almost definitely the Jag.

You don't need a serial cable to tether to the Jaguar, just a computer with a serial port (or a USB-to-serial converter). The 1st item on the 10th page (listed as the DB9/RJ12 converter, although I believe assembly is required) of the KoP checklist and a cable to connect to the Jag is all you need. Download the BDC-COMM interface from TI to do so.

Matt5893 16-01-2012 19:51
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
We had this same issue, and I don't know if someone on the thread already said this, but make sure the inputs for the cRIO are in the correct slots

slot 1: analog

slot 2: digital

slot 3: solenoid

Once put it in slot 2 the jaguars were responding. Hope this helps!

Alan Anderson 17-01-2012 11:18
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Two silly questions, but I haven't seen them answered yet:

1) Do you have power to the Digital Sidecar? Make sure the BATT, +5V, and +6V LEDs are all lit.

2) Have you enabled the robot from the Driver Station as suggested in the very first response? Only after the robot has been enabled will the Jaguars be receiving a PWM signal and stop their flashing.

Not-so-silly question: What is the Robot Signal Light doing? Either the big amber light plugged in to the RSL pins on the Digital Sidecar, or the little green LED next to those pins. If it's off, there's a wiring issue, most likely either power or cabling to the cRIO DIO module. If it's blinking quickly, the robot has not established communication with the Driver Station. If it's blinking slowly, the robot is communicating but disabled. When the robot is enabled, it will be on steady with a very brief flicker off every second or two.

ColonelThrtyTwo 17-01-2012 16:42
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Anderson (Post 1107652)
1) Do you have power to the Digital Sidecar? Make sure the BATT, +5V, and +6V LEDs are all lit.
Yes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Anderson (Post 1107652)
2) Have you enabled the robot from the Driver Station as suggested in the very first response? Only after the robot has been enabled will the Jaguars be receiving a PWM signal and stop their flashing.
Yes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Anderson (Post 1107652)
Not-so-silly question: What is the Robot Signal Light doing? Either the big amber light plugged in to the RSL pins on the Digital Sidecar, or the little green LED next to those pins. If it's off, there's a wiring issue, most likely either power or cabling to the cRIO DIO module. If it's blinking quickly, the robot has not established communication with the Driver Station. If it's blinking slowly, the robot is communicating but disabled. When the robot is enabled, it will be on steady with a very brief flicker off every second or two.
It is acting normally, in that it is slowly flashing when disabled and mostly on when enabled.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt5893 (Post 1107194)
We had this same issue, and I don't know if someone on the thread already said this, but make sure the inputs for the cRIO are in the correct slots

slot 1: analog

slot 2: digital

slot 3: solenoid

Once put it in slot 2 the jaguars were responding. Hope this helps!
Yea, it's in slot 2. The imaging tool bugged us about this, so we re-ordered the modules and all of them should be in the correct positions.

Alan Anderson 17-01-2012 22:40
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ColonelThrtyTwo (Post 1107004)
Here's my test code, in Java:

Code:
    Jaguar jag = new Jaguar(2,1); // Module 2, channel 1
...I can't think of anything else we could be doing wrong...
And now I see it. This year, the module numbers don't represent which slot the module is installed in. The first analog module is #1, and the first digital module is #1, and the first solenoid module is #1. You're telling the code to control something on the second digital module, which is probably not what you want it to do.

Roceres 18-01-2012 00:10
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
I am having a similar issue, but I am using Labview - there's a yellow light on Jaguar and putting a meter on the signal pin there seems to be no pwm signal. To test the motors and the Jaguar I ran one of the FRC examples provided in the help menu. It looks like everything is connected properly; I have also fixed my DB37 cable. I have not connected the Robot Signal light and not sure how that plays a role.

To eliminate the Jaguar as an issue, we connected up a simple servo to the side-car and ran the simple Labview Servo example - we got the same results. It seems we are getting no PWM signal from the digital side car.

DavidGitz 18-01-2012 00:17
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roceres (Post 1108197)
...
Besides following all the troubleshooting steps in this thread, make sure that in LabView you are referencing the Digital Module #1. Module != Slot.

The Robot Signal Light (or RSL) is a useful tool for troubleshooting. As Alan stated earlier, check to make sure the RSL itself (when installed) or the LED's on the Digital SideCar are blinking correctly as referenced in his comment.

Roceres 18-01-2012 16:50
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
I will look at the RSL this weekend when our team meets. This is the Blink Pattern I found from a post from last year. Is this correct?

* Fast Blink = cRIO not communicating with Driver Station
* Slow Blink = disabled
* Short on/long-off Blink = either low battery or no code & disabled
* Long on/short off blink = Teleop mode
* Solid on = Autonomous mode

In addition, is it necessary to have the driver station operating? We haven't installed it yet and thought it was unnecessary if we weren't running the entire robot, just the simple servo or motor examples provided. If we need the driver station, are the disable/enable buttons on the driver station display disabling the PWMs somehow through the digital sidecar? That could explain our problem.

ColonelThrtyTwo 18-01-2012 17:01
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Anderson (Post 1108100)
And now I see it. This year, the module numbers don't represent which slot the module is installed in. The first analog module is #1, and the first digital module is #1, and the first solenoid module is #1. You're telling the code to control something on the second digital module, which is probably not what you want it to do.
Ah thanks for that, this solved it.

Joe Ross 18-01-2012 20:27
Re: Jaguars are blinking yellow
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roceres (Post 1108536)
In addition, is it necessary to have the driver station operating? We haven't installed it yet and thought it was unnecessary if we weren't running the entire robot, just the simple servo or motor examples provided. If we need the driver station, are the disable/enable buttons on the driver station display disabling the PWMs somehow through the digital sidecar? That could explain our problem.
Yes it is necessary to use the driver station and enable. All outputs are disabled unless the driver station is communicating with the robot and enabled.


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