Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

I wouldn't worry too much about the whine.
It's probably just the boost converters.

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

Haven't tried unloading the PDB nor have I tried removing the fuses yet. I'll have to try tomorrow afternoon (~Noonish if people would like to check in.) We have spare PDBs, I would just rather not have to go through and rewire the entire PDB . If it comes down to that being the problem then I might just have to do that.

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

Scott,
Whine in these power supplies is normal although often very low in level. I have to ask what the LEDs on the DSC are doing. Are they all ON (qty 3) at the same brilliance? Does the RSL LED (the one on the DSC board next to the white RSL connector) flash when the robot is enabled? Is the 6 volt LED changing? This is usually metallic debris in the servo output connectors. Do you have any of the 6 volt jumpers installed on speed controller outputs? Do you have any relays connected? What do their LEDs look like?
If all of these appear normal, try removing all inputs and outputs from the DSC and then try installing them one at a time if the DSC appears normal with everything removed.

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

I was interpreting this to mean that you tried swapping out the sidecar (with at least two other sidecars) and it didn't change the symptoms.

Is that a correct understanding, or did you mean something else?

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

Unfortunately, this whine happens to be an audible, high pitched whine.

Battery light generally goes completely off, and the 5v light flickers or simply is on at a very low level. The 6v LED stays fairly strong throughout the operation. RSL LED flashes at it's normal speed, though occasionally doesn't turn on all together.

We don't, or at least shouldn't, have any servo jumpers installed. I'll double check when I get to our facility today.

Will do.

Thank you, all of you, for your help. It is much appreciated.

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

Red flag! Where is the 12 volt input to the Digital Sidecar connected?

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

I'm beside the robot right now. All three, battery 6v and 5v LED, are strong when disabled, but when we enable then the 5v LED goes off or really really dim. RSL appears to have stopped responding.

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

Have you tried just removing the RSL completely, or replacing it? I remember at some event some team this year had damaged/defective RSLs that caused strange things to happen to their digital sidecar.

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

When disabled, the battery light flickers now.

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

The description still sounds like a short that only happens when Enabled.

The Relays and PWM signal lines are the only things that are enabled when you enable the robot, and disabled when the robot is Disabled.
The DIOs & RSL keep doing what they are doing in either state, so no change there.
The DSL itself remains a possibility, since some internal circuits could be shorting too. Have you turned it upside down over a clean cheet of paper and given it a shaking to see if metal dust falls out?

I'd still look at pulling all the PWM and Relay connections.
P.S.
A flickering battery light in Disabled is going to mean a bad power connection.
Use a meter on the 12v power input to the DSL to insure you've got battery voltage at that point when Enabled.

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

I tried running with a different PWM removed each time. Problem not solved. We don't have any relay connections so that can't be it. The DSC still gets a solid 12.something voltage between being enabled and disabled.

EDIT: Also, every few (probably 3 or 4) times we enable, the robot will "jump." Ie. motors will pulse for a moment.

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

You have a second DSL you can hookup just the power and the 37-pin cable (no other connectors) to see if it exhibits the same faults.
Do the upsidedown shake test on the DSL first.

P.S.
I can get servos to jump like that sometimes on Enable. I don't think it's symptomatic of anything in particular.

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

Hooked up a second DSL with just power and DB37, LEDs strong. No fault so far. 30 seconds full operation. Or, at least, as much operation we could get.

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

When you're happy that the DSL alone is not going to fault, keep it Enabled and move your PWN connections over a single one at a time.
wiggle each one to see if you can get it to short of cause a fault.

P.S.
How many PWM connections do you have?
More than 4?

Re: [HELP] Digital Sidecar troubles
 

Alright I'll try that tonight when I'm by the robot again. When you say move them one at a time, do you mean just plug one at a time in or move one, check it works, add another?