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Re: Help tracking down a possible cause for robot disconnects
Couple of things I would be checking, particularly since you mentioned the roboRio lights going out and back. Did the radio fully reboot too (50 seconds or so of dead)?
Check the fuses in the PDB, yellow and red, and make sure they are fully pushed in. If you are pressing on them and your thumb/finger isn't hurting, you aren't pushing hard enough.
Also check the 6ga wiring completely from battery to PDB. There should be zero movement on any connection point (battery terminals, breaker terminals, PDB terminals). Was the correct crimper used on the lugs going into the PDB? Those lugs work amazingly well when crimped properly (they are used in Telecom POPs for just about everything) but terribly when not crimped properly (get the right tool...no vice and a screwdriver for them). My favorite one (personal experience from installing telecom gear for ~17 years) is the Panduit CT-1700.
Do a test on the breaker. Power up and then tap the red button a little. You aren't trying to press it to kill power, but "flick" it a little like you are trying to loosen a stuck needle in a gauge (you know how that always works in the movies). Some breakers are very sensitive and will temp open even though the squeeze switch is still closed and cause a full power cycle.
I ask if both roboRIO and radio rebooted to try to narrow down where to look for potential power problem. If both do, problem is upstream (Battery to PDB). If only one does, problem is local. roboRIO would be fuse & roboRIO power wire. Radio would be fuse, wire to VRM, radio power wire. Make sure all small gauge wires in Weidmullers are clean (no whiskers) and long enough stripped to FULLY engage in the spring (and that the spring works...one of ours failed on the roboRIO CAN terminals).
Many times trying to simulate the motions of real driving just does not cause the failures. It might be something that only happens with movement in a particular direction/velocity change. Maybe have someone look at the wiring that was not present when it was connected. A set of eyes that haven't seen it might be able to spot something that is invisible to someone that knows "there is nothing wrong with it".
Since you say the roboRIO lights go out, including the RSL, without flickering being present, I'm pretty sure you are going to find a "Layer 1" issue (to steal a networking term) and not a brownout issue. Comms normally stay up during brownouts even though movement goes to pot.
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Nate
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