Connected to robot, no function?

[TPNigl]

So recently we have been trying to get our old test bot up and running to practice some things on before our next comp.

The problem is that our cRIO is not working properly. Originally, when we first tested our main bot for this year with the new cRIO, it didn't work. So instead of figuring out the problem, the team just took last year's and put it on. Now we're stuck with the old one on the test bot.

We reimaged to what was at the time the newest image (v28) and established comms and everything with the testbot. However, when we jiggled the joysticks, trying to get it run, there was nothing. The lights were flashing on the jaguars. However all we did for code to try to get it running was a simple robotIterative with just calling the 4 drive jaguars, the 4 joysticks we had hooked up, and the robotDrive.

We have our last meeting before our next event this Thursday and I've been brainstorming what the problem could be. So far I have come up with

- Check connections to digital sidecar
- Upload code from last year (maybe there are certain things that aren't being called)
- If that doesnt work, unplug all joysticks except two and unplug all things from sidecar except pwm's for drive motors.
- vacuum cRIO

Do you guys have any other possible ideas/solutions? It would be very helpful! Thank you!

[Mark McLeod]

Blinking Jags aren't related to the joysticks, so don't let that distract you.
First step is to get the Jag lights to go solid, meaning they are communicating with the DSC and cRIO and the cRIO is Enabled.

It'll be either electrical or programming.
Using a simple 4 motor drive should reduce the possibility that it's the code.
Just make sure the PWMs match up to the Jag connections. The only code problem that causes the Jags to blink is Disabled or failure to Open the corresponding PWM output.

Electrical checks

• Communication: DS Communication & Robot Code lights green and robot Enabled.
• Power: Digital Sidecar status lights all on strongly, cRIO status light green
• DSC Connectivity: RSL long on/short off blink for Teleop. Check the 37-pin cable connections at both ends for bent pins. Check the cRIO Digital Module connector to the cRIO chassis for bent pins or metal dust/shards. You can try the alternate slot 6 to see if the module connection has a problem (have to update the code though).
• Jag Connectivity: check the pwm connections for correct polarity. Check to see they are seated correctly. With 4 of them I doubt you have 4 bad PWM cables.

Vaccuming is good. Do it with the DSC too.

[slijin]

You should also write some basic skeleton code (take the RobotDrive template and give it some port numbers to use) so that you can completely eliminate programming as a cause, then isolate the electrical issue. I've nothing to add to what Mark suggested for checks though.