Jaguars are blinking yellow

[Gatekeeper]

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.

[dyanoshak]

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]

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]

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:

// 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]

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.

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by slijin

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]

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]

Originally Posted by ColonelThrtyTwo

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.

[slijin]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

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.

[Matt5893]

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]

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]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

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

Yes.

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

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.

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

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.

Originally Posted by Matt5893

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.

[dyanoshak]

Originally Posted by Ether

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.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by ColonelThrtyTwo

Here's my test code, in Java:

    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]

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.