NI 9472 Module No Lights Please Help

[jawebste]

We have no lights on our 9472 module any more. We switched to our backup and it has no lights. We tried both modules on our 2012 bot and they do not light up on that cRIO either. Are there any methods for repairing or troubleshooting this module? Should we be troubleshooting the cRIO? As a starting point yes we had it in the third slot. We re-imaged with each module in the 3rd slot. Then we repeated for each module in the 4th slot.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jean-Ann

[Mark McLeod]

Did you check your solenoid code?
The code has to energize the solenoid to get the lights.

You can try:

1. Test Mode from the Driver Station
2. Enable the robot
3. Go to the Dashboard Test tab
4. Look for the Solenoid entries
5. highlight "value" and you'll get a control at the bottom of the Test tab window that turns the solenoid on/off.

[jawebste]

Testing!

[C.I.S.]

We have the same problem. When we ran the test diagnostic the "0" on Port 3 lit up when it was in forward and the "1" when in reverse but when we tried to run it with the joystick none of the lights lit up. PLEASE HELP!

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by C.I.S.

We have the same problem. When we ran the test diagnostic the "0" on Port 3 lit up when it was in forward and the "1" when in reverse but when we tried to run it with the joystick none of the lights lit up. PLEASE HELP!

Then that means it is a code problem.

Post your code vi where you set the solenoid.

[jawebste]

When we hold the forward and reverse buttons in the test with the value highlighted, the 9472 lights light up to the corresponding relay port on the breakout board, but no lights or actuation of the related solenoid.

We have set our values in teleop based on your team's Double Solenoid example.

[C.I.S.]

Here's our code in attachments
Photo.JPG --- Begin VI
Photo(2).JPG --- Teleop VI
Photo(3).jpg --- Finish VI

We followed a LabVIEW picture for coding a Double Solenoid. We believe now that our problem may be that we coded for a Double Solenoid when we actually have a Single Solenoid but we didnt know if that would make a difference on whether or not the crio lights would light up.

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by jawebste

When we hold the forward and reverse buttons in the test with the value highlighted, the 9472 lights light up to the corresponding relay port on the breakout board, but no lights or actuation of the related solenoid.

We have set our values in teleop based on your team's Double Solenoid example.

Jean-Ann first since this is her thread.
So two problems then?

1) The solenoid valve isn't reacting to the commands being sent to it?

Since Test works it's probably the wiring somewhere between the Solenoid Breakout and the solenoid valve.

• Is the power light on the Solenoid Breakout bright green?
• Is the power wired directly to the Solenoid Breakout 12v or 24v?
• Is the solenoid valve coil(s) labeled 12v or 24v and do they match the voltage you wired to the Solenoid Breakout?
• Are the red Solenoid wires connected to the outer pin (and ground connected to the inner pin on the Breakout port?

2) The code isn't lighting the Solenoid Module status lights when it should. (The Test means your Open is fine.)

• Copy the Solenoid name box used for the Open in Begin.vi and paste it into Teleop to replace the one you have there now.
• It may just be a leading space in the Teleop name that makes the name different than that used in Begin to create it.

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by C.I.S.

We followed a LabVIEW picture for coding a Double Solenoid. We believe now that our problem may be that we coded for a Double Solenoid when we actually have a Single Solenoid but we didnt know if that would make a difference on whether or not the crio lights would light up.

You'll need to code for a single solenoid for the code to work properly.
Something like this:


Check your solenoid too for 12v vs 24v and make sure the voltage matches the power you've wired into your Solenoid Breakout.

[C.I.S.]

Yes! Thank you. We coded for the single solenoid and the lights lit up via the joystick buttons.

[jawebste]

So two problems then?
1) The solenoid valve isn't reacting to the commands being sent to it?
Since Test works it's probably the wiring somewhere between the Solenoid Breakout and the solenoid valve.

• Is the power light on the Solenoid Breakout bright green?
• Is the power wired directly to the Solenoid Breakout 12v or 24v?
• Is the solenoid valve coil(s) labeled 12v or 24v and do they match the voltage you wired to the Solenoid Breakout?
• Are the red Solenoid wires connected to the outer pin (and ground connected to the inner pin on the Breakout port?

2)
The code isn't lighting the Solenoid Module status lights when it should. (The Test means your Open is fine.)

• Copy the Solenoid name box used for the Open in Begin.vi and paste it into Teleop to replace the one you have there now.
• It may just be a leading space in the Teleop name that makes the name different than that used in Begin to create it.

[/quote]

Thanks
Yes, two problems
1)a yes b yes c yes d no, we reversed and all solenoids operate in test and lit respectively. Therefore we did not change anything related to the second suggestions, but did verify the values matched. I don't think the other step would have fixed the problem if our references were not matching.

But, only one controller "talked" to the robot so we doubled checked those references and sure enough the non-responsive controller had a reference in teleop that didn't match begin. We are now driving, thank you so much.

[Mark McLeod]

Good news.
I hope your robot is almost ready for bagging.

[jawebste]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

Good news.
I hope your robot is almost ready for bagging.

Yes it was. And we are bagged and all the students have gone home.

But we ran into an interesting situation after we thought that we solved our problem. We actually had to set a value of the solenoid in the begin with a Solenoid Set VI. We didn't see that spelled out anywhere, but the "white arrow" (I tell the kids that's happy code) was displayed and with that code deployed we could repeatedly fire our shooter and grab for the end game. Both use double SMC Solenoids. Without the initial set, we could not consistently make either double solenoid reverse. Maybe this is spelled out somewhere but we missed that memo.

Thanks for all your help and I hope your bag day is going well.

[Mark McLeod]

Yea, we do have to set an initial position with the double solenoids, since they stay in the last place they were left.

We still have a full room with 2 hours remaining. We'll start padding potential bag snags and wrapping it up around 11:30.

I'll be glad to relax for a day or two.