Victor motor contorls flashing orange

[thvs]

Hi,
Our victor lights are flashing orange. We have changed the victors and the PWM cables and ensured that everything is wired properly. We were thinking that maybe there was something wrong with the sidecar or the program (labview) that caused the victors to flash orange. The robot was running fine a couple of weeks ago, but we rewired everything, and now it won't run.

What colors should the lights be when running properly?
Can we test to see if there is something wrong with the sidecar?
Is there anything we should be watching for when programming in labview regarding the victors?
Is there any reason, other then no PWM signal, for the light to be flashing orange?

Thanks

[Johnbot]

According to the datasheets for both the Victor 888 and Victor 884, the Orange flashing LED represents no PWM, and only no PWM. You should check the direction of the PWM and the slot it is plugged into as well as which slot the code wants it plugged into. Also, you should make sure that the sidecar is fully functional with the power LEDs all green, and make sure that the ribbon cable is fully inserted on both ends.
Edit: From the datasheet:
LED Indicator Status
• Green = Full Forward
• Orange = Neutral/Brake
• Red = Full Reverse
• Flashing Orange = no PWM

[thvs]

Hi,
We have checked and everything seems to be in place. When we calibrate the controls they flash green for 2 seconds, then go back to flashing orange. I don't know if that means anything, but I was thinking that meant that there was nothing wrong with the wiring.

Also we got our robot to move by disabling the safety config in the program for the motor controls, However; I don't think that's the right answer.

[BitTwiddler]

Originally Posted by thvs

Hi,
We have checked and everything seems to be in place. When we calibrate the controls they flash green for 2 seconds, then go back to flashing orange. I don't know if that means anything, but I was thinking that meant that there was nothing wrong with the wiring.

Also we got our robot to move by disabling the safety config in the program for the motor controls, However; I don't think that's the right answer.

That tells me the problem is in the code somewhere. Are you using LabVIEW? Are you periodically setting the motor value (i.e. every 100 ms or so)?

[AllenGregoryIV]

It seems like your program isn't updating the motor values when it's at zero. If you are able to calibrate but than it goes back to flashing orange that probably means motorsafety is killing the outputs for some reason.

If you only update the motor values if the joystick value changes, that might result in this type of problem.

Are you establishing all of them as Victors and not as Jaguars in code?

[thvs]

Originally Posted by AllenGregoryIV

It seems like your program isn't updating the motor values when it's at zero. If you are able to calibrate but than it goes back to flashing orange that probably means motorsafety is killing the outputs for some reason.

If you only update the motor values if the joystick value changes, that might result in this type of problem.

Are you establishing all of them as Victors and not as Jaguars in code?

If the problem is with updating motor values, what needs to be changed in the program?

They are established as victors.

[Tem1514 Mentor]

Hi Tina,

If I recall you are the rookie team that we helped get going at the 610 quick build?

If that's the case my email to you should help. At the present, I really think that either the PWM cable(s) have been unplugged and or you have not enabled the robot.

I hope the email helps.

BTW.
This is a wonderful place to get help, Chief Delphi that is.

[thvs]

Originally Posted by Tem1514 Mentor

Hi Tina,

If I recall you are the rookie team that we helped get going at the 610 quick build?

If that's the case my email to you should help. At the present, I really think that either the PWM cable(s) have been unplugged and or you have not enabled the robot.

I hope the email helps.

BTW.
This is a wonderful place to get help, Chief Delphi that is.

Hi,

We did receive the email, and checked all of the components you stated but the light is still flashing so we are inclined to believe its a programming error. We even had a mechanic and an electrician look at our robot and neither of them could see an error in the wiring.

Do you know of anything we should look for in the program

Thanks

[ehochstein]

Can you post screen-shots of your Begin.vi Teleop.vi and Finish.vi?

[Alan Anderson]

Everything A lot of what you describe is consistent with an improper PWM cable connection. It takes practice to be able to insert a PWM connector into a Victor properly every time. Unplug one and inspect the pins. They should be perfectly straight. If any are bent, it's likely that it wasn't making proper contact.

[rfolea]

Is the dashboard installed, operating and enabled?

LEDs will flash orange until the robot is enabled ... right?

[thvs]

Originally Posted by Wiifi

Can you post screen-shots of your Begin.vi Teleop.vi and Finish.vi?

We have been using the basic code, except in the begin VI we changed the safety config to disabled and the Jaguar to a Victor.

[Tem1514 Mentor]

Does the code deploy without errors?

Can you Enable the robot from the Driver Station?

A screen shot of the Enabled Driver Station will help us solve your problem. Example, either take a digital picture or in Windows use the print screen function and then paste the clipboard into Word and attach the result here.

[thvs]

Begin.docx

Originally Posted by Wiifi

Can you post screen-shots of your Begin.vi Teleop.vi and Finish.vi?

Here is a document with a picture of the vis.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by thvs

Here is a document with a picture of the vis.

Is there a reason you didn't just attach the pictures directly? Embedding them in a Word document requires extra steps on both your end and ours in order for us to see them, and it messes with the aspect ratio and size, making it hard to view them as they were originally captured.

With the exception of disabling the Drive motor safety, it looks like a standard Arcade default robot project. Did you make any changes that aren't shown, perhaps in Periodic Tasks?

Are there any messages on the Drive Station diagnostics display?