So our first year using neos and something is definitely wrong. The gears are fine but it seems like our neo is skipping? It’s making a horrible sound when we run and its very jerky like. Any ideas?
Is you encoder cable plugged in completely? If the encoder cable is not connected properly it can do that.
2 Likes
will double check thanks!
Try using shorter mounting screws, or washers between the screw and plate. Sometimes screws that are too long can contact internal components and inhibit motion.
2 Likes
Just curious, what gear are you using on that NEO? That looks like a VEX 20DP gear and I’m curious to know the bore of the gear.
Yeah, it could be that that’s skipping, instead of the neo
It’s probably a 1/2 hex bore gear with one of these on it.
2 Likes
If you’re running a PID that could be instructing the neo to jerk back and forth due to being untuned
1 Like
Also depends on the speed you are running the motor at. One of our NEOs was making horrible sounds at low rpm but is fine when going faster. As explained to me by a mentor, it has to do with brushless motors at slow speeds almost stalling while trying to run. Idk if I’ve explained it well but apparently brushless motors don’t like very slow speeds
1 Like
Yes, Matt is correct. It’s a hex adapter on a VEX 20dp gear, at a 1:2 upduction.
Would perhaps switching to belts help? I noticed some teams have been using belts, and have heard it helps reduce noise. I don’t think it’s a connection issue with the NEO/SPARK since it was working before, but we have rewired it so we can check that again.
hi @EliszabethVan there are a couple things that are worth trying to isolate the problem.
First thing I would do is spin the mechanism by hand to make sure that everything is moving smooth. I would be concerned about the way you have the gears meshed as there are no plates or direct connections tightly constraining the center to center distance. At speed or torque, this might be a problem.
Next I would take the gear off of the motor and make sure the motor spins freely under no load. There are a number of things that can be happening, but making sure things work without load eliminates variables to debug.
We have troubleshooting guide for SPARK MAX and NEO located here if you want to test the motor. http://www.revrobotics.com/spark-max-troubleshooting-guide/
If you can’t solve the problem using our guides feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
7 Likes
Have you stalled the Neos out for a prolonged period of time? We have damaged some of ours in a similar manner by stalling them with no current limit.
We had a similar issue and it turned out to be a faulty CAN connection. Have you tried checking to make sure all your CAN wiring is secure?
We are trying that. I’ll let you know if it works
You could also try running the NEO through the Spark MAX client. If the issue persists, then you can rule out CAN being an issue.
Thank you for the information Mr. Needel! Your advice is much appreciated. We have tested and fixed the issue at least for the mean time.
1 Like
No, we have only been test running it for about 10 second durations.
Yes 20DP gears from vex
Neo’s have a steep drop in efficiency after a higher level RPM. (.75+) so there are possibilities that it can smoke out or stall at these high speed and it can happen in slower speed. being around 0.5-.65 can help some of these issues.