This problem popped up after we returned from the Seattle regionals.
Anytime the joystick is moved to move the drive motors, the robot controller will reset itself, often before the wheels even start turning, so I’m quite certain it’s not some sort of jarring issue.
Strangely enough, moving the motor for the arm does not present the same problem.
I’ve tested and swapped breakers, and those seem to be in working order.
Pretty much stumped on this; any help would be greatly appreciated.
The first thing I’d check is that the batteries you’re using are properly charged. If the voltage supplied drops below +9VDC, approximately, the RC will reset.
Hmm. Other than this, I’m not sure what to think.
Dude, your battery is dead. We had the same thing happen. The drive motors draw much more than the arm motor and will cause a big voltage drop which causes the RC to reset. Leave the battery on an automatic charger overnight or use a manual charger and watch the gauge.
If your battery is good and charged…
Turn off all power. tip the robot on it’s side and try and move the wheels by hand. A trashed gear box can give you the same type of response (the controller can reset before the CB trips).
Assuming you have tried everything mentioned above and still have a problem. I would think about the joystick - it may have a short or a loose connection. Try another joystick. Inspect the port on the OI.
like everyone else has pretty much said, charge the battery, check the joystick to see if theres a short. And check to make sure the oi pins on the comp port or any port are not damaged, you could have a short also somewheres in your bot thats causing a chrge to build up and create an impulse to the comp port. Also take a voltmeter and make sure you are getting flow to the motor, then you will definitly know if it is an electrical or mechanical problem… Other then that blame the programmer (j/k).
~Mike
P.S.~ the prgramming joke is that if its not mechanical then its got to be programmings issue…
*Originally posted by dez250 *
**…Other then that blame the programmer (j/k).
~MikeP.S.~ the prgramming joke is that if its not mechanical then its got to be programmings issue… **
Don’t blame the programmer! It sounds like you’re having a short circuit or something similar. Just get the multimeter out and start poking around.
MOVE THE RADIO!!!
That was our HUGE problem this year!! We found out where we mounted the radio on the robot caused a huge RF interference problem which led to us doing the same exact thing at NYC this year!!
Move the radio!!
If that doesn’t work… rebuild the robot!! lol
*Originally posted by Matt Krass *
**Don’t blame the programmer! It sounds like you’re having a short circuit or something similar. Just get the multimeter out and start poking around. **
thats what i was poking fun at…yeah like matt said, just strt probing the bot with a multimeter and see if the readings you get back are normal, if they arent, then you found the problem(s).
~Mike
It sounds like you may have a short somewhere after a speed controller. As mentioned earlier, it might be posible that a short in the leads between a motor and a speed controller could draw enough current to drop the system voltage beyond the RC reset point before a breaker has time to trip. What happens if you only push the stick forward slightly? Check the resistance between the motor terminals and the M+ and M- terminals of the speed controlers to the V+ and V- terminals. What are they?
[EDITED TO CORRECT MY DUMBNESS.]
*Originally posted by Rickertsen2 *
Disconnect the motor leads from their speed controller and touch them directly to a battery. This will rule out the motor and drive train.
DON’T DO THIS! If there is a short and if it is in the motor (which is definitely possible), you will be causing a direct short across the battery terminals with no circuit breaker/fuse in between for protection! In addition to probably welding the motor leads to the battery, you can damage the battery, the motor, and even possibly start a fire.
*Originally posted by Rickertsen2 *
** Disconnect the motor leads from their speed controller and touch them directly to a battery. This will rule out the motor and drive train. **
Don’t do that at all!!! With in doing that, you will not only happen to ruin the motor or battery, but if there is a shirt in the motor, this is the same thing as just placing a solid wire across two battery terminals, that will cause a short. Also with a short circuit on a battery directly, this can cause the battery to have too much current flowing through it and will cause the battery to most likely explode and or ignite on fire… Common physics and electrics never make a direct connection across a battery without a breaker or an output with resistance in series.
~Mike
Don’t do that at all!!! With in doing that, you will not only happen to ruin the motor or battery, but if there is a shirt in the motor, this is the same thing as just placing a solid wire across two battery terminals, that will cause a short. Also with a short circuit on a battery directly, this can cause the battery to have too much current flowing through it and will cause the battery to most likely explode and or ignite on fire… Common physics and electrics never make a direct connection across a battery without a breaker or an output with resistance in series.
I have done this before besides a little bit of sparks nothing really was destroyed. The only time you risk destroying a battery from hooking it up to a motor is if you stall the motor. Then again stalling the motor is just as likely to destroy the motor before the battery. It seems very hard to make an SLA acid battery explode. I have read horror stories about people abusing there batteries and all the battery would do is stink, and expand a lot.
*Originally posted by Adam Y. *
**I have done this before besides a little bit of sparks nothing really was destroyed. The only time you risk destroying a battery from hooking it up to a motor is if you stall the motor. Then again stalling the motor is just as likely to destroy the motor before the battery. It seems very hard to make an SLA acid battery explode. I have read horror stories about people abusing there batteries and all the battery would do is stink, and expand a lot. **
That’s assuming the motor is in good working order. If it’s shorted internally (if the brushes shomehow fell off and landed in the wrong place, etc), it’s virtually the same as connecting a wire between the two terminals. Yes, the sparks are very pretty, but it really isn’t worth it…
That’s assuming the motor is in good working order. If it’s shorted internally (if the brushes shomehow fell off and landed in the wrong place, etc), it’s virtually the same as connecting a wire between the two terminals. Yes, the sparks are very pretty, but it really isn’t worth it…
You really can not blow up a SLA battery. I have read quite a few posts where people have accidently shorted out there SLA’s and all the end up doing is expanding.
*Originally posted by Dave Flowerday *
**DON’T DO THIS! If there is a short and if it is in the motor (which is definitely possible), you will be causing a direct short across the battery terminals with no circuit breaker/fuse in between for protection! In addition to probably welding the motor leads to the battery, you can damage the battery, the motor, and even possibly start a fire. **
Good Point! I TAKE WHAT I SAID BACK. Use an ohmeter or inductance meter instead (im not sure what the readings for these motors should be around, but im sure someone on these forums can tell you. If there is in fact a short BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN. (I normally test motors with a current limited bench power supply and i guess something didn’t click in my head about using a battery instead!:() sorry. I feel really stupid now.
Good Point! I TAKE WHAT I SAID BACK. Use an ohmeter or inductance meter instead (im not sure what the readings for these motors should be around, but im sure someone on these forums can tell you. If there is in fact a short BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN. (I normally test motors with a current limited bench power supply and i guess something didn’t click in my head about using a battery instead!) sorry.
That is odd my books tell me you can’t measure resistance of a motor using an ohmeter. I really do not know why though. Try getting a few D alkaline batteries or a regulated power supply.
*Originally posted by Rickertsen2 *
** I feel really stupid now. **
dont, you noticed your mistake and isnt that what first is all about, a learning experience? Well yeah like adam said a regulated power supply should work since normally they have a fuse or a breaker on them so you really cant hurt yourself, but safest thing now is to probe with a multimeter and see if readings are strange.
~Mike
*Originally posted by Adam Y. *
**Try getting a few D alkaline batteries or a regulated power supply. **
The D battery thing most likely won’t work. I’ve tried runing a window motor all by itself that way and it didn’t even budge. Even though it’s a D, it just can’t supply the current of a 12V SLA.
The power supply might work but it’s got to be good enough to supply the current needed.
*Originally posted by Adam Y. *
**You really can not blow up a SLA battery. I have read quite a few posts where people have accidentally shorted out there SLA’s and all the end up doing is expanding. **
yes the smell that is present there is the chemical reaction that shouldn’t happen inside most likely eating the plastic shell, its a reduction reaction… that can be very bad. also the expansion is the force created by the extra reactions that is the same thing as an explosion, just not as much force, which causes the expansion. and if it did crack you could have a caustic mess in the area where it leaked. Don’t short out any battery, electricity may be fun to mess with, until you get zapped and/or injured.
~Mike