i am using the base motor control example to see if the victor is working properly. i have the settings for the module/motor type/pwm channel set up right, and the speed is set to 0. when i run the program the light on the victor should be solid yellow, but it still blinks signifying a loss of data connection error.
i have searched and searched how to fix this and the closest i have come is that we might have to shave some plastic off the pwm that connects to the victor to make a tighter connection. also that we need a 6v jumper but that hasnt helped so far.
so what can be done to fix this? is a jumper needed?
thanks for the help.
No jumper is necessary. Those are for servos only.
The typical cause for this is the PWM cable end that plugs into the Victor easily misses the real connector inside the housing. The pins often slide past instead of going into the connector.
If you do have a servo handy you can verify that the code works through the PWM output (with the jumper in place).
You don’t need a 6v servo power jumper installed unless you are powering a 6v servo on that PWM port.
If the Victor’s light keeps blinking, it means it isn’t getting a PWM signal. That can be because of a wiring problem, with the PWM cable not properly connected at one end or the other. But it can also be because you haven’t enabled the robot.
Have you enabled the robot from the Driver Station?
-When you run your program and probe the motor output value, is it a “0” or is it grayed out? If it’s grayed out that means that portion of your code isn’t running. If you have any other speed controllers or relays are they indicating they are receiving a signal?
-With some PWM cables it is necessary to shave off a piece of plastic from a PWM male end. This is only for the PWM cables that have a piece of plastic sticking out of the main connector housing. You can (kind of) see an example here: http://www.vexrobotics.com/products/accessories/control/3-wire-cables.html
Any other normal PWM cable should not require any modification to be plugged in. If just one is giving me trouble I usually pull it out and make sure that the pins are absolutely straight and re-insert. Take every precaution necessary to ensure you do not short the 5V line to Ground and that the robot can not hurt anyone if it starts running. The most efficient way to do this is to disable your robot, fix your connection, stand back and re-enable. When installing in a Victor, make sure that the orientation is correct (B for Black/Brown == Ground) and it should be pushed in all the way.
Once they are working correctly, we like to hot-glue them in place. This holds them in place and if you must take them out hot-glue is fairly easy to remove. Again, be careful to not melt any wires!