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Switzerland
Asked — Edited
Resolved Resolved by DJ Sures!

ARC Freezes And Robot Disconnects

Hello,

I'm building my Ez-Robot from the dev kit EZB4 from one year (yeah I only have a few hours during week-ends). I followed tutorials and all were well, all right with servo motors, camera (It's difficult for me using tracker of objects and colors... so for the next time).
I printed some 3D pieces and I build that.... picture:

User-inserted image


BUT suddenly, for a few days now, maybe a week, nothing works, the ARC software freezes (I did all updates), my robot disconnects and servo motors turn crazy. I need to kill the software from Task Manager in Windows (Windows 10), turn off my Robot, and when I connect it again, the same tragedy comes...

Please I don't know what do do now, I checked my wifi network, changed channel, disconnected a few devices, but always the same scenario.

Maybe you know what occurs.

Thank you.

Luis


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PRO
Synthiam
#1  
You must provide adequate power source for the robot. The AA batteries are not providing enough power and therefore the ezb is browning out.

Use a more capable battery, such as a LiPo Robot Battery 7.4v 1300mAh combined with LiPo Battery Harness

Pretty cool little robot! He'll be happy with adequate power supply
#2  
@DJ

Look more closely, pretty sure that is a LiPo pack.

Do you have any I2C devices on the robot, or defined in your project? If in the project, but not on the robot, delete the controller. If on the robot, check the cabling. ARC will lock up if it tries to communicate to a non-existent I2C device.

Alan
PRO
Canada
#3  
I noticed that you are using third-party servos for pan and tilt, and you seem to have a 7.2V NiMH (or NiCd) 3000mAh battery pack. Are these third party servos rated at 7.2V? You may have damaged them if they are only rated to 6V and there are no voltage regulators connected to them. They could be causing issues if they are damaged.

Otherwise, are you using any I2C controls or polling any analog sensors extremely quick?

*Edit @thetechguru beat me to the I2C question but the battery pack is definitely not LiPo, it's NiMH or NiCd.
#4  
@Alan... actually it is a subc 3000mAh niMh or niCad pack.... At any rate it's probably a power issue as @DJ mentioned...

@Jerimie... yes it looks like one or more 6V micro servos there as well.... And you're right they don't like higher voltages than 6V
PRO
Canada
#5  
Yeah if it's an older NiCd pack it can definitely go flat pretty quick. I have a few of those at home that don't last for very long after being charged due to the memory effect. They are the same as older drill batteries.
#6  
Ah, NiCD. I was looking from my phone so couldn't zoom in. Could tell they weren't AA. Didn't think anyone used NiCD for anything anymore.

Alan
PRO
Canada
#7  
Taking a closer look at it I think it's a Conrad Energy 7.2V NiMH 3000mAh battery pack.
PRO
Synthiam
#8  
Ah - i was on my phone and they looked like AA's. Either way, it may be a brownout if the battery pack is tired. The usage log shows the connection lasts for a few minutes before disconnecting. The voltage on connection is quite high for those servos (reporting EZ-B voltage is 7.705555830).

There's a slight chance it's a programming infinite loop or something.

@luismo70 would you mind posting your myrobot.EZB project here for us to look at?
Switzerland
#9  
Hi, thank you to all for your answers,

battery pack is new, I buyed it on march 2016 here: http://www.conrad.ch/ce/fr/product/206028/Batterie-daccumulateurs-NiMh-Conrad-energy-72-V-3000-mAh-fiche-Tamiya-male/SHOP_AREA_20058

I does not use I2C, just the camera, some servos (4-6V but max range 9V), and 2 leds with pwm, and 2 digital inputs with pull-ups to detect collisions.

I uploaded my robot project to the community, so if you want to see if there is something wrong I will thank you, but it is the first time in one year I have this problem. Sometimes when I use keyboard arrows, it turns just left even if I push forward, right or reverse.

Thank you

Luis
Portugal
#10  
I think that if ARC crashes first, it has to do with your PC (software).
Can u test it in another computer?
PRO
Synthiam
#11  
The EZ-Script manual defines how to use IF/ELSE/ENDIF statements. The syntax you are using will cause runtime errors. For example, in the CHECKBOX LIGHT of the mobile interface.

You have:

Code:


if ($Checkbox == 1) {
  PWM(d4, 50)
}
endif

if ($Checkbox == 0) {
  PWM(d4, 0)
}
endif


It should be...

Code:


if ($Checkbox == 1) 
  PWM(d4, 50)
endif

if ($Checkbox == 0) 
  PWM(d4, 0)
endif


Or more effeciently it should be...

Code:


if ($Checkbox == 1) 
  PWM(d4, 50)
elseif ($Checkbox == 0) 
  PWM(d4, 0)
endif



The EZ-Script manual also states that a servo position must be set before initializing the speed. In your Script Init Servos, you have...

Code:


ServoSpeed(D0,2)
ServoSpeed(D1,2)
ServoSpeed(D12, 1)
Servo(D12, 90)
#ControlCommand( "Script", PareChocs() )


It should be

Code:


Servo(D0, 90)
Servo(D1, 90)
Servo(D12, 90)
ServoSpeed(D0,2)
ServoSpeed(D1,2)
ServoSpeed(D12, 1)
#ControlCommand( "Script", PareChocs() )


Those two should not cause the lockup of ARC. However, there are quite a few reads in PareChocs. I believe it would be incredibly beneficial for you to upgrade to a EZ-B v4/2 Comm Upgrade. It's much faster with reads and will benefit your custom robot. I see you wish to explore navigation and high speed PING reads, the EZ-B v4/2 Comm Upgrade will perfect for that scenario.
Switzerland
#12  
Thank you DJ Sures,

I was sure that the glitch were in my brain , so when I go home, I will try it and for sure I will buy EZ-B v4/2 Comm Upgrade and may be someother parts, if all goes well.
it's a great idea the possibility to change port server so I will control it through internet without open port less than 1023.
Switzerland
#13  
OK, thank you,

my servos are now working well, and when I wrote code for lights it was incorrect, I was coding in C *confused* and the <servo(dx, 90)> solved that in servos init for the movements.

Now, I just have connections problems, when the wifi connection is lost, the software hangs, but I can unlock it by forcing Windows to kill the task, and then I cancel, then the software is responding again.

I will buy a new wifi router connected to my internet modem, a wifi just for my internet things connected (Karotz, Mother, Ez-robot, and soon Mebo and Chip the dog)

When all will work with my ez-robot, I will put it into that toy (if I can):


User-inserted image


I will tell you if my new wifi router will solve my ez-robot disconections

Thank you to all
Luis
#14  
Hey Luis, are you running antivirus software? If so try turning it off. This is the #1 problem with connection issues.

If you haven't already read the WiFi connection trouble shooter tutorial. There are a lot of things you should check first before buying a new router.

Second and third biggest issue is a weak WIFI signal or a crowded channel. However when I first got my first V4 I ended up having to get a new router along with a remote access point (Engenius eap600 access point) to solve my problems. I had a very old and outdated router and my robot is in the basement with the router on the 1st floor. Doing this actually not only solved my EZB connection problems but also enhanced my entire home network. ;)
PRO
Synthiam
#15  
Before you spend too much money on routers and anything else, I recommend the /2 upgrade first.

Also, as Dave mentioned disable anti virus because it has trouble understanding the complex byte level protocol for ezrobot - also the ports.
Switzerland
#16  
Hi all,

Thank you DS Sures, the problem was in my code, I rewrote it with your examples, then I deleted the U.S. radar (waiting for EZB v4/2) and all movement are working well.

I had some wifi disconnections but I have now a different wifi network with a router different that my family uses (we have a lot of internet consumers like tablets, phones...).

I was reading a topic that says if the wifi network channel is too populate it can cause wifi issues.

I can not wait for my EZB v4/2 I orderded with some other parts. Winter is comming and it's time to make robots !

Thank you to all answered me

Luis
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