
ToasterBoy
Got my EZB kit today and I'm very excited. All I want to do for now is see a servo move.
I've followed the setup instructions. Upgraded the firmware. And now I'm following the steps to just get a standard horizontal servo moving.
The problem is I can only connect on COM3. There is a COM4 option but it won't ever connect to that one.
COM3 will connect but as soon as I start to assign the servo it loses connection.
I'm a Mac/Apple guy using a borrowed PC to try this out. It's running Windows 7 Home premium. It's got 8GB of RAM and has a 2.5GHZ intel i5-2450m CPU. The bluetooth installer looked the same as the video.
The only differences I've noticed from the video are it won't connect to the second port at all and in the tutorial it says you'll find ARC in the Add Device menu but it was called 'livnor' instead. Also, when going to update the firmware it would not connect on COM4, the second option as DJ mentions in the tutorial. It would say the write timed out. But with COM3 (option 1) it connected perfectly.
Any thoughts as to why the connection keeps dropping? Thanks! As I said I just want to see a servo move from my control!
I'm still having no luck connecting and making it work, unfortunately. It's not an 'out of range' problem because the EZB is inches away from the laptop and the laptop is less than a year old, so I think it's in good shape.
Now I can't even get it to connect.
I tried re-pairing it with bluetooth by deleting the old device and re-pairing it with the computer. Also unplugged and plugged back in the EZB. It picked up and this time it said the device was ARC, so that's good. Got it re-paired successfully and then opened the software and it said my firmware was out of date.
I closed the software, reopened the Firmware update and could connect to COM3, but then it gave me an error and disconnected from the EZB.
Not sure what's happening.
Most of the time when it was connected as a bluetooth device, but not able to connect through the software, there's no red light on the EZB (which is, I believe, as it should be) but the blue light just pulses slowly. Is that correct? From the tutorials I thought it was supposed to remain on unless it was receiving commands.
Sorry to be such a noob, but for whatever reason (probably user error), this isn't working for me as it does in the videos.
Little more info here that hopefully will shed some light on what I'm doing wrong.
Here's the common problem:
Plug in EZB
Open Software
Connect Board 0 to COM3
Got to Add Device
By the time my finger leaves the trackpad after selecting 'Horizontal Servo' the EZB is disconnected.
So I Remove the device from Bluetooth and repair it. Most of the time it won't take, so I unplug and replug in the EZB just to be sure. Finally, after several attempts I was able to get it re-paired.
But then I just got back into the same cycle as above.
Checked the info on the COMs
COM3 - Outgoing - EZ-Robot 'Dev B'
COM4 - Incoming - EZ-Robot
I know on the site here it says to make sure to use the standard Windows Bluetooth and by everything I can see, I am. I checked the System Bluetooth settings and info. THey read as:
HARDWARE
Standard serial over bluetooth link (COM3)
DEVICE FUnction
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Status: Device Working Properly
I also ran an update for bluetooth drivers and they are up to date.
EZ-Robot Device Properties
SERVICES
Serial Port (SPP) Dev B COM 3 (and it's checked)
THen I decided I wanted to build a cardboard mock up of the puppet mouth I want to build. As I sat to cutting up a box, EZ_Builder dropped the connection to the Board. Once I had the mouth made for the servo, I couldn't get the computer to reconnect at all.
I, once again, removed the device from bluetooth, repaired, and nothing. Then I can't get it to reconnect.
Is there some sort of PC Bluetooth setting that causes time outs? Remember I'm a Mac/Apple guy so if there's some switch that's common knowledge, I may not know it. Thanks for the help.
I just received and installed a new bluetooth USB class 1 stick from Amazon.com and replaced the bluetooth board on the EZ-B V3 with a class 1 BlueSM1RF Gold from Sparkfun.com. After discovery, and password bonding the connection is stable with no disconnects. The bluetooth USB stick is from Targus and is labeled "USB Bluetooth 2.0 class 1 adapter with EDR. It sells for $20 shipped.
Tonight I went to Frys and bought a Kensington 2.1 USB Micro Bluetooth adapter ($20). Following directions from online I uninstalled the bluetooth stack from windows. Installed the new drivers.
The EZB worked for about 10 minutes! I was able to test out some things and then it promptly lost connection and I haven't been able to get it back since.
More than a little frustrating. Will keep fiddling till I get it, but I'm about out of ideas.
When I look in the system to see what BlueTOoth stuff is running it says:
Intel Centrino Wireless Bluetooth 3.0 High Speed
Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator
I checked the drivers for both and they are current.
Here's what happens...
10PM
- Restart computer.
- Plug in EZ-B
- It connects right away and is recognized.
- Open ARC software.
- Add one servo. Test. Works fine.
- Add second servo. Test. Works fine
- Add auto release for both. Works great.
- I'm laying out my robot in cardstock first so I begin attaching the cardstock lower jaw.
- I got to test it and the serve (which was set to only move from 1-20, spins a total 180 and the connection to the computer is lost.
- Try to reconnect and it won't.
10:05PM
The only other thing I can think of, and I'm not a Windows/PC person so I don't know, is there some sort of setting that automatically switches the Bluetooth off after it hasn't been used in x amount of seconds/minutes?
I just don't know what I'm doing wrong or what exactly is not working and I'm starting to feel like I spent $260 on something that I can't use. I just can't see what I can do different.
I've bought a Bluetooth adapter and installed the software and then uninstalled it when it didn't work.
Folks on here say to use the built in Microsoft stack, it works, but disconnects.
Is there more information I could provide here that perhaps would help someone diagnose the problem? Is there and EZ-B expert in SoCal I could take everything too?
You are obviously getting there keep trying
Also, if you're using windows in a vm or through parallels, sometimes can be a hassle.
Other than that, it's very straight forward. It's strange to see the issues you are experiencing when there are so many thousands of others without. Perhaps the board is defective, but the fact that it connects says it most likely is fine.
Can you connect the ez-b without any peripherals. Then connect ez-b to ARC. Then wait a few seconds. Ensure the connection is maintained. Then pick up the board and move it around. See If it disconnects.
I am not using parallels or anything. Using an actual Dell PC.
I guess it does seem to be something power related. I plugged in the EZ-B and it connected right away. Let it sit for a few minutes and it was fine. Then opened the ARC software and it connected. I let it sit for a few minutes and the connection was maintained. I moved the board and battery units around and it maintained connection.
I then attached to servos. One had a movement from position 25 to position 75. The other had movement from position 1 to position 100.
I was able to control them for about a minute before connection was lost and I was unable to restore it. Neither the EZ-B or battery pack moved during this time.
I checked the connections on the battery back where I attached the plug when I first got the set and they seem fine.
Can the battery pack, which has brand new Duracell batteries in it, only move one servo at a time? Do I need a bigger power supply if I want two servos to move at once?
Again I thank you all for your patience in helping me work this out.
Anyway, good luck, it's a great and rewarding journey and there is a lot of help at this site.
Cheers
1) Do the voltage regulators get hot when it is connected to ARC with no servos connected?
2) What happens if you do not connect servos to the EZ-B - but you set the controls to move servos on D1, D2. I'm asking if you can add controls to move servos that aren't actually connected. Have nothing connected to the EZ-B, and merely add a servo Control, Select Port D1, and move it. Does it still disconnect?