What are you using for power? It sounds like you are having a brownout, which can happen if all 8 servos are firing at the same time and you aren't providing enough amps for the inrush current.

I'll take a look at your project too.

Alan

Your project doesn't look like anything is out of the ordinary - however the radar control and Navigation scripts are both using ultrasonic ping sensors at the same time. Are you using that many ping sensors?

Ping sensors are real slow - because they use sound waves. The time for a ping response can delay your communication channel significantly. I would assume attempting to play audio and query 5 ping sensors is causing issues.

Can you confirm that there is a ping sensor on D0 and D1? As the radar control is configured?

Also - when there are disconnects, does the EZ-B simply disconnect with a sound or does it lock up with a red LED? I ask this because the MPU6050 could be the cause if the i2c is picking up interference.

At least on a quick look through, I don't see anything problematic in your project. You have appropriate length sleep steps on all of your analog and digital reads (analog reads can be a problem).

I'll take a more careful look later, but in the mean time, answer the power question.

Alan

Hi Guys, and thanks for looking.

Currently, my power setup is 1 main 12VDC SLA @7A going thru the Parallax Arlo power distribution panel. 12v to drive motors, and to all ultrasonic sensors via its own regulator, 6.5V to all arm servos, and a regulated 7.2V to EZB. I do plan on adding a second 12V battery since the Parallax platform has the room for it.

I do have a ping sensor on D0 and DI, which I dont always activate. Ive been experimenting with that one sensor along with an IR sensor and the camera for any forward movements. The additonal four other ultrasonic sensors down by the drive wheel base can be turned on or off, and to nagivation when the robot is moving around( still tweeking the distaces and stop and go movements too).

The left/right arm test work, (more actions to come later) but are jittery at best when moving, and a strange thing that happens is that these arm movements act differently each time when I either say the command or click on the command (they don't always stop in the same place when the last action is completed).

Oh, I have also decided to remove the MPU6050, since I really could not get it to do any thing usuefull, since I also found out it does not have the compass function in it.

The emergency stop is a big red button on Cys head to stop the robots drive movement if it gets out of whack (though doesn't seem to always stop it in time) This is connected to ADC7.

One nice thing I am planning. Im going to replace the Dell laptop currently being used as his head,and have purchased an Acer W3 tablet instead and want to build him a better head.

Cy is about 4 feet tall, uses the parallax Arlo platform for the drive system, 2 ezbit arms with 3 servos plus gripper (later to build a VEX version maybe), 4 ping sensors on the drive system, and a ping sensor,IR sensor, and EZ camera on his neck just below the laptop head. RGB animator in the head (which does the whole Cylon thing at startup) just above the laptop screen and the emergency stop button. For a little fun; an RGB led strip around the base activated by a relay on D23 when going forward.

I posted a pic of CY recently, but will post a better one when I can, and would love to post a small video once I figure out how to do that.

Thanks again for the help and would love more suggestions and or idea!