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Canada
Asked — Edited
Resolved Resolved by DJ Sures!

Ez-B Fails With I2c Script

This is the first time I have tried using the I2C command and port.
The EZ-B browns out (blue tooth is still blinking) when I run the command with nothing attatched at the port. Sometimes it fails right away running the script once and sometimes it takes 3 to 4 times for it to fail. No brownouts occur when not running the script!

I2CWrite(0,0x09,"n",0x00,0x00,0x11)
ran Script 2

2/14/2014 3:46 PM - Comm Err: The operation has timed out.
2/14/2014 3:46 PM - BbytesToExpect: 1
2/14/2014 3:46 PM - Received:
2/14/2014 3:46 PM - Disconnected
2/14/2014 3:46 PM - Disconnected
2/14/2014 3:46 PM - Disconnected


second attempt, ran script 4 times and EZ-Board crashed.. following dbug info
2/14/2014 3:47 PM - Attempting connection on COM3
2/14/2014 3:47 PM - Connected to COM3 at 9600
2/14/2014 3:47 PM - EZ-B reports EZ-Robot OS v16
2/14/2014 3:47 PM - Welcome to EZ-B v3!
2/14/2014 3:47 PM - Connected
2/14/2014 3:47 PM - Setting battery monitor voltage: 6
2/14/2014 3:47 PM - Setting battery protection: True
2/14/2014 3:47 PM - Disgard incoming buffer (This usually means your EZ-B requires more power or the communication is unstable)
2/14/2014 3:48 PM - Comm Err: The operation has timed out.
2/14/2014 3:48 PM - BbytesToExpect: 1
2/14/2014 3:48 PM - Received:
2/14/2014 3:48 PM - Disconnected
2/14/2014 3:48 PM - Disconnected
2/14/2014 3:48 PM - Disconnected

I checked the underside of the board for any "shorting issues" at the I2C area with a magnifying glass and found none. I did take a plastic spudder probe and gently rubbed in between all 4 pins. Topside at the prcessor looked clean and free of any possible contaminates. I also, while the EZ was powered up checked voltages at the +5 volts and ground at the I2C pinouts. There was 5 volts at the SCL and SDA pinouts to ground. I dont know if that is normal?! When the EZ-Board was powered downd I measured 70K between SDA and SCL pinouts. The BlinkM type works fine on my "other" board . This is the first time I have tried using the I2C command and port.
I hope someone can verify my voltage readings at the SDA and SCL points to compare my findings. I am not sure what else I can do to further trouble shoot, any ideas would be greatly appreciated:)
Thanks for any assistance,
Glen


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Canada
#40  
Thanks for chiming in Herr Ball! What script are your running on the BlinkM that is not " browning " out your board. So the version your using is "Post" fix of the I2C... Our boards are "browning" out "bare" board with nothing plugged in and running an I2C Write script!
Can you run your script repeatedly ? Also take some voltage and ohmage readings on your I2C port to compare with Richs if its convenient.
Thanks so much Herr Ball!
#41  
I am running the BlinkM on the BlinkM script.
The one that comes with EZB with the 3 different color sliders.
Although I have several servos attached to the board, nothing was running at the time but the BlinkM script.
As I stated, I can run either BlinkM and the board does NOT brownout now!
NO changes where made from the time of brownout till tonight.
I just don't understand why it started working here.

As for board readings, all mine are close to Rich's.
I do get on the sda to scl = 7.22k, thats a little off from his.

Getting late here, will try again tomorrow.
United Kingdom
#42  
The resistance difference may be down to the adapter board I was using to access the I2C pins, although 2k is pretty high, I may check that again when I get the chance.


Hopefully I'll have some time this weekend to dig a little deeper and see what's what. I don't think Brownout is the correct term for what is happening but the more info we can get together the easier it will be to solve. It may be something simple although my concern is Melvin wouldn't work and my PC hasn't changed at all other than updating ARC, on the wiring side of things Melvin hasn't changed either but I'll double check that as I can't be 100% sure something hasn't come loose inside him.
Canada
#44  
@Rich, any luck with getting in touch with @Toymaker regarding his I2C experience? Have you retested Melvin again? I don't really want to contact the EZB department until we have explored all angles! I don't understand why everyone else's I2C is working but ours are not!?
United Kingdom
#45  
Not yet, to be honest I haven't had time. I did check and my other PC has an old version on it still which is likely to be the version which I know had no I2C problems so I'll give that a try in a bit (it's on since I have some work to get done tonight, I just haven't had the desire to go up to my office and get it done yet...)
United Kingdom
#46  
Just tested my BlinkM in Melvin (without changing anything since my video the other day) on version 2013.06.06.00 and it worked fine, no problems, no disconnects.

I haven't tried it on the current release so it may have been updated and fixed for all I know however I would say that everything is pointing towards the release I used when I made the video has an error with the I2CWrite. When my memory card turns up for the Acer W3 I'll try it on that with both 2013.06.06 and the current version using the same project and same robot with no changes to anything other than the version of ARC being used, this will pinpoint if it is a software error.
Canada
#47  
@Rich ..great work, we're starting to "surround " this trouble! From an earlier note " I know there was a I2C Write Read fix on Release 2013.07.24.00 " ...As was stated earlier from me, it was failing with the current release and one from January, we'll see what your testing with the current version reveals! :). If the I2CWrite and port needs a device on it to function...then I am good with that, but everyone would need to know that. Is the 2013.06.06.00 version in your "cloud memory" ? Perhaps I could download it and test as well!
Canada
#48  
I am having problems as well and I had a accelerometer hooked into the I2C and the EZ B shuts off. I tried with the device unplugged from the EZ B and still the same result. *confused*
Canada
#49  
@shamon thanks for your input! The plot thickens....Rich said his I2C works with an earlier version (thread #48) , a version before I2C issues were fixed. hmmmm ........... What version are you using?
Canada
#50  
I am using the most current software version and the Ez b 3 with the firmware version 16. The newest one. I am thinking this has to be a software issue from all the forum talk.
Canada
#51  
@shamon I am thinking of contacting " Contact us" as the I2CWrite issue has not been resolved. They may provide more insight. There are 3 boards that are doing the same malfunction and it now seems to be pointing to the software. Rich has done his best to test from his end. I know DJ is extremely busy with the V4 release but perhaps one of his team members can check it out. If I had saved an earlier version that is known to work per Rich , we could at least test it as well.
United Kingdom
#52  
I've mentioned it to Jason just on the off chance that nobody at EZ-Robot had picked it up.

I'll still be testing one more thing later which is to use 2013.06.06 (known working version) and the latest on my Windows tablet, same PC, same robot, no change other than the version of ARC, that should pretty much pin point if it is software based.
PRO
Canada
#53  
Hey guys,

Sorry we have been quite busy these days with the wave of interest that came after the Toy Fair. I have just verified the bug and will pass it on to DJ to squash when he has a spare moment. Thanks for the heads up on it!
United Kingdom
#54  
Excellent. That saves me having to downgrade ARC to test it (since updates rarely break things I wanted to be sure before passing it over to DJ).
Canada
#55  
Once again Thank you Rich and @skater!:)
Canada
#56  
This is my second thank you to DJ for resolving this issue ! My full joy and gratitude is expressed in DJ's Release Thread!
India
#57  
Disgard incoming buffer of 2 Bytes (This usually means your EZ-B requires more power or the communication is unstable)
i am facing this problem please help me
#58   — Edited
Tell us more please.

What type of power source are you using? It needs to be big enough to handle the load demands (your wiring also)
What devices or motors are you using when this issue occurs? Something may be drawing power away from the device or EZB you are trying to get to work.
Have you checked to make sure all connections are tight and properly made? i2c connections are notorious for failing if there is a lose connection.
How are you connecting to ARC? If using WIfi are you using the default EZ-B v4 Wi-Fi setting , AP Mode (also called Wi-Fi Access Point or AdHoc) or are you using client mode? Either way make sure you have a good strong signal. If in client mode make sure you are on an uncluttered channel. Here's a connection troubleshooting guide:
connecting-and-troubleshooting HTML

Good luck.
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