I'm retired too, started a Roomba robot repair service, welcome to the group. You're gonna have fun in this forum.

Hi rowdyjoe! Welcome to the world of robots! Your in for a fun and rewarding ride. I'm not retired but am in the home stretch. If I keep building robots like I want to do I may never retire. I need to finance my dreams somehow.

There's no such thing as dumb questions, only dumb answers. I've been know to give a few dumb ones but there are lots of people here that will keep me honest so no need to fear taking advice when you have asked.

Keep us updated on your project and post it in the project show case. We love pics and vids!

Thanks fellas. I'm watching an RS V1 on ebay right now but, it's without remote. If I can get it cheap enough I'll pull the trigger. If I start having as much fun with this as I think I will, I'll have to get a (gag) job. Ugh!

RJ

Yeeee Hawwwww ! I snagged a V1 from ebay for a very good price (sans remote). Now, I need to dig up some change to buy the EZb, etc.
I'd like to outfit him with the camera and radar if possible. I'd also like to enlarge his vocabulary if possible. This is going to be FUN!

RJ

Their so cute when their at this age.

Welcome to the community.

As Dave (@dschupius) said, there are no stupid questions so feel free to ask absolutely anything, nobody will ridicule you, we all start somewhere

With the EZ-B V4 you can add any voice/sounds to your Robosapien since it has an on board MP3 trigger and speaker. It can also control the Robosapien with a single port (however only send remote commands but it's enough to move him).

hi rowdyjoe.to bad you live so far.i got 9x v1. i give you one for free.

Welcome aboard for a wonderful ride.

:) J

Well, going nuts for Robosapein now. I just picked up a "partially" operational V2 on ebay and plan to do the rewiring job on it. This one has a remote and the repair will make a good winter project. I need an IR controller for the V1 I bought and have discovered that WowWee is selling the X version dongle from their web site ($24.99). I'll probably order one of those and run it via my Android tablet.

I'm still shopping for a new OS. I've found a very good deal on Win 7 but, must do more research to decide if I need/want Pro or Home version.
I feel like a kid in a candy store trying to decide on which flavor I want.

RJ

If your going to use this new OS for EZ Robot exclusively then you will need nothing bigger then Home. In fact all you really need is the starter version.

Thanks for the info. The numerous versions of 7 & 8 are confusing to me. I just read that Win. 7 Starter is a 32 bit prgm. Doesn't ARC need 64bit?

RJ

No, 32 bit will work just fine.

Thanks again. Still looking and still confused. While searching the web for Win 7, I came across an couple of sites recommending download of a "trial" version that can be installed on a separate drive and run as a second OS. However, I can't seem to find it at the moment ...wouldn't you know.

RJ

Hi RJ. I'm using a 32 bit version of Win 7 and its done me just fine I have a Robosapien. I believe its V1 but I haven't hacked it yet. I was at my friends who gave me theirs about a week ago, also V1 I think, and I left it there again:( I just got home and started reading this thread and it dawned on me. LOL.

Anyway, welcome to one of the best decisions you could have ever made.

Just to add to the OS discussion, I use Windows 7 32 bit (Ultimate), Windows 7 64 bit (Ultimate) and Windows 8 32 bit without any problems.

Windows 8 was cheaper than Windows 7 when it first come out, I believe it still is. When I upgraded it was £25 which is very cheap. It does take some getting used to but it's not a bad OS to use.

Any of the Windows versions can be installed as a trial for 30 days (and then a further 30 days by resetting it - google for it). You can dual boot easily too, Windows will give the option when you try to install a second OS. There are other programs out there too which make dual booting easier like EasyBCD.

If you choose to upgrade rather than go for a new system check the upgrade path required so you don't lose everything. Going from some versions of older windows to a different version of a newer windows (i.e. XP home to 7 Ultimate) may result in the installation telling you that you need to reinstall everything. There are ways around this though, you are usually able to upgrade to another version in the middle temporarily, for instance, XP Home to XP Pro to 7 Ultimate. Again, google will be your friend if you choose to do this but whatever you do, always back up before attempting anything, this is Microsoft after all and they have a reputation for things not always working as they should (I've had the exact same spec PCs, same OS, same everything but one would upgrade without issue the other I needed to reinstall everything).

Antron007, Thanks for the info but, the pressure is off for now. I read the EZb V4 release thread and discovered that I'll have to wait a couple of months to enjoy the "magical" capability of my V1 RS. So, that takes away some urgency to find and load new OS.
The V1 & V2 I bought on ebay won't be delivered until later this month I'm left twiddling my thumbs and anxiously waiting. (bummer )

RJ

Rich, Thanks very much for that explanation. It answers a lot of questions and clears a few things up for me. I've not done an upgrade or changed OS in 5 or 6 yrs so, my brain is a bit too old and rusty on that subject. I used to build my own systems but, I've been very satisfied with my current one that I bought complete and the thoughts of getting/building a new one have been very fleeting. I think this is the first "factory" system I've ever purchased and it's really been a good one. Vista has treated me very well for general use. My Son is pretty knowledgeable about the hard & software and has given me a few tips also. He's currently running Win 8.1 and recommends it over Win. 7 for various reasons, none of which appeal/make sense to me as they appear much the same. I read the descriptions and features of both and, for my need, I don't see a difference. Additionally, I can get Win. 7 Pro for a few bucks less than "Home" but, don't can't make much sense out of the difference between those either. In my searches for best price on any of these, I've found Win. 7 Pro (w/SP1) to be cheaper than any of the others including Win 8. I got a headache trying to decide and now that I've read the EZb V4 availability thread, I have a sense of relief. I can take my time and make a good decision on the OS because when I order the EZb it will take a couple of months to arrive.

Again, thanks for the help.

RJ

@RJ, If it helps I'm using Win7 Pro Sp1 32bit version on a 64 bit computer. (It's a used machine and that's just what I had as an available OS at the time I cored it.) When I install any Windows the first thing I do is go to Widows Update and get all of the updates. You'll spend an hour or two on updates once you start it up for the first time so I like to just get that out of the way. I can't remember if the dot net software comes pre-installed with it or not but I know you will need the latest version of the dot net software. Be sure you have that. We see a thread from time to time where that is the issues so I figured you may want to have that info in advance. You seem like you like to stay ahead of your troubles and not behind them.

The only issues I've had were a bad blu tooth dongle and an issue with the voice synthesis. More specifically using a 3rd party speech engine. And I'm pretty sure that problem exists with both Win7 and Win8. Just to note neither of those problems were EZB caused. Just bunk hardware and Windows being Windows.

Antron007 ....thanks again for the tips. I recently had an HD crash due to an electrical storm and had to go through reloading my OS so, I was forced to remember the process. The hardware was OK, but it scrambled my OS so, had to reload. I have two older XP computers that I'm trying to get in shape to accept a Win. 7 install. One is an old 1.5ghz laptop with 2gig memory and the other is an old tower with 2 gig memory. Both are running as if in molasses and neither are cooperating for the download. I'm getting frustrated again. grrrrrrr I'm almost read to blow them away (literally ) and load it on this machine and dual boot. I have about 400meg remaining on my external drive so I think I have the space. I would like to install it on the laptop so I won't be stuck in a fixed location.

Sincere thanks for your help.

RJ

Ooops, make that 400gig remaining on my external HD.

RJ

I finally made a decision to upgrade to Win.8 from Vista. I was getting a headache trying to decide which OS to use and which version. So, as I type on my old laptop, my main computer is downloading win 8 Pro. Got it for a good price and since it's an upgrade it should retain most of my Vista settings (I hope).
After uploading the various patches, SPs, drivers, etc. I should be able to download ARC and begin getting familiar with it.

My two ebay purchases are on the way so, I'll have time to tinker with them until the EZb v4 starts shipping. Rewiring the V2 will be a time consuming task but, well worth it I think and it will give me something to do while anxiously waiting for the controller.

RJ

Yeeeeeeee Hawwwwww ! BOTH of my RS robots were delivered today and they both work ! ....which I wasn't expecting. The RS1 was sold without the remote and was said to be intermittent in operation or not at all. The first thing I did was thoroughly clean the battery terminals and install new D cells. It works now ! I also found an RS1 remote for a fair price on ebay and it's on the way. The RS2 is in GREAT ! condition. I can't find any marks on him and both he and the remote are clean as a whistle. He was advertised as not working or intermittent too. I checked his battery boxes and they look practically unused ...not a sign of corrosion. Even the pads on his feet have very little scuffing. The remote is in the same condition. This big boy was well cared for or ignored after a short play time. I installed fresh batteries and to my surprise he went through his boot up routine and began to function normally. I put him through his dance routine and all went very well. However, while walking he would stop and shut down (a symptom of bad wiring). The more I played with him the more he deteriorated and began to complain of "low brain power" ....as was reported by the seller. The AAA batteries in his right foot were very warm (not hot) when I checked them indicating a short in that circuit (ie. bad wiring insulation).

I bought this one (it's a grey "Sharper Image" model) for a very good price while guessing he had wiring issues as they all seem to do. I'm prepared to rewire him though so, he'll be up and running as soon as I get "roundtoit". There's plenty of help on-line so it's not a daunting task, just one that takes patience. I'm very happy with my purchase knowing now that his boards are fine and just needs new wiring.

Now, I need to save my nickles and dimes and order an EZb for the RS1. I'm really looking forward to that mod and very impressed by it's simplicity and functionality.

The FUN BEGINS.

RJ

you gonna use the v2 also whit ez.that was my dream too.i was just seeying where to find the Ir WIRE.

Eventually, yes but, not right away. I want some experience with the EZb and ARC before I tackle the RS2. I'd also like to build a Wall-E and then continue from there with more complicated stuff as I gain experience. Please post your experience with the RS2 as I'm sure it will be helpful later.

RJ

same here.still looking for a motorboard for the v2. i rewired 5 v2 now.

the ir is on the small baord in the head,but i dont know whits wire it is. second pic is the mainboard below you see GND = GROUND vcc = power the wire you see in first pic, goes the the ir reciever that sits behind v2 mouth.

Nomad, I just finished rewiring my RS V2 but, he won't work. He had the typical shattered insulation ....looked like little colored pellets of mouse poop. Anyway, I got him all wired up but, he won't work. The "brain" batteries in the right foot are getting very hot so, there's a short somewhere that I can't find. They were getting hot before I disassembled him for the wiring job and he would complain of being low on brain power. I need help tracing the power from those batteries up the chain until I find the short. I've double checked the circuit board in his right foot and all appears to be well there as I can't detect any shorts with my multimeter. I checked the new wiring harness before I installed it and it appears to be fine. I think I need to remove the harness on that side and double check my connections.
If you have any ideas or recommendations about this problem please let me know.

Thanks, RJ

did you rewire one by one?and did you use new connectors?you have pics or video?

Yes, I rewired one by one but, used the old connectors. I just checked continuity again and all is good between the 7 pin connector and the small board in the right foot. I was just trying to figure out how to power it up so I can check for 3 volts on the red pin of the white 7 pin connector. OK, I just check for shorts at the battery connector on the small board in the foot and there is a short somewhere for sure. I need to trace that circuit to see if I can find it. This may take a while.

RJ

always take your time. first time

new connectors

you need about 6 off these

Thanks for the tips.
You are right. I should have used new connectors but, tried to do it fast instead of good. The wiring in those two harnesses are absolute junk. I tried to use the "pig tail" method to solder new wire onto the old instead of buying new connectors. They aren't expensive but, I didn't want to waste time looking for them. I ended up removing the wires from the circuit boards in the feet and through-hole soldering the new wire in. They came out good but, I've already found a broken wire in the 7 pin connector. What is the old saying ...."haste makes waste"? Very true in my case.
I'll be buying new connectors and will do it right this next time.

RJ

ok the 6 pin fits the others you take out the wire,whit the needle like in the pic.and put it in the old connector. the two old one that comes from the foot to the motorboard for power.these you have to re use.leave some 5 cm and solder there the, new wire on.the 7 pin also take out new wires out and put in old connector.to messure the lengt,for the left connectors turn the robot to the right side all the way.for the right connectors turn the robot to the left side all the way.

the harnas.only use harnas till the top of his pants.not more.your bundle will be bigger. keep the bundles good to the side off his backbone.only use plastik band for tightend the bundle below his pants. not further ubove.there is not much space between his pants and backbone for turning,if you bundle up all wires , they can block and pull the connectors out the connectorhousing.

Nomad, I believe I've found a replacement connector for the right leg 7 pin. It's a 7 pin Molex p/n http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0510650700_CRIMP_HOUSINGS.xml with 2mm pitch. The best I could measure with a caliper was .080" pitch which roughly correlates to 2 mm (.0787"). The corresponding pins are linked on the web page.
I've ordered some of these along with the recommended pins and will pick them up tomorrow from our local Mouser Electronics facility. I'll know tomorrow whether it's the right one when I get it home and try it out. I ordered 5 "housings" and 30 pins for a total price of $6.11. So, if it's not the correct one, I'm not loosing much money. I'll let you know tomorrow.

RJ

am not familiar whit it.hope its the good one. one thing i wanna say.if the robot is complete rewired.before power up ,turn robot all the way left and right, feel if you feel resitants off the new wires.if not power up.

Another good tip. Thanks again.
I hope it's the correct one too. I'll find out tomorrow.
I got a hint from this web site .... http://mymanthemaker.blogspot.com/2013/04/robosapien-v2-wire-rot.html. The author mentioned that it was Dupont connector so, I traced it using that maker name via web searches and found them on the Molex site. They have other pitch spacing as well so, if this isn't the correct one I'll try the 2.54mm and see if it will work. I'm very hopeful about the 2mm as my own measurements, which are not exactly precise, are very close to that spacing. I really want to make this robot work again. If not, I'll find another one and start over. After changing the connector with a new one, I hope the short circuit in the "brain" power circuit is repaired. If not, then I'm afraid I have a bad component on the board.

RJ

i know only the jst connectors.but its a good find cause the connectors thats comming from batt to the motorboard, are indeed weither . i bout also a another v2 and seller said he's perfect in working condition.but no as always.

Nomad, Yep, every thing I've read and seen says they ALL have bad wiring. So, any claims of perfect working condition will soon not be true if indeed they are telling the truth. I've been following prices on ebay for just a few days now but, it seems the prices of V2 are going up. Maybe more people are repairing them now or maybe collectors are beginning to trade? Given the fact that they all have the wiring problem, I would not pay a high price for one. I believe Molex will have all of the connectors we need to replace the bad ones in the RS v2. Actually, we only need new "pins" if we are careful with the "housings" when we take them apart. It's good to know they are available at such a good price.

RJ

the biggest problem is there are no circuitboards and on/off switches to get .these are the most broken parts. i bouth some 50 robots ,and all had some kind off bad part.no v2 is worth more then 60 dollar.not even in the box new. also in box have same wiring problem.and they know that if i by a v2 i cant send it back cause i need to pay chipping, to send it back.whits nobody does cause it cost you double.if you have 1 good v2 thats more then enouch. its not worth anymore to by more v2.for that money you can make your own up to date robot here on ez.

I certainly agree with that. You bought 50? Wow, that's a lot of robots. Do you have a few cleaning your house and washing dishes by now?
I am still in a buying mood but, must resist. There are many RS v1 on the market but, I have one and that's all I need for now. I really want a Wall E and that will likely be on of my projects. I want to get the V2 working and hack into it with an EZb and get it doing amazing things. I have a few ideas to try out on the RS 1 with a goal of implementing on an R2 later. I'd like to change the battery config. from alkaline to lithium for longer life and less weight ...although, I might have to add weight to help him balance with the lighter battery. I'm anxious to see if my new connectors will fit the V2. Hope I can sleep well tonight.

RJ

i wich haha. you can excample an rsm in skype.

I'm happy to report that I have found the correct 7 pin connector for the right side leg/foot connections. It can be found on the Molex web site here ....http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0510650700_CRIMP_HOUSINGS.xml Don't forget to order the correct crimp pins/connectors listed on the page. Just click the p/n and it will take you to the page for the connectors. Whew, now I can finish my RS V2 rewire job.

RJ

Yee Hawwww ! SUCCESS ! I just finished the rewiring job on my RS V2 and he works. Well, he goes through his wake up routine (self diagnostic) and that's a good sign. I had to replace a 4 pin JST power plug in that harness to correct an intermittent open but, after that he worked fine. I'm taking a break before I start reassembly.
However, those little tiny, itty bitty, teensy weensy connectors are a pain in the rear. I'm glad I bought more than I needed because I ruined a few before I got them all wired up and stuffed into the connector. I used a pair of magnifying glasses to see the little things and was wishing I had spent the money on the somewhat expensive (compared to the job) crimpers that make the job easy (supposedly). Oh well, jobs done. I just hope it stays that way now.

RJ

haha great job well done.last test.boot robot go thru all moves and demo and feel regular on the batt compartments. whit your hands.yyeeeeeeeeeeee hawwwwwwwwwwww

Thanks Nomad. I feel pretty good about the V2 project. I checked the battery compartments for heat and found normal temp ...no heat. I'll put most of his body together and do another test before completing assembly. What did James Brown say in the song ...."I feeeeel good ...like I knew I would" ....so good, so good, I got V2. Well, he said something like that.

RJ

hahahahaha your now officely v2 pro repair specialist.

Glad to hear you got your V2 wired. My V1 is still opened up waiting for some soldering love. I've just been distracted from it.

antron007.the blue board ? when its done can you place a pic here .good for avery one.

Thanks guys but, the joy was short lived. Once I buttoned him up and started testing the wire bundle for the right leg pulled out of the 7 pin connector. Evidently, I didn't have enough play in the harness to allow full movement so, it put strain on the wires. I think I'm going to start over with a new harness and use better wire. The stuff I was using is too stiff. It's the right diameter but, the strands are too stiff.
Well, momentary joy is better than none I guess. I'll keep you posted on my re-work.

RJ

wooha.yeach keep going.

I've been searching for the 7 pin connector with wire pig-tails attached but, have had no success. I went to a 2nd hand electronics shop today and rummaged through the cables with connectors and found some wire that will work and a perfect replacement for the left side (6 pin) connector with harness attached. It's basically plug and play once I solder the wires to the board in his left foot.
I have ordered more connector pins for the 7 pin shell and will pick them up tomorrow. The wire I found at the used electronics shop is more flexible and a bit smaller in diameter so, it should fit without binding.
Wish me luck on the re-wire of the re-wire.

RJ

haha great keep rolling.thumbs up

Hey Nomad. I have a Green Board (G6008-10C). My board is similar to the blue board we were talking about in that other thread. (I cant find it now)

Here's the board:

I connected my ground wire from the ground pin on D1 to the red circle. And the signal wire the signal pin on D1 to the yellow.

Then on the power switch board I connected the positive lead to the red circle and the negative to the black circle. This way the EZB draws its power from the robosapien batteries.

It's all working great now. My dog hates it. I love it. lol Hope that helps.

great pictures.that is a neath finich.no need for a batt case. but am confuse whit the text. gnd to red on D1 and yellow also on D1

Yes the D1 has 3 pins Ground, +5V, Signal. You don't need to have a +5V to vcc on the main board. So in the picture you just posted, the one you marked sig is correct and the one you have marked positif is actually the gnd.

I pretty much just followed the video. My boards were just a little different. EZ-Robot RoboSapien

He explains it starting at about 1:45. Let me know if you have anymore questions.

ah okay.the wire off the swits where goes that connected.?

Yes. The picture on the left is correct now

In the picture below, I have labeled where you connect the power lines that will send power to the EZB. I did it just like DJ Did in the video.

I hope that clears it up for you. (Btw, I'm very happy to be of help. I'm fairly new so it is not often I know an answer and when I do usually some one answers before me There are a lot of great minds on this forum.)

thank you very much

Awesome guys. With this kind of help and cooperation, how can we go wrong?
Can hardly wait for the EZb V4 release. My RS 1 is patiently waiting. I've been driving my two small dogs crazy with him. They don't like him at all so, my "play time" is limited to the amount of loud barking my ears can withstand. This problem may play havoc with voice commands? I wonder if they sell "dog noise cancelling" microphones?

Update on the V2 second rewire attempt .... I've successfully replaced the 6 pin connector harness and buttoned up the left side. I have the 7 pin connector wired but, not installed as yet. I hope to do that this weekend. I've found that it's much easier to work on him if I remove the leg I'm working on. Once the upper outside cover is removed, there are two screws that hold the leg in place. Remove those screws and the then the leg to give you much easier access.

By the way ...if anyone is considering buying a new 7 pin connector to replace the original one, be sure to buy the terminal pins in a 100 piece strip (about $2 us). They come attached to a metal strip and are much easier to handle during wire installation if the "tab" is left in place until the wire is firmly attached. I found that a small pair of medical clamps (forceps?) very useful for clamping the wire to the terminal. It's time consuming but, it can be done if you are dedicated to the repair. It is possible to solder the wire to the connectors but, you must use a small tip on your iron and very tiny amount of solder. Either way, the "tab" on the pin is a great aid in holding it until the job is done.

RJ

rowdyjoe.that was not a good idea to remove the leg from the hip.they break easly.

Thanks for the warning Nomad. I'll be sure to be careful.
Which parts are so delicate? They all look very sturdy to me. The leg "bones" fit closely onto the hip pins but, can be worked loose easily if careful. Just wiggle gently with upward pressure until they slide off the pins. A drop of thin machine oil will help if they are stubborn but, I haven't found the need for that yet. Obviously, you don't want to try to pry them off with anything as it's not necessary and the plastic "bones" can break.

RJ

the plastik where these screws go in.break easly off.