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Kangaroo X2 And Sabertooth 2X12 Independent Motor Control Question

I have a kangaroo x2 and a Sabertooth 2x12. I can get successful tune on Channel 1 but not on Channel 2.

Has anyone managed to get a KangarooX2 to successfully run independent motor channels as Dimension claims it can. I am installing the hardware in an R2D2 Dome Periscope that uses one motor to lift the scope and a second motor to rotate it. I have it successfully lifting using servo commands from my EZB but the Roo will not grant me independent control.

I can also ditch the Sabertooth and run two Roos and two Syren10s if necessary.

Any help is appreciated.

  • Douglas


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#1  

Hi douglas, I have several Sabertooth/Roo combos running independent motor channels on my robot. Sometimes it was a real pain to get a successful tune. If there is any issues with your motor circuit or the the limits the tune will fail. Without knowing anything about how you have it set to run or what your using to set your end point limits all I can suggest is to make sure you have the dip switches on both the Sabertooth and the Roo set right according to the manual to match your set up. Also make sure all your wiring is correct and you have solid connections to all header pins. If you continue to have problems give me more info on how you have your circuit built and what method you're using to tune. Limit switch, teach or mechanical stops.

#2  

Hello Dave,

Thank you so much for responding. My setup is very simple and I’m tuning with mechanical stops. I’m following the dip switch settings recommended. 1 & 2 off and 4, 5, & 6 on (Sabertooth) and 1, 2, 3, 4 on (Roo). The plan is to use simple servo commands or send serial commands on the EZB for travel. I need the periscope to rotate beyond 360 degrees so Dimension suggested using a limit switch on the index pin once the channel has been tuned. This would be done in DEScribe with some limit setting changes but I haven’t gotten that far yet. After I get both sides tuned with DEScribe, I’m able to do a Live Test on Channel 1 but channel 2 always fails and says the Roo needs to restart because it may be in a runaway situation. What’s really frustrating is that if I skip the Live Test and send a command to Ch 1, Ch 2 moves as if it’s in differential drive mode.

Would you mind sharing your dip switch settings with me for comparison?

Thank you so much Dave!

Sincerely,

Douglas