Hi Dave,

I think we will know a lot more by Wednesday ... I should have my USB to TTL cable and some kind of response back from DE by then ...
Do you have any experience with looking up an x, y, z position (for multiple servos) in a database and then driving all the servos to that position in space?

Castle

There is a way to kind of use auto-position with simple serial or other scripted commands. You define the servos as virtual servos, and have the AutoPosition frames activate them. You can then have scripts with getservo(port) in a loop or in waitforchange so when the virtual servo changes position in the AutoPosition action, the script sends the equivalent serial command. You can also have scripts right in your frames, just be sure to have enough pauses because if multiple frames have scripts, each new frame will stop the previous frame's script.

Interesting concept... I am hoping for a much more elegant solution similar to using a motor controller with built in feedback releasing the robot controller for other things like the Sabertooth/Kangaroo combination. I was thinking about calling a location from a MySQL database and the EZ-B handing it off to multiple Sabertooth/Kangaroo boards to complete the movement...

@Alen, thanks for the tip on the auto-position scripting triggering simple serial commands. I haven't really worked with the AP control but was really hoping I could find a way to use it with my B9 arm. Looks like there 'is" a way or two.

@Castle, Now that you're talking about databases of locations in space and MySQL, you're over my head. Sorry. I'm sure there are others here that can answer this. If not Google is always there for you.

Hi Dave,

Actually it is not difficult at all... You probably have positions that you want your B9's arms to go - like Danger Will Robinson, Danger! So if you save those positions in a file and then call that file when you want it / then the arms move. If you have lots of those files you would keep them in a database and then just make calls to the database... Simple!

Greeting all!

I just talked with Charlene at Dimension Engineering tech support about my encoder problem. She said that since the only thing that I changed is the feedback mechanism (from pot to encoder) and since the motor is chattering that the problem is most likely a noise problem from the encoder. She recommended installing 10k pullup resistors as well as 10uF capacitors on the encoder wires. She is going to be emailing me a diagram of how to install the resistors and caps. She said that with a lot of the knock off encoders that they need these for the noise. She also said to ground the shield on the encoder cable. She is also emailing me the latest release of the DEScribe software which includes an update to the Kangaroo software which will allow you to see the encoder ticks and/or the potentiometer voltage when tuning or operating to see if there is noise on them. I can't use the software until my cable arrives on Wednesday but I can get the caps and resistors and see if that solves the problem.

Just keeping you up to date! Castle

Great to know. Please share all the drawings she sends. I'd like a copy of the new software also. What is the version number?

Did you talk on the phone? I've never been able to reach them that way.

I will definitely share everything I get from them! Yes, we talked on the phone - I checked on my order for more sanertooth/kangaroos and the asked for tech support - I had already sent her an email explaining everything so she was able to read my info and then give me advice. It was great and friendly support! This is the second time I have talked with them and it has always been between 10 and 11 am their time...for what it's worth...

Castle