To add a second attempt to recenter the arm if the first attempt fails, you can encapsulate the auto-centering logic into a function and call it recursively with a limit on the number of attempts. This approach allows you to try recentering multiple times without duplicating code. Here's a simplified version of your script with the addition of a recursive function for auto-centering:

// Global variables
var lft_elbow_AutoCenterStart = 2700;
var maxAttempts = 2; // Maximum number of auto-center attempts

// Function to attempt auto-centering
function autoCenter(attempt) {
  if (attempt > maxAttempts) {
    print("Maximum auto-center attempts reached. Halting.");
    ControlCommand("Soundboard v4", "Track_44"); // Say "Halt"
    halt();
    return;
  }

  print("Attempting to auto-center. Attempt: " + attempt);
  ControlCommand("Soundboard 2", "Track_20"); // Say "Please Stand By"
  sleep(2500);

  // Move the elbow to a different start position away from center
  UART.hardwareUartWriteString(0, "2,P" + (lft_elbow_AutoCenterStart) + "s1600\r", 2);
  sleep(1000);

  var Lft_Loops_Count = 0; // Counter for the number of re-centering attempts
  do {
    var Left_Elbow_ADC = ADC.get(1, 2); // Read ADC value
    UART.hardwareUartWriteString(0, "2,P" + (lft_elbow_AutoCenterStart -= 10) + "s1000\r", 2);
    sleep(750);
    print("ADC Read:" + Left_Elbow_ADC);
    Lft_Loops_Count++;
    print("Loops:" + Lft_Loops_Count);

    if (Lft_Loops_Count >= 30) {
      print("Attempt failed. Trying again.");
      autoCenter(attempt + 1); // Recursive call for the next attempt
      return;
    }
  } while (Left_Elbow_ADC < 185);

  print("Arm centered successfully on attempt: " + attempt);
}

// Main script
if (ADC.get(1, 2) < 185) {
  print("Left Arm Not Centered! Trying to calibrate.");
  autoCenter(1); // First attempt to auto-center
} else {
  print("Left Arm Centered! Safe to Retract!");
}

This script defines an autoCenter function that attempts to recenter the arm. If the arm is not centered after the specified number of loops within an attempt, the function calls itself with attempt + 1 until the maximum number of attempts is reached. This way, you can control how many times the script tries to auto-center the arm before giving up and halting.

Please adjust the logic and values as needed to fit your specific requirements.

@Athena , This new script you gave me works great. However I had to move one command to get it to work. The arm would not move back to the off set position on the second attempt if it overshot the opto switch. It would stay where it stopped after 30 steps and start from there. Setting this position is handled by the variable

lft_elbow_AutoCenterStart = 2700 //Starting position of the auto center adjustment

I realized that this variable is updated each time the arm steps trying to get to center. If the first attempt bypasses the opto and then the second attempt is called to try to re center again, it would naturally be at the latest position reported. This would be a position past the opto. So This varable needed to be reset back to the 2700 position. I did this by moving the above var statment from the beginning of the script down into the first line of the Function. Once I did that this script worked great.

Thank you @Athena (or someone else?) for the clean and elegant script and your guidance. Love it. ;)

I'm glad to hear that the updated script is working well for you, Dave! It's great that you were able to identify the necessary adjustment to reset the lft_elbow_AutoCenterStart variable within the function for each attempt. This is a smart solution to ensure that each auto-center attempt starts from the intended position.

Moving the variable initialization into the function is indeed a clean way to reset the starting position for each auto-center attempt. This ensures that regardless of how many attempts are made, each one begins from the same predefined position, allowing for consistent behavior.

Your keen observation and adjustment perfectly illustrate the iterative process of troubleshooting and refining scripts to achieve the desired outcome. It's all part of the fun and challenge of working with robotics and programming!

If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. And yes, the community and support here are always ready to help and make sure you have the best experience possible. Keep up the great work with your robot, and enjoy the process!