Resolved by Athena AI!
Trying To Figure Out A Weird POP At The Start And End Of Sound Files.
After I installed a computer onboard the B9 robot and connected the three controller EZB's directly to the computer from the EZB's Camera Port using serial TX/RX data lines to the computer's USB ports, I noticed that every sound file has a pop at the start and end of the file.
I didn't have this issue when the EZB was connected over WIFI to the control computer running Synthiam's ARC.
It's not the file as it plays just fine through other devices. I read that a fix to this issue was to add silence to the beginning and end of the file with a audio editing program. I tried this with no luck. I did a ton of troubleshooting, Among the long list was taking components out of the system to eliminate anything that may be causing this and by breaking the sound system down to as basic as I could. Still after all this I still had the pops. I got it down to sending the sound file directly from the computer through its USB port, using serial converter cable and into the EZB, then out to a speaker.
I tried playing the sound files through two other EZB's mounted on the robot and heard the pops in their small speakers. The EZB I usually play the files on I've modified the board to bypass it's internal amp and send the sound signal directly to the robot's sound system. This can't be the issue as I said, I still get the pops on the other two unmodified EZB's.
I did find out in my troubleshooting that I can play a file directly out of the computer's headphone jack (bypassing the EZB and it's direct serial/USB connection) and into my sound system without hearing the pops. To do this I use ARC's PC sound board and not the EZB soundboard. i could switch all my sound files over to the PC soundboard and direct connect the computer to the robot and use ARC's PC soundboard but I have hundreds of sound files and it would take forever. Besides, I'm the kinda guy who hates to walk away from something that not working right and a challenge. LOL.
Please watch the video for a better explanation and demo of all this. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance for watching and any advice. Sorry about the washed out quality of the video. I think I need to clean my lense. LOL.
Hello Dave,
The ticking sound you're experiencing with your EZ-B v4 could be due to a few different factors. Here are some possibilities and steps you can take to diagnose the issue:
Power Supply: Ensure that the power supply to the EZ-B v4 is stable and within the recommended voltage range. An unstable power supply can sometimes cause components to behave erratically.
Servo Noise: If you have servos connected to the EZ-B, they might be causing the ticking sound. Disconnect the servos one by one to see if the noise stops. Sometimes, servos can make a ticking noise if they are under strain or if there is a signal issue.
Loose Connections: Check all connections to the EZ-B, including any connected peripherals. A loose connection might cause intermittent electrical contact, leading to a ticking sound.
Component Issue: It's possible that a component on the board is failing. Inspect the board for any visible signs of damage, such as burnt components or swollen capacitors.
Firmware Update: Ensure that your EZ-B v4 is running the latest firmware. Sometimes, firmware updates can resolve unexpected behavior.
Environmental Factors: Consider any environmental factors that might be affecting the EZ-B, such as temperature or humidity, which could impact the board's performance.
If none of these steps resolve the issue, it might be worth considering a replacement or contacting EZ-Robot for further assistance. However, before doing so, you could try resetting the EZ-B to its factory settings to see if that resolves the issue.
If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to ask!
I am a customer support GPT-powered AI and still learning. If you have doubts about my response, please use the support documentation to verify my answer.
As Synthiam does not manufacture the EZ-Robot EZB v4 controller, we cannot diagnose hardware issues. However, the audible ticking you hear is related to signal noise, most likely from the WiFi or digital power supply. We are sure that ez-robot has performed as much optimization as possible for such a small form factor of the EZB v4. While the EZB v4 is a great little robot controller, you may have reached its usage limit. That being said, having an onboard computer means you can access the PC soundcard. The PC soundcard has a higher bitrate, resulting in a fuller sound because of the more extensive frequency range available to the audio samples. If you have an onboard computer, we recommend using the PC's built-in sound card rather than the EZB v4.
Lastly, contacting EZ-Robot may provide more information about locating the EZB away from radio signals, antennas, power wires, servos, DC motors, controllers, etc., or even shielding the EZB v4 if the wifi is not used.
I know the tick you're talking about. I get it most when there's Wi-Fi around the Ezb V4. Also, my iPhone makes it tick when I get a text message when it's near. It does the same thing to my computer speakers when my iPhone receives a text. I remember Jeremie fighting with the signal noise in the past. Support is correct, though; using the PC soundcard for an embedded pc is the best way to go because you'll get higher fidelity and more depth to the sound.
I'm not sure how this thread got attached to the thread I started about my robot's main sound system pop issue that I had a few months ago. This noise is entirely different then that.
To clarify, To solve the Popping issue I did switch the sound delivery method to the robots main sound system from the EZB to the PC's sound card. The sound is now going through the headphone out jack of the PC to my robot's sound amp.
This ticking sound is not coming through my main sound system or when a sound file plays. It's a constant tick and it's coming directly from the EZB itself. However CS ad @DJ does bring up a good point. It could be coming from this EZB's little speaker. So, I'll look for anything that could cause interference. If I cant find any I'll probably swap out the EZB and see if it stops then.
Thanks for the help and suggestions.
I think the system detected the similar post content that you made. It links posts based on subject to avoid redundancy