Ultimate 2.0 Robotic Arm Tank

#1

@tec_support

I just finished building the Robotic Arm Tank and am trying to determine if the board/modules may be DOA or if I am just missing some other component/process. I am able to communicate with the MegaPi through USB in order to both Upgrade Firmware and Reset. I see both red LEDs for PWR on the board and another on the RJ25 shield. I also see the periodic blue LED blinking on the MegaPi board itself.

I have tried powering two ways, one with 6 x AA batteries, and the other through the USB Serial Port.

Bluetooth not active?
In either case the Bluetooth module only lights blue once when the board is first rest, after that it never shows any other illumination. When looking for devices to pair, I have not seen any device on either my Andriod phone or my Surface tablet.

Motors not active?
When I try to send a simple Sketch to test either the encoded motors or the DC arm, I do not get any response at all. No sounds, no illuminations.

The only thing I can confirm is that when running the Sketch I can see TX and RX bytes being sent through the Serial Port (watching in Arduinio Mode).

Any suggestions on how I can best diagnosis components on the board to determine if they are receiving adequate power or signals? Is there anything else I may be missing? I have tried both Upgrading and Resetting the Firmware. In addition I even compiled the latest firmware from github and Uploaded it to the device through Ardunio IDE.

I am new to makeblock electronics, however have a very strong background in software development.

#2

Hi Knw0Lmts,

Normally, there is a Blue LED keep slow flashing when the Bluetooth is not connected to any device.
Please disconnect Ultimate from PC, then restart the MegaPi and check if there is blue led keep slow flashing on the Bluetooth module.

Also, may I know what’s kind of batteries do you use?
According to our test and research, it is suggested to use rechargeable Li-ion battery or rechargeable nickel-metal hydride, nickel-cadmium which can be bought from amazon or local shop. Or Alkaline battery with good quality like Energizer, DURACELL.

As for the issue that encoder motors doesn’t work with the simple sketch, could you please kindly send the picture of the sketch you tried? Have you pulled the power switch on the MegaPi to ON?

#3

@tec_support

Thank you so much for the swift response.

In regards to the Bluetooth, the Blue LED on the Bluetooth module does not illuminate at all. It only flashes once when power is engaged for the first time. After that, it does nothing at all in regards to illumination. I have ordered a new module just to test whether this one is faulty.

In regards to power, the batteries I have put in are brand new Alkaline batteries, Energizer.

For a quick test this morning I opened mBlock session and created the following control sets. To run each of these I did the following:

  1. Navigate to [Connect] -> [Serial Port] -> [COM3]
  2. Navigate to [Connect] -> [Upgrade Firmware]
  3. Run Claw Test, see below.
  4. Navigate to [Connect] -> [Upgrade Firmware]
  5. Run Encoder Test, see below.

As mentioned in my previous post, there is no movement, sound, or any sort of illumination associated with the driver modules. I have tried removing all modules and putting them back in place. I have also power cycled and used the MegaPi reset button in a variety of combinations.

Encoder Motor Test

Claw Test (DC Motor)

#4

Hi Knw0Lmts,

If the led status is still abnormal when the board is charged with enough power, the Bluetooth module should be faulty. Since you ordered a new Bluetooth module, you can test the new one later.

As for the motors.
On the mBlock software, have you chosen the board as Ultimate 2.0(Mega Pi)?

If not, please choose this board and then upgrade firmware for the robot again. Here I attach the instruction to guide upgrade firmware.How to Upgrade Firmware for MegaPi.zip (275.1 KB)

Besides, the program to test the claw should be correct, you may change the speed larger to 100 and -100 have a try.
The program to test the arm looks incorrect since the Motor which control the arm should be connected to Port 3 instead of Port 1 according to the user manual.

Pasted image1054x407 98.9 KB

#5

@tec_support

Thank you for your detailed response!

With regard to the Bluetooth module, I too agree that the symptoms seem to point towards a faulty module. Once the new one arrives I will make sure to update this feed with the results.

As for the motors, I did have the correct board selected, and was upgrading the Firmware properly. During my real time testing I had been trying the full range of connected encoders (Port 1 to 3) to test each individually. I do apologize for the confusion to that regard.

With all of this said, I spent more time tinkering and discovered where I was at fault. I falsely assumed that switching the board to the “on position” was not necessary since I was providing power through the USB port. Said another way, during my tests the board was being powered through the USB connection, however I neglected to flip the switch on the MegaPi, assuming it did nothing more than engage power from the battery pack.

Thank you so much for your assistance. As noted, I will update this thread with my findings after the new Bluetooth module arrives. It is a bummer that the supplied module may have a defective, however very exciting that I have made positive progress.

Thanks again!

#6

Hi Knw0Lmts,

Gald to hear that you figured it out. Yes, to drive the motors, the power switch on the board must be pulled to on. Sometimes, it is easy for users to neglect this point.

Besides, hope the new Bluetooth module works properly.

#7