IR starter robot version 2

#1

Hi all,

I have the blue starter kit robot but I’m not sure if there is something wrong with it.

When I first assembled it, it only would move when I had it on higher power, i.e. 7, 8 or 9 on the IR remote. It seems to only move forward and backward, when it tries to turn it does so for a very short amount of time and then cuts out. After playing around with it for a while the issues became more intermittent. After replacing the batteries it moves forward and backward without too much problem but seems to cut out often and is never able to turn.

If I pick it up and press the buttons on the remote I can see the wheels spinning like I would expect for forward, backward, left and right but when I put it on the floor it cuts out.

Can anyone please help!

#2

Hi @hbohosian,

I think the motor doesn’t has much moment of force here. Could you tell me your order number here? So I can follow your address and send you the new motor.

Thanks!

#3

Hi @Johnny, yes that seems to have been the issue. I had new motors sent to me and it works much better now. There are still problems though. I have the latest firmware uploaded, I can connect using my bluetooth module in port 5 and an ipad. The Makeblock HD app can connect and the robot drives. The problem is that sometimes the app disconnects and the robot gets stuck in an infinite loop of running the motors in the last direction. Then the robot resets by itself and I can connect again. Is there something wrong with my board?

I have tried this with my android phone and it has similar problems, I can control the robot from the phone (but the left and right are the wrong way around, even though it is correct from the ipad)

#4

Hi @hbohosian,

I am sorry for that if the battery power if low, the bluetooth would be not very stable. You could replace the battery and try that again.

#5

Hi @Johnny,

Thanks for the advice, new batteries make it work better. My only problem is that the robot takes time to complete the signal sent to it via bluetooth. When I first turn it on it responds within about half a second for the first command, then it starts to take between 3 and 7 seconds before it will process a command. What I mean by that is that I can move the joystick on the ipad app and the robot will not move until about 5 seconds after I have taken my finger off the ipad screen.

I am using 6 x AA 2300 mAh NiMH 1.2V batteries, is there an alternative power source that you would recommend or any trouble shooting steps you can recommend?

#6

Hi @hbohosian,

Sorry for the late reply, we have a holiday during the new year.

Could you show me the version of your bluetooth module? dual module or 4.0? And which version of iPad did you use?

#7

Hi @Johnny,

I have tried with both the dual mode and BLE. When I connect with my ipad air it says that I don’t have the right firmware if I use the BLE but when I use the dual mode I experience the problem described in my previous post.

Cheers

#8

Hi @hbohosian,

Please download this package and upload this firmware to Baseboard.
firmware.zip (25.7 KB)

#9

Hi @Johnny,

That is the exact firmware that I am using. Do you have any other suggestions?

#10

Hi hbohosian,

Could you check how much bytes you send to the bluetooth each seconds? I you can’t get data, please send a screenshot of you iPad to me.

#11

Hi @Johnny,

I haven’t had much time for this lately.

Can you detail how I would check how much data is being sent to the bluetooth?

Is this something I need to while plugged into the usb and read the serial?

#12