Hello,
So I bought an AL5A Botboarduino combo kit and have some queries:
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Which ethernet shield is it compatible with? I have an arduino UNO that works fine with an ethernet shield that I already have. I wanted to know if the Duemilenove on the Botboarduino needs a specific shield for compatibility. Just trying to save time troubleshooting!
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Assembling the arm gave me some issues with integrating the base servo (the screws don’t fit!) and another servo (the horn won’t come off!). So I wish power up and test the other motors and links individually until I figure out how to integrate these 2 servos. Is there a simple pre-written program that will allow me to move the servos individually? It will really help, given that I have a limited amount of time to set this arm up for my lab.
Thanks!
Hi,
We offer multiple sample code for the BotBoarduino and the AL5 robotic arms. You can find these examples in two places on the Lynxmotion GitHub:
]The Arms repository/:m]
]The BotBoarduino repository/:m]You can use the example Sweep from the Arduino Servo library to test your servomotors (see the attached image). By default, it uses pin 9. Make sure the jumper for the block [6,7,8,9] is set to VS and not 5V.
Simply connect a servomotor to that port and power the Arduino through VS using a power source of 6 V DC. Make sure to set the EXT/USB jumper to EXT.
Sincerely,
I see. Thanks for your reply! I can definitely try that out. I was initially worried about mis-aligning(calibration going wrong for) the other servos while testing just one. But I think powering all of them and performing the “sweep” action on each one should give me what I wish to do.
I’ll update the status on that.
Thanks again!
We recommend that you also make a small sketch (maybe you can use the sweep one as reference) with only the command
[servo].writeMicroseconds(1500);
to set the servomotor to its center position. This will be very helpful when assembling the joints to make sure they are well aligned before everything is in place.
You can read more about this command here.
Ok I tried that and it works pretty well. I was able to do run the sweep program to see the range of motion for each servo as well as position the servos to the position i needed using the Servo(position) command you specified.
Going forward, I have now run into another problem: I interfaced an ethernet shield to the board to be able to command the servos from a webpage. This ethernet shield worked just fine with my Arduino Uno. However, after connecting and writing a program to the ethernet shield on the Botboarduino, the botboarduino seems like it has gone into an infinite loop of some kind and doesn’t reset. The board doesn’t even allow me to connect to it anymore to overwrite the program. The “Port” option is grayed out in the Arduino IDE.
Any ideas on how I can troubleshoot and what I can do going forward to avoid this situation? Is there a particular version of the Ethernet shield I should be using? The one I currently use does say that it is compatible with Arduino Duemilanove boards.
Please let me know!
Hi,
Could you provide more details about which shield you are using? A link to the product page would be helpful. Here is a list of Ethernet shields.
Also, when trying to program the BotBoarduino, do you have the Ethernet shield on or off?
Sincerely,
This is the shield I’m using: amazon.com/gp/product/B00OH1 … ge_o04_s00
So I initially loaded the program on the Bot-board with the ethernet shield on it, then once I realized what’s going on, I took it off and tried again. So i basically tried both ways and I got the same result either way.
So, I was able to get the Botboarduino (will refer to it at “BotBor”) out of its continuous loop! The problem lies with the “Reset” on the ethernet shield like all forums warn! Anyway now that I have a way to write to the Botbor, I notice the motor “whining” anytime an web-based program is downloaded onto the board. I have just 1 motor connected for testing purposes. Even if I don’t call the motor functions at all, I hear the motor “whining” and trying to move (I guess).
Any clues on how I can stop this or what’s going on? Also, any suggestions on the best ethernet shield I could try? I’m willing to try out another better ethernet shield, but I need to know one that will really work!
Please let me know.
Thanks!
Hi,
Please provide us with one or more pictures of your setup making sure to clearly show all components (board, jumpers, wires, power, etc.). Make sure to have one without the Ethernet shield on.
Also, please note that for our tests here we used the RB-Ite-160 (also uses the W5100 chip). We were able to program an Arduino Uno (R2) and also the BotBoarduino with the shield on and without issues.
Sincerely,
