Hi,
I am a new member to this forum and found it with a Google search “Can’t find SSC-32 card†I get this message when clicking the â€REG†button on the Lynx SSC-32 terminal during setup/testing.
My first test system is a Windows XP with service pack three and not getting the USB to serial DB-9 converter to work I installed a dual DB-9 serial port card in an extra PCI slot to bypass any USB and FTDI issues.
My second test system is a Windows 2000 with service pack four. This system came with dual DB-9 serial ports installed.
My first SSC-32 purchased from Robotshop and tested on my first system powered up well with a 9 V battery but the green LED never went out. The Windows device manager showed both serial ports enabled, working properly and no IRQ conflicts. Com. Port settings were matched in both terminals and in the Lynx SSC-32 terminal settings. Jumpers are all in default positions (the way it is sold) and baud rate is set at 115200.
With no servos attached and the green LED indicator light staying on solid my 9V battery ran down to 6V during testing. A fresh 9V battery did not help solve the connection problem or get the LED indicator light to blink during testing.
Robotshop tech support referred me to Jim at Lynxmotion. The power loss sounded suspicious to him so I sent him the SSC-32 board for testing and he sent me a new board to test on my systems. I have received the second new board from Jim and tested it on both of my systems.
The test results on my first system were the same as the first SSC-32 board I received but with a new 9V battery only going down to 8V with approximately the same testing time.
The test results on my second system were also the same as my first system results. LED indicator light staying on solid, the â€REG†button shows “can’t find SSC-32 card†the one noticeable difference on my second system is that when I slide the servo positioning bar in the Lynx SSC-32 terminal the display window reads out a set of commands as the slide bar is moved. Also the “All-1500†and “All-0†buttons produced command readouts in the display window. But still no servo response from test servos connected to channel 00 and 01.
I hope these test results will indicate the connection problem for someone familiar with the SSC-32 card. Both my test systems seem more than adequate, my serial controller card and cables are new. Does anyone have any suggestions why the SSC-32 card will not connect to either one of my test systems?
The fact that you see returned info on the lynxterm screen may indicate that the serial port jumpers on the ssc-32 are rotated 90 deg, causing what is being sent to the ssc-32 to be sent back to lynxterm (ie., the tx and rx lines from the computer are connected together at the jumpers). You may also need to check the cable connections to your computer for a short or miswiring on the cabling.
The Lynx SSC-32 terminal installed on my second test system produces the servo positioning commands in the text display without the SSC-32 connected. It must be a function of the software program. Curiously it only reads out these commands on one of the three ports available in the drop-down selection. But more curiously is why I can’t get these command readouts when testing the same board on my newer first test system, the Windows XP platform.
My jumper arrangement on both of my SSC-32 test cards remain in the default positions and just as shown in the SSC-32 manual’s illustration. Position 14 on that illustration showing the TX and RX jumpers, I left in the default position to enable a DB-9 connection for PC use as shown in the illustration “Shorting Bar Jumpers and Connectors at a glance†also in the SSC-32 manual. If this manual or illustrations are incorrect please post the correct jumper arrangement to enable DB-9 connection to a PC.
I too was thinking that the cables were the common denominator that could cause both of my SSC-32 test cards to malfunction in both of my test systems. Both of my DB-9 serial test cables were new and unused when I started testing the SSC-32 however I may buy a new one so I will have three new cables for testing to eliminate them as the cause. I will also use a multi-meter to test continuity for all nine terminals on the two cables I have, again just to be sure.
Normally I love a good mystery but I have lost over a week’s time trying to get my two SSC-32 test cards to work. I am new to the SSC-32 so I assume I am missing something or must be really unlucky with this controller so far.
The fact that you are getting returned commands is probably due to an internal modem using that com port (usually one of 1 thru 4). Type at and hit enter. If OK is returned, you are communicating with a modem on that com port.
Using the pix of “DB9 enable for PC use” at the below link, rotate the tx/rx jumpers 90 deg to connect the tx/rx pins together. Type some stuff in the terminal screen and see if it gets echoed back. If so, then there is probably some issue (bad solder joint or connection) on the ssc-32 board.
If nothing was echoed back in the above test, then jumper the tx/rx pins on the DB9 connector connected to your computer (you may be able to use one of the jumpers from the ssc-32 board). Type some stuff in the terminal screen and see if it gets echoed back. If so, then there is probably some issue with the rs232 chip on the ssc-32 board. If nothing gets echoed back, then the problem is probably something in the cable/computer.
You’re right the COM3 port option in the drop-down menu of the SSC-32 terminal is connected to a modem. But how a modem can return or echo back servo commands in real-time as the servo-positioning bar slides up and down seems odd. Also everything I type on COM3 gets double, a typed “a†becomes “aa†this may be the echo back you speak of. So I could not type “at†and hit enter. It became “aatt†and returned nothing. The other two options COM1 and COM2 are connected to the DB-9 ports, but I get no response from either one of them in the display window. Also again the “REG†button returns “Can’t find SSC-32 cardâ€. Is this a catchall error message for many problems or does it indicate a particular problem that I can solve? The LED indicator light on both test boards stayed on solid using both ports on both test systems.
To be clear on the jumpers, are you saying both jumpers at position 14 need to be rotated 90° to test for bad solder joints? I am new to this forum and I am reluctant to try things not authorized by the manual. If you are a Lynxmotion tech I would of course do as you ask knowing you would replace my board if it blows up or something. Changing the jumpers inside my test computers seems like a last option to get a SSC-32 to work. My test computers seem standard and this makes me wonder are other people having the same problems or am I just really unlucky with both the SSC-32 boards I have tested?
I’ve given you detailed instruction how I would trouble shoot the issue if it were mine, and you apparenty you don’t understand them. I’m not conneced lynxmotion, so you are on your own now to sort out your issues. If you returned your first board to Lynxmotion, they can check it to see if it works or not with their equipment and go from there.
I do appreciate all suggestions but don’t always do everything people tell me. I do understand what jumpers are and that switching them around can provide a good diagnostic tool, but I am new to the SSC-32 and feel caution should be taken with any new electrical components.
Something you said was a possibility… “There is probably some issue (bad solder joint or connection) on the ssc-32 board.†Got me thinking. It’s not something I would normally check for but after you mentioned it I gave the solder joints a close inspection. I was a jeweler for 25 years and developed an eye for detail during that time. Also I have performed thousands of solder joints on gold and silver to judge the quality of a good solder joint. All solder joints on my current SSC-32 board look good except for three on the component at position one in the SSC-32 manual. I got a micro-inspection video camera used in quality control for circuit board manufacturing. I’ll get it set up and post some pictures. I don’t know if I can check the continuity on the solder joints but if they are not adequate enough they may be responsible for why I can’t get the SSC-32 board to communicate with either one of my test computer systems or why the 9 V power supply is depleted prematurely during testing.
The photo in this post shows the solder connections of the component at position one in the SSC-32 manual. The black lines in the solder joints show porosities at the point of contact. I don’t know how important this component is or its solder joints are to the function of the SSC-32 board but if the continuity test on my two new DB-9 serial cables checks out this is my best guess as to why the SSC-32 will not function with either one of my test systems/computer platforms.
If someone familiar with the SSC-32 board can tell me how important this component is and if the solder joints may be responsible for the SSC-32 not functioning we may be able to prevent others from having the same problem.
When checking the continuity of my two new DB-9 serial cables I found out they don’t go straight through. They’re mixed up or crossed over at the other end. I thought all DB-9 serial cables were straight through, the two that I have are not only mixed up they’re not even the same as one another. Using a straight through serial cable should solve my communication problem with the SSC-32 board to both my test systems.
The premature power loss on the 9 V power supply may still be related to the solder joints at the component at position one. Any resistance generated from a less than 100% solder joint would seem to contribute to the overall energy consumption, especially if all the power for that unit needs to go through that solder joint first.
Ok your null modem cables are the only problem, from the beginning… There is nothing wrong with the solder connections at the voltage regulator. Poor connections on the voltage regulator would show itself as a loss of power capacity, nothing to do with draining a battery too soon. There must have been a problem with the first 9vdc battery as well.
