Lynxmotion SES V2 Hexapod Robot

Sorry @zenta I have been a little MIA here.

Been busy playing with other things. I have not done much in a long time with Visual Studio, but at times I do use it when I feel like playing with some debug stuff.

As others mentioned, the first thing I did was run through the LSS Config program and update all of the servos firmware to the latest and set a few other things like baud rate and the like. Later I added some test sketch which allows me to update baud rate.

Wondering why things are hanging.

If you are trying the LSSTestServos.
The setup code calls the FindServos function.

I would tend to instrument the code more to see if anything looks obvious, like:

void FindServos(void) {

  g_count_servos_found = 0;
  int32_t pos;
  Serial.println("\nSearch for all servos");
      // Initialize to no servos...
      for (int i = 0; i < MAX_SERVO_NUM; i++) {
        myLSS.setServoID(i);
        Serial.println(i, DEC);
        pos = myLSS.getPosition();
        if (myLSS.getLastCommStatus() == LSS_CommStatus_ReadSuccess) {
          g_ids[g_count_servos_found++] = i;
          Serial.print("    ");
          Serial.print(i, DEC);
          Serial.print(" - ");
          Serial.println(pos, DEC);
        }
      }
      Serial.println("  Done");
    }

Sorry sort of going blank on knowing how to set text color and the like in this forumā€¦ So simply added print out which index is being done nextā€¦ To see if/were it is hanging. Sometimes I will add Serial.flush();
After that to force it to output if it looks like processor totally hangs hard or resets, as to make sure I have the absolute latest text.

Question might be how do you have the Servos connected to T4.1?

Thanks for you reply @kurte.
Iā€™ll try the print to see where it halt.
My T4.0 is connected directly using Tx1/Rx1 through a voltage levelshifter to the LSSboard in Arduino mode.

Hi.

Iā€™m just wondering. Is there an issue with baud 500000?
When I do a scan using LSS config the scan result is very random. Sometimes it only find 14, 16 or 17 servos and sometimes with collision or not. Then doing a new scan gives another result. When Iā€™m lucky all 18 servos are found and everything looks ok. All servos have the latest firmware (368).

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As I think I mentioned, I did convert to 250000 instead as I was finding communications was not as reliable, which is why my convert baud rate or some such named sketch I last had it switch 500 to 250kb.

It is quite possible the timing values have not been updated in the LSS Config for the newer scan methods and are maybe a bit too aggressive (leading to some timeouts on some servos sometimes). I remember @cmackenzie mentioning something about this before but I think RS didnā€™t get to investigate it in time for the last update of the software.

Yes, I did have this issue. I had to try a bunch of times until I got them all, then update.

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Sorry I never got around to fixing itā€¦ got too busy with many thingsā€¦ all of 'em high priority! :open_mouth: Kinda late nowā€¦ :stuck_out_tongue:

no worries. :slight_smile: It still worked.

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@cmackenzie @zenta @kurte @xan A quardrapod project based on the LSS and SES V2 system underway in parallel. More here (feel free to comment and provide feedback):

image

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Gotta love the mechDOG! :smiley:
Just make sure not to confuse it with these ones:


image
:laughing:

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Wow that looks very cool!!

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Happy New Years to all (actually here still New Years Eve).

Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy and having some fun.

The MechDog looks nice.

I need to get back to playing with the Hexapod.

Again hope all of you are doing well!

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Happy New Year to you too and all those here.

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Bonne annƩe Ơ tous! :smiley:

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Happy New Year all!
I hope everybody is doing fine!

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For me, yesterday (Jan 20) really marked the start of a ā€œNew Yearā€, but donā€™t want to be political here.

@kurte @xan @zenta so whatā€™s the plan?

Xan - from what I can tell, you were the first to create the Phoenix code. Want to use whatever Arduino shield-compatible microcontroller you have to get the basic Phoenix code working with this new Hexapod? Use the regular PS2 for the moment since weā€™re still looking into creating a new Lynxmotion remote control.

Kurte - the new board you made looked interesting - we can create a few prototypes and send them out to each person here and check that Xanā€™s updated Phoenix code works better on the Teensy.

Zenta - want to start making suggestions to the body / design itself and then testing the updated code which Xan will hopefully develop?

These three posts are among the most popular of all time on the community:



Open to ideas and we want everyone working on parts they are most passionate about. Weā€™re all really happy and excited to have you onboard for this project.

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@cbenson @xan @zenta

Happy new year as well!

Sorry I have not been as active on this in awhile.

First on boards: The current one that I have played with, although I have never actually fully populated a full board, with everything, is up on github:
Most of it is up in the directory:

With the names like Robotshop and LSSā€¦ I believe there are two different ones in that directory.
The one I have mostly played with is: T4-T36-Breakout-Robotshop.dip
but I also have a version with mostly a set of Arduino headers which allow you to plug in your Arduino LSS shield and it converts the signals for 3.3v to 5v, on both the Servo Serial port and also the pins that can be setup for XBee.

Again if anyone wishes to play with the same boards, I believe there are zip files up in this project like:

https://github.com/KurtE/Teensy3.1-Breakout-Boards/blob/master/T4-T36-Breakout/T4-T36-Breakout-Robotshop_gerber.zip

And the Diptrace design files are up there are well.

Which I sent of to fabrication. I believe for these I use PCBWay.com to produce them, but same zip would probably work at other places like OSHPark.com or SeedStudio.com

Awhile ago I had a version of the Phoenix c++ version compiled for the robot. And I believe I had it standing up. Note: the version I was using was still using fixed point math. Would be better to convert to using floating point. Especially since the Teensy 4 and 4.1 have floating point (including double) built in to the processor. But my math has become very rusty ad would be great if someone fresh could go through and make a version that is nice and clean.

Zenta - how is your version doing these days?

Side note: recently I was contacted again by Trossen Robotics, about their desire to a version of the Phoenix code base to run on the Dynamixels using an OpenCM 9.04. Which I informed that I had a version that I had the basics working up on github in the project:
https://github.com/KurtE/Open_CM_CR_Arduino_Sketches

It is interesting in that they are now looking into two different sets of electronics and software depending on which type of user.

Again for Hobbyist they are looking at OpenCM 9.04 and for Input they are looking at using a PS4 controller, which they are going to use an RPI0W to talk to the controller and hook it up to Serial port of OpenCM board. I made a few suggestions about wondering if using RPI0W was the best choiceā€¦

But interestingly they are also working on a ROS setup. Some of this is currently up on github in the project:
https://github.com/Interbotix/interbotix_ros_crawlers

I have not tried installing this yet on anything, although maybe interesting to try it out on my older Trossen Hexapods to see how this ROS version compares to the version done earlier by Kevin Ochs, which several years ago was participating with a few others to adapt the code to work on the standard PhantomX Hexpod instead of his larger 4DOF version with more powerful (and expensive) servos.

Again lots of options on possible directions to take.

Again hope everyone is doing well!

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Hi @cbenson, @kurte, @zenta,

Sorry for my late reply. I think Iā€™ve overlooked the notifications.

Iā€™m using a Teensy 4.0 in combination with my custom DIY remote V2.0. The remote is using XBEE. Iā€™ve placed the controls in a separate ā€˜transceiverā€™ class. When the software is finished, it will be easy replace the xbee-transceiver class for a ps2-receiver class. For now the xbee control gives me more flexibility/options during testing.

The Teensy, voltage level shifter and xbee module are currently placed on a breadboard. I need to start looking into a good way to mount them soon since the breadboard is restricting the range of the legs. I want to check if I can use the XBEE mount on the LSS-AB and get the signals to the teensy instead of the LSS-AB. This way I only need to find a way to mount the teensy and voltage level shifter.

Iā€™ll keep you posted.

Xan

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The PS2 remote controls are ageing and availability is becoming limited, so Lynxmotion will be moving to a different remote. If you or anyone here wants to be part of that project, send me a PM.

Weā€™re prepared to create some samples of KurtEā€™s Teensy breakout board (in this thread) if others here would make use of it. Interested?

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Hi @Xan and @cbenson (and all)

Note: My first adapter that I was playing with, was setup to be able to use your LSS Servo shield including both the connections for servos as well as for XBeeā€¦ Still sort of a kitchen sink!

I made it to work with either T4 or T4 with a castellated adapter to make to same size as T4.1/T3.6ā€¦
Or for the newer T4.1 which was not out thenā€¦

Would also probably work with T3.6 as well,

Note: if ones were also interested in this type of design, I can simplify if I remove USB support for T4. That is there are two POGO pins near the USB connector plus the IC near it and some other misc support parts that make up the connection for USB on T4. T4 parts could be simpler without needing the IC, but allows for USB power management.

There are 4 BSS138 like TTL level converts like the Sparkfun/Adafruit boards. The XBee ones are sort of screwy as I take the 3.3v signals on Teensy, convert to 5v, which then the adapter board converts back down to 3.3v. Circuit also has a simple transistor, capā€¦ for simple sounds and then then still tries to break out all of the main pins, plus easy connection for Adafruit/Sparkfun I2C devices.

Again nice things about doing these boardsā€¦ Is I believe most of them with PCBWay cost about $4 for 10 of them plus about $18 DHL shipping and usually receive them back within a week.

So again I could simplify this one some if desired. And ordering both just costs about $4 more maybe a little more on the DHL.

Personally I have no desire to hook up a PS2 controller to these. I have not used one for a long time.
Instead the things I might try:

a) XBee - did this earlier with Arbotix Commander (Trossen) simple controller, which they are discontinuing, or could grab custom controller, but then as said customā€¦

b) USB/Bluetooth - My main starting point - Probably PS3 and probably PS4 as well. PS4 are nicer, but more expensive and at times I have had them be touchy, but there are some interesting things one can do with theim. PS3 there are lots of cheap clones. Some work better than others. Our USB Host library, that if you grab one of the BT adapters that work for us and plug it in, and then remove it and plug in PS3 to USB, and press a couple of buttons it will take care of the BT binding for you. Or if you use USB HUB you can plug both in to do the binding.

You can find out lots more information about what BT dongles and devices we have had luck with up on the thread:


One of these days I will get back to trying to get a few more controllers to work like the SWITCH.

c) RC remote: like one of the cheap FlySky remotes, the one I have is:

d) Which ever controller you suggest.

Now back to playing!

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