I have an AH3-R hexapod. The bot is controlled using the SSC-32 serial controller (V2) and a BBII with a basic atom pro 28 MCU.
I did all the calibration test using the SSC-32 and the new power pod program (for power pod pro-28). After the I connected the serial port the BBII with installed BAP-28.
I configured the powerpod program to export a basic file to use serial control.
The program export just fine. I use the latest BA IDE 8.0.1.8 to write the powerpod program to the BAP-28. Programming finished just fine every time that I tried it.
I connected the BBII (port15) to the SSC-32 (Rx input), applied power to the servos using a 5cell/2Ah Ni-Mh battery and the applied power to the SSC-32 and BBII boarder using an 8V/3Amp power supply.
After power is applied to the board a small beep sequence it heard from the BBII and the bot slowly rises fro the ground. It lifts the tripod alternately and stand in the ready position. The Led on the BBII is ON and the LED on the SSC-32 is OFF(probably waiting for the next serial command from the BBII)
The BBII is connected to the PC with a serial cable. The serial port is configured at 9600/8/1.
The problem is the following. When I try to use the serial control tools that come with power pod (Serial_CP_H3.exe or Serial_H3.exe) I cannot control the robot. it does not anything but wait with all the servos energized.
I have checked the com port settings and they are correct (9600/8/1/none/none) and when I make a connection I can see the “Rd” signal from the BBII in the serial_H3.exe incoming window.
Has anyone actually used these programs to control there hexapod in serial mode ???
Sorry for the long post but I thought it was necessary to count all the steps that I have gone through.
I know the serial version for the Atom 28 has been used successfully, but I doubt the Atom Pro 28 version has been tested yet. Not that I suspect there to be a problem, but there could be. I will investigate to see the next logical test.
I’ve been doing some more testing over the weekend. Still nothing, the programing works just fine, the bot goes through the initial sequence and then nothing. It can’t be controlled over the serial port.
i found something, it seems there’s a little issue in the PRO IDE 8.0.1.8 and below about the timeout support in the “serin” command.
I must test more to found where is the problem but i suspect the “timeout value in millisecond” to be wrong, dunno yet.
so to fix this, edit the Basic program and find the line :
serin S_OUT,i9600,100,NoData,[str DualShock(0)\7]
(it’s near the “main” label)
and change it into :
serin S_OUT,i9600,[str DualShock(0)\7]
to remove the timeout support
Then don’t forget to upload it to the BA 28 Pro with the IDE then perform a power cycle on the BA 28 Pro.
Removing the timout support will generate some issue if there’s some glitch in the connection with the PC.
i’m still trying to found where is the problem then i will transmit to Basic Micro for them to correct the IDE.
About the “Dualshock” array, there’s no real Dualshock here but i have used the same name as in other programs to simplify and keep some part of the code identical.
Success, It’s alive and kicking, errr. I mean walking.
Thanks for the help guys. Know it needs some fine tuning to the legs and then we venture of to connect the bluesmirf to omit the wires.
so here’s the final explanation,
on Pro IDE since version 8.0.1.3 the timeout value in “serin” command is now by .5 microsecond increment instead of 1 millisecond.
so the value “100” used in the past needs to be multiplied by 2000
it was not mentioned in the Pro manual, Basic Micro will correct this.
