We are using the Bot board/basic atom + SSC-32 to control 24 servo to move a robot.
But sometimes the servos DON’T move at all. the battery we use for the servo is around 7v the board is 5vdc. it is very random. The communication between the basic atom and the computer is both in cable and wireless and it is ok. the control algorithm is in Matlab. I am not sure why is this, Anyone can help us to solve this problem or give me some suggestions?
thank you very much!!
You are not clear as to whether you are using a separate power source for the microcontroller or a ‘shared’ source.
It is HIGHLY recommended that you use a separate battery for the microcontroller! Even momentary dips of the supply voltage below 5v could mean the Atom would reset. Most folks use a separate 9v battery for Atom power, and some variety for servo power (4.8, 6, 7.2v etc.) Also extremely important - be sure to tie both ‘Grounds’ together!
Even a beefy battery can momentarily experience voltage drops if there is a sudden draw-down of power, like many servos trying to move at once. I’m not sure about digital servos, but they are probably fairly stringent in their power requirements too.
It could be lots of things, but this one sounds like a power-related issue. At any rate, this is easy to fix and check out before digging deeper. Keep us posted on your progress!
Thank you!
Now, We use two sets of batteries (7.4V 4500mAh) to power 24 servos, and also We use an adapter (output 5VDC) to power both MINI-ABB and SSC-32 boards at the same time. But there still is the problem what i described before.
An image of the wiring may help. More information about the PC, serial port or USB to serial, make and model, OS, code examples… We need lots more information… Yes, read the how to get the best help thread…
Thank you very much for all your replies.
the computer and the Bot board is connected via DB9. the OS is windows xp.
basic atom + SSC-32 is unidirectional TTL serial communications,like in the
lynxmotion.com/images/html/build136.htm
but bot board side is connected with 15.
2 batteries (about 8v) are supplied for the 24 servos for 12 each, the Bot board/SSC-32 are supplied via a 5v VDC together.
The control algorithm is in Maltab. when we use the control, the D1 light on SSC-32 is not blinking, but it blinks when power up.
It used to work very well. But now the servos are not moving.
There is another problem:
At first, my robot works and after I restart my computer, the robot doesn’t work. And several minutes ( the time is not fix) later, the robot maybe work again.
This phenomenon occurs frequently. I don’t know why?
The SSC-32 and the Bot Board II use an onboard 5VDC regulator to supply power to each board’s logic circuits. They each need at least an additional volt in order to provide a steady output voltage. Try using a 6VDC supply for logic and tell us if anything changes.
I had something like this happen to me. It turned out to be the USB port
devices would not be detected or dropped off (all my attached devices were USB).
I installed a current USB driver and used a powered USB hub to resolve the issue.
HI fish,
I use the 6VDC adapter to power SSC-32 and the Bot Board II, but unfortunately, it still doesn’t work. There is nothing changed.
Any pictures of your wiring? We need more information in order to help you. Just saying that it doesn’t work won’t help us help you. What is the LED on the SSC-32 doing? What kind of USB to serial adapter are you using? Always remember the tips on getting the best help. 
Thank you for your kindly reply. Sorry I have not pic now.
I use ‘jumper(yellow-black)’ to connect the two boards, and the Mini-ABB board is connect with computer through a 9-pin serial cable. The light on SSC-32 just blinks when I push the ‘reset’ button on MINI-ABB or plug in the 6V power supply.
If the robot works, the light on SSC-32 should be blinking all the time, otherwise, the light will be out, right?
The LED on the SSC-32 is a status indicator. When the SSC-32 is first turned on, the LED goes on steady to indicate that it is working properly. After the first command the LED will blink on each command received. The LED will blink even if the data is at an incorrect BAUD rate, an incomplete command, or an invalid command. If the LED is not blinking, then the SSC-32 is not receiving any data.
