im very sorry to repost this query but i simply have not progressed…
i have read through all posts and although they sound helpful i simply dont understand how to apply them…
ive connected ssc via usb to serial cable and the data cable adapter… when i flick switch on the arm moves a little… the green led light is lit on the ssc so i know there is power and connection… a led is also lit on the usb to serial cable indicating a connection…
i access lynxterm to do the all=1500 thing and press it but nothing happens… indeed my led light on the ssc never blinks so i assume it isnt reading data according to the posts… but what am i to do… how do i check power mapping of usb ports and stuff? My baud rate is set at the right amount… when i do a verify test through linxterm it says it read like 6 bytes dont know what that means…
ive tried different comms different ports etc etc nothing… please help!!!
Yes i have tried that under the firmware it says VER a\nd under ctrl it says 13 and then it says 6 bytes read… for power im using the adapter plugged into a power point
also i have three com ports in the drop down box menu where it says ports (on lynxterm) a COM 8, COM 9 and COM 3… when i try that VER test on com 8 and 9 i have no red… but i get the 6 bytes on Com 3
Would like to see an image of the board connected as it is.
For testing please use LynxTerm only. Our goal is to connect to the SSC-32 and get the Firmware version from it. This is done by typing:
VER <cr>
The means press the enter key.
When it is working properly it will return something like this:
SSC32-V2.01XE
There is no reason to use any other program or function of another program to test this.
Your SSC-32’s LED never goes out, so you are sending data to the wrong serial port, Period… There is no reason to go to the Timeouts, Firmware or Register section of the program. Having the wrong baud rate or timeouts selected will not effect this. Now if the LED does go out but you still can’t communicate, then baud rate or timeouts is next in line.
What serial port number was created when you installed the USB to serial cable?
Do you have the two jumpers installed by the DB9 serial port connector on the SSC-32?
Further to the photos I emailed and which were confirmed to appear connected ok… i can confirm that I have checked the cable usb/serial and it is working fine, power IS being supplied to the ssc, I AM using the right COM port and everything else according to the triouble shoot and instructions have all been looked at but my one and only problem is that the ssc is NOT reading any data sent to it… i have used the cable elsewhere and it works with other appliances… i previously emailed the make and model of the usb/serial cable i assume it is compatible based on the above,… any other suggestions before i just give up on it as i ahev tried literally everything suggested thus far and answered everybody questions and still no progress??
You can put a jumper across the tx and rx pins on your USB serial adapter and type in letters in lynxterm to see if they are echoed back to check the adapter (each letter will be displayed twice when typed once). You probably could touch the rx pin on the ssc-32 with +5v from the ssc-32 board to see if the board LED goes out (haven’t tried this so you are on your own on this). The #13 TTL serial jumpers shown in the owner’s manual need to be placed correctly.
i dont know what a jumper is, but i can tell you that when i type anything in the lynxterm box it does do that double letter even though i press it once… what does that mean? everything placed correctly… what does the echo represent? and error?
“The #13 TTL serial jumpers shown in the owner’s manual need to be placed correctly.” Having these jumpers incorrectly installed (rotated 90 deg.) can cause the typed letters to be returned to lynxterm instead of sent to the ssc-32 chip.
Pick a place to work on this. You have sent me emails, then forum posts, then emails, then forum posts. It’s quite difficult to keep track of what you have done and what I have asked you to do.
You have not answered all of my questions. I have repeatedly asked you if the green LED has gone out and honestly I still do not know.
Look again at the shorting bar jumpers on the DB9 serial port enable headers. As Zoomkat has mentioned if you are seeing characters doubled when typing is an indication of the jumpers being installed sideways instead of up and down (when you can read SSC-32). This shorts out TX and RX. It will also print the commands used in all=1500 on the screen instead of sending to the Atmel chip…
thanks for your help zoomkat, but i have no idea what your last message meant… what owners manual… you mean assembly instructions? i dont know what #13 ttl serial jumper is… please explain this clearer i am an idiot… please thanks
Okay I am going to attempt resolution one more time:
I have read Serial / usb to serial port troubleshooting; the link you pasted in your last response among many other posts and have dabbled with different configurations on my computer and have not had any results. Please treat me like i am stupid, because I am… but this is a simple run down of the symptoms:
i refer to a the L5 Arm
all connected as per the manual that much is correct and i know this;
i am using a Belkin USB/Serial cord;
i am using an adapter plugged in for power as was supplied with kit;
green LED on and never blinks or turns off;
the only time the arm moves the slightest bit is when i touch the USB part of the usb/serial cord to my computer as i am plugging it in… as soon as it makes contact with the usb port it moves a little and then once usb is plugged in it no longer moves;
i have tried every COM port possible
a lot of threads are of no use because i have tried them out with no result except that below
I have read lynxmotion.net/viewtopic.php?t=4417 this and dont really understand the battery situation. Is this a battery in addition to having it plugged into computer… power mapping of usb ports? How do i check and change this so that enough power is supplied (if that is in fact the problem)?
Disconnect the arm from the ssc-32 and concentrate on communicating with the ssc-32. Does your belkin adapter appear in device manager as a serial port device, and if so, what com port is assigned to it?
Sorry, I must add, that when i nominate COM11 in lynxterm… it always appear to freeze then crash and I always have to force quit the program… but only when i use the COM that the usb/serial is dedicated to
Connect the USB to serial cable to the PC before opening LynxTerm. Make sure when you plug the cable into the PC you hear the sound windows makes when it recognizes the cable (serial port).
See if you have the ability to change the port to a lower number. 11 seems weird to me. It’s possible you have a bunch of virtual serial ports configured in device manager, and they may need to be deleted before a lower number is available.
Hey thanks a lot buddy, I finally got it to work and your advice in the last 2 or so posts were spot on… thanks for your patience!!
In saying that, my arm does not connect to Lynxterm - i think they hate eachother, but i dont care because it connects to RIOS and it is finally moving!! Do the back of the servos or that servo hinge you put on them interefere with its movement? I noticed that when the arm moves back the pointy bit on the back of the hinge hits the arm causing some problems. Step 10 of the link is the hinge with that pointy bit and step 12 of this link is what i am referring to (the side of the arm not shown specifically) lynxmotion.com/images/html/build15d.htm
Can you post an image? You do know the pointy bit is supposed to go into the hole in the upright panel in the back shown in image 4 in the same document. I think you installed the hinge backwards.
