Hello.
I have an SSC-32 obtained and I need to control it using software written in C#. Can you help me out?
I’ll go a bit into details. I have a basic software, that is able to move the motors of a robot, using the Mini SSC II and the SSC-12 controllers, but not the SSC-32. The difference, as I see it, is that both the Mini SSC II and the SSC-12 use a “phone cable” to connect to the computer, whereas the SSC-32 has its own COM port interface. Is this the case?
The way it works for the Mini SSC II and the SSC-12 is this: the controller receives the command through a “phone cable”, which is then connected to a COM port interface, which is in turn connected to a USB-to-serial cable, which then goes into the computer’s USB port. This works because the computer sees the USB-to-serial port as a COM port (the cable comes with drivers that allow this). In C#, it is possible to open a serial port object, to which data can be sent, so the communication is straightforward.
However, when I plug the USB-to-serial cable directly into the SSC-32’s COM port interface and use the same software (which worked with both the Mini SSC-II and the SSC-12), I get no results (i.e. no motor movement). Could you please help me with this?
Also, if you could direct me to any programs written in C# (or possibly Java), using which it is possible to control the motors using SSC-32, I would be very grateful.
Cheers.
I have not used the SSC-12, but the Mini SSC-II’s “phone cable” interface is just a ‘re-packaging’ of a standard serial line that takes up less space on the board.
Both the Mini SSC-II and the SSC-32 will respond to standard serial signals - the difference being the cable that is used to deliver them from the COM port to the servo control board.
Two possible issues occur to me right offhand:
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Does the baud rate setting for your SSC-32 match that of your COM port? The jumpers in the center of the board can be used to adjust the baud rate of the SSC-32, or you can adjust the baud rate that your computer is using, to match that of the SSC-32. EDIT: Looking at the SSC-12 instructions, I see that its baud rate is fixed at 9600. You may need to adjust the speed of either your program or your SSC-32 to match.
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Are the SSC-32’s TX and RX jumpers properly installed? there are five header pins next to the 9-pin serial connector on the SSC-32, which are used for either communicating with the board on a TTL level, or for patching in the RS-232 level converter. If you are using the SSC-32 with a standard RS-232 serial port, then the jumpers should be installed as shown on page 3 of the manual.
Are you able to communicate with the SSC-32? There is a green LED on the board, which will light steadily when power is first applied, and then pulse in sync with incoming data thereafter. When you first turn on the SSC-32, does the LED light up and stay on continuously? when you send a command to the SSC-32, does the light flicker in time with the data being sent?
Hope this helps sort out your trouble.
Yes, it was the baud rate jumpers that needed to be set properly. Now the communication works.
Thank you very much 
I’m happy to be able to help, and glad to hear that it’s now working for you.
The baud rate jumpers got me on a project just the other day - I un-jumpered a pair of pins, and while putting the unused jumper back onto one pin in a “storage” orientation, I missed, and ended up re-jumpering the pair of pins that I had just disconnected. It took me a while to track that one down, since I knew that I had just removed that particular jumper, and that it couldn’t possibly be the cause of the problem. When I eventually went back to re-check the baud rate jumpers, I spotted the problem and fixed it, but only after re-checking every other connection on the board. 
Hehehehehe… It certainly isn’t easy being a roboteer, let alone an avid one… 
I’m glad you finally got it sorted out.
Cheers, mate, and thanks again.
I’m glad you finally got it sorted out.