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PSCI will not communicate with PC — Parallax Forums

PSCI will not communicate with PC

Carol HazlettCarol Hazlett Posts: 312
edited 2012-11-07 18:01 in General Discussion
I am using a Basic Stamp 2 on a BOE board with 2 PSCI boards to control 18 servos on a hexapod with 6 legs, each being 3DOF. The BOE is powered by a Parallax Li-on battery pack and the PSCI's have an RC battery to the screw terminals. The PSCI's are jumpered with servo extension cables from the microcontroller to one boards serial in and another cable from that boards serial out to the other boards serial in. I cannot communicate with the PSCI. I am using the Parallax Basic Stamp Editor and the program for retrieving the PSCI version number from the user manual for the PSCI. Is there something else I need to fo before establishing com with the PSCI. I did try the PSCI program also but while it opened the com port it still did not see the PSCI. And I also have the On-Off switches on the PSCI's to On.

Comments

  • Carol HazlettCarol Hazlett Posts: 312
    edited 2012-10-18 11:48
    Oh Heck!! My bad! I did not change the Sdat PIn number in my program from what the documentation was using to the pin number I was using. All works fine now. The Devil is in the details!
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2012-10-18 12:02
    Which controller is PSCI? There's a Propeller-based servo controller which is the current model and both a serial and USB SX-based controller and the latter has only the USB interface.

    If you have connected the jumpers and power leads correctly as shown in the documentation, it should all just work. There has to be a common ground connection, but the servo extension cable connecting the two controllers together, then to the BOE should take care of that. The Li-ion battery powering the BOE will also power the two servo controllers and the RC battery will power the servos themselves. Have you tried resetting the Servo Controllers as suggested in the documentation?

    Edit: Great you got it to work! Have fun hexapod-ing.
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2012-10-18 16:22
    I don't suppose we could talk you into posting some pictures (or even better a video)?

    Hexapods a pretty darn cool, I'd really like to see what you've got.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2012-10-18 17:14
    Mike' PSCI was beta software Parallax put out with the old servo controllers. Actually works with the Propeller based Servo Controllers also. Working with it right now to exercise some new 1/4 scale geared servos.

    http://www.antratek.nl/pdf/PSCi-Manual.pdf
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2012-10-18 17:46
    I'm familiar with the software, but I never thought of it as PSCI. I thought she was referring to the board.

    Carol,
    It'd be interesting, once you've got the hexapod behaving the way you want, to start customizing the Propeller firmware on the PSC, adding functionality to make the PSCs more autonomous and working at a higher level (in terms of complexity of functionality).
  • Carol HazlettCarol Hazlett Posts: 312
    edited 2012-11-07 17:46
    PSCI is the software for the Prop Servo Controller. If anybody would like to see what I am working on go to either my Facebook page (Carol Lynn Hazlett) or to a Facebook page called Robothon. Robothon is a page I run in order to try and get people interested in the activities af the Seattle Robotics Society. I would also appreciate any suggestions or directions people could provide me as I am often working at the far edge of my knowledge or skill level!
  • Carol HazlettCarol Hazlett Posts: 312
    edited 2012-11-07 17:51
    If anyone is interested in what I am working on go either to my Facebook page (Carol Lynn Hazlett) or to a Facebook page called Robothon. Robothon is a page I do for the Seattle Robotics Society to get people interested in participating in SRS activities. I would appreciate any suggestions, advise or comments you have as I am often working at the outer limits of my skills or knowledge!
  • Carol HazlettCarol Hazlett Posts: 312
    edited 2012-11-07 18:01
    I can program my servos through the BS2 and PSC's and I can connect the PSC's to the PC and retrieve the version number using the PSCI software but it still won't move a servo. It can't be my battery setup or my servos would not work when the PSC's are coneected to the BS2. The software seems to be communicating as it will return the version number of the board but when I use one of the sliders the servo does nothing. I was hoping to use it to develop my walking gaits but it looks like I have to do it the hard way.
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