Ping Problem!

boe-crazy

i got a boe bot for christmas and my dad also got me the ping mounting kit that comes with the sensor.· so, i build my boe bot and everything goes fine up through chapter 5.· I then install my ping and download the program from parallax. i run the program and all it does is look around, turn around 135 degrees, and then does it again.· Is it me or the programming? help

Post Edited By Moderator (Chris Savage (Parallax)) : 1/5/2009 5:32:38 PM GMT

Franklin

Yes, It could be either. Check ALL your connections and your actual code (sometimes you can make typos) Go through the code like you were the boebot and see what it is being asked to do. then if none of that works rip it all off and put it back together again. You could also run the bot so it does not move by pulling the servo wires out of their sockets and add some debug statements to see what the bot is using for data to make it's decisions.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
- Stephen

MovieMaker

Don't forget to install the IRs. Because if they don't work, the Unit will do that.

boe-crazy

thanks, and couldnt i just take out the ir programming? another dude had the similar problem and did that. the downside to that is the factor of deciding wich parts to delete. thanks again, and i have yet to try it.

boe-crazy

I installed the IR sensors but it still does the same thing, only this time is goes forward after the spin. If I were to run some debug programs what would they be? I'm not so great at debug programs so maybe you guys could help me out.

Taylor1672

Check the I/O Pins in the program some you may use diffrent pin numbers than whoever wrote the program. At first I had a similer problem.

boe-crazy

Thanks

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
To make something work one must build, test, and verify bfore proceding.· -- myself

boe-crazy

GWjax helped me, I have a dud ping sensor.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
To make something work one must build, test, and verify bfore proceding.· -- myself

MovieMaker

Mr. GWjax is a very nice fellow. Glad you found out what was wrong.

Ken Gracey

boe-crazy,

Are you certain that it's a bad unit? All of them pass our QA/QC before we ship them. It's been known to happen, but it's not very likely.

Have you run the BS2 Ping))) standard code from our web site, without any other components or programming in the circuit? This will tell you if your sensor is working properly or not.

Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.

GWJax

Yes Ken we checked all the above and the unit does not even have the LED flash green when pinged to. the debug program we ran was only for the Ping))) with no other parts installed.
this was the program we ran to test it out:
' Measure distance with Ping))) sensor and display in both in & cm
' you'll find out that you should get 134 in max and 364 cm max
' use this program to get the maximum distance required you need and write down the numbers
' {$STAMP BS2}
' {$PBASIC 2.5}
' Conversion constants for room temperature measurements.
CmConstant CON 2260
InConstant CON 890
cmDistance VAR Word
inDistance VAR Word
Time VAR Word
DO
PULSOUT 15, 5 ' ping 5 times on pin 15
PULSIN 15, 1, time ' get one ping back on pin 15
cmDistance = cmConstant ** time ' convert in cm
inDistance = inConstant ** time ' convert in inch

DEBUG HOME, DEC3 cmDistance, " cm"
DEBUG CR, DEC3 inDistance, " in", CR
DEBUG DEC Time, " Time it took to get Ping back"
PAUSE 100
LOOP


@moviemaker thanks for yor kind words

Jax

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
If a robot has a screw then it must be romoved and hacked into..

boe-crazy

yes,we did determin the problem was the ping.· And it got shipped w/ minimal padding on a usps truck, And trust me, its no easy feat getting to where i live.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
To make something work one must build, test, and verify bfore proceding.· -- myself

boe-crazy

ken, could you inform me on what VIN means?

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
To make something work one must build, test, and verify bfore proceding.· -- myself

boe-crazy

NEVER MIND... IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my dad helped me fix it, we had it all messed up. Thank you GWjax for the program. We accidentily took off the jumper and had it plugged in there. Thank you for the advice everybody.

case closed, boe-crazy

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
To make something work one must build, test, and verify bfore proceding.· -- myself

Chris Savage

One final note regarding your original question about the IR…on the PING))) Mounting Bracket page there is code for using the PING))) roaming without the IR sensors…It is the Roaming with the PING))) (simple) code, rather than the advanced code. This will keep you from having to remove IR support from the advanced code. Take care.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering

soshimo

I'm glad to hear that you got your boe-bot going. I think that this illustrates a common problem for humans in general. It's our inability to consider that the wet interface between the hardware and the software (i.e. our brains) could be the cause of problems. We immediately suspect hardware and/or software and take great pains to find the culprit in these areas. I've found the best course of action when stuck on a problem is to put it away, as hard as that may sound, especially if it's new. This anecdote also illustrates what we called in the Navy, buddy troubleshooting or "second set of eyes", as opposed to shotgun troubleshooting which consisted of trying anything and everything until you found the problem or pulled all your hair out.

boe-crazy

Youre right. sometimes the biggest problem nis the brain itself.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
To make something work one must build, test, and verify bfore proceding.· -- myself