DHB-10 Motor Controller
Greetings,
I am anxiously assembling my new Arlo robot and am up to the part where I am checking the DHB-10 motor controller. SO here's what's NOT happening:
1) The indicator light on the DHB-10 is NOT blinking
2) When I run the supplied test program (Arlo - Test Activity Board and DHb-10 Communications), the output "Program running..." is seen on the serial monitor
but nothing more.
I have checked the wiring (per the instructions) and putting a meter on the terminal blocks indicates I am getting full power to the board.
Suggestions?
Thanks.
-Bill
I am anxiously assembling my new Arlo robot and am up to the part where I am checking the DHB-10 motor controller. SO here's what's NOT happening:
1) The indicator light on the DHB-10 is NOT blinking
2) When I run the supplied test program (Arlo - Test Activity Board and DHb-10 Communications), the output "Program running..." is seen on the serial monitor
but nothing more.
I have checked the wiring (per the instructions) and putting a meter on the terminal blocks indicates I am getting full power to the board.
Suggestions?
Thanks.
-Bill
Comments
If you are, I'll fish my DHB-10 out of a box and compare notes with you.
I have some Arlo hardware myself but I haven't used the DHB-10 with it yet. If you're still having trouble, I'll wire up my DHB-10 to my Arlo hardware and see if I can replicate your difficulty.
I haven't looked at the Activity Board's test program yet. I wanted to make sure you're still having trouble before wiring things up.
How are you communicating with the Activity Board? Do you have a PC on the Arlo?
I am also having the same problem can anyone post any reply of this damn issue. I am stuck
We connected as follows :-
P12(Gnd)->CH1(B), P12(5V)->CH1(R), P12(PWM)->CH1(W),
P13(Gnd)->CH2(B), P13(5V)->CH2(R), P13(PWM)->CH2(W),)
We will never know. The OP never responded.
No improvement with power switch on Activity Board in Position 2
My ARLO is in another building that I will not get to it until Tuesday afternoon. I will set it up then.
In the mean time, have you contacted tech support at Parallax? support@parallax.com
If not, then you likely have a bad board, or the firmware isn't installed on the board somehow? Also, I assume you checked the fuse for continuity?
If they do blink when nothing else is connected, then try adding just the connection to the Activity board and see if if can talk to it (there is a test program in the Arlo build instructions). If that works, then connect the motors and try the next program in the setup instructions that will try to run the motors. Finally, try the encoder connections (I would also double check these connections at the motors).
Thanks Roy. DHB power LED's are not glowing without any other connections. I assumed default firmware was available in DHB board. How to get firmware and download it into the board.
You'll need a propplug to download it. Check the manual (also on the store page for it) for where it goes, you don't need to solder pins in, you can just stick the 4 pin header in with the propplug on it and hold it in place for the time it takes to download the firmware.
If you aren't comfortable doing that, then I would just contact parallax to get help from them with the board.
Normally the firmware should be loaded into the DBH-10. It's just worth a shot to try loading it again if you can talk to the prop on the board. I suspect it's not getting power and so it won't work to load firmware.
Also, did you check the fuse? pull it out and check for continuity across it.
All the fuses are intact and working. so,I tried as following:
1. Remove all connections except 12v supply,
result: power status LED is not ON
2. connect PC to DHB-10 board with prop plug and upgrade firmware through propeller Tool v1.3.2.
result: PC unable to detect board through COM port. p.f.a
Now I took a fresh board and connected 12V power supply, power LED'S are ON. so I am assuming, first board got failed. It might be due to incorrect connection between parallax activity board and DHB-10.This is not documented clearly in arlo installation procedure.
can anyone tell pin connections between parallax activity board and DHB-10 for PWM.
Crucially, don't connect anything to the end pin, marked W.
Picture attached of correct positions for encoder.
http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/arlo/arlo-activity-board-brain/connect-activity-board-dhb-10
Edit: Added a picture, as I couldn't see the DHB10 side of things at the learn site... The markings are on the DHB10 pcb, but here's where I plugged them in. Notice the BLACK is near the pcb edge on the DHB10, whereas at the Activity board you've got white on the pcb edge. Also the connectors are in CH1 and CH2, not the AUX pins on the DHB10.
Hope that helps?
I had problems with the encoder connections when I built my first ARLO, specifically the outboard connection. I connected the White to W next to "Motor Status". Then I put on my glasses.
Here are my attemps to follow the suggestions as I understood them:
Trouble shoot DHB-10 problem:
c - review the Parallax Forum information
c - verify the two encoder cables are white in center/black on outside
Ref: http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/arlo/arlo-robot-assembly-guide/section-1-motor-mount-and-wheel-kit-assembly/step-6
c - verify power connectors to DBH-10: correct
Ref: http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/arlo/arlo-robot-assembly-guide/section-7-control-components-and-dhb-10-connections-2
c - verify motor connections: correct
Ref: http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/arlo/arlo-robot-assembly-guide/section-7-control-components-and-dhb-10-connections-5
c - verify encoder connections:
Ref: http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/arlo/arlo-robot-assembly-guide/section-7-control-components-and-dhb-10-connections-5
c - verify Activity Board to DHB-10 connections: correct
Ref: http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/arlo/arlo-activity-board-brain/connect-activity-board-dhb-10
c - verify that DHB-10 lights do not blink: correct
Ref: http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/arlo/arlo-activity-board-brain/test-correct-activity-board-electical-connections-1
**
Try to load the DHB-10 code:
Ref: http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/arlo/updating-your-dhb-10-firmware
Downloaded: 28231-DHB-10-Arlo-Firmware-v1.0
Connect the Propeller Plug to the DHB-10’s Prop-Plug port. Make sure you haven’t plugged it in backwards - The TX and RX markings on Propeller Plug and DHB-10 should align.
NOTE: The pins on the DHB-10 do match the marking on the Prop Plug Rev B
DHB-10 pins: TX, RX, RESp, GND (left to right) (#28231 Rev A 1809)
Prop Plug Rev B pins: RX, TX, RES, VSS (#32201 Rev
Prop Plug Rev B pins: VSS, RES, TX, RX (#32201 Rev
Something does not look right!
Prop Plug Rev B pins: RX, TX, RES, VSS (#32201 Rev
Not sure were the smiley faces with glasses come from!
DHB-10 is A
PROP plug is B
RES with a line over it (from the plug) is the same as RESn, and VSS = GND.
TX -> RX
RX -> TX
RESn -> RES (with line over it)
GND -> VSS
If your DHB-10 doesn't light the blue power led and the orange/amber leds don't blink when powered up with no other connections, then it's likely your board is bad or your fuse is bad.
If you have the blue power led, but no blinking orange leds, then you might just need to update the firmware.
OK. Looking at the diagram for the Propplug: VSS = GND.
And TX going to a RX and a RX going to a TX makes sense.
So, tried to load the new firmware and got: Propeller not found on COM 6.
Found 12v on both ends of the 20 fuse.
Conclusion: Bad DHB-10 board.
Really do not know why. The instructions were followed step-by-step.
I do suggest that more verification steps should be included in the build process:
1) verify all voltages on the power distribution board after installing and prior to connecting to anything else
2) after installing the DHB-10 board, connecting the batteries, charging the batteries, and connecting DHB-10 to 12v, verify lights on DHB-10 prior to any other wiring.
For reliability, you could try soldering a 4-way standard 0.1" header into the holes, which you can plug the PropPlug into for a really good connection.
The reason I thought to say this, is because "Propeller not found" messages are common when the connection between the PropPlug and Propeller are intermittent.
Then could it be as simple as adding a blue LED somewhere? Blinkies make everything better.
On Step 37 - Connecting Power & Encoders
Connecting the encoders.
Picture shows two empty pins for the A encoders.
The B encoder wire colors match label on DHB-10 board.
The A encode wire colors do not line up with corresponding labels on the board.
To match the picture there would be an empty pin on the connector side away from the power distribution board.
The black wire would plug into pin labeled G.
The red wire would plug inti pin labeled B.
The white wire would plug into pin labeled Y.
Is this correct?
Based upon VonSzarvas prior post and excellent pictures, I am proceeding with the assembly.
Correct.
I've attached a few more images; hopefully to make the connections clearer.
If you refer to the DHB10_TopSilk.png image, you can see a white box drawn around the pins that the encoders are expected to plug into. On the PCB photos you can just see the white box under the installed connectors, but it is clearer when the headers are not in the way!
At the edge of that white line box, toward the inside of the board, you will see the BRW (or WRB) marking. That is what you should follow for both encoder connectors used by Arlo, and that is how I have my cables connected on the attached PCB photos. Keep the Arlo encoder connectors inside that box on both rows. Don't follow the W Y B G markings.
For reference, the markings on the outside edge (W Y B G - +) are for a different type of motor and wheel set that had a 5-pin connector which included the encoder and motor power connections in one. That product was discontinued due to supplier quality issues I believe, although many customers will still have that lower current motor set and will use that connector instead of the motor screw terminals required for the larger current Arlo motors. Anyway- the point of the dual markings at that encoder header area is to allow for both types of motors/encoders to connect.
Have fun with the rest of the assembly!