RoboticsConnection User Forum / Serializer Robot Controller Support / RoboticsConnection Hardware Support

Serializer power question

cloud_skyblue — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:34:06 GMT

Hi all,

This is a very basic question, but I was wondering if there is a standard "protocol" for power on/off and connecting/disconnecting the serializer board? I read the guide but it doesn't seem to be very specific about it. Is there a specific order for these procedures? Also, while running the program in Visual C#, is inserting a serializer.stopcommunication() preferable than simply stopping debug?

Thanks in advance!

Intermittent timeouts and nacks when using servo command

EricZ — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 02:18:10 GMT

When using the servo command to position a servo, roughly every 3rd or 4th time I send a command I'll time out waiting for the response, sometimes I'll then receive a NACK, and most of the time the 3rd time will work. I get the same issue with SetIO, but only every once in a while. 75% of the time things work fine.

Any suggestions? Can you tell me why setio would ever time out or nack? It seems like it is just sending a PWM signal to the servo, so I'm not sure why there' ever be much of a delay.

I've got the timeout set to 5 seconds and I'm doing direct serial port communication (not using any of your .net libraries, etc.)

Question about serializer and xbee.

flokos — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:30:24 GMT

Hello everyone I m new here and I just got serializer.
But i have a question.
Can XBee Pro 900 RPSMA modules work with serializer ?

help with the serializer once again (can an R/C controller be used?)

wammeze — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:07:32 GMT

now, ive just bought a serializer, remote controller, and an xbee module. i was just wondering, is there any way i could use my radio controller with the xbee controller to control my serializer, or was it a huge waste of money to get the remote controller in the first place? the competition im in requires me to use a radio controller to control a robot with an arm. and if there is any suggestions on what to do, please make it a little simpler, because i am only in grade 10 and have just undertaken the challenge to make a movable robot.
thanks in advance!

Would like to buy discontinued RS-232 Serializer Module

lawrence — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:47:47 GMT

Hi:

These have been discontinued.

Does anyone have one they would like to sell?

I would offer $25.00 and could pay with PayPal.

Please email me at:

lawrencl@alternativeenergynow.org

if you have one you would sell.

Thanks,

Lawrence

RS-232 Module

lawrencl — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:00:05 GMT

Hi:

Is the RS-232 module still available for the Serializer?

It doesn't not appear to be in the online store.

Thanks,

Lawrence

PID parameters for .NET with QME-01 Encoder

Bablos — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 02:25:43 GMT

I'm trying to connect the serializer 3.0 with an external 10 Amp Dual H-Bridge and Lynxmotion motors GHM-16 and encoders QME-01 with 4.75" Wheels.

I can't find the right parameters for the PID and the drivetrain configuration.

I'm using yours PIDMotorControlExample in C#.

Serializer and Bluetooth

lawrencl — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:11:05 GMT

Is Bluetooth still supported with the Serializer?

Are Bluetooth modules still available?

Did USBee replace Bluetooth?

Thanks,

Lawrence

Serializer 2.0 w/ Bipolar stepper motor

electronguy — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 15:25:12 GMT

Greetings,

I have my Serializer WL 3.0 on my Traxster II robot (working great), and decided to use my Serializer WL 2.0 board with a stepper motor (to spin a disco ball).

Everything seems to be working okay, *except* a strange issue that I'm seeing when I initially change direction. I noticed the following erratic behavior after putting a white/black disc on top of my stepper motor to verify the 'step' and 'sweep' functions (FW 2.1): I'd "zero" the disc and issue a step command to rotate the disc 100 steps * 3.6 deg./step=1 revolution. This works great. The trouble comes when I go to reverse the direction. I noticed that I wasn't quite reaching my original mark (short by about two steps).

To troubleshoot, I issued a "step 0:1:1" command to control the motor at the slowest speed for one step in the indicated direction--everything's fine. Repeat for a few steps in a row and each step provides a proper increment of the shaft. Now, I issue a "step 1:1:1" command to reverse the direction of the step. THE CRAZY thing is that the motor will continue (with each subsequent "step 1:1:1" command) fro TWO steps in the prior direction (e.g., CW) before reversing direction.

If I follow up with "step 0:1:1" after performing "step 1:1:1" I get a similar result--two steps in the "old" direction before switching to the new direction.

I haven't tried this on the Serializer 3.0 board--I have the stepper motor on the Serializer 2.0 board.

Finally, I've tried just about every combination of wiring to the motor with similar, or worse, results. I believe I have my motor wired properly.

Thanks for any insights,
--Scott Thompson

1 motor is not turning forward

eduardofamendes — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:53:30 GMT

Hi,

I have a Serializer WL 2.0 with firmware version 1.5.2 and one of my motor is not working. It runs back, but not forward. The other one works fine. The red led of this motor is not blinking also. After a while the power supply start fluctuates rapidly.

Any suggestions on what to do?

Thanks,

Eduardo Mendes

Firmware programmation problem

goupil — Thu, 20 May 2010 13:00:28 GMT

Hi,

We try to program the firmware of the serializer version 2.0 with the 1.5.2 firmware. We had problems at the beginning, because it stopped at "0000000". I have to add a character delay of 1 ms to be able to program (I tried with 100ms, 10ms and 1 ms and it's ok in the 3 cases).

We use hyperterm and it works great until the line "0030000C" Skip.

After that I have on the last line ;PIC18F452 and nothing after this.

And I can't have the last 3 lines OK, ACKSerializer, Copyright.

I had no other way to finish than doing a disconnection, and tried to reboot the serializer. The red led is on (no flashing) and the green leds are off. So, may be it's because the serializer is waiting for reprogramming ?

I hope you will find an answer, because I have no other ideas now to find a solution and my students are waiting for me.

Of course, I test the power (the power source is 12V, and able to provide at least 1A), the polarity is good (it works before programming), I tried with 2 differents PC and tried also to remove the last line of the hex file (;PIC18F452) to see if it's the problem, and tried to reset with the reset button.

Thanks.

Windows XP SP2, firmware v1.5.2 for serializer 2.0

Serializer 3.0 - changing voltage from 5v to 3.3v

dannyjrodriguez — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:20:25 GMT

I have a device that connects via I2C that requires a max of 3.3v. However, the serializer outputs 5v. Any ideas on the best way to lower the voltage?

Would a voltage divider work with a few resistors or do i need to get a voltage regulator from 5v to 3.3v?

I have both readily available but wanted your opinions before going ahead.

In my toolbox i have 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 resistors as well as many 5v to 3.3v 1A voltage regulators.

Please advise.

External h-bridge signals

greensoda — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:33:37 GMT

We recently purchased the Serializer, and it seems to be working great so far, excellent product!

We'll be using it to drive two motors that will be chewing through a LOT more than 4-amps (something on the order of 20 amps), so we'll be using the Serializer to drive a set of external H-Bridges.

Question: What does the "Enable" line do? As far as I can tell, it's always tied high. When I issue the command "stop" in Hyperterm, the PWM stops, but the Enable line stays high. Additionally, when I issue "pwm 1:0 2:0" the Enable line still stays high.

I'm kinda lost as to when this line ever goes low, and what exactly it does?

Also, when the "stop" command is issued, do the on-board H-bridges brake, or do they free-coast?

Basically, we're trying to figure out how we can take the signal from the Serializer and connect that to a VERY high current H-Bridge.

Or if you know of someplace that sells premade high-current H-Bridges, that would be sweet.

Thanks for your help!

Issues with Digo and Encoder Count Direction

Modena4re — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:59:07 GMT

So this is the first time I have tried working with the serializer and am having a few issues with DIGO.

When I command Digo 1:1000:10 2:1000:10, the motors both turn the same direction, however, since it is differential drive, encoder 1 counts positive to 1000 but encoder 2 counts negative and motor 2 never stops. If I try Digo 1:1000:10 2:-1000:10, then the motor 2 drives in the opposite direction instead of driving the positive direction and subsequently the encoder count then goes positive and never reaches the -1000 encoder count.

Im thinking that I need to either swithch the encoder leads on the second motor. Is there any way to automatically negate the second encoder in the serializer? Or would switching the A B encoder leads or Gnd VCC leads to the encoder switch the encoder count direction?

Any help would be great! Thanks!

Cannot communicate with serializer using xbee modules

ron8558 — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 02:18:06 GMT

I am new to programming using the serializer. I had everything hooked up and working fine on Wednesday, that is the xbee usb module connected to the pc and the serializer with xbee module.
Xbee modules were communicating fine with each other then I tried today and nothing works. Tried swapping xbee modules around and still nothing, tried using putty, X-ctu and tiny bootloader to detect serializer to no avail. Does someone know how to hard reset the serilaizer board or xbee moduleback to manufacturers settings other than just pressing the rest button on the serializer?
has anyone had a similar problem and found a solution?

Please help! spent the last day or so trying to make it work with no success!

Erratic / Inconsistent Motor Control

Modena4re — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:42:06 GMT

So I have been having trouble obtained consistent motor control from the serializers for our robots. For background we are using Serializer V3.0 with the 7.2 gearhead motors supplied from you as well.

I have been writing some autonomy code that distributes commands to the serializer, and I have double checked that all the sent commands are proper and should work fine. Ill run the exact same test and on one occasion, everything works great, but on another, one motor may not turn. I am also noticing some high frequency noise when this happens (bad for motors). Any ideas on where to start trouble shooting this problem?

How to change baudrate of Bluetooth module

deimos — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:18:38 GMT

Can anyone explain how to change the interface baud rate of the bluetooth module from 19200 to something else ? I have read the EB100 manual, however the procedures outlined there to not appear to work via from the wireless side.

Thanks,

serializer - motors not in sync

emuteky — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:50:55 GMT

Have serializer with latest firmware. Issue digo/mogo commands and motors start/stop apart. i.e

one start/stops before the other. Encoder readings are typically 45% higher on left than right?

Motors/encoders spin/read in correct sense. If I use digo same speed(5)/distance(500) each side appears

to step rather than run in sync/together. using 9.6 Volt nicad pack. motors/tracks run freely (I have

track bot kit you sell).

cheers

ulric

Communication issues with Serializer board

Engg — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:36:04 GMT

I'm having communication troubles reading sensor data and controlling some servos connected to my Serializer board. I'm communicating with the Serializer via Xbee boards and I think I have them set up correctly because I can send commands to the Serialzer through Putty and read firmware version, ect, but for some reason when I run one of those sample programs on the download page, it doesn't seem to take any commands.

I can read sensor data from Putty but sending commands to the servos doesn't do anything. I'm using 2 Parallax (Futaba) Continuous Rotation Servo if that helps. I noticed when trying to run the sample applications that in the output window whenever a command is sent to the Serialier, like querying the sensors, it always times out.

I thought that power might be an issue so I connected the board with a constant 12V power supply.

I used the Xbee connection guide found on the forums and the buad rate should be correct. I had an issue before where the baud rate wasn't the same for both of the modules but I corrected that.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Issue with Motors

dizzy — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:40:34 GMT

Hi,

I recieved my Traxster a few days ago and have assembled it following the manual.

I am using XBEE for serial communication. I configure both module to communicate at 19200.

I launched Putty and confirm that the their is serial communication. Now when i issue the "test" command, i see "starting PWM test" on my putty screen followed by a high pitch sound coming from the serializer ( is that normal?).

The problem i am seeing is that my left motor spins, but my right motor seems to have a difficult time dowing so. I tried turning that track manually and it is very difficult, while the left motor track that is working can relatively easily be turned manually.

From that i can see there is nothing obstructing that right motor from spinning.

Any ideas what may be causing this?

flashing red power LED?

defwheezer — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:05:40 GMT

What does it mean if the Serializer Robot Controller red power led is flashing?

Interface between USB Module and Serializer

Modena4re — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:24:37 GMT

Quick question: What interface is between the USB module and serializer?

Reason I am asking, is we are trying to communicate with a Gumstix to the serializer and wondering if we can by-pass the USB module using another interface such as I2C.

Unable to communicate with serializer after baud rate change

dizzy — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:00:51 GMT

Hi again,

As i was reading up and learning more about the serializer 3.0, i ran into a new issue.

On page 18 of the Serializer manual, it discusses the 'cfg' command. I followed the example and issued the following command from putty which is supposed to change the baud rate to 115200: cfg baud 5

Since doing that, i have not been able to communicate with the serializer properly. I have done the following to attempt to resolve the issue:

tried changing baud rate back to 19200, to no avail
changed baud rate of both my XBee modules to 115200 (X-CTU is able to query both at this rate) to match serializer's baud rate
restarted putty with serial buad rate set to 115200

When starting putty now, and issuing commands to the board, all commands return NACK. If i hit reset on the board, i do see in my putty window the firmware info printed out. So it would seem at the very least, there is some communication from the serializer to com3...but again, not sure why commands issued from putty are ignored.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, as at this point, i'm not able to do much more

Serializer V3.0 ?

Arnaud — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:51:35 GMT

Hello

When a new version of your Serializer arrive i seen in another post end of september? is that true?

Regards.

Arnaud

Serializer 3.0 and I2C with specifc speeds

dannyjrodriguez — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:42:05 GMT

I have been researching which component(s) to purchase in order to have decent navigational abilities with the serializer.

My research has found a nice component that uses I2C as the sole interface into the component. However, when talking to the company that makes the navigation board they stated that the board requires it be communicated with at 50kbps instead of 100kbps.

Will this be an issue with the serializer 3.0?

This link [url]http://surveyor-corporation.stores.yahoo.net/srnabo.html[/url] will relay you to the component that will be used with the serialzier 3.0 controller.

Please advise.

Serializer 3.0 with USB and a USB Hub

dannyjrodriguez — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:18:09 GMT

This is a general question / idea that came to me tonight. Can one expand the USB capability of the Serializer 3.0 by attaching a USB module to the Serializer controller and then connecting a USB hub to it. Then connect other USB devices to the hub - say a xbee wireless adapter plugging into a usb board and so on?

This might be just my naive view of things so please correct me if I am wrong.

how do i hook your guys H-Bridge to the serializer?

wammeze — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:27:08 GMT

ok i have bought the 10 amp h-bridge, and need a little help to hook it up.
what would be the procedure for me to hook it up? because it seems like the serializer has 2 ports for the enable, dir and PWM , but the H-bridge only has one.
can any1 put me through a step by step proccess to hook up the H-Bridge?
Best Regards

.NET Library Usage and EEPROM Storage Question on Serializer WL Board

electronguy — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:11:19 GMT

Greetings,

I know that when I connect to the Serializer WL (now 3.0) board via serial Bluetooth and issue, say, a configure baud or vpid command, that these parameters get stored to the internal EEPROM of the Serializer board so that I don't have to keep changing those parameters.

I'm attempting to create a socket or pipe program to be used with RoboRealm that will also make use of the Serializer .NET library. From some of the examples in the .NET library, VPID parameters and baud rates, etc., are getting configured each time the computer connects to the Serializer.

My question, then, is to ask if settings submitted from the .NET library (e.g., baud rate, VPID parameters, etc.) get stored in EEPROM and if I'm just going to end up wasting a lot of write cycles for no reason. If, however, the Serializer board "knows" that it's the .NET library talking to it and doesn't store these parameters, then this is a non-issue. Am I better off to set all of the parameters the way I like them and never touch them again from the .NET library (i.e., letting all of my defaults come as configured from the EEPROM settings)?

Thanks for the input,
--Scott Thompson

Serializer Power Supply Suggestions

jsummerour — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:48:28 GMT

In case you're wondering what the best option is for powering up your Serializer, here are a few suggestions.

Power Supply Ratings:

Unregulated power is supplied to the Serializer and connected peripherals through one power header/terminal. However, the unregulated power is redirected thru a logic voltage regulator, a servo regulator, and directly to the onboard h-bridges. The onboard regulators can handle voltages up to 12V, which means you can use a power supply capable of supplying anywhere from 5V to 12V.

The Serializer only requires a few mA to operate by itself. However, remember that as you add sensors, servos, and motors, it will require additional power to supply to those peripherals.

The 1 Amp, 5V logic voltage regulator supplies power to logic devices and the I/O headers (I/O, Analog, and I2C).

The 3 Amp, 5V servo regulator supplies voltage to IO Pins 6, 7, 8, & 9. This regulator is dedicated to the use of servos connected to these header pins.

Power to the motors bypasses both headers, and is supplied in unregulated form to the onboard h-bridges (and thus motors connected to the h-bridges).

Minimum Voltage Levels

:exclamation:We suggest that you don't use a power supply below 7.2V. The reason for this is because the Serializer's firmware is upgradable, and as the firmware is being reprogrammed, it needs ample voltages to perform the reprogramming. It is very likely that you will want to upgrade your firmware after you have connected your sensors and other peripherals to the Serializer (to get new updates and/or bug fixes). Since the peripherals have their own power requirements, they could draw the voltage levels down below those required to reprogram the Serializer. Thus corruption could occur to the firmware during an upgrade if there isn't ample voltage.

Power Supplies

For desktop testing, we suggesting purchasing a good desktop power supply. You can use batteries, but it becomes annoying to have to swap batteries in and out over time. We have found a selection of very affordable and capable power supply from Marlin P. Jones:

12V 3.33A Desktop Power Supply ($8.95)

12V 4.2A Desktop Power Supply ($19.95)

12V 8.5A Desktop Power Supply ($39.95)

For autonomous robotic operation, we suggest using a NiMH or Lithium Ion battery. The NiMH batteries are cheaper, but won't last as long as the Lithium Ion batteries, and they're heavier as well. If you choose a NiMH battery, use one with as high of a capacity as you can afford (e.g. 2000mAh) so you'll see longer run times.

We have had pretty good results (as you can get from Chinese batteries) with the NiMH batteries from BatterySpace.com.

Good batteries are simply going to cost you more, but in the long run, this is a good place to spend a little more money. The last thing you want to be doing is wasting your time debugging what you think is a software problem, when in fact it is due to a depleted battery. :crying:

Robot Kits

:exclamation: Our robot kits feature 7.2V (1:52 gear reduction) DC Gearhead motors. At stall, each one can pull 4A. If you choose a desktop power supply for operating these motors, make sure you choose one that can supply 4A x the number of motors you're planning on using.

Serializer WL Pinout Diagram:

Here is a handy diagram of the Serializer WL pinouts:

Best Regards,

High Resolution Encoder with PID

Tyler — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:46:33 GMT

I am using the PID controls with two DC motors, however the encoders have about 64,000 pulses per revolution. At this resolution I am having trouble getting the correct parameters for the PID. I have L way down at 4 loops to give a velocity of about 100 at my desired speed however no matter what i do with the P parameter I have strange results as though it is trying to adjust the motor quicker than it can respond. Is there some sort of variable to scale the wheel encoder ticks to make them more managable or has anyone else delt with resolutions such as these? Thanks in advance

Serializer 3.0 Supports Wifi ?? Please Help!

159357301 — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:12:11 GMT

Hello! guys,

Can Serializer communicate via TCP/IP using a simple RS-232 to Ethernet or WiFi module??

http://www.robotshop.ca/wifi-ethernet-data-telemetry.html

For example:

Netmedia SPTPOE SitePlayer Telnet System
Product code : RB-Net-30

SFE WiFly GSX WiFi Breakout Board
Product code : RB-Spa-353

Any ideas??

Serializer 3.0 Supports Wifi and CMUcam3?

159357301 — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:05:27 GMT

Hello! Does anyone know Serializer 3.0 Supports Wifi and CMUcam3? If so, what wifi module will work with it? Please tell me

Thanks!

Serializer 3.0 Controller and Parallax Sensors

dannyjrodriguez — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:35:55 GMT

Hello all!

I have several questions in regards to some components I plan on using.

[b]The components in question are as follows:[/b]

[u]1. GPS Receiver[/u]
http://www.parallax.com/Store/Sensors/CompassGPS/tabid/173/CategoryID/48/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/396/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName

[u]2. Gyro[/u]
http://www.parallax.com/Store/Sensors/AccelerationTilt/tabid/172/CategoryID/47/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/97/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName

[u]3. Compass[/u]
http://www.parallax.com/Store/Sensors/AccelerationTilt/tabid/172/CategoryID/47/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/97/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName

[b]The questions are as follows:[/b]

1. Will these work with the serializer 3.0 controller?
2. If any of these will not work - what is recommended?
3. In terms of the compass - would it be better to use the one available on robotics connection or the one from parallax?
4. What has been done already with these types of sensors?

Thank you in advance

-Danny

serializer problem

wammeze — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:18:17 GMT

hi, i am very new to robotics and have purchased the serializer just recently.

today i tried putting a 12 volt battery onto the port which has the labelling of Gnd,Scl,Sda and Vcc. when i put the battery on, the board seemed to short circuit, and one of the processors started smoking. luckily one of my friends has enough smarts to bring the oard back to life. i have been reading up now on the serializer, and now i know where to put the battery. i put the battery, turn it on, and connect the board to my computer, but only one green LED light turns on.did i completely destroy my board? if not, how can i communicate with my board?

thanks in advance

serializer help

wammeze — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:53:44 GMT

if i wanted to control a robot arm and 2 dc motors all at 12 volts, would i need to program or get another microcontroller to work with the serializer and what wiring would i have to buy?

thanks in advance

Serializer 3.0 with IOWizard and I2C Expansion

dannyjrodriguez — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:07:21 GMT

Is it possible to use the Serializer 3.0 with the I2C expansion attached directly to it and then to the expansion connect the IOWizard.

Thank you!

Serializer 3.0 Controller and Cameras

dannyjrodriguez — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:42:28 GMT

I have been reading through the forums for someone or some info in regards to connecting a camera to the serializer. I see post about the CMUCam but I see everyone asking how to connect the cam to the serializer.

Outside of connecting pan/tilt servos for the camera - what about the image signals? Can this be connected to teh serializer and transmitted back or does this require another board?

Please advice..

Multiple Serializers (3.0) on the same bot

dannyjrodriguez — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:37:34 GMT

Is it possible to have more than one serialier per bot? If so - how do you differentiate between the serializers communicated with when using the xbee wireless modules? Is there a way? Or what is the alternative.

Granted I know the serializer is highly expandable but there are a few use cases where I might require more than one controller.

Thank you in advance

-Danny

Communication Issues with the Serializer 3.0 board

dannyjrodriguez — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:12:19 GMT

I have recently purchased a traxster II kit with the serializer 3.0 board, switching voltage regulator and ambient temperature sensor.

I have connected to the serializer an Xbee wireless module and using the same on the host pc.

I try to communicate with the serizlizer using putty from the pc but without resolve.

Any ideas here? I have followed the how-to document to the T and still no dice. Both xbee modules are set up to communicated at 19200 baud and everything has been double checked.

Are there certain jumper configurations that need to be done? I followed the instructions from the assembly manual but still no dice.

Serializer 3.0 Controller with the 5V Switching Voltage Regulator

dannyjrodriguez — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:43:06 GMT

Is it safe to use the 5B Switching Voltage Regulator with the Serializer 3.0?

-Danny