error msg pops up when connecting the servopod

[drugaddicted]

Dear Sir,

I linked the servopod to a pc via a rs232 cable and downloaded a program "eh3r01.txt" which I found on the website of lynxmotion to the board. The robot EH3R started to dance in a weird manner. Then it began to send strange msg "WAKKA 10" to the NMI terminal porgram screen. Afterward, I am unable to scrub the program. I tried to to reset the board, however, each resetting was only responded with adding a new "WAKKA 10" to the screen.



I thought i might be caused by the cables or PC ports and tried different cables and pcs, yet it failed. I am really mad at that. Would you pls give me a hand.

Thanks.

The program codes could be downloaded at
http://www.lynxmotion.com/images/files/eh3r01.txt

drugaddicted

[RMDumse]

The problem sounds more like a bad autostart, and can possibly be bypassed. By jumpering PE4 to ground you can force a cold reset. Then type SCRUB, and possibly recover the software.

PE4 is in the I/O SPI connector J3 - pin 4, and the pin just above it on the same connector, pin 2, is gnd. So it is very easy to slip a jumper over the two pins when reseting. Even shorting them temporarily with a paper clip or a screwdriver while reseting will do.

[Dave]

The "strange message" WAKKA 10 is generated by the STARTUP word, indicating it is running and starting the robot moving. If you note the dot-quote ." charecters, anything listed after them until the next quote " is then printed to the terminal screen. First the "WAKKA 1" is sent, then a test is made for what is on the PORTB pins (ANDed with 15 to mask to use only the first 4 pins). That way a gait could be changed by adding switches to ground on these for commanding different gaits. Since "0" is indicated, no pin on PB0, PB1, PB2, or PB3 has been grounded, and the sequence begins generating a standard tripod gait.

If this gait is not showing up, but it is indeed "dancing around", perhaps the connections need to be checked to make sure the individual servos are connected to the proper PWM or Timer pins on the ServoPod. The first section indicates the numbering of the servos in diagram, which is later use in showing the pins used in the section starting, "( JUST TO BE REDUNDANT...". A tripod gait should have every other leg for a total 3 up and moving to position, with the other 3 down and moving to push the robot in a given direction. It appears that a direction may be chosen by a potentiometer on ADC0, to read a voltage indicating which way to head. It appears another voltage on ADC3 will indicate stride or step length. And speed of walk is in on ADC2.

[RMDumse]

Most likely the power is faded when the legs begin to move, and the ServoPod(TM) is being reset. He could try to run the program without the servos plugged in and see if the board outputs get further along.