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Difference between revisions of "Vorpal The Hexapod Troubleshooting Guide"

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(One Servo Doesn't Work)
(Gamepad Won't Control Hexapod)
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* Make sure the gamepad is turned on and you see lights through the cover.
 
* Make sure the gamepad is turned on and you see lights through the cover.
  
If you see lights through the holes in the ''center'' of the cover, observe the blinking pattern. When the Bluetooth modules are not connected, there will be a fast, steady blink. When they are properly connected, then there will be a 2 second pause followed by two quick blinks, and this will repeat over and over as long as there is a connection.
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If you see lights through the holes in the ''center'' of the cover, observe the blinking pattern. Here's what the blinks mean:
 +
* When the Bluetooth modules are not connected, there will be a fast, steady blink.  
 +
* When they first start to connect, they will blink slowly at first, then will go dark for a couple of seconds. This process will only take about 5 seconds.
 +
* When they are properly connected, then there will be a 2 second pause followed by two quick blinks, and this will repeat over and over as long as there is a connection.
  
 
If the Bluetooth modules are not paired after about 10 seconds (two second pause followed by two quick blinks), then the possible issues are:
 
If the Bluetooth modules are not paired after about 10 seconds (two second pause followed by two quick blinks), then the possible issues are:

Revision as of 02:10, 19 August 2017

Vorpal Hexapod Quick Links:

Servos Can't Lift Hexapod or are Sluggish

Possible causes include:

  • Batteries are low or dead. Recharge the batteries.
  • Too much friction on servo bearing. Make sure your 3D printed models are cleaned up, especially the little hemisphere on each servo mount on the chassis. This hemisphere is the bearing opposite the servo shaft, and if it has drips or other defects there may be too much friction for the servos to move smoothly. Sandpaper any areas that look misshapen or rough, or put a drop of silicone grease on the hemisphere.

One Servo Doesn't Work

Most likely causes include:

  • The servo has gotten unplugged from the servo controller. Open up the hexapod by removing the screws holding down the electronics caddy and check the wiring.
  • The servo has a frozen gear. Occasionally when a servo goes to its maximum position it may get stuck there. You will know this is true if the servo won't move easily even with power off. You can usually fix this by turning power OFF, then gently applying pressure to the servo in the direction you would expect it to move until it "unsticks". If the same servo keeps getting stuck, you should replace it.
  • The servo has gone bad (either gears are broken or wiring is damaged). There are several possible causes for this, but in any case the only fix is to replace the servo.

One Servo Jitters Constantly

  • This typically means the servo has gone bad and its electronics are not responding properly. First check to make sure the servo's wire is completely inserted in the servo controller, but if that looks ok the only fix is to swap the servo.

Gamepad Won't Control Hexapod

  • Make sure the battery is charged in the gamepad.
  • Make sure the hexapod dial has been turned to BT (Bluetooth mode).
  • Make sure the gamepad is turned on and you see lights through the cover.

If you see lights through the holes in the center of the cover, observe the blinking pattern. Here's what the blinks mean:

  • When the Bluetooth modules are not connected, there will be a fast, steady blink.
  • When they first start to connect, they will blink slowly at first, then will go dark for a couple of seconds. This process will only take about 5 seconds.
  • When they are properly connected, then there will be a 2 second pause followed by two quick blinks, and this will repeat over and over as long as there is a connection.

If the Bluetooth modules are not paired after about 10 seconds (two second pause followed by two quick blinks), then the possible issues are:

  • If your gamepad has never worked, you may have wired the transmit and receive wires backwards on either the hexapod, or the gamepad, or both.

If the Bluetooth modules are not connecting at all (rapidly blinking, no pause) then possible issues are:

  • If you have several hexapods, make sure you're using the correct gamepad that's matched with your hexapod. If need be, open up the gamepad and the hexapod and check the labels on the Bluetooth modules, make sure the labels match. If the labels are different, the two modules won't auto-pair and connect. You may have mixed up modules when building several robots.

If you do not see any lights at all in the center of the gamepad, then:

  • Your Bluetooth module may not be getting power, check wiring, especially the VCC and GND connections.
  • The gamepad battery may be low.