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Author Topic: Cant get connected to PG
woodpecker
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Post Cant get connected to PG
on: March 3, 2012, 19:07
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Hi Sandy and all the other readers,

finally i was lucky to have every single part together to build my first polargraph. it looks just great, mounted on the backside of a pictureframe, hanging on my livingroom´s wall waiting to get work done. but then:

after opening the PGcontroller and telling the software my machines specs i wasnt able to establish any serious connection to the machine....(status report: Polargraph not connect - in red). im running the software on a win7 64bit, already updated the com port driver, it finds a port (com6), i choose it and get this status report........:O(

i dont know whats wrong now. i have a suspect: the motorshield maybe..?? as im not so big in soldering or electronics in any way.....? well i tested it with a script that makes the led on the shield blink, but not much more i guess......so there is potential for errors....i guess (??).

so what do you think is wrong or is there something i have overseen in the setup (drivers or whatever?)?

any help is welcome!! thank you folks!
sandy
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sandy
Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 3, 2012, 19:51
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Good work - you've got the tricky bit done.

The LED on the motorshield is just the power supply light - you shouldn't be able to make it blink except by resetting the board.

Forgive me if you've done all this, but I don't know how up to speed you are on the whole process and how far you've already got. For troubleshooting, you don't need to connect the motorshield, and that lets you see the lights on the arduino better too, and takes the shield out of the equation.

So right, you need to upload the firmware to the board using the Arduino development environment. http://www.instructables.com/id/Polargraph-Drawing-Machine/step8/Electronics-Arduino/ After that's done, you should use the serial port monitor in the arduino development environment to make sure it's worked, and you've got the right serial port. You should see it issuing a "READY" message every couple of seconds.

If the new serial port is showing up, that means your drivers are ok. Let me know if you've uploaded the firmware successfully and can see it broadcasting READY through the serial monitor.

sn
woodpecker
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Posts: 33
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Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 3, 2012, 21:08
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he, he, stupid me......i should have installed the firmware and stuff before. now i get connected :O). still doesnt move, but i guess i will figure this out somehow (would be easier of course with another hint.....). i use 1.8 degree stepper motors, with 600mA each at 15V.

one more question about the power jumper: as far as i remember you recommend to remove the jumper, is this right, as i was reading something different on the adafruits manual (maybe i mix this up somehow?). anyways, i removed it so far. just to ensure myself: this is right, isnt it?
woodpecker
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Posts: 33
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Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 3, 2012, 21:23
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Image
Image
sandy
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sandy
Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 3, 2012, 21:26
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Good stuff - glad that was it. Removing the jumper separates the motor power supply from the logic/arduino power supply. If you are wiring your external power supply into the motorshield directly, then you should remove the jumper, and then your motors will use that power supply. This is how ladyada recommends you use the shield because it stops the motors from sucking up all the power and leaving the arduino with no juice to run.

If you power your machine by plugging the power supply into the arduino board, then you will need to leave the jumper on. In practice, I've never had any power problems and usually run my machines this way. Perhaps because I tend to use only 6v - maybe if I used more then it might be more of an issue (less juice to share).

good luck!
sn
woodpecker
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Posts: 33
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Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 4, 2012, 10:00
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P.S.: I got it running! :O)))) <- very happy!
sandy
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sandy
Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 4, 2012, 10:22
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good work - happy scribbling 🙂
SnyperBob
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Posts: 42
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Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 5, 2012, 14:17
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Awesome!! Post up some pics of your drawings! What power supply are you using Woody? Did you get your motorshield thru Adafruit or cheap eBay one?
woodpecker
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Posts: 33
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Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 5, 2012, 16:14
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Hi Bob,

i am using a vivanco variable (-24V/-3000mA) powersupply now, which was pretty expensive (40Euro) and the adafruit motorshield, as i am not so keen in setting up another one, i guess. the machine is running, but i have to fix some problems before i will get decent drawings. right now it draws mirrored :O) (probably a matter of wiring the steppers).
woodpecker
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Posts: 33
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Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 5, 2012, 16:24
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Actually i use a slightly different design, as the machine works with toothed belts and matching pullywheels (which is probably less practical but looks more pro, i think) and the gondola is different too. i had a piece of hard plastic stuff flying around which looked just right too me. i put a screw in the middle for pen holding/ adjustment and i also wired some extra weight to it. to be honest, i cannot describe the wiring to the belts correctly as i dont know how to call the screws i use in english, anyways, its simply a different approach and i am not convinced yet if i will stay with it or change after a while. weights seems to be important as far as i see, to get a good balanced gondola. i am working on this.

sandy
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sandy
Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 5, 2012, 16:49
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Yep you've got your arduino+motorshield upside down - you can change it physically or you can modify the code to do it your way if you prefer. Mine was upside down for ages, because it was so much easier to have the USB cable heading out in that direction. Fixed by buying a longer USB cable. Modern technology.
SnyperBob
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Posts: 42
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Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 5, 2012, 20:40
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Yeah, my drawings are mirrored too. I think you just have to swap the wires on the motor shield. Awesome, I can't wait to see some pictures of your drawings once you get your set up perfect
woodpecker
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Posts: 33
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Post Re: Cant get connected to PG
on: March 6, 2012, 17:58
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Just for the laughs:

Changed the wiring: now it draws 90° rotated, upside down :O))))
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