Forum

Welcome Guest 

Show/Hide Header

Welcome Guest, posting in this forum requires registration.
Pages: [1]
Author Topic: Getting started
alpal
Newbie
Posts: 19
Permalink
Post Getting started
on: October 20, 2015, 12:17
Quote

Hi everyone,
i am a newbie so please be easy on me. I am trying to build a polargraph machine (following the instructions on instructables) with limited to no experience with electronics. I took the time to setup the Hardware and installed all the programs over the Weekend. I have a seeeduino v2.21 board with adafruit v2.3 shield (i also downloaded and installed the Motor shield v2). The programs compile in IDE and i am able to upload it. When I check the Serial Monitor it does not indicate ready every couple seconds (as described in the instructables). I have two nema 17 0.9deg stepper Motors attached. The Motors do not respond/appear to be working with any test programs i am running through IDE adruino (light is shining brightly on adafruit board). In the program polargraphcontroller it also does not recognize the device/polargraph machine.
any thoughts where the Problem lies? thank you. really looking Forward to getting the machine up and drawing!
Image
reconlap
Newbie
Posts: 7
Permalink
Post Re: Getting started
on: October 20, 2015, 13:28
Quote

Hi alpal,
Looks like the firmware is uploaded correctly to the board, in the Polargraph controller software in processing does the board show up? (Setup->Serial Port). Not familiar with adafruit v2.3 shield for the motors though. But there is normally somewhere on a motor shield that allows you to adjust the current the motor receives. It's important to get the motor working with some test sketch so you know they are getting the correct current and wired correctly.

alpal
Newbie
Posts: 19
Permalink
Post Re: Getting started
on: October 20, 2015, 13:59
Quote

Hi Reconlap,
thanks for the reply. On the polargraph Controller under Serial port it Shows up as com3 but is not able to connect/does not Register as being connected and ready. As you said it might be something to do with the current the Motors are recieving. At the moment i am supplying the adafruit board directly with 9v power.

sandy
Administrator
Posts: 1317
Permalink
sandy
Post Re: Getting started
on: October 20, 2015, 22:05
Quote

Alpal, welcome to the board 🙂 Sorry to redirect you earlier!

Reconlab has got one thing right, and that is that your upload _has_ worked.

For the controller to connect to the machine, the machine needs to be sending out the READY messages. The fact that is is not is why the controller won't connect. You knew this already! 🙂

It is nothing to do with the current the motors are receiving. As you know, there is no power adjustment on the motorshield.

I've seen this kind of problem before, but it's usually to do with the board running out of dynamic memory as it boots. However, when I try to compile polargraph_server_a1 for the duemilanove board (the seeeduino is a version of the duemilanove), I cant: There isn't even enough space to upload the code, never mind boot! I don't support Duemilanove boards any more.

So did you turn off a couple of features to get it to compile?

Reconlap is right about the motor testing too. You could try one of the Adafruit motorshield example sketches to test whether the motors are working themselves. Not sure if you've already done that - but if not, you should!

Sandy Noble
alpal
Newbie
Posts: 19
Permalink
Post Re: Getting started
on: October 21, 2015, 10:15
Quote

Hi Sandy,
i have tried the test program/examples from the adafruit motorshield..however without success. i think as you said it might be due to the seeeduino board. Can you recommend another board perhaps by arduino which is compatible with my motorshield and Motors? thank you and regards
sandy
Administrator
Posts: 1317
Permalink
sandy
Post Re: Getting started
on: October 21, 2015, 13:03
Quote

The motorshield examples should work ok on the seeeduino. You'll have to set board type to "Duemilanove", but that's all. The motorshield examples are small, and are well used.

Just a thought: Does the polargraph_server_a1 firmware behave any differently if the motorshield is disconnected? So if you use the seeeduino on it's own? I'm less convinced that it's the board, now!

An UNO clone will be better - more standard, but lets try the above before having to shell out more money.

sn
alpal
Newbie
Posts: 19
Permalink
Post Re: Getting started
on: October 22, 2015, 17:57
Quote

Hi Sandy,
the seeeduino board works on ist own and i can run test examples (blinking lights) on them. before i had the motorshield Version v1 uploaded on the board and there it indicated ready in the Serial Monitor plus it picked up the polargraph in the program Controller. When i tried drawing lines or any other functions the Motors did not work. Ist only then that i realized i actually Need to install motorshield v2 and thats where i am stuck now.
easiest Thing and quickest i think would be to buy a new board. You suggesteda UNO clone, any in particular. thanks
alpal
Newbie
Posts: 19
Permalink
Post Re: Getting started
on: October 22, 2015, 18:08
Quote

is this board better suited?
Arduino UNO Platine 65139

sandy
Administrator
Posts: 1317
Permalink
sandy
Post Re: Getting started
on: October 22, 2015, 21:25
Quote

Sorry I don't understand what it is that you've tried.

I tried building polargraph_server_a1 for the adafruit motorshield v2, and there isn't enough space on the device to upload it.

Turning off pixel drawing, the firmware builds ok, uploads to a seeeduino v2.21, and runs ok, emitting READY.

I tried building the firmware with the adafruit v1, and have the very same problem.

How did you build? Which features did you turn on or off?

An Arduino UNO is what the code is targetted at now.

sn
Pages: [1]
Mingle Forum by cartpauj
Version: 1.0.34 ; Page loaded in: 0.023 seconds.