Author Topic: Axon II Not Being Recognized By PC (Read 568 times)

Mastermime · « **on:** January 20, 2013, 10:00:03 PM »

Hello,

My Axon II is not being recognized by my laptop or my desktop. All the drivers are installed. First, I connected to my laptop via USB. It worked great and displayed as Siliconlabs something. Then I wheeled my robot across carpet (possible ESD buildup?) to my desktop and connected it to my desktop. I got nothing. I don't know what's going on, but I pray I didn't destroy my Axon due to ESD. Anyone care to help. Could I get around this issue by purchasing ISP AVR Programmer?

Thanks for reading

Mastermime · « **Reply #1 on:** January 21, 2013, 04:03:05 PM »

When I apply power to it, the Marquee turns on and blinks so that's a good sign. Do you think its the bootloader or the AVR chip responsible for the USB to serial?

Admin · « **Reply #2 on:** January 22, 2013, 12:00:59 PM »

A few questions so I can narrow the problem and help you fix it:

- Does it still work on the laptop?
- Did you program with the USB bootloader before?
- Did you ever plug anything into the pins '3.3V OUT'? (even by accident)
- Does USB work when nothing else is plugged into the Axon II?
- Did your laptop/PC give you any USB errors?
- What is your battery voltage?
- When you 'wheeled it over', what specifically does that mean? (a serious question)
- What devices are attached to your robot, and to what pins?

Go to:
Control Panel -> System -> Hardware (tab) -> Device Manager (button)
What do you see for USB?
(this assumes you have XP, but may be a little different depending on your OS)

Quote

Could I get around this issue by purchasing ISP AVR Programmer?

Yeap. Although, this could be a sign of other problems. Plus, the USB is a must-have for debugging code so I'd rather you have that working anyway

ESD should not be a problem.

Mastermime · « **Reply #3 on:** January 22, 2013, 04:36:06 PM »

Quote

Does it still work on the laptop?

No

Quote

Did you program with the USB bootloader before?

No. The computer would recognize the connection, but I did not ever upload a program because I cad an incompatible version of windows with the fboot GUI

Quote

Did you ever plug anything into the pins '3.3V OUT'? (even by accident)

No

Quote

Does USB work when nothing else is plugged into the Axon II?

No

Quote

Did your laptop/PC give you any USB errors?

No

Quote

What is your battery voltage?

12v

Quote

When you 'wheeled it over', what specifically does that mean? (a serious question

I pulled my robot (100 lbs) along a carpeted surface to my desktop

Quote

What devices are attached to your robot, and to what pins?

Here is my prj file where you can see the connections https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B83RdnxAI6xvMF95QUlETDM5ZTQ/edit

Quote

Control Panel -> System -> Hardware (tab) -> Device Manager (button)
What do you see for USB?
(this assumes you have XP, but may be a little different depending on your OS)

Nothing happens. No recognition of any new hardware when plugged into USB

Quote

Yeap. Although, this could be a sign of other problems. Plus, the USB is a must-have for debugging code so I'd rather you have that working anyway

Ahh I hope its a quick fix because I have science fair coming up.

I ordered a hardware programmer just in case (plus I'll probably need it in the future).

Admin · « **Reply #4 on:** January 22, 2013, 04:47:22 PM »

Where did you plug the 12V into? Are you using single or dual power mode?

Quote

Here is my prj file where you can see the connections https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B83RdnxAI6xvMF95QUlETDM5ZTQ/edit

I seem unable to download this file . . . is it public? Can you attach it here?

Quote

I ordered a hardware programmer just in case (plus I'll probably need it in the future).

Ok, let's see if you can still program the MCU so we can narrow the problem down a bit.

Mastermime · « **Reply #5 on:** January 22, 2013, 05:30:58 PM »

Quote

Where did you plug the 12V into? Are you using single or dual power mode?

The problem occurred before I even applied voltage to the BAT pin. As for single or dual power mode, I don't have an answer. Never chose one or the other.

The link should work now. It should come up with 'no preview available' but should say 'download' right underneath.

Admin · « **Reply #6 on:** January 23, 2013, 11:13:26 PM »

Quote from: Mastermime on January 22, 2013, 05:30:58 PM

The link should work now. It should come up with 'no preview available' but should say 'download' right underneath.

It gives me a button for download. But when I click it, after strange flickering, it finally says:

Quote

Google Drive
Cannot enter the application at this time.

That's the same error I had before. $:-\$

Just upload it here instead.

Mastermime · « **Reply #7 on:** January 23, 2013, 11:37:41 PM »

Hmm that's odd. Here it is

Admin · « **Reply #8 on:** January 24, 2013, 04:29:52 PM »

You have quite a lot of stuff attached . . .

So when you wheeled it over, you said the battery was not plugged in, right?

Can you tell me more about your battery monitor circuit?

Mastermime · « **Reply #9 on:** January 24, 2013, 05:56:58 PM »

The battery was not connected. Basically the battery monitor circuit, is a simple voltage divider placed immediately after the battery. The resistors are calculated to divide the voltage to 5v. The 5v output is connected to an ADC port on the Axon. So as the voltage of the batteries decrease, the voltage output will also decrease as well.

Attached is my circuit

Admin · « **Reply #10 on:** January 24, 2013, 09:17:22 PM »

I have a *theory* . . .

Was your Remote Shutoff Switch active when you wheeled it, meaning current was allowed to pass through?

Here is what I want you to do:
- hook up everything just like you had it when you wheeled it over
- but don't attach the battery monitor to the ADC
- attach a multimeter to the battery monitor output and ground
- wheel the robot around and read the voltage you get

And one more theory . . . this happened to someone a few years ago. The soldering on the USB connector for some reason wasn't very good, and when he yanked out the USB cable it made it loose a connection. Look very closely at the USB connector and see if the 5 pins on it look well-soldered or not. You may need a magnifying glass.

Mastermime · « **Reply #11 on:** January 24, 2013, 10:08:02 PM »

Quote

Was your Remote Shutoff Switch active when you wheeled it, meaning current was allowed to pass through?

The relay was open and I didn't have any power from a battery going through it when pulling it around.

I will test your theories as soon as I get home from school tomorrow. The hardware programmer should arrive at my house as well.

Admin · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2013, 08:32:38 AM »

One more question . . .

Is there a sticker with a number on the back of the Axon, or something faintly stamped on the back that looks like a white circle with text?

Mastermime · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2013, 05:35:04 PM »

Ok I just tested both theories. When I wheeled the robot around, hardly any voltage was generation (0.1v). Do you think that my motors were spinning and that generate voltage. I should have told you that my robot is tank driven so when I wheeled the robot around, I took the treads off, and just wheeled the robot on the idler wheels.

As for the USB connection, it seems sound.

I see no sticker on the back either.

And the hardware programmer is coming tomorrow. I can still use the Axon II with the hardware programmer, right?

Admin · « **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2013, 06:24:47 PM »

Ok . . . one more test . . . my latest theory is either the USB chip had an unexpected failure, or the USB connector is having issues.

Use a multi-meter to test the USB connector. On the left side there are 5 very tiny solder pads. Put one end of your probe there. It is important you only touch the pad and not the pin coming out of the connector, as the pin could be slightly loose. If it is loose, applying pressure causes it to connect - but we are looking for a disconnect. Then with the other probe touch the inside pin of the USB connector while being careful to not apply pressure. Do that for all 5 pins to test for connectivity.

Quote from: Mastermime on January 25, 2013, 05:35:04 PM

I can still use the Axon II with the hardware programmer, right?

In theory!

Mastermime · « **Reply #15 on:** January 25, 2013, 07:44:37 PM »

USB Connectivity is sound. Tested all five pins for continuity without applying pressure to the pin itself and all connections were good.

Admin · « **Reply #16 on:** January 25, 2013, 09:37:59 PM »

Ok, we'll see how the programmer goes, and work from there.

I'm a bit stumped at the moment $:-\$

As a side note, the Axon has three more UART outputs. If you attach a TTL to USB adapter to it (~$15), you'll have USB again.

Mastermime · « **Reply #17 on:** January 25, 2013, 10:35:21 PM »

Oh good. I have a FTDI ttl to usb cable. Is it going to be a problem the FTDI cable have the 6 pin connector? Which UART pins do I connect it to? Any of them? And is there any interfacing I have to do? I have already downloaded a driver for FTDI

Mastermime · « **Reply #18 on:** January 26, 2013, 03:51:17 PM »

Hardware programmer worked!

Admin · « **Reply #19 on:** February 05, 2013, 10:46:35 AM »

Quote from: Mastermime on January 25, 2013, 10:35:21 PM

Oh good. I have a FTDI ttl to usb cable. Is it going to be a problem the FTDI cable have the 6 pin connector? Which UART pins do I connect it to? Any of them? And is there any interfacing I have to do? I have already downloaded a driver for FTDI

Sorry, somehow I missed this . . .

What FTDI cable are you using? You only need Tx, Rx, power, and ground.

Tx goes to R, Rx goes to T, and ground to G.

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Author Topic: Axon II Not Being Recognized By PC (Read 568 times)

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