$50 robot problem

[chitniss]

Hi

I am trying hard to program the $50 robot, but I am having a load of problems. I am trying to zero the servos so that I can modify them, but I cant get the program written on the robot. I got a USB-Serial converter. It listed under device manager as COM1. Then when I fired up pony prog (I had to get a copy that someone else extracted and sent to me, since I am using vista 64 bit, and ponyprog did not install out of the box for me). I am unsure if I should select 'SI Prog API' or 'SI Prog I/O' or JDM API. Also, I dont know if 'Invert Reset' or 'Invert SCKL' or 'Invert D-IN' or 'Invert D-Out' need to be checked or not. I did have COM1 selected Also, I selected ATmega8 from the drop down in the program.

Then I load up the hex file for the servos. Attached the battery and the cables from the laptop usb to the serial to the robot, and try to write the program. It just does not work!

When I have SI Prog API or JDM API selected, the program sits at Writing 0% for about a minute and then comes up with a error that device not found with abort, retry and ignore as options. When I try SI Prog I/O, it just comes up with similar, but not same, error with ok as the only option.

I thought I might have fried the chip or my board, so, I started fresh and rebuilt a board and got a new ucontroller, but same problems. Anyone have any suggestions..please, help me out here.

[Joesavage1]

I assume your using the dongle programmer?

[chitniss]

yep, 10 pin dongle programmer from the list in the tutorial.

[RiffRaff]

I'm not using the dongle, so I can only offer basic suggestions, which you've probably already checked:

If you have an on/off switch, make sure it's on.

And make sure you've got your battery pack's pos and neg correctly plugged into your board.

Riff

[Joesavage1]

I'm not using the dongle, so I can only offer basic suggestions, which you've probably already checked:

If you have an on/off switch, make sure it's on.

And make sure you've got your battery pack's pos and neg correctly plugged into your board.

Riff

Unfortunately I can only offer this advice too, as i bought the more expensive one on the list.

[dellagd]

Well the program for setting the servos to zero was in the tutorial wasn't it?
maybe Admin just put it on...

[Joesavage1]

in the tutorial it says u must modify servo's, and gives a link to the modifying servo's page.

[dellagd]

also make sure the way you hooked up the programmer to the board is correct.
If I were you, I would also do some basic continuity tests on the board.

[chitniss]

I did a continuity check on every single connection. I was trying this from a laptop with vista 64 bit. I am preping another laptop with XP. Maybe it would work better with XP or the hardware. It will take a couple of hours to get xp setup.

As for the other suggestions, I am not using a on/off switch, I am just plugging the battery right in, and I checked the battery connections too, with and without the battery, just to make sure the regulated and unregulated voltages were right. I want to write the program that admin has online for zeroing the servos.

I have a strong feeling that either I have hardware issues with USB to Serial section of the connection, or I fried the processor with some static...

Will update as I find out what happens. In the mean time, if anyone has any more ideas, let me know

Cheers

[chitniss]

well, thats was a couple of hours wasted, getting no where. I might have a bad usb-serial adapter. Anyone here use a USB-Serial adapter from EMTC?

Cheers

[dellagd]

if thats a case, send a email to whatever website you got it on, with the order number and subject Dead on Arival.
Chances are that they will send you a new one free of charge if you send the old one back.

[Trumpkin]

I do not think USB to serial adapters work with Pony Prog.

[chitniss]

oh, I did not know that. I assumed from the tutorial that usb to serial adaptors were supposed to work...

[Admin]

They kinda work with ponyprog, but really badly or not at all.