Society of Robots - Robot Forum

Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: SeagullOne on November 03, 2010, 11:02:50 AM

Title: Servo stopped working
Post by: SeagullOne on November 03, 2010, 11:02:50 AM
I have a servocity heavyduty servo and it's worked on my robot fine lots of times. Up until a few nights ago it stopped working. All the other servocity servos on my robot function normally. That one servo just won't move. No noise or anything. It's plugged into the servo controller right. I even tried switching pins and accommodating this in my program, but it still won't move.

What are some possibilities on what could be wrong? Is it fried for good? How might this have happened (so I don't do it again)?
Title: Re: Servo stopped working
Post by: waltr on November 03, 2010, 01:48:52 PM
Did a wire break internally? Open it up and have a look.
Title: Re: Servo stopped working
Post by: SeagullOne on November 03, 2010, 05:48:12 PM
Hmm...opened up the servo, everything looks okay with the internal wires to me. I've attached a picture of the electronics.

The servo still isn't working. Any pointers?
Title: Re: Servo stopped working
Post by: SeagullOne on November 03, 2010, 07:25:07 PM
Okay, it's definitely not the wires. I managed to gut the circuit board out and all the wires are attached.

But it must be the electronics because the motor, itself, isn't spinning. Any ideas what I could do? Maybe I just ought to get another servo.

If this is a matter of frying the circuitry, I wonder how it happened. Everything inside the servo was closed off. I had the servo professionally modified from servocity...it wouldn't happen from over-current draw, I speculate. Just don't understand what caused it to break like that...hmm... ???
Title: Re: Servo stopped working
Post by: VegaObscura on November 04, 2010, 10:02:52 AM
Apply a small voltage (2V-4V) directly to the leads of the motor inside.  If it doesn't spin, you have a dead motor (assuming there's nothing jammed in your gearbox).  If it does, you have a dead circuit board or there's something wrong with the signal you're sending it.