I think my new 15A Roboclaw has a problem
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2018 6:19 pm
I have the 15 amp Roboclaw. It has been in the box for a while and now I try to use it. It seems not to work.
When I connected to IonStudio I notice the firmware needed to be updated. That went OK. Firmware is now 4.1.24
Connections: Very simple just this...
(1) A 1 amp linear power supply that has an internal 1 amp circuit breaker (this is the "safest" power supply I own) it is connected to the "main battery" screws.
(2) A 9V battery connected to the two LB pins
(3) A USB cable going to a PC running ION Studio
At first all is well I can read the voltage of both batteries and they are correct.
Then I move one of the PWM motor control sliders off zero and the breaker on the main power supply trips. Nothing else is connected, no motor and nothing on the 0.1 header pins other then the battery. After the breaker trips the logic battery is still working so I can switch to the General Status Page and see the following
(1) voltage on the main battery and it is zero
(2) both motor currents show as red and there is a red indicator on the M1 driver fault
This is 100% repeatable. I can do a reset and the status goes to green then if I move the control off zero the breaker trips again.
I can't believe that the Roboclaw can't work with no load attached.
I thought it might be as simple as a solder bridge but an ohm meter does not show a short across any of the screw terminals.
When I connected to IonStudio I notice the firmware needed to be updated. That went OK. Firmware is now 4.1.24
Connections: Very simple just this...
(1) A 1 amp linear power supply that has an internal 1 amp circuit breaker (this is the "safest" power supply I own) it is connected to the "main battery" screws.
(2) A 9V battery connected to the two LB pins
(3) A USB cable going to a PC running ION Studio
At first all is well I can read the voltage of both batteries and they are correct.
Then I move one of the PWM motor control sliders off zero and the breaker on the main power supply trips. Nothing else is connected, no motor and nothing on the 0.1 header pins other then the battery. After the breaker trips the logic battery is still working so I can switch to the General Status Page and see the following
(1) voltage on the main battery and it is zero
(2) both motor currents show as red and there is a red indicator on the M1 driver fault
This is 100% repeatable. I can do a reset and the status goes to green then if I move the control off zero the breaker trips again.
I can't believe that the Roboclaw can't work with no load attached.
I thought it might be as simple as a solder bridge but an ohm meter does not show a short across any of the screw terminals.