TreadBot

[skimask]

thanks mister e, caps are cheap, so its worth a try.. and the config fuses were wrong.. i pretty much knew they were when i posted.. i have got it t flash leds, and to write t my serial lcd. it is also working t the motor driver, but everythign cuts out when the motors get to a certain speed. i think that maybe my batteries might not be able to handle that much drain.. gonnas work on it a bit more tonight after work, and i will post a video of it running on its own when that happens...

Tape a meter up to the top of it and drive around and watch the meter!
Or maybe even make use of one of your analog or comparator ports, kill the motors when the voltage gets too low, use a seperate voltage reference, blink and LED when the volts are good, no blink when volts drop off, etc.etc...(which is why I said add a load of extra vias even if you don't use them, makes it a piece of cake to add this stuff in there)

Batteries - that's what I'm thinking. If I remember right, your motors are driven off a seperate motor driver chip with a mind of it's own and probably doesn't need a full 5v to operate.

[dragons_fire]

ok... so im not sure whats going on now... i think im getting some kind of interference off the motors.. if i move the board about 3" away from the chassis, everyhting works beautifully. then if i put it back near the motors, it cuts off. i havent added caps across the motor leads and case yet, but i may try that tonight..

im not sure, but when the voltage gets low enough, the PIC should reset right? and it appears from my LCD, that everything is just locking up..

it does kinda move though.. i will keep working on it, and let ya all know when i find something...

[mister_e]

mmm, what happen if you try to use the internal OSC (if there's)

Is there a lot of unconnected I/O?

I don't remind your configuration fuses, but you could try to disable the Brow-Out detect or play with it's threshold voltage.

[dragons_fire]

i have played with the fuses, and the threshold... didnt seem to help... im not sure whats causing it to cut out when the motors are close to the chip..

i will try the int osc, and see if that helps...

[skimask]

i have played with the fuses, and the threshold... didnt seem to help... im not sure whats causing it to cut out when the motors are close to the chip..
i will try the int osc, and see if that helps...

For S & G 's, maybe throw a couple of thicknesses of aluminum foil between the board and the motors (taped up or coated somehow of course so it doesn't short out) and ground the foil...see what happens... Might help with the EMI if there is any.

And if it doesn't work...at least it'll keep little green aliens from invading your Treadbot with their evil mind control devices!

[mackrackit]

For S & G 's, maybe throw a couple of thicknesses of aluminum foil between the board and the motors (taped up or coated somehow of course so it doesn't short out) and ground the foil...see what happens... Might help with the EMI if there is any.

And if it doesn't work...at least it'll keep little green aliens from invading your Treadbot with their evil mind control devices!

The aluminum foil will work for aliens but if the problem is a magnetic one you will need something with a high magnetic permeability. Hold a compass near the motors when they are running and see what happens. Use one that you will not care if it gets reverse polarized.

If this is the problem, all you should need is a thin piece of cheap steel (roof flashing) that is a little larger than the board being that the motors are underneath it.

[dragons_fire]

Ive been playing with it a little bit, and if i move the board up about 3", everything works great... thats what makes me think its an interference problem instead of a "low voltage" thing... i would prefer to keep eveything as close as possible, so its not top heavy..

my sidekick still isnt working, so i have been spending most of my time on it, but when i get it going again, this robot should be driving around my house all the time...