I'm writing this post on Monday, May 1st. This post contains information for the week of 4/24, which I didn't write last week due to an absence from school on 4/28.
This week, I was once again testing and experimenting with the circuit board for the Robot Arm. Issues have arisen with some parts, while others have worked flawlessly.
The intent in soldering on the parts that are here is to test only the parts that need testing.
First off, the motor drivers work just fine. All of them were soldered on properly, this time with stand offs so I can reuse these motor drivers on different boards.
The power supply also worked just fine, it delivers power to where it needs to go, along with a solid ground.
The 50 Pin connector has been a problem, however the theory posed by my classmates was correct, that flipping it upside down would allow it to work as if normal.
The real problem has been the Schmitt Triggers I've been using to read the encoders. They don't really actually read it, but instead, stabilize the pulse to a point where I can read it.
However, they haven't been communicating properly with the encoders on the robot arm, and I need to fix that before we make a final version of the board. I'll try using some past code that interfaced with the encoders well, along with testing direct connections to see if it's a code error, a board error, or an issue with the pieces.
I also had to solder on some pin headers onto the Schmitt Triggers so it could connect to the board, due to some incorrect wiring on the board.
Testing the board has been fun and intriguing though, as problem solving is kind of a way of life in this shop. While I don't particularly like troubleshooting, this project has been in the works for so long, and getting this close to the finish line has me invigorated to close out this project with a bang.
I can't wait to show you the finished product.