Motor_node fails with 'Firmware not reporting its version'

#1

Hello!

Lately I’m facing issues with motor_node. The logs of magni_base shows " Firmware not reporting its version". I’m using the Ubiquity Robotics Ubuntu image. One thing I did is enabling the uart to use for debug serial port and later I came to know that the default serial port is actually used by the motor controller(My bad, I should have read the code before trying that out). After looking at the code, I tired to revert all the changes I had done to enable the debug serial port. But I’m unsuccessful, the motor node now fails with “Firmware not responding its version”. Can some one point me what configuration I’m missing to the serial port to properly work with motor_node ?

Here are the logs from systemd: https://pastebin.com/V0z2Hyzz

#2

As you have figured out “Firmware not responding its version” means communication with the motor controller failed.

Make sure that your /boot/config.txt matches this https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rohbotics/ubuntu-pi-flavor-maker/master/files/config.txt

And that your /boot/cmdline.txt matches

dwc_otg.lpm_enable=0 console=tty1 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rootfstype=${FS} elevator=deadline fsck.repair=yes rootwait quiet splash plymouth.ignore-serial-consoles

Rohan

#3

Yes, that was the first thing I did. I made sure the cmdline.txt and the config.txt are same as per the ubquity robotics ubuntu image. I cross verified the configurations, file permissions with a working magni. Also I checked that if any process is using the ttyAMA0/ttyS0, but no process is using those tty ports.

I swapped the SD card with new image and motor node starts working. But which is confusing me is what could be the missing configuration which made the motor_node fail. It would be nice if you can point me to the correct direction, so that I can try to figure out the source of the issue.

Said that, with the new image the magni motor control worked perfectly. But once it happened that the motors are no more moving. Only rebooting the system helps to control the motors back. While this issue happens right side of the motor slightly vibrates.(Not sure why it happens). I made sure the batteries are having enough juice.

I saw few others too face similar issue with motor control, this makes me to worry a bit.