Troubleshooting
This troubleshooting page holds error logs, common error solutions, and error documentation instructions for orcas. If you are having trouble with an error, follow this debugging process and document the results in the Error Log towards the end of this page. Instructions are below.
There are many methods of troubleshooting, and most people have different processes that they go about when they encounter a problem. The following is a singular method that encourages more explicit testing and documentation of errors and resolutions, as well as the steps taken to solve the problems.
If your error is not featured on this troubleshooting page, start a new Error Log entry with the next numerical entry available in the Log below. It is useful to do this on paper so that you can run through tests quickly, then transfer the log to the computer once you have time or have found a resolution to the issue.
Each time you try something out, document what you changed for the test and what behavior you were looking for (e.g. printed the counter variable; checked if var was skipping numbers)
After you run the test, document the results (e.g. counter variable stayed at 4.67; did not change). Your document should alternate Test and Result until you find a resolution to the problem.
Once you have found a solution, create a solution header and describe the process you would take to most efficiently implement the solution if the problem happens again (e.g. replace ESC); Include any speculation as to why the problem took place and why the proposed solution fixes it, if applicable.
- T200 thruster not running or running erratically when using Sample Code
- Check battery voltage
- Check all wire connections and ports
- Ensure ESC is official BlueRobotics ESC; other ESCs have different activation signals
- Arduino Uno with mounted XBee throwing error: programmer is not responding
- Download code without shield installed
- Unplug Arduino and remove XBee Shield
- Plug in Arduino and download code, then unplug again
- Install XBee Shield and plug in Arduino
- Arduino port not showing up on serial port list
- Check wire connections at Arduino port and computer port
- Wait 60 seconds; sometimes the Arduino takes a while
- Try another USB port, Cable, and/or Arduino
- XP9303 Transmitter radio beeping loud & cont. on startup with displayed error:
SW WARNING !
AUX2 SW FM1- Toggle the AUX2 switch into different modes until the beeping stops. This is a safety feature (reference)
- Arduino hooked up to receiver not reading all controls from transmitter
- Make sure to use digital pins with a
~next to them; these are PWM ports, with the added functionality of PWM control (reference)
- Make sure to use digital pins with a
- Test 1: Plugged ESC into battery; plugged signal wires into Arduino; black - ground, white - pin 9; plugged arduino into computer; ran sample code
- Result 1: Motor cycles on/off rapidly when code is run
- Test 2: plug arduino into computer; re-upload sample code
- Result 2: Same as Result 1
- Test 3: Add pause after writing 1500 each loop
- Result 3: Same as Result 1
- Test 4: Send 1200 signal, not 1500
- Result 4: Motor does not run
- Test 5: Send 1500 signal again
- Result 5: Motor runs smoothly
- Test 6: Send 1500 stop signal, 1700 running signal
- Result 6: Same as Result 4
- Test 7: Switch motors
- Result 7: Same as Result 4
- Test 8: Send 1200 stop signal, 1500 running signal
- Result 8: Same as Result 4
- Test 9: Change battery
- Result 9: Same as Results 5 through 8
- Test 10: Change ESC; Send 1500 stop signal, 1700 running signal
- Result 10: Motor runs fine
- Test 11: Sent 1300 running signal, 1500 stop signal
- Result 11: Motor runs fine
- Error 2: FlyCapture Software not installing properly when install_flycapture.sh is run; dependency problems (see image) 
- Test 1: Purge installed libraries, re-run library install command dictated in flycapture README
- Result 1: Same error was encountered
- Test 2: Following prompts in Ubuntu Software Center, fixed problems (see image)
- Result 2: Same as Result 1
- Test 3: Re-downloaded 64-bit software file from FLIR's Software Downloads page
- Result 3: Installation completed successfully; FlyCap2 now listed when searched through Applications.
- Solution 2: Download 64-bit file package from FLIR website and follow README instructions; Possible error from installing 32-bit software package onto 64-bit system, or attempting to use OARS version of software.
- Test 1: Refresh camera list
- Result 1: No camera listed
- Test 2: Look up status light pattern: 3 green flashes
- Result 2: Per documentation, pattern indicates a link-local address (LLA). Indicates that a connection is established
- Test 3: Re-plug in ethernet cable running into computer; Refresh camera list
- Result 3: Same as Result 1
- Test 4: In new Terminal, start
roscore, in new tab, run commandrosrun pointgrey_camera_driver list_cameras - Result 4: Failed to find camera, prompted to restart udev; upon restart of udev and duplication of above command, failed to find camera (see image)
- Test 5: Selected "Auto Force IP" option on FlyCap software and followed prompts
- Result 5: Same as Result 1
- Test 6: Ran command
iwconfigwith ethernet cable plugged and unplugged; looked for differences - Result 6: Option
eth0changed between plugged and unplugged, Hardware address is:HWaddr 28:f1:0e:20:3e:44(see images; 1st before plugin, 2nd after plugin)
- Test 7: Searched problem through Google using phrase "flycapture not finding camera"
- Result 7: Found StackOverflow, GitHub Issues,
- Test 8: Per StackOverflow 1 link in Result 7, re-ran
rosrun pointgrey_camera_driver list_camerasas sudo user with the three commands listed. - Result 8: Same as Result 1
- Test 9: Contact Support
- Result 9: Was linked to this article (resource)
- Test 10: Searched for Point Grey Research folder in Applications per FLIR Knowledge Base tutorial
- Result 10: Folder does not exist. Instead, FlyCap2 application exists, as well as flycap.directory and FlyCapture2 Documentation.
- Test 11: Ran FlyCap as root by using command
sudo flycap - Result 11: Same as Result 1
- Test 12: Followed instructions in article from Result 9 (note. Used eth0 port, not eth1 port)
- Result 12: See Test 13, Test 14
- Test 13: In Network settings (see image), clicked on options for wired connection and changed the IvP4 Settings method from "Automatic" to "Link-Local only" (see image), then reset the connection.
- Result 13: Same as Result 1
- Test 14: Per advice from support personnel (see image), installed FlyCap2 in Windows; Reset IP Connection
- Result 14: Was able to discover camera; IP Address is 169.254.0.2
- Test 15: Returned to Ubuntu; Per instructions in article from Result 9 (Step 4), reset IP Address of port to IP Address of camera (written in Result 14); reset port and verified new IP Address
- Result 15: Same as Result 1
- Test 16: Refreshed; Clicked the "Auto Force IP" button;
- Result 16: Same as Result 1
- Test 17: Per instructions in article from Result 9 (Steps 2-3), toggled bit 31 (Persistent IP Bit); Verified persistent IP Address to be 192.168.0.2, Verified persistent subnet mask to be 255.255.255.0, Found Persistent Default Gateway to be 192.168.0.40, changed to 00.00.00.00; Re-ran Test 15
- Result 17: Same as Result 1; However, blink code of camera changed to single green blinks, indicating a "Persistent IP Address".
- Test 18: Used IP Address Calculator (link) to verify IP Address given to port
- Result 18: IP Address given to port looks fine; confused about IP Address Calculator purpose. . .
- Test 19: Determined port was talking to itself because of duplicate IP Addresses; Changed IP Address to 192.168.0.3;
- Result 19: Validated that camera data was coming in when cord plugged in, not when cord unplugged; Same as Result 1
- Test 20: Disabled firewall using
sudo ufw statusto check it, andsudo ufw disable - Result 20: Camera showed up in FlyCap Software
- Solution 3: Using image below, add specified ethernet connection for camera. Then, turn off firewall and refresh connection
Connor Novak last edited on 10/03/17