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CHAPTER 9 Drive Motor System
Your robot is provided with two high quality industrial grade drive motors. Each
motor controls a drive wheel-left and right. Steering of the robot is
accomplished by varying the speed and direction of these motors. For
example, when the left motor runs faster than the right, the robot turns to the
right.
Each drive motor is connected to its drive wheel via pulleys and 1/2" wide
rubber timing belts. The pulley set screws and bolts should be kept tight.
Trouble-Shooting – Drive System
Perform the following steps first when trouble-shooting a drive problem:
1. Check drive belts and motor pulley set screws. Especially if you hear the motors
activate but the robot does not move. It may be a belt off or loose set screws on the
pulley.
2. Check connections to motor controls and motor leads. These are blue and yellow
wires coming from the electronics box and going to the drive motors. There is a white
connector in line. The joystick could be pushed in the on position while the connector is
being checked for an intermittent connection. If there is a bad connection, the connector
and/or pins should be replaced. While doing the test just explained, have the robot
wheels off the ground.
Note: Get the wheels off the ground to look at each wheel independently.
Neither drive operates
Check both fuses in the fuse block. Check set screws on the motor pulleys.
One drive motor does not operate either direction
Set screw is loose on the motor pulley. Tighten the Allen set screw(s) on the pulley on
the motor shaft.
Drive motor is bad- To test the motor for operation, swap the motor wires. Get the wheels
off the ground to see which motor and wheel are not working. The motor wires are
blue/yellow wires hanging down below the electronics box. You may have to remove the
robot battery, to make the swap. If now the wheel/motor on the side in question operates
and sounds fine then the motor is good.
Drive circuit problem (motor control)- If the drive motor is good, the drive circuit could be
the problem. Each motor has a drive circuit on the main board. If you have a Voltmeter you
can check that there is power (about 12 Volts) on the blue wire from the fuse block. Contact
Robotronics for additional help.
Fuse blown or bad wire. Check the drive fuse in the fuse block. See the fuse block detail.
One drive motor operates only in one direction
The motor control circuit is likely the cause of this. The problem is in the drive circuit. Send
the main electronics to Robotronics for repair or contact our Service Department.
The robot is not driving straight (Veering when you drive)
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