
8
Troubleshooting
Most of the symptoms repeated in this section were generated by Barrett’s own lab Hands which
are assigned to destructive testing over millions of cycles.
Symptom:
The Hand behaves erratically. It disobeys some commands while obeying
others.
Possible Solution:
1.
Reload Firmware for the BH8-262 and earlier hands. If the Hand has been idle for more
than a day or two, especially in humid conditions, the SuperCap can lose enough charge
that the volatile RAM becomes borderline unstable. There is never a problem if the
SuperCap loses
all
of its charge because the Hand simply prompts user to download fresh
firmware next time it is powered up. This symptom is most common in Hands that are
used infrequently.
Symptom:
The host computer will not communicate with the BarrettHand™.
Possible Solution:
1.
Verify all connections are secure to the Power Supply, BarrettHand™, and computer.
2.
Check that the serial cable is a straight-through extension cable.
3.
Verify the Power Supply is turned on.
4.
Firmware may no longer be valid. Try downloading the firmware according to Section
3.7
.
5.
Host computer baud rate and BarrettHand™ baud rate may be set to different rates.
Close the BarrettHand Control GUI and reset the BarrettHand™, by cycling power on the
BarrettHand Power Supply. Restart the BarrettHand Control GUI and try initializing
again.
6.
The communications port selected is being used by another program. Close all other
programs that use the selected communications port. Reset the BarrettHand™ and restart
the BarrettHand Control GUI.
7.
If the problem persists, contact Barrett Technology.
Symptom:
Initial strain gage values do not fall within specified range.
Possible Solution:
1.
The strain gage balancing potentiometer needs to be readjusted. Refer to Section 7.4 for
instructions on how to adjust.
2.
Verify the cable is riding across both the top and the bottom of the idler pulley, as shown
in Figure 25.
3.
If the problem persists, contact Barrett Technology.
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