Diagnostic Tool
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The Qwerk Diagnostic Tool is a small program on the Qwerk board that allows you to quickly check and configure the basic functionality of the Qwerk without needing to connect it to a network or a computer.
Accessing the Diagnostic Tool
To access the Diagnostic Tool, first power off the Qwerk board. Then press and hold down the CFG button on the back of the Qwerk (to the right of the USB ports). Power on the Qwerk, but keep holding down the CFG button until you see all the LEDs begin to flash rapidly. As soon as they begin flashing, release the CFG button. You have now entered the Diagnostic Tool.
Using the Diagnostic Tool
When the Diagnostic Tool program launches, it enters a menu mode. The menu allows you to select and run any of several subroutines. Selecting a routine is done by quickly tapping the CFG button a number of times. The routine selected will be displayed on the LEDs. Once the routine finishes, the Diagnostic Tool returns to menu mode again, which is visualized by all LEDs blinking rapidly for a second.
For example, if you want to select routine 4, tap CFG four times. The LEDs LED0, LED1, LED2, and LED3 will light up. Then, the four of them will blink rapidly for a moment, indicating that routine 4 has just been selected.
Diagnostic Tool Subroutines
The subroutines available in the Diagnostic Tool differ slightly depending on which version of the firmware is running on your Qwerk (see Determining Firmware Version if you are unsure). This table list the routines currently available for each firmware version:
| Version 2 | Version 3.x |
|---|---|
Here are detailed explanations of what the routines do:
Display ID Number
The robot will display its unique 28-digit ID number. You use this number when registering the Qwerk with the TeRK web site. Each digit of the number will be displayed once by turning on the corresponding LED for a second, then turning it off. For example, a sequence beginning with LED0, LED0, LED5, LED7 would mean your Qwerk's 'unique ID begins with 0057.
Test Motors
Tests the basic operation of each of the four motor channels one by one. The power supplied to the motor (PWM) ramps up from 0% to 100%, then down to -100% (the motor will reverse), then up to 0% again. The current PWM is displayed on the LEDs, with 0 LEDs meaning 0%, 4 LEDs meaning +/- 50%, and 8 LEDs meaning +/-100%. To avoid damage to the hardware, make sure your motors are rated for the voltage of the battery or DC adapter that you are using.
Test Servos
Tests the operation of all 16 servo outputs, in groups of four. The servos are set to the far left (position 255), far right (position 0), and finally centered position (position 128). To avoid damage to your servos, make sure they are plugged in observing the correct polarity. On a standard servo the black wire is ground (-), the red wire is power (+), and the remaining wire (white, yellow, or orange) is signal (S).
Test Motors and Servos
Tests both the motors and servos, as described in the Test Motors and Test Servos sections above.
Record Motors Trajectory
The Qwerk is capable of recording the motion of its motors and then replaying this recording.
Once you enter the Record Motors Trajectory routine, LED0 will begin blinking, indicating that the Qwerk is ready to begin recording. Place the Qwerk on a flat surface and when you are ready to start recording, tap the CFG button.
LEDs 0 to 3 will start blinking, indicating the Qwerk is now recording. Press down the qwerk firmly on the surface so that the wheels don't slip and move it around or wiggle it in one spot. When you have finished drawing the trajectory, press the CFG button again to stop recording.
The trajectory recording is now stored in the robot's memory. You can play it back any number of times by accessing the Play Motors Trajectory menu entry. The recording will be lost once you exit the Diagnostics Tool or select Record Motors Trajectory again.
Play Motors Trajectory
To use this routine, you must first make a trajectory recording using the Record Motors Trajectory menu entry.
Once you enter the Record Motors Trajectory routine, LED0 will begin blinking, indicating that the Qwerk is ready to begin playing the recording. Place the Qwerk on a flat surface and when you are ready to start the playback, tap the CFG button once.
LEDs 0 to 3 will start blinking, indicating the Qwerk is now playing. The Qwerk will begin moving according to the trajectory that you recorded. To stop the playback, press the CFG button once. This will stop playback and return to menu mode.
To replay the recording, you need to select the Play Motors Trajectory menu entry again.
Static IP for Wired Diagnostic
This routine sets the qwerk's ethernet configuration to a static IP address of 192.168.1.144. It will keep this configuration until you power-cycle the qwerk. This is useful for connecting a computer directly to the qwerk using an ethernet cable so you can access its configuration web site. See Accessing the Onboard Web Site Without a Network for more information.
Toggle Connection Mode
This routine toggles the qwerk's connection mode between relay (default) and direct-connect. The qwerk reports its current connection mode by flashing either LED 6 (for direct-connect) or LED 7 (for relay).
Restore Defaults
Restores the Connection Mode, Ethernet, Wireless, and Samba name service configuration settings to their defaults. For firmware version 2, the qwerk defaults to a static IP address of 192.168.1.144. For firmware version 3.x, the qwerk defaults to obtains its IP address via DHCP. For both firmware versions, the wireless settings default to autoconnect to any open network (i.e. one which broadcasts its SSID and uses no encryption). The connection mode (only present in firmware version 3.x) defaults to relay server mode. The Samba name service (only present in firmware version 3.x) defaults to the network name "terkrobot".
Exit
Exits the Diagnostic Tool. You can then power-cycle the Qwerk.
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