Answered: cortex comunication problem

VEX V5 Technical Support OFFICIAL Tech Support
#1

i have posted this before and after trying those ideas, and some others we are still experiencing problems.

when we drive our robot with the tether everything is fine, and with the vexnet keys it keeps cutting out after driving for a what seems like random amount of time,

so if there is any solution to this or if you’re aware of this problem let me know

#2

**Some things to look at:

  1. Try operating the unit in several different areas – a large parking lot, football field, at home, a place away from any other WiFi sources….
  2. Remove the unit from your robot. If it works better out of the robot structure, there may be too much metal around the area of the WiFi Key.
  3. If you have another working unit without issues, try swapping one piece of the system out at a time – I would start with a WiFi Key. **
#3

We took it out to a parking lot and it still didn’t work properly and we also swapped radios and the problem persisted. We also tried to to switch USB keys and we still had cut outs. Could this be a firmware or wiring problem. Such as to much current draw or something?

#4

What do you mean by “swapped radios”? Did you try 2 different Keys that work in another system without problems or did you just switch the Key from the RX unit to the TX unit and from the TX to the RX unit? Do you have another working system? What units do you have?

#5

we have tried switching everything, including the usb keys with other usb keys which worked with the vexnet upgrade module. to me it seems like cortex. we have two old vexnets and two new ones.

is it possible that the usb key is overheating or over loading? it seems warm to the touch and the problem is more and more frequent

#6

**If your Keys work in the 1.5 System, they are probably Ok. If your 1.5 System works in the same location, it is probably not interference from another source.

You state you have 2 new ones – is that 2 CORTEX and Joystick Systems? If that is true, you have 1 new System that does not drop out and one new System that does drop out? If that is true, swap one item at a time from the non-working Systems into the working System until you know which item does not work correctly. Of course you will have to tether the CORTEX and Joystick together so that they will be paired before they will work over a VEXnet Link.

Also try using the VEXnet Firmware Upgrade Utility Tool on both the Joystick and the CORTEX - make sure you get the message that states “No Further Action is Required”. The Tool can be found with your programming software.**

#7