Issue wiring Arduino Uno

[Abby Fanning]

I seem to be having a problem towards the end of my build on the wiring step. I'm following both the video and paper guide and I'm 90% sure everything is wired up properly. When I connect my power supply to the power pigtail absolutely nothing happens, except for that the Arduino processor becomes extremely hot. I've already totally fried one board. After completely re-doing the wiring again I tried plugging the power supply back in. It, again, got extremely hot but I was fast about unplugging and the board still seems functional. I've also tried two different power supplies. 

Does anyone have any ideas of how this could be happening? I'm seeing posts on this group referring to bad servos. Is it possible somehow the servo is to blame? I've done a handful of Arduino projects in the past and I've never fried a board, so I'm not even sure where to start debugging.

[Todd Zullo]

I just rewired for a third time and I'm getting the same overheating. Here are some photos of my wiring setup. Now I'm 99% sure my wiring is correct but since clearly something is still wrong I'm leaving the door open to maybe having missed something on my end:

On Sun, Jan 14, 2024 at 7:56 PM Abby Fanning <zul...@gmail.com> wrote:

I seem to be having a problem towards the end of my build on the wiring step. I'm following both the video and paper guide and I'm 90% sure everything is wired up properly. When I connect my power supply to the power pigtail absolutely nothing happens, except for that the Arduino processor becomes extremely hot. I've already totally fried one board. After completely re-doing the wiring again I tried plugging the power supply back in. It, again, got extremely hot but I was fast about unplugging and the board still seems functional. I've also tried two different power supplies. 

Does anyone have any ideas of how this could be happening? I'm seeing posts on this group referring to bad servos. Is it possible somehow the servo is to blame? I've done a handful of Arduino projects in the past and I've never fried a board, so I'm not even sure where to start debugging.

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[Todd]

I'm not an expert on this, but a couple of things that came to my mind:

* Potential reversal of polarity of the power supplies.  That would tend to fry things and not make it work.

* What kind of power supply are you using?  As long as it's the 5v/2a, should be fine, but anything bigger may blow it. 

* What kind of servo are you using?  Perhaps if it's a super high power servo, it could cause it to overload.

* The only other thing I can think of is a faulty/shorting board.  Looks like you're using Arduino, and at least on your second one, so that seems unlikely.  

I didn't go through the wiring, other than the 5v and ground, and those look right.  I am guessing (although not certain) that other miswiring would cause it to not work (been there...) but not heat up and self destruct.

Hopefully somebody else has some other ideas if this doesn't work!

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[Michael Kapp]

Abby,

I am actually working on a troubleshooting guide for this project. I'll do my best to help as well. 

I would first plug the Arduino back into the computer and ensure it is still working properly while connected via USB. Limit switches and Coin sensor work when in the corresponding modes? 

You could use a multimeter to confirm that 5V AND 2A is reaching the Arduino and nothing more. 

Learn more about multimeters here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts0EVc9vXcs.

Did you bridge the both sides of the bread board? 

Bread boards come in various quality. Try swapping to different row and/or different wires.

Do you see the LED on the Arduino come on at all with the power supply? 

Pigtails can be center positive or center negative. Make sure yours are setup correctly on both ends. 

Make sure the jack is the right size (5.5mm x 2.1mm I believe) 

It is possible the Arduino is damaged and can't switch between USB to external power.

If you are still stuck, please respond with more detail and maybe picture/video and I'll help debug as best as I am able to get you through it. 

I know you don't want to hear it, but it is worth checking all your connections again. Hope this helps: 

Troubleshooting Guide:  (I am still working on this)

Servos / Motors:

Verify servo specifications: 180-degree range, models MG995, Futaba 3003 or 3004, with a six-star horn accessory included.
Cross-check orders: Ensure the servo received matches your purchase.
Alternate testing: Use a spare servo from a multipack for troubleshooting.

Breadboard:

Quality concern: If the breadboard is causing intermittent connections, test continuity with a multimeter and consider an upgrade for reliability.
Connection verification: Double-check wire placements against the schematic for accuracy.

Power Supply:

Specifications: Use only a 5V and 2A power supply; deviations can lead to malfunctions.
Cable fit: Check for obstructions like a ferrite core that might impede cable routing.
Polarity and size: Confirm the center-positive polarity and the correct jack size (5.5mm x 2.1mm).

Arduino:

Board authenticity: Prefer official boards for consistency; for clones, seek community advice for common issues.

Moisture Prevention:

Sealing: Use acrylic cement for joints and reinforce with hot glue.
Protection: Design or obtain a 3D-printed cover for the coin magazine.
Drainage and positioning: Implement drainage holes and mount sensitive components inversely.

Multimeter Usage:

Diagnostic check: Validate the current and voltage to components using a multimeter. Learn more about multimeters here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts0EVc9vXcs.

Rodent Deterrence:

Install the CrowBox on a pole, ideally 10 feet clear of structures, and consider squirrel baffles to deter rodents.

Thank you,

Michael

[Abby Fanning]

Thanks for your responses, Todd and Mike!

Mike, I just tried plugging my setup back into my computer through the USB connection. With this I got no overheating issue and the servo did start to spin. However, the servo never finishes "parking". I let it go for over 5 minutes and it just loops endlessly. The lot of servos I got off Amazon came in a pack of 4, so I tried multiple different ones. All the same result.

[Abby Fanning]

I should have included the link to the servos I bought:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RMD1BH4?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

[Abby Fanning]

I just took a risk and flipped the wiring of my power pigtail going into the screw terminal (just in case I had the polarities reversed). The arduino didn't light up at all, so I'm again, pretty confident my wiring is all correct at this point. I'll post the rest of the parts related to power that I bought off Amazon, just in case I maybe got something wrong there.

Power adapter:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y1LF8T5?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Power pigtails:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09H4B32CR?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Screw terminals:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QRHJ489?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

[Todd]

Hmmm, based on it "working" when plugged into through USB and not the power supply, I would swap power supplies.  I see your power supply is a 9v/1.5 amp.  I think the max we would want is 5v/2a.  

maybe try something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-100V-240V-Charger-Speaker-Devices/dp/B08Z7GNDKT/ref=sxin_14_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.3f105dd1-731e-46ec-8a78-5849a8226882%3Aamzn1.sym.3f105dd1-731e-46ec-8a78-5849a8226882&cv_ct_cx=arduino+5v+power+supply&keywords=arduino+5v+power+supply&pd_rd_i=B08Z7GNDKT&pd_rd_r=ad3951d6-5fcd-4887-a785-fbc058f4d4e1&pd_rd_w=aJiod&pd_rd_wg=UJi5m&pf_rd_p=3f105dd1-731e-46ec-8a78-5849a8226882&pf_rd_r=AW2SAEKQEA4RDYZ93AZE&qid=1705690973&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sr=1-5-364cf978-ce2a-480a-9bb0-bdb96faa0f61-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1

could be the issue there.

As for the servo keeping on spinning....I don't know.  I've gone through MANY servos, and the failure mode is that they just stopped working, as opposed to never stopping!  May be worth reloading the arduino code?  I'll keep looking as well!

Todd

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[Abby Fanning]

Just ordered a couple of those power supplies. Thanks for the suggestion!
Hopefully that fixes both the overheating and servo issues, but do you have any suggestions for a servo that worked for you?

[Todd]

I went through probably 10 servos of 4 different manufacturers.  My problem was mostly that they would burn out - probably a mixture of heavy use and sitting in the sun.  So they would work for a while, and then just stop.

Right now, this is the one I have on:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C7B7BCCH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

And I bought a genuine Futaba as a back up.  They are more expensive, but I'm not swapping them out every other day at this point.

I didn't have the same issue with it not parking though.  I hope the new power supply and maybe a reload of the code helps.  If not, could be the servo, could be a short somewhere in the board itself, or could be finicky wiring.  Hope it's an easy fix!

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[Michael Kapp]

Abby,

I agree with Todd and I am 90% sure your problem is with the power supply. I think it possibly explains both the overheating and the "parking" behavior. When I was messing around with battery power,  I do recall seeing some odd behavior with the servo resetting positions. I think this might have to do with the amount of current. I would expect the servo to get hot, not the Arduino though.... (Arduinos should be able to handle 9V)

These are the servos I bought and have not had an issue with yet: https://a.co/d/7E4RBrW

This is the power adapter I bought: https://a.co/d/7agGwGI

   It isn't weatherproof so you'll have to figure something out. I rigged something up for mine, but it was ugly looking and not the greatest. 

I have noticed on these group threads that there is a range is quality for the different electronics. I had my own experience of receiving something VERY close to the description, but wire colors didn't end up matching diagram (for a different project).

Does your servo work as expected (in each mode) while connected to the computer via USB? 

I had a few other thoughts just in case....

What mode is it in? Do you have different behavior between modes? 

I am wondering if your limit switches are shorted in someway and keep triggering. I "THINK" this might be mentioned in the YouTube Troubleshooting video. 

I would personally wait until you had the correct power supply to see if that resolves this issue, but you could also check into the SW side. 

I would put a blink example back on the arduino and ensure the board still behaves correctly. I might even try a few other basic projects to ensure nothing was damaged. 

Then I would take a newly/fresh download of the CrOS and put that on the board (just in case something got typo'd or something) 

Wishing you the best of luck,

Keep us posted.

Thank you,

Michael

[Abby Fanning]

Bit of an update:

The new power supply recommended by Todd fixes the overheating issue. The Uno seems to power up properly, and I can confirm power is getting to the servo. However, the "endless parking" issue persists. Mike, I've tried your suggestion to refresh the CrOS onto the board, as well as the blink and servo sweep sketches. The servo behaves exactly the same under all conditions. Interestingly, the blink sketch doesn't appear to have any affect on the built-in LED so I'm thinking even though the board is being register by my computer via USB and sketches are uploading successfully it feels like something about the board must have been "fried" again when I was using the old power supplies.

This is all a bit frustrating, though I know I mostly have myself to blame for using the wrong power supplies in the first place. I've already sunk so much time and money into the project, what's another Arduino or two? I should have a fresh board in hand within a couple days. Hopefully that's the last piece of this puzzle.

[Abby Fanning]

Better update!
New Arduino board works like a charm. Everything is put together and operational now. A couple of (expensive) lessons learned, but I'm quite happy to have it up and running now. Thanks to everyone in this thread for the help along the way!

[Abby Fanning]

Wanted to share my finished project with the community. Thanks again for all the help to get it done!

Haven't had any visitors just yet, so I'm giving it a bit of time before repositioning. Very excited, though!