Loss of memory when power is interrupted

I just completed building a cuckoo clock with 14 servos. I am using an Arduino (Uno) board to send signals to a Mini Maestro 24 channel USB Servo controller. All servos are operated off the Maestro board. Suppling 6.5 volts DC from a 5 cell D battery to the two boards using the VIN and 6.0 volts DC from an on-board, 3 Amp power supply to the VSRV input. I download the program then disconnect the USB cable from the computer. I have LEDs on the output of the Arduino to monitor the signals sent from the Arduino board to the Maestro board.


Every thing works just fine until the battery power to the boards is interrupted. The Arduino board continues to send the correct digital signals but the maestro board seems to loose its memory if power to the VIN input is interrupted.

Can you offer any suggestions?

Thank you,

Fred Sotcher

Hello, Fred.

It is not clear to me what problem you are describing. When you describe the power as being “interrupted”, are you intentionally removing power or is something else happening? Also, what memory are you referring to? Some settings on the Maestro are volatile and others are non-volatile; what happens when the Maestro is power cycled and what do you expect to happen?

Brandon

Thanks for your reply. I down load the scrip onto the Maestro by pressing “Run Scrip” and then disconnect the computer from the Maestro. The program runs fine. I then disconnect the power to the VDC terminals for 5 seconds then reconnect it and the program no longer runs. I expected the scrip to be held in non-volatile memory. Am I misunderstanding?

When you create a scrip and press “Run Scrip” I was expecting it to be retained by the Maestro board.

Fred

Your understanding sounds correct; the script is uploaded to the Maestro, so it can run it without being connected to a computer if configured that way. To run the script as soon as the Maestro receives power (via USB or VIN), you can enable the “Run script on startup” check box found at the top of the “Script” tab of the Maestro Control Center. Can you check to see if you have that check box enabled and see if that fixes the problem? Please note that after checking the box, you will need to click the “Apply Settings” button for the change to take affect.

Brandon

Brandon - You got is right. I misunderstood the " Run scrip on Start up" button.
Everything works just as planned now.
Thank you very much, its been a fun project.
I will forward a video shortly

Fred Sotcher