ESP32 Not Generating Step Signal

[vepicurean]

I have been using FastAccelStepper for years now. Never ran into this before.

I set up a new ESP32 ( expressif ESP32-WROOM-32E) and I just can't get a signal from the assigned step pin. No matter what I do. I even used the prepared demo, no go.

I even went back and set FastAccelStepper to version 0.23 and the ESP32 board library version to 1.0.6 like I've successfully used in the past via the Arduino IDE. No go. The stepping signal is dormant ( like it failed for some reason). I measured the step pin with a voltmeter. It's not floating, but the step PIN measures 0VDC, no signal.

The output voltages on the direction and enable are fine for the high voltage for the step controller to register.

I get the direction signal output and the assigned enable when using fastaccelstepper, so that functionality works. No step signal. Even the logical "if then" check for the stepper assignment passes, which really has me perplexed. I thought at least that would fail if the was a significant issue, but no, that verification passes.

When I simply put a high or low on the GPIO pin assigned to the stepper ( not using FastAccelStepper) the signal on that is registered by the step motor controller with no problems.

I'm using the latest version of the Arduino IDE ( had to do a few things in the background to get the Python 2 compiler reference to point to Python3 - but I got that to work). It compiles at least with no errors.

I tried to debug the no step signal output for two days. Can't figure it out.

Any suggestions?

[gin66]

Perhaps same root cause as in #254 ?

[vepicurean]

Perhaps same root cause as in #254 ?

Thanks for the reply.

If I understand #254 correctly, hopefully this is something new specific to these Arduino Nano ESP32 boards, as I've never run into this before on my ESP32 WROOM-32E boards - I'm not sure if this applies to my situation, though the behaviour seems to be the same, so it could be a broad issue, it could only be specific to the Arduino nano board design and FastAccelStepper libary and the step pin. This forum member is saying that for the step pin only, they have to use the physical pin number, not the GPIO number to get the steps generated with FastAccelStepper library?

I've always used the GPIO number on these expressif ESP32 boards ( WROOM-32E), and never had an issue ( until this past few days programming some new ESP32-WROOM 32E boards, I tried 3 of them now) getting FastAccelSteeper library to output steps.

Is this a new thing? I just want to be sure before I start changing assignments on my long standing design.... I'm not using an Arduino Nano ESP32, I know those Arduino Nanos are different ESP32 boards to the expressif boards.

Note: I verified that the ESP32 expressif board should use the GPIO number as I've always done ( I remember now, that's why I went with these expressif boards, as there was no ambiguity in this area) for the step signal - if you try to use the physical pin number for the step assignment, it will compile, but when running you get a series of errors and dumps. Saying the GPIO number is not valid.

I also, tried the same test program on another expressif ESP32-WROOM-32E board ( compiled as it should, no errors), and the observed. behaviour was the exact same - with the step pin zero volts ( no signal), but the dir and enable were functioning as they should be. The if stepper check passed as well on the step pin. The serial monitor shows that the steps are being sent, but touching the chip, it's cool, usually the ESP32 chip gets at least warm when it's processing step output.

Thanks as always.

[gin66]

Thanks for the update. You refer directly to the espressif module and not an arduino board. In this case, there should not be a mismatch of pin versus gpio number. So there is no obvious reason for the behavior.

What you can try:

1. select the rmt driver on stepperConnectToPin()
2. issue ESP32-S3, RMT driver on 5th stepper fails #245 mentions, that the init function do not evaluate return codes during module init. Are there any warnings/errors during execution of connectToStepperPin() ?
3. If dir pin is properly toggling based on move commands and the mcpwm/pnct- driver is used, then there must be pulses generated. Without the feedback loop working, the very first move commands will never end, but stall at the first step. Is any other pin toggling ?

[vepicurean]

Thanks for the update. You refer directly to the espressif module and not an arduino board. In this case, there should not be a mismatch of pin versus gpio number. So there is no obvious reason for the behavior.

What you can try:

1. select the rmt driver on stepperConnectToPin()
2. issue ESP32-S3, RMT driver on 5th stepper fails #245 mentions, that the init function do not evaluate return codes during module init. Are there any warnings/errors during execution of connectToStepperPin() ?
3. If dir pin is properly toggling based on move commands and the mcpwm/pnct- driver is used, then there must be pulses generated. Without the feedback loop working, the very first move commands will never end, but stall at the first step. Is any other pin toggling ?

Thanks for the reply.

I looked all over, but I am stuggling to understand what you mean by #1. Select the rmt driver on stepperConnecttoPin()

The step, dir, and enable outputs from the ESP32 board simply interface to the inputs on the controller for the step motor. The controller reads the signals for the outputs if the ESP32 actually sends them. I have older setups between an ESP32-WROOOM-32E and the same controller. They work just fine.

There are no warnings or errors during the setup. Just no step signal on the assigned output pin from the ESP32-WROOM-32E. The ESP32 thinks is generating steps, but it's not. The ESP32 chip does not even get warm. Usually, when it's generating steps it gets warm to the touch.

The dir and enable pins work just fine. It's the STEP pin output that does not work.

[gin66]

I mean: engine.stepperConnectToPin(stepPinStepper, DRIVER_RMT);

[gin66]

You can attach a pulse counter to the step pin using:

  stepper->attachToPulseCounter(QUEUES_MCPWM_PCNT, 0, 0);
  stepper->clearPulseCounter();

and monitor the value while the stepper is running using int16_t pc = stepper->readPulseCounter(). If this value is not changing, there are no pulses generated.

[vepicurean]

I mean: engine.stepperConnectToPin(stepPinStepper, DRIVER_RMT);

I've never had to use this DRIVER_RMT before. Is this a recent feature addition? I'm using 0.23 of FastAccelStepper

I get a compilation error about DRIVER_RMT not defined when I try to use in with engine.stepperConnectToPin(stepPinStepper, DRIVER_RMT);

[gin66]

Please upgrade to lastest FastAccelStepper version 0.31.2

[vepicurean]

I tried that at the start ( I had everything at the latest version), but I was getting this wdt error.

So I figure let's go to the same board version and fastaccelsteeper version for this ESP32-WROOM-32E that I've used for years and know works, but so far that's not solving the issue with this WROOM-32E generating steps ( which is one of the first generation ESP32's I believe). It did stop the wdt error though.

i've been able to repeat this behaviour on three new/never used ESP32-WROOM-32E now with fastaccelstepper 0.23 and the board at version 1.0.6. I have several ESP32-WROOM-32E where this works just fine for a while. This is just in the last few days trying to program some more ESP32-WROOM-32Es to control my step motors.

[gin66]

So nothing has changed, but it has stopped working on the new boards ? I assume, then there is no issue with FastAccelStepper. Hope you will find the problem. Perhaps a hw issue ? Classical problem is an issue with ground connection.

[vepicurean]

So nothing has changed, but it has stopped working on the new boards ? I assume, then there is no issue with FastAccelStepper. Hope you will find the problem. Perhaps a hw issue ? Classical problem is an issue with ground connection.

No, it was getting the wdt error with the latest version. fast fastaccelstepper was the cause of the wdt error. I first had to get rid of the wdt error, by going to the version that I know worked before, but the step signal does not work.

It's not a hardware error. I have repeated the same behaviour on three ESP32-WROOM-32E straight out of the box. Even the simplest demo with fastaccelstepper, the step signal does not work.

I've seen this type of thing happen over time as software develops. If I could have gotten it to work at the latest version, I would not have gone to version 0.23, that was a last resort. But the wdt error prevented using the latest version.

[gin66]

If you search for wdt in the issues, you may encounter #283 and there is the working solution to use platformio. And again, if you go back to the old sw version and that has worked before but not anymore, then FastAccelStepper may not be the root cause of the problem and eventually there is a hw issue ?

BTW: in order to diagnose a problem, it would be helpful, that you try some of my proposals and provide feedback like log-files from Serial. Otherwise I cannot help you. And repeating, that the new version does not work and the previous working old versions do not work anymore, does not give sufficient clue - at least to me. And there is no proof, that your hw is without flaws. That a FastAccelStepper example does not work, tells me nothing, because I do not know, if the signals have been updated to your hardware. And again, a log file may give clues about any underlying problem. And if not, then still is more helpful than a “does not work”.

As I am soon out for vacation, I may not find time the next eight days to provide feedback.

[vepicurean]

If you search for wdt in the issues, you may encounter #283 and there is the working solution to use platformio. And again, if you go back to the old sw version and that has worked before but not anymore, then FastAccelStepper may not be the root cause of the problem and eventually there is a hw issue ?

BTW: in order to diagnose a problem, it would be helpful, that you try some of my proposals and provide feedback like log-files from Serial. Otherwise I cannot help you. And repeating, that the new version does not work and the previous working old versions do not work anymore, does not give sufficient clue - at least to me. And there is no proof, that your hw is without flaws. That a FastAccelStepper example does not work, tells me nothing, because I do not know, if the signals have been updated to your hardware. And again, a log file may give clues about any underlying problem. And if not, then still is more helpful than a “does not work”.

As I am soon out for vacation, I may not find time the next eight days to provide feedback.

I understand. I worked on it for three days, doing as you are mentioning before contacting you.

Yes, I looked through the forum and other sources for days trying to find a solution to the wdt issue. Those workarounds did not work for me. Appreciate your suggestions. I did much as you suggested already.

On the test demo, I get this compilation error on multiple WROOM 32Es. I looked through the forum and not seeing anything to address this error using the DRIVER_RMT paramenter. The fastaccelstepper is at the latest version 0.3.15 for this demo.

error: 'DRIVER_RMT' was not declared in this scope
stepper = engine.stepperConnectToPin(stepPinStepper, DRIVER_RMT);

[gin66]

0.3.15 does not exist. 0.3.14 is fromJune 2020. latest is 0.31.2

DRIVER_RMT is introduced in 0.29.2 for esp32 variants, which support mcpwm/pcnt and rmt. Apparently, ESP32-WROOM-32E is a regular esp32 and fits. mcpwm/pcnt-driver is not available anymore for espidf v5.x, but espressif-arduino is still not with espidf 5.3. Only the espressif-arduino rc2 is: https://github.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/releases

[vepicurean]

I seem to have figured it out for the test demo code.

I going to spend some time repeatong this other ESP32-WROOM-32E dev boards to make sure the solution is repeatable with generating the steps.

The key was I had to go all the way back to Arduino IDE 1.8.13 - That previous version of the Arduino IDE combined with using the expressif board version 1.0.6 and the FastAccelStepper 0.23.0 works for generating the steps from the ESP32-WROOM-32E.

Your suggestion to try a different IDE tipped me off that the IDE environment makes a difference. I figured this simple demo/test should be working without having to change the IDE, so I decided to go back to the IDE version where I know it has worked in the past.

Thanks for your help. Appreciated. I'll let you know how it goes.