roomba 530 spinning and stops with 9 beeps

[bravelittleroomba]

Thanks! It says you offer 3 solutions but you actually offer 4 ^_^ Looking at my spare bumper sensor set I think I may just bite the bullet and try to learn the soldering myself. My dad knows how to solder so he said he'd teach me.

[PeteC]

IMHO, the Roomba uses all the sensors to perform a cleaning mission. If disabled/defeated then the cleaning performance will be degraded.

The way my 530 is constructed the two sensors we are talking about are sensing the movement of the same arm. If it toggles either way both sensors pick up the motion. Since roomba responds to either. it seems to work fine

As for how I bypassed it, I described that in this thread back on Feb. 22, 2010 (page #5). I stated there that I soldered a wire across C20 (I think).

Like I said there, it worked for a year until the second LED failed. Then I got two replacements from
Digikey: LTE-302 Emitter IR 940NM Clear Side Look, Digikey PN 160-1063-ND for $0.23 each.


Pete

[vic7767]

The way my 530 is constructed the two sensors we are talking about are sensing the movement of the same arm. If it toggles either way both sensors pick up the motion. Since roomba responds to either. it seems to work fine

I wonder how much money iRobot could save by just using one bumper sensor.

[bravelittleroomba]

I wouldn't give them any ideas

They could probably make a tonne more in customer good word of mouth if they would just hire you to join their engineering department, Vic. You figured out like a dozen simple and cheap ways to make these things 300% better. It would be so easy for them to just incorporate them.

[Sonorus]

I wouldn't give them any ideas

They could probably make a tonne more in customer good word of mouth if they would just hire you to join their engineering department, Vic. You figured out like a dozen simple and cheap ways to make these things 300% better. It would be so easy for them to just incorporate them.

Apropos, I just received my 530 back from Vic who replaced the bumper sensors. My machine was about 1.5yrs old and so I also replaced its battery.

I'm generally not one to make an anthropomorphism, but it's been sweeping all day and I would swear that this machine has a fresh sense of vim and determination that it never had before, even when it was new.

Cheers Vic!
-Glenn

[vic7767]

lol, I aim to please, thanks.

[workingmoms21]

The gear case that provides the power for the brushes is full of hair. Remove the button of the machine, remove the brush assemblies and then remove the screws that hold the gear case together. Clean the gears thoroughly and reassemble. Check this one <a href= http://www.workingmomsonly.com> working mother</a>
Cheers up!

[bravelittleroomba]

I'm known to make shameless anthropomorphisms of these little guys, but I see that as half the fun, and anything that makes cleaning more fun is A-OK with me.

Vic, I received the LED set you sent me and did some practice soldering today on the spare bumper sensor set I have. Tomorrow is surgery day for Slug!

[vic7767]

Let us know how the repair surgery went.

[iMayne]

Replacing LEDs are not hard. The only concern is how long you spent doing it. Most ppl destroy the LEDs by holding the soldering iron on it too long; more than the average 7 seconds.

[bravelittleroomba]

Well, I am stuck now because I can't get the bumper sensors free in order to open them up and replace the LEDs at all. It is stuck together. I got to about step 12 and then had to give up for now. Do you need to see pictures of where Im stuck at?

[iMayne]

That would be great. But a flat head screwdriver should pry up the four clips on each.

[bravelittleroomba]

All right here are the 4 photos I got of where I'm at right now:

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg30 ... G_5439.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg30 ... G_5438.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg30 ... G_5437.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg30 ... G_5436.jpg

[vic7767]

The black plastic bumper assembly is held in place by two phillips head screws. Remove the two screws and lift out the sensor assembly. On one assembly there are just plastic clips that can be opened using the blade of a pocket knife. The other assembly not only has some plastic clips but also one small plastic leg with a clip on the bottom of the case that has to be pushed out of the way just a little to free the top of the assembly.

[bravelittleroomba]

Thanks so much. Can you see those screws on any of those 4 photos?

I know how to get to the sensor LEDs once I have the bumper sensors out since I practiced on a spare set. It's just getting the damn things out that I'm stuck on

I went and had another look and there are like 6 screws in there

[vic7767]

Look at one of the bumper assemblies on the set already removed, you will see the two monting holes, then look for the same locations on the ones in place.

[bravelittleroomba]

Thanks, I've been a nervous wreck about this, I finally got the sensors little green squares out of there but couldn't get the LEDs to come out. I had that soldering iron to it no more than 7 seconds each time. Finally unable to make any progress I put {gently} in a vice and took a filing board to it. I filed them both down to try and get them out, sometimes one at a time sometimes filing on both. Still stuck. What would you do, how do you get these things out?

[TechGuy]

Let hope that you did not filed away the copper foil on the circuit board!

You need a solder sucker suck up molten solder. You can also use desoldering wick.

http://www.aaroncake.net/electronics/desolder.htm

[bravelittleroomba]

...I think a little bit of the green stuff got a little bit chipped off. But not that badly...

I was more worried that I touched both the transistor and the receiver at the same time while filing them.

[bravelittleroomba]

Update: Slug's reassembled and he powers up and moves okay until he bumped into something on the left side. The left bumper stays stuck in whenever it gets pressed in now and I don't know why.

The CHM also isn't moving, but I fixed that once I can do it again, though it's a different CHM this time.