My vision was blocked. Please press OKAY (3000)

[RC3]

I would check the robot with the Neato Control program, it will show you lots of info, and lets you test motors, Lidar etc. Seems you have a simliar problem that I had, the bot seems to in some kind of spot cleaning mode, Neato Control will show if all the sensors are working. In my case the Wall sensor did not work, so the robot thought it was cleaning along a wall.... The wires on the sensor contact(wall sensor under the top lid of the XV) was ripped out a bit(maybe from the bumper beeing activated over 16 months...). Fixed the wires, and now it's working like before. Check the sensor value, it shall not be negative, mine was -24).

[RC3]

I would check the robot with the Neato Control program, it will show you lots of info, and lets you test motors, Lidar etc. Seems you have a simliar problem that I had, the bot seems to in some kind of spot cleaning mode, Neato Control will show if all the sensors are working. In my case the Wall sensor did not work, so the robot thought it was cleaning along a wall.... The wires on the sensor contact(wall sensor under the top lid of the XV) was ripped out a bit(maybe from the bumper beeing activated over 16 months...). Fixed the wires, and now it's working like before. Check the sensor value, it shall not be negative, mine was -24).

[ethan1701]

That sounds promising, thanks!
Where can I find the neato control program download?

[vic7767]

Where can I find the neato control program download?

Go here to page 6 and download the 2.8 version: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=18173&start=100

[glnc222]

Another Lidar Motor Listing, for Europe, Aliexpress

Mabuchi recommended by French users -- low price:
http://fr.aliexpress.com/item/Mabuchi-RF-500-Motor-1-5-to-12-VDC-Solar-Motor-Mabuchi-RF-500TB-12560-free/1404909859.html?detailNewVersion=2&spm=2114.13010208.99999999.261.MSE45P

[Tris]

I've just bought another cheap VX Signature off ebay, this time the only thing wrong was a non-rotating lidar and the usual error 3000. As I expected, the motor brushes were burnt out.

I had a spare RF-500TB-14415 motor which I pulled out of an old Hifi a while ago and while it's not exactly the same spec as the original RF-500TB-12560, I thought I'd try it anyway and it seems to work fine.

I'll keep an eye on it and report back if it doesn't last...

MABUCHI rf500tb.pdf

RF-500TB Datasheet

(55.65 KiB) Downloaded 95 times

[TechGuy]

Thank for confirming. I have a RF-500TB-14415 pulled out from a Sony DVD player. I will be ready when my XV11 or XV Signature develops LIDAR problem.

[humanoid]

Got HyperTerminal communicating with the Neato ok on a Vista laptop no problems.

Just running through the programming guide looking at what commands I can give that might give a clue.

There is a program called Neato Control that has everything you need and much easier to use. You have a user interface that makes everything easier. It draws a map of the room as detected by the lidar. You can move a round the room and see it working. It also has the ability to run commands if you still need it.

[JEfromCanada]

Got HyperTerminal communicating with the Neato ok on a Vista laptop no problems.

Just running through the programming guide looking at what commands I can give that might give a clue.

There is a program called Neato Control that has everything you need and much easier to use. You have a user interface that makes everything easier. It draws a map of the room as detected by the lidar. You can move a round the room and see it working. It also has the ability to run commands if you still need it.

@humanoid: Not sure if you noticed - you replied to a 3-year-old post. I don't think the Neato Control program existed that long ago.

[twincities]

Thank you for all the info on this thread. I was able to replace my lidr motor and fixed the error message. However, when I start the neato xv-14, the machine just wanders and spins around aimlessly. No error message, everything works runs like normal but neato does not systematically clean.
I have done the normal trouble shooting: clean everything, shut down, disconnected batteries, soft reset, like I said everything is running just fine but the neato can't navigate.
Any suggestions? Help!

[vic7767]

Now would be the time to download and install a free diagnostic tool written by RR member heX. His 2.10 version of NeatoControl is the best yet for helping you troubleshoot your Neato or Botvac robot.

Go here to download your copy: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=18173

[Tris]

When you replaced the motor, did you solder the wires on the right way round?

The laser turret should spin counter-clockwise, from left to right when looking at it from the side. If not, swap the wires over on the motor and try again.

[vic7767]

As Tris mentioned, make sure the Black lead goes to the ( + ) marking on the replacement motor.

[DarkLeftArm]

Hello. My name is Bert and I have an XV-14 named Ellis who has been a faithful servant daily for about 3 years now. I have replaced batteries and cleaned regularly, but until now he's been good. It started a few months ago with the dim green light. I could jump start him by plugging his USB into my laptop for quite a while, but then he seemed done with that. Before I found this forum, I found a youtube vid about the same problem, and proceeded with my first teardown to replace the pesky C10 capacitor. At that point I knew slightly less about capacitors than I do now(which is still almost nothing), and blindly plugged it in and soldered it without any consideration given to polarity. I'm guessing I got lucky, because upon startup, Ellis charged and cleaned the house like his old self. Stopped midway to have his dirt box emptied, went back for a recharge, and came out to finish. Back to charge when he was done. No problems.
The next day, however, he rolled out about 6 inches with the dreaded error 3000. I tried all the former tricks with battery removal, soft booting his big orange button, even the USB cord. No dice. That's when I found this forum and started reading about his lidar turret. Upon inspection, there is zero movement with the turret. I tried spinning it manually while he was starting up, and instead of error 3000, I got error 4035 maybe, and then error 4000. Another bootup with no lidar spinning gave error 3000 again.
So now I have his Lidar unit in my hand. I have thoughts of testing it with a battery before ordering one of the motors you all have sourced, but there is something fishy about the turret itself. The motor has the 2 wires, red and black. The driven part with the laser eyes has 4 wires of various colors. When I turn the turret, those 4 wires move around in the center. They don't spin all the way around, but they move some and wobble a little bit. Does this tell anything, or should I proceed with testing the motor?
Sorry for the long winded rant, but I really needed to vent.

Cheers
Bert

[vic7767]

The 4 wires in the center are for providing power to the Lidar circuit that then sends scan reports to the MCU on the main board. Those 4 wires should not twist or turn and should remain stationary. Your Neato will be happy when you replace the complete Lidar unit.

[DarkLeftArm]

Oh my.... I've seen replacement parts on a few websites including, I think, your website, but not seen entire lidar units. Any advice you have here is appreciated.
Bert

[vic7767]

I have seen Lidar units priced between $90 and $120 on ebay.

[glnc222]

There is some sort of commutator, moving contacts, to couple to the rotating part (the newer Botvac ones have some optical coupling for data, from Vorwerk). So if the wires are being dragged there is something wrong in that commutator, like a part stuck so its wires get dragged around. You would have to take it completely apart and there is no telling whether that could be fixed, needs cleaning, or what. Some people fix brushes inside motors but they are not really made to do that or even open them, and special actions are needed. Close inspection is needed to see what opportunities exist.

[DarkLeftArm]

Okay, I tore the Lidar turret apart. It just seems to me that $100 for yet another used part is a waste. I found the offending part in the turret. It is a rotating electrical link called a slip ring. I feel like I should be able to source this tiny part for under $20 new. I really am not interested in somebody else's damaged goods.
I found a similar one at the robot shop website, but there are no dimensions listed, and no one seems to take the bait on the forum.
I found the manufacturer's website, and the closest thing they list is this: http://www.slipring.cn/product_en/185.html I have an email out to them, no idea if I'll get any response.
Obviously, Neato doesn't sell parts like this. Their chat person was pleasant, but non helpful.
Imagine that...

[kafer1964]

I have a Neato XV I bought used last year. It had an issue and I checked with Neato and amazingly it was still under warranty. They sent me another unit and now it get the vision blocked error. I contacted Neato and they game me procedures to try on it and if they fail, as I bet they will, they will send me another XV. Here is what they recommended me to do:

Make sure nothing is interfering with the robot's "sight:" check that you removed the protective plastic cover from the display and that no debris is blocking the robot's lasers.
Clean the all the sensors (wall and drop sensors).
Check the brush compartment for debris.
Check the wheel wells are not blocked with debris.
Check the bumper moves freely on both sides and the front (you should hear a click when you press the bumper in).
Spin the laser with a dry Q-tip 5 times to the left and 5 times to the right. Note;Do not insert the Q-Tip directly into either of the 'sight' openings as this could damage the Laser Distancing System.
Using compressed air, use short bursts of compressed air about 6″/15cm away to clear debris from under the turret cap.
Soft reset robot on the charge base by holding down the Start button for 15-20 seconds.
Try starting the robot in a different room.