My vision was blocked. Please press OKAY (3000)

[zick]

We have a XV Sig Pro that was returned for a non-spinning lidar. Our replacement unit lasted about 5 months before having the exact same issue.

I have read through this entire thread and started tearing into ours to determine the problem.

Upon examining the lidar motor, I noticed something strange. Everything I've read said these should be using a 5v motor but ours have a 16v motor.
When I checked the voltage going to the motor it read about 14.5v.

Here is the motor on ours.


Anyone know were we can find a replacement?

[zick]

So nobody has seen one of these before?

I've been digging all over and cannot seem to find a 16v motor like this.

However I did come across this one that got me thinking.
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... llDownView

What if I'm reading the number on the motor wrong? What if that 1 is actually part of the product code and not part of the voltage rating. So that in fact this motor is a 6v and not a 16v like I thought?

If it is truly a 6v motor, then why would there be 14+v going to this motor? Does that indicate another deeper issue with this Neato?

[zick]

Well I took a chance and ordered the motor from jameco and it's been a week and it's seems to be working OK.
I say OK because it doesn't seem to run/navigate like it used to. It seems a little confused at times but it's still cleaning and returning to the charging station just fine so I'm not going to mess with it anymore.

[nazgoth]

I specifically created an account on this forum to thank everyone here who gave all this useful information which helped me repair my Neato xv25 which was suffering from the infamous 'error 3000'.

I replaced the motor of the lidar unit by the one mentionned earlier in this thread:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221209189111
and it works !!!

[seawitch]

After hours of reading, I've decided to post with my issue. I started getting the "green coma" about two months ago and managed to get the bot restarted each time. I thought maybe upgrading the firmware would help, but it seems to have made things worse.

After the 3rd cleaning post-upgrade I began getting the Vision Blocked error, LIDAR was not spinning so I tested the motor manually, and it was bad. I ordered one from Vic and got everything replaced (and tested w/ independent power) and the LIDAR unit is at least rotating. After reassembly LIDAR is still not spinning up and still have Vision Blocked error.

I event tried the Testmode USB tests and no spin-up. I haven't replaced the CAP 10 yet, but I'm thinking that's the next step.

Anyone have any thoughts as to what the issue might be?

[vic7767]

The Lidar motor is enabled by a command from the MCU. The MCU is powered from the 5 volt buss. The C10 capacitor is needed to power the 5 volt buss. Replacing the Cap may improve the ability to enable the Lidar motor.

[seawitch]

Followup:
Replaced C10 with Catalog #: 2721029 220uF 35V 20% Radial-lead Electrolytic Capacitor from RadioShack

The new CAP doesn't sit flush with the board b/c the pins are farther apart but bending them to fit worked fine. My XV-21 is now merrily cleaning my house.

For roughly $13 I fixed my broken Neato, awesome!

[Flyrplnz]

My LIDAR was not spinning. The JameCo motor solve the issue for me and now my robot is working as good as new. As mentioned above please notice before you unsolder the original motor as the black lead is soldered to the motor terminal marked + so solder the new one in the same way. The spinal was not glued and came off fairly easy with some gentle persuasion from an automotive trim tool I had.

[glnc222]

Botvac Lidar Motor

Seems to be the same as the XV, same voltage.
[edit] label SRF-500CAL-16V-12560-R -- same as shown above XV

Botvac lidar. Courtesy member Shirgal.

Botvac lidar. Courtesy member Shirgal.

[vic7767]

Yes, it is the same motor and I've received orders for replacement motors for the Botvac Lidar. It seems that the same early life failures are still occurring similar to the Neato XV series.

[mi888]

i have the same problem and see that the sensor is also not turning. I'm going to try replace the motor as many have suggested here. is this the right one? http://www.ebay.com/itm/321790723329
thanks!

[glnc222]

Other post above reports success with that same ebay listing. http://www.robotreviews.com/chat/viewtopic.php?p=131288#p131288
The JameCo motor used adds "-R" to the part number but not sure what that means, if anything. Many dealers for the RF-500TB-12560 CD, DVD player motor. Jameco http://www.jameco.com/1/1/50322-rf-500tb-12560-r-6-volt-dc-motor-2100-rpm.html

[edit] A Mabuchi listing on AliExpress used in Europe, recommended by French users
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

[tiomiguel]

TWO XV signature have been failed after six months of use each one. One hour daily. LIDAR does not rotate. Seller has refunded me the money. I thing lifetime of this robot is about six months... I have to purchase another robot. I like NEATO but LIDAR life seems to be a serious problem. ¿IS this solved in new NEATO PRODUCTS?

[vic7767]

IS this solved in new NEATO PRODUCTS?

Absolutely NOT. The Lidar motor continues to fail in the latest Botvac models.

[mljenkins]

I just wanted to post here real quick and thank everyone for all the information on the LIDAR repair. My LIDAR wasn't rotating so I assume it was the motor, so I replaced the motor with the following part from Amazon:

RF-500TB-12560 DC1.5-12V 2700RPM No Load Speed 32mm Diameter DC Motor
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QBZ ... ge_o01_s00

I paid $7.66 for it with prime shipping.

I should have tested the motor first, but I was in a hurry and the Neato batteries were dead so I went ahead and ordered and replaced it, then charged it back up and tried again. Unfortunately the LIDAR still wasn't spinning. It would spin by hand but not enough for the motor to spin it.

It ended up being the bearings. I took the LIDAR unit apart to where I could see the bearings and added some silicone lubricant and spun it by hand until it was completely freed up. I worry the lubricant could cause it to attract more dust but I really had no choice to get it spinning freely again.

I was curious how the others that have replaced the bearings have managed to get them out of the plastic housing. It looked almost impossible to me without breaking the plastic clips. Any advice here would be appreciated since I suspect the bearings will probably give out within another year of use.

Again, thanks everyone who has contributed here. It was extremely helpful in having an understanding of how things worked and what to look for in terms of parts and repairs.

[glnc222]

Long two part video includes disassembly of the original lidar somewhere along the way. Small bit about the bearing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSLGBzEumAM&list=UUllFkMo5A0V5UKYNltNEt4Q&index=9
Botvac has a lidar from Vorwerk with improved optical signal connection compared to mechanical.
Note comments in this thread about reversing the black and red motor wires for proper spin direction.

[mljenkins]

Thanks for the video, I'll have to check that out. I was happy that someone posted the polarity of the wires so I got it right the first time. That would have been upsetting!

Does the Botvac improve on the bearing or how the bearing and/or LIDAR unit is enclosed within the main unit at all? To me it seems the entire thing could be better sealed, at least around where the mechanics are located.

[vic7767]

Some electronic improvements but the Lidar remains mechanically the same. The small dc motor still has failures. No one has reported a bearing failure in a Botvac Lidar .

[navegalio]

Hi everybody,

I'm the owner of a Neato XV-15, and since yesterday it is showing the terrible "My vision is blocked" message. I have been taking a look at the robot, and I have seen that the Lidar is not spinning.

I have read this entire theme, and once I have learnt where the problem is and what do I have to do, I have dissassembled the Neato and now I am at the point in which I have the Lidar unit in my hands.

Next step would be to extract the motor from the Lidar unit in order to replace it, but I'm not sure about how do I have to do that, because I'm afraid I'm going to break anything. Specifically, how do I remove the black motor wheel (the one that is attached to the motor stick)? Should I simply throw it up, or should I do something else?

(I have already tried to throw it up, but it does not move, and I'm not sure if I should throw up harder...)

Thanks in advance for your help!
PD: I'm sorry for my english level, I'm in Europe and I don't use to speak in english

[mljenkins]

When I removed my wheel, I used a small flat head screwdriver to pry up on it. It took a bit of force but it came off. The screwdriver back was rested over the plastic housing lip around the wheel. I would suggest putting the tip of the screwdriver as close to the center of the wheel when you pry to avoid potential damage. I think the wheel is fairly durable so it should survive the prying.