Skip to main content

My Mars Rover's servos or motors don't move

What to check when a Mars Rover servo buzzes but does not turn, or a motor does nothing at all.

A
Written by Albert Gajsak

A servo that buzzes or hums without turning is the usual symptom, and it almost always means the servo is being told to move but cannot. Work through these in order.

  • Power. A buzzing servo is most often an underfed one. The Rover runs on six AA cells. Fit a fresh set — all six at once, same brand, and alkaline rather than rechargeable, because rechargeables give 1.2 V instead of 1.5 V and the servos need the extra headroom. See "Can I use rechargeable batteries in my DIY kit?". Several servos pulling at the same time need more current than a part-used set can deliver, so cells that still run the screen can easily be too tired to turn a servo.

  • Connectors. Unplug and reseat every servo and motor connector. Check each one is pushed fully home and the right way round, against the build guide photos. A connector that is one pin out, or half-seated, gives exactly this behaviour.

  • Mechanical binding. Take the servo horn off and see whether the servo turns freely on its own. If it does, something in the linkage is jammed or over-tightened. Check the horn is not fouling, and that no screw has been done up so hard that it binds the joint.

  • Firmware. Connect the Rover to a computer, open code.circuitmess.com and use Restore firmware to put it back to its factory state. That rules out a half-finished upload.

If it still will not move, email [email protected] with:

  • A short video with the sound on, so we can hear whether it is buzzing

  • A photo of the board showing the servo connectors

  • Your order number, and which servo or motor it is

The video is the useful part. A buzz, a click and silence are three different faults and we cannot tell them apart from a description.

Did this answer your question?