PiCar-X not working

Robotic kit for Raspberry Pi
1

Hello,

Nothing on the PiCar-X is working.

  • There is no sound.
  • There is no movement
  • Connection in ezBlock disconnects when I try to do anything (then I have to wait for the green light to go from solid green to blinking again before I can connect, this happens over the web and on the ezBlock app)
  • I’ve tried connecting with an app on different devices (tablet/phone)
  • I’ve tried connecting with laptop

You can see the video here:

My specs:

  • RaspberryPi 4B (I was using RPi 3 but changed it to see if this would work)
  • Image: EzblockStudio/download (I’ve tried all images)
    ( This image is based on the 2024-1-13 release of Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm Lite, pre-install with libraries for EzBlock Studio.

Release date: 2024-11-18

Version: 2.0.2 Beta

Size: 1.77G
)

I’m very frustrated with this and disappointed in this product. I am by no means a novice programmer, novice Raspberry Pi user, or novice linux user.

2

Which model of batteries are you using? Protected/unprotected, 10C, 20C ?..

Does red led flicker on disconnect?

From this

…disconnects when I try to do anything (then I have to wait for the green light to go from solid green to blinking again before I can connect

I’m speculating a reboot when any additional power is requested as you don’t appear to have enough power, but it is a bit of a guess!

3

  1. Your SD card is installed with version 2024-1-13 of ezblock OS. When you insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi and start the PiCar-X product, do you hear a bright sound from the speaker during startup?

  2. From the video you provided, it looks like you are using the web version of ezblock studio to connect to the PiCar-X product. The device you are connecting with and the PiCar-X product must be on the same local area network to connect successfully and control the PiCar-X.

    I recommend installing the ezblock studio app on your mobile device and connecting to the PiCar-X through the app to see if it works properly.

  3. First, is your battery pack connected to the Robot Hat, and is the sliding switch on the Robot Hat turned on? If the Robot Hat is not connected to a power supply, the modules connected to it will not work. Connecting power to the Raspberry Pi does not supply power to the Robot Hat.

    From the video, it is very likely that your battery pack is not connected to power the Robot Hat.

4

I have double checked the connection to the battery pack. It is connected and batteries are charged (again). Nothing changed.

I reimaged the OS (again) and now the robot hat works. The wheels move and I have some sound coming out. The green/connection light blinks on and off.

I can’t connect via the ezBlock app on my phone, though. It says “Bluetooth connection failed. Please try again.”

I’m trying to connect to ezb-Raspberry.

My phone is on the same network that the robot is on.

5

Please share what brand and system version of the phone you’re using?

We recommend that you download and install our official ezblock OS image (2021-01-11 release of Raspberry Pi OS Buster Lite) to see how the connection works.Microsoft OneDrive

If the connection is successful, a pop-up will prompt you to update the image version; just click to update.

6

I’m using Pixel 7 Pro
Android Version 15

I’m using 2021-01-11 release of Raspberry Pi OS Buster Lite. I’ve updated it using Wifi with the issue still remaining.

7

It may be related to the system version. Do you have other mobile devices or brands? I suggest trying a different one.

You can also connect using a PC web browser to see how it works.

We are using an iPad 6th generation and devices with Android 14/13, and they all connect normally.