Skip to content

FT2 - 2nd Generation Fingertips

Test Procedure

Revision history

Rev. Dep Prepared by Date Revision description
0 iCubFacility S. Dussoni 09/09/2024 First Emission

1. Document Scope

Info

This procedure shows how to test FT2 electronic boards and applies to the following IIT codes:
16479-16482 and 13848-13851 rev. C and D FT2, IIT - Electronic board, FingertipTactileSensorRethink

the codes includes both RIGHT/LEFT versions, various addresses. Note: the 1st generation fingertips have compatible pad positions but different PCB shapes. Anyway, they are discontinued.

2. Requirements

2.1 Hardware Requirements

  • ESD USB-CAN with USB power supply cable. [cod.IIT 1014]
  • OPTIONAL, MC4-PLUS board with ethernet connectivity (depending on user's preferences)

  • FT2 Test equipment (fig.1) IIT code 18317 rev.A including:

  • Top cover with spring contacts and cabling

  • TestBed to hold the PCBs Under Test
  • MTB4 IIT code 12008 rev. C with CAN Id=10

Figure 1 - Test Setup, left to right: the TestBed, the MTB4 fixed to it, the Top cover w/ spring contacts and the ESDCAN device.

2.2 Software Requirements

3. Test Procedure

Warning

Handle the test setup taking care not to break thin wires and connectors.

3.1 Visual Inspection

The PCBs should be flexible (like a thick paper sheet due to the presence of the adhesive layer). Check for the presence of kinks and tears: highlighted in Fig. 2, there are the most sritical regions to check. Severely bent PCBs cannot work properly.

Figure 2 - Critical locations on the PCB to check

3.2 Setup Connections

  • Connect the MTB4 card of the setup to the ESDCAN device and the ESDCAN to the PC. The MTB4 needs USB power source.

Figure 3 - Test Setup connections and PCB positioning. Left to right: the TestBed ready to accept the PCBs ; placement of one PCB in its slot, the taxels facing upwards; both PCBs in place, note that they lay exactly within their slots. Make sure they are as flat as pssible to avoid displacement when placing the Top Cover; on the leftmost panel the TopCover is in place touching the pads of the PCBs. No bending/uplifting should be observed for a good functionality.

3.3 Test procedure

  1. Place a Left and Right FT2 on the Test Bed (fig. 3 and caption therein for details)
  2. Put the Top cover on the TestBed
    • the spring contacts are touching the PCBs if the PCB is in the correct position
    • there are dowelpins aligning precisely the two plastic parts
    • keep the cover slightly pressed during all operations to ensure the spring contacts are touching the pads
    • the PCB should lay flat on the TestBed
  3. follow the instructions
    • the config file for yarprobotinterface is skinFingertip.xml.
    • the robot part to choose in the yarpmanager is skin_fingertip-GUI
  4. while pressing the upper clamp, send the reset taxel command:
    1. open a terminal in the config-files/scripts/ft2-test folder of the test-skin-patches repo
    2. type ./reset_tax.sh
    3. press Enter
  5. touch the PCB (with either a finger or a touch-tip of a pen) and visualize the signal in the GUI
  6. if no signal is present, try pressing the upper part while sending again the reset taxel
  7. unclamp the Test setup and replace the PCBs with the other two and repeat step 4 to 6 until completion. Place tested PCbs apart, divided by functioning