Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

News and information about the Electrolux Pure i9 and the Electrolux Trilobite series Robotic Vacuums. All discussion and troubleshooting questions go here.
Miek
Posts: 6
Joined: August 9th, 2014, 4:41 pm

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by Miek »

Yep, without pressing Z I get a similar startup to yours and no response to input. I found I had to turn off the carriage return to enter 'Z', then turn it on for commands.

In the meantime I've got commands to run!

Code: Select all

>T:ALL?
Set X1=20,0 V (400 mA) X2=17,2 V (4,5 A) X3=0 V, press any key when ready
T:EE:1?     NVRAM OK
T:AD:1?     ADC clock OK
AD:PWR:C?   Sonar voltages failed
1

>
Below is a preliminary command list, all commands need to be suffixed with '?', and some don't work.

Code: Select all

AD:PWR:OFF
AD:PWR:ON
AD:PWR:C
AD:OFF:C
AD:OFF:IL
AD:OFF:IR
AD:OFF:IB
AD:OFF:IF
AD:TST:VER
AD:TST:RES
AD:TST:BL
AD:RST:C
AD:TBA:C
AD:TBA:1
AD:TBA:2
BC:U:B2
BC:U:UCH
BC:L:ICH
BUM:1:1
DIS:PAT:1
DIS:S1:1
DIS:S2:1
DIS:S3:1
DIS:S4:1
DIS:TXT:0
DIS:TXT:1
DIS:TXT:2
H:1:1
H:L:1
H:L:2
H:L:3
H:L:4
BH:R:1
H:R:2
H:R:3
H:R:4
CLED:X13:0
LED:X13:1
LED:X13:2
LED:X13:3
M:MOP:OFF
M:MOP:ON
M:LU:0
NM:LU:C
M:LL:C
M:LP:C
M:RU:0
OM:RU:C
M:RL:C
M:RP:C
M:BU:G
ZM:BU:0
PM:BU:C
M:BL:C
M:BP:C
M:BR:0
M:FU:0
QM:FU:C
M:FL:C
M:FC:C
M:FP:C
M:FR:0
M:WHL:0
M:WHL:1
M:WHL:2
M:WHL:3
M:WHL:4
MIC:IN:1
DMIC:IN:2
EMIC:IN:3
FMIC:IN:4
GMIC:IN:5
HMIC:IN:6
IMIC:IN:7
JMIC:IN:8
KMIC:RES:1
RMIC:RES:2
SMIC:RES:3
TMIC:RES:4
UMIC:RES:5
VMIC:RES:6
WMIC:RES:7
XMIC:RES:8
YP:OFF:1
QUIT
SON:1:C
SON:2:C
SON:2:F
SON:3:C
SON:4:C
SON:B:0
SON:B:1
SON:N:0
SON:W:0
SON:N:1
SON:W:1
SON:W:2
SUM:1:1
S:HW:0
S:HW:1
S:HW:2
S:MIC:D
S:MIC:0
S:MIC:1
S:MIC:2
S:MIC:3
S:MIC:4
S:MIC:5
S:MIC:6
S:MIC:7
T:EE:1
T:AD:1
T:ALL
LT:ALL:1
T:ALL:2
T:ALL:3
T:ALL:C
MTIL:1:1
TIL:L:1
TIL:R:1
TX:W:W
TX:W:N
TX:N:N
TX:N:W
ATX:N:L
TX:W:L
TX:B:L
PWR:M:ON
PWR:M:OFF
PWR:RX:ON
PWR:RX:OFF
REV
SNR:R
SNR:W
SNR:C
T:FLG
T:FLG:0
T:FLG:1
CHK:NVR
CHK:NVR:1
LOPT:W
LOPT:R
P:MAX:R
P:MAX:W
P:MIN:R
P:MIN:W
L:MWHL:R
L:MWHL:W
NVR:R
C:BAT:1
C:BAT:2
C:OP:T
SON:TH:W
SON:TH:R
SON:TH:D
vespaman
Posts: 38
Joined: January 6th, 2011, 12:25 pm
Location: Sundbyberg/SE

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by vespaman »

Nice!

Lot's of commands... :shock:

I need to modify my setup with a constant 5V, since my wifi router boots with the Trilobite, so there's no way getting early chars to the trilobite boot process, since it boots much quicker than the router.
Miek
Posts: 6
Joined: August 9th, 2014, 4:41 pm

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by Miek »

This mode is really low level and is labelled "production test mode", the commands are fairly cryptic and a lot of the return values from commands are just 0 or 1. So I think this is only designed to be used by automated software for production testing.
It seems to also be missing the more user friendly command strings found before, so I think there must be another service mode where all the fun stuff is.
As far as I can see, it doesn't check for anything other than 'Z'/'z' on startup, so I think possiblities might be some keypress sequence on the buttons, some passphrase over serial after it has started or maybe some signal on the connector.

Also, I found that if you hold the down button when the unit is starting up it will show some extra hardware info. Maybe there's something similar for a service menu?
User avatar
vic7767
Robot Master
Posts: 15556
Joined: January 14th, 2006, 7:31 pm
Location: Haughton Louisiana - USA

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by vic7767 »

Miek wrote: I think possiblities might be some keypress sequence on the buttons
That may be very possible since both the Roomba and Scooba also have button press sequences to access the Built in Test program.
Miek
Posts: 6
Joined: August 9th, 2014, 4:41 pm

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by Miek »

Quick bit of info: pin4 on the red connecter turned out to be connected to the power switch. This makes sense for production testing to automatically turn on the device.

The stop, menu and yes buttons connect to data4, 5 and 6 on the MCU respectively.

Edit: Scratch that, they're actually PF5, PF6 and PF7 respectively.
envious
Posts: 1
Joined: May 24th, 2015, 6:14 pm

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by envious »

Hi, I got trilobite za2 from one person, he said if you want just take it. However it has a problem Error #10. I could not find anywhere about this problem. I see that you are pretty smart here, maybe you know where the problem persists? I have dissasembled it but mainboard looks pretty fine, offcourse I am not and electronics guru so my knowledge is low :) tried to connect only mainboard with batteries and control - same error. On the sticker it stands - elh1131199-51 07w23 and on screen HW3 041029. Thank you in advance.
Link
Posts: 28
Joined: April 7th, 2011, 2:41 pm

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by Link »

This is really sad to see that there seems to be no use for this platform anymore. My puppy is still sitting in the cellar disassembled and pretty much useless for me. It might work if I put him together but with that crap navigation, just a pain in the ass, so just another dust collector. Though it might be a really good robot platform if these ignorants from electrolux where a bit more open minded.
Triple Vortex
Posts: 8
Joined: January 11th, 2011, 11:47 am

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by Triple Vortex »

envious wrote:Hi, I got trilobite za2 from one person, he said if you want just take it. However it has a problem Error #10. I could not find anywhere about this problem. I see that you are pretty smart here, maybe you know where the problem persists? I have dissasembled it but mainboard looks pretty fine, offcourse I am not and electronics guru so my knowledge is low :) tried to connect only mainboard with batteries and control - same error. On the sticker it stands - elh1131199-51 07w23 and on screen HW3 041029. Thank you in advance.

I have the ZA1 with "Error #10: Service".

One of the MOSFET power chips had blown a leg off. I soldered an uprated replacement in, but still the fault remains. Maybe in my case, the printed circuit board has some unseen damage?

With the batteries unplugged and then reinserted, the machine will recharge.
Pressing "ON", the robot's sonar activates, then nothing... "Error #10: Service"is displayed.

It is a pity that Electrolux don't make it any more. I found its intelligent navigation to be somewhat elegant.
Link
Posts: 28
Joined: April 7th, 2011, 2:41 pm

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by Link »

I think Electrolux just gave up the market for robot vacuums they created first by their own inability to re innovate their product over time. I mean I have no idea if some patent shenanigan was forcing them to behave like they did but if they had done proper redesigned and cost optimized Trilobite versions they would still be in the marked today. But the Mark2 unit was too less too late, only barely advanced and by the time it showed up the competitors had a far better bang for the buck ratio. If they had some cheap bumper models without hypersonic sensors to compete with the cheap irobots they would have had a good chance to take a good market share of what irobot sells today.

Maybe the ultrasonic system would even be a good choice for 2D/3D room mapping and a proper development would have lead to a neato type of navigation.

If they had been open to the hacker community they could have had far more long term attention to their product and could have build up a real active community around it.
vespaman
Posts: 38
Joined: January 6th, 2011, 12:25 pm
Location: Sundbyberg/SE

Post by vespaman »

My take is that they where too early onto the market - the development must have been very costly, processing power where not even near what we have today, and peoples expectations on a vacuum robot probably too high. In Electrolux financial result, the Trilobite where probably not even a fly's dropping. And after ten years, they acknowledged this by not continuing the robot. The really interesting question is why the developed it in the first place.

If my memory serves me right, they had the intention to do real room mapping, but decided that it random pattern where good enough. Maybe the project where running late, or the hardware (cpu/flash) did not cut it.

Let's hope they return at some point, I much prefer the vacuum manufacturers' robot vacuums.

My three trilobites are still going strong in my home after some battery changes.
Link
Posts: 28
Joined: April 7th, 2011, 2:41 pm

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by Link »

@vespaman

Did you came any further with your "project"? As for the 5V source for your project I use these cheap car USB chargers (12/24V 2A level down shifter). Works with my raspi without any problem here.
vespaman
Posts: 38
Joined: January 6th, 2011, 12:25 pm
Location: Sundbyberg/SE

Post by vespaman »

@Link

Well, I think that I would have liked the runtime commands (start cleaning etc) I got the image from miek, but never had the time to run it through any disassember /decompiler. And then I forgot about it. :)

Maybe I'll have a look at it now...
JudeEdwards
Posts: 1
Joined: February 20th, 2019, 3:56 am

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by JudeEdwards »

Another leap forward tonight: I discovered RX/TX on the connector. I think Electrolux intentionally made this dubious!! The essential sequential port on the CPU heads out to a hex transforming schmittrigger all tracks covered up.
AlexVN
Posts: 2
Joined: April 11th, 2019, 3:00 pm

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by AlexVN »

Hi.
Is this thread alive? I found my old Trilobite and it's working! After more then 10 years!
But after 1 working day it shows me Error #08. I cant find the description for the error. As I remember it's the same error as 10 years ago.
I tried to connect to serial port of robot but got only the trash data. I use FTDI232 speed 9600-8N1.
What is the correct port settings?
Thx.
AlexVN
Posts: 2
Joined: April 11th, 2019, 3:00 pm

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by AlexVN »

Successfully connected to Trilobite with another serial device.
When I ty to test robot I get this:

Code: Select all

>T:ALL?
T:EE:1?     NVRAM OK
T:AD:1?     ADC clock OK
AD:PWR:C?   Sonar voltages OK
AD:PWR:OFF? Sonar +5V off OK
AD:PWR:ON?  Sonar +5V on OK
SUM:1:1?    
AD:OFF:C?   OFFSET OK
AD:TST:VER? TSTIN OK
AD:TST:RES? RESETB- level failed
958 959 
I can't imagine what that means...
Fihbone
Posts: 1
Joined: September 15th, 2019, 2:31 am

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by Fihbone »

Hi

Bought Trilobite 2.0 in 2006 (700€). Used until batteries died. Now I bought new batteries and when turning on displays Error #01.

I have surfed the internet to find the error code explanations.... no luck. The error codes of Trilobite are impossible to find. So if somebody would help to get the grandma of robotic vacuums to work again - I would offer a free beer in Estonia :cheers:

With BR
Fishbone
Link
Posts: 28
Joined: April 7th, 2011, 2:41 pm

Re: Hacking the Electrolux Trilobite

Post by Link »

Log time no see,

just a few days ago i bought a floor wiper robot from the local Aldi for 200,- € bucks(Medion MD18999). Works great and good enough for such a low price system. Its orientation system seems to work only on a gyro system, no optical or lidar sensors can be found. It is doing its work in tracks no stupid meandering business here, so a pretty useful sys.

So that experience once again brought my thoughts to that good old Trilobite sitting in my cellar. I think the only way to go here is to leave the old crap behind and ether go for a retrofit of some kind of Neato Lidar system into the Trilobite shell or go all the way with some kind of ROS system on ARM basis with a Raspi. I'm not up to date but there was already a ROS system that ran on the Raspi2 so it might be even more powerfull with the current 4GB RAM Raspi gerneration.

Maybe some intermediate hack to switch the system to some good Li-Ion Cells from makita for example to get rid of that Ni-Mh crap may be worth it but the meandering business is pretty much killing that effort...

Eh, what the f* am I talking about... why would I want to use that crappy old Trilobite shell when I can have any shell I want ..... so use your imagination you silly old idiot! To hell with all those boring companies with their political correctness designs. What would be an even better fit for that job than the iconic R2-D2?

Why the heck not doing this with a real "WALL·E" shell?

Am I the first "speaking ape" on the "Planet of the Apes" who comes to this conclusion, very unlikely....
Post Reply