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USB Programming not working anymore — Parallax Forums

USB Programming not working anymore

JoshuaLewisJoshuaLewis Posts: 24
edited 2008-09-03 02:08 in Propeller 1
Hello,
I have been playing around with the Propeller Chip for the past several weeks and have had a couple of problems, no major hiccups, i did have the annoying squeeking that was explained how to solve on another forum, i was going to do this when i had the time. In the mean time hi had made a buffer IC to relay the data lines out of the Propeller board, and since then i cannot program the chip with the USB Propeller Plug. Propeller Tool does not detect the chip, but it does detect the "Dongle", i know that the interface is setup correctly, as i have two Propeller Boards, and the other one works fine.

I am not sure what has caused this issue, it would either be the Buffer Addon; or the Oscillation in the Regulator not being attended to.

If i could have any help regarding this issue it would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Josh

Comments

  • QuattroRS4QuattroRS4 Posts: 916
    edited 2008-08-31 01:11
    Josh,
    I can't quite make out what exactly you are saying when when you say -
    JoshuaLewis said...
    "In the mean time hi had made a buffer IC to relay the data lines out of the Propeller board, and since then i cannot program the chip with the USB Propeller Plug. Propeller Tool does not detect the chip, but it does detect the "Dongle"

    Can you give a bit more detail on what you have done .. What 'buffer IC' and how is it connected ..

    My initial suggestion is to bring it back to basics.. i.e. disconnect any 'additions' ..

    What 'Propeller Boards' are you using ?

    Regards,
    John Twomey

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    'Necessity is the mother of invention'

    Those who can, do.Those who can’t, teach.

    Post Edited (QuattroRS4) : 8/31/2008 1:21:08 AM GMT
  • JoshuaLewisJoshuaLewis Posts: 24
    edited 2008-08-31 01:35
    I have tried both the 74HC240 Octal Buffer Line Driver IC and the 74LS241 OCTAL TRI-STATE BUFFER IC. both have the outputs from the Propeller connected to the inputs of the buffer ic 1A0 - 2A3, and the outputs of the buffer 1Y0 - 2Y3 are connected to TLC5940 Chips. the boards i am using are the Brilldea prop boards http://brilldea.com/product_PropBlade.html and they are controlling the LED painters from Brilldea.
    the 1OE and 2OE lines are connected to ground.

    I disconnected the Buffer IC and any other additions, and the chip is still not working, it is currently just the "bare bones" board as sold by Brilldea.

    Hope this helps
    Josh
  • QuattroRS4QuattroRS4 Posts: 916
    edited 2008-08-31 01:51
    Lets nail the basics first so ..
    Just looked at the schematic .. Can you confirm that the supply is sufficient .. and that you also have 5v and 3.3v from regs.... can you confirm that the reset button is not 'stuck' ..

    I notice the Brilldea board uses a propplug to program .. can you confirm the propplug works (I assume you have tested the 'other board' using same power source and programming with the same propplug...·?)


    Regards,
    John

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    'Necessity is the mother of invention'

    Those who can, do.Those who can’t, teach.

    Post Edited (QuattroRS4) : 8/31/2008 1:57:11 AM GMT
  • JoshuaLewisJoshuaLewis Posts: 24
    edited 2008-08-31 04:03
    I have a steady 3.3Volt and 5Volt from the regulators. the supply is very clean, the reset button is not stuck and the propplug works with the other controller,

    thanks
    josh
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2008-08-31 04:49
    Some things we do know:

    1) The EEPROM doesn't have to work for the Propeller to respond to the Propeller Tool.

    2) The crystal doesn't have to work for the Propeller to respond to the Propeller Tool.

    3) That leaves the Propeller itself, its reset circuitry, its connections to the PropPlug, the PropPlug itself.

    4) You've checked the reset button, the power source, and the PropPlug and the PC work with another controller.

    5) The main electrical stress failure is the PLL which is not needed for identification and downloading of software so that's unlikely.

    6) There's some other failure, either in the Propeller chip or in it's connections to power or the PropPlug.
  • JoshuaLewisJoshuaLewis Posts: 24
    edited 2008-08-31 05:16
    So what that means is chances are the propeller chip itself is blown?

    I will check the tracks on the reset lines to verify that nothing is sus, and get back to you.
  • JoshuaLewisJoshuaLewis Posts: 24
    edited 2008-08-31 05:33
    does anyone know of any suppliers in Australia that i can get the propeller chip from? i do believe that it is not the reset line but the chip itself. is their anyways i can test for this?
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2008-08-31 05:53
    The only way I know to test the Propeller chip is to put it in a known good board and try to use it. Given a particular board with a particular set of I/O connections, it's possible to make a program to test the various functionalities other than those needed to download a program from a PC or load a program from a pre-programmed EEPROM.

    Here's their distributor page: www.parallax.com/Default.aspx?tabid=491
  • JoshuaLewisJoshuaLewis Posts: 24
    edited 2008-08-31 06:40
    Thanks for the fast reply,
    i will contact that suppler tomorrow. the board and program works fine on my other propeller board, so it is defiantly localized to the problem board.
  • QuattroRS4QuattroRS4 Posts: 916
    edited 2008-08-31 09:28
    Joshua -
    It looks like you have covered all the possibilities you can without changing the prop ..

    You asked about a supplier in Australia .. www.nollet.com.au/

    talk to Ron Nollet ..

    Regards,
    John

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    'Necessity is the mother of invention'

    Those who can, do.Those who can’t, teach.
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2008-08-31 18:05
    Joshua, you've explained what you are trying to do, but may I ask why you are trying to buffer the serial communication lines? The board is designed to directly take a PropPlug.

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    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • JoshuaLewisJoshuaLewis Posts: 24
    edited 2008-08-31 23:20
    I have got 4 of these boards (12 TLC5940's) connected together and are being driven off of the single propeller board. I am having issues with the TLC5940 chips not responding correctly to the code when multiple boards are connected. i thought that this could be a driving issue with the propeller chip, so i was trying out a buffer to see if it fixed the problem.

    I was not trying to buffer the serial lines to the PropPlug.
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2008-08-31 23:32
    Ok, I understand now. Tim knows about this issue. While at the expo, he explained that 2 in series works, 3 in series work for some, but beyond that is dicey at this point. You should discuss with him techniques of trying to expand this as he is the most familiar with the issues involved..

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    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • TimmooreTimmoore Posts: 1,031
    edited 2008-08-31 23:47
    If I remember correctly from the datasheet there is a timing dependency between xlat and gsclk, Tim's driver runs sck/xlat and gsclk in separate cogs so that timing dependency could be broken. The datasheet doesn't say what will happen. I dont know if this has any bearing on the problem with multiple boards.
    The input lines to the tlc5940 that are driven by a prop pin have a input current of 1uA so driving 12 of them shouldn't be a problem.
  • JoshuaLewisJoshuaLewis Posts: 24
    edited 2008-09-01 00:51
    How could i have all of those functions rolled into one cog?

    As this forum is about one of my controllers not programming correctly I have opened another forum regarding the programming/control issue that i have. that is located http://forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=25&m=290219&p=1

    -- Josh
  • TransistorToasterTransistorToaster Posts: 149
    edited 2008-09-02 21:11
    Mike,
    Should I conclude I fried Prop (from your #2)?

    I have a strange problem. My propeller seems to constantly reload itself from EEPROM.

    After power up, I can see activity on the EEPROM I2C lines with my scope. After that, it pauses and restarts continuously. It does not respond to F7 (Identify hardware) and says <<No Propller chip found>>. In my code, I was using pin31 for output, but that should not matter when I reset the prop with the USB2SER. I tried removing the oscillator module feeding the Prop, and the Prop does not try to load from EEPROM and I still can't get it to respond to F7.

    I have major desoldering to do without the right desoldering tools to attack either the EEPROM or the Prop. I just wanted your input if your up to it.
    Frank

    Somebody said...
    Some things we do know:

    1) The EEPROM doesn't have to work for the Propeller to respond to the Propeller Tool.

    2) The crystal doesn't have to work for the Propeller to respond to the Propeller Tool.

    3) That leaves the Propeller itself, its reset circuitry, its connections to the PropPlug, the PropPlug itself.

    4) You've checked the reset button, the power source, and the PropPlug and the PC work with another controller.

    5) The main electrical stress failure is the PLL which is not needed for identification and downloading of software so that's unlikely.

    6) There's some other failure, either in the Propeller chip or in it's connections to power or the PropPlug.
  • JoshuaLewisJoshuaLewis Posts: 24
    edited 2008-09-02 23:12
    I have concluded that my Prop is blown, i am getting a new replacement chip soon, and i will let you know what happens
    I am not sure about your problem, you will have to wait for the experts

    --Josh

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    Thanks

    ---Josh
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2008-09-03 00:56
    Josh, is this Tim's board the Prop is in? I think that has the DIP package Prop, right? Send me an email (using the icon under my name on he left side) with your address and I'll send you a replacement Propeller.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2008-09-03 01:03
    Frank that sounds like something is up with your power supply, if it's batteries powering it, replace them, if it's a wall wart, check it's voltage and max current.

    Also whats the amount of time you see activity on the i2c bus?

    btw you should have started your own thread, since Josh's issue is (temporarily) solved·I'll let it slide, but in the future you should start a new thread.

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    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.

    Post Edited (Paul Baker (Parallax)) : 9/3/2008 1:15:28 AM GMT
  • TransistorToasterTransistorToaster Posts: 149
    edited 2008-09-03 01:20
    Somebody said...
    btw you should have started your own thread,
    I found Mike Green's post real useful, and it was in the same theme of programming the Prop.


    Somebody said...
    Also whats the amount of time you see activity on the i2c bus?
    It was doing it perpetually. Actually, it is solved now. There was a transistor used to pull down the nRESET that was not soldered properly. It works now.
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2008-09-03 01:47
    Glad to hear your found your problem.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • JoshuaLewisJoshuaLewis Posts: 24
    edited 2008-09-03 02:08
    Hello Paul, it is the P8X32A-Q44 package, i have sent you an email

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    Thanks

    ---Josh
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