Quickstart Rev A not found on PC
blittled
Posts: 681
I have a Quickstart revision A board that just stop working. When I plug it into the computer the Propeller Tool shows the com port but when I use Identify it shows no Propeller found. I tried different cables with the same result. Using these same cables with another QuickStart works. Does this mean the Propeller Chip on the Quickstart has died? Thanks!
Comments
1. Check the VDD voltage rail and see if you're getting 3.3v.
2. Try propeller-load (from PropGCC) and BSTL to see if they can identify the chip.
I don't know why, but my first quickstart is now broken. I don't know any reason why it stopped working. As described here, the COM port is available if connected to the USB, but the Propeller is not found. The propeller still runs the last program written to EEPROM.
After searching here and adding the 10k resistor I found out, that the FTDI - even if it's still seen on PC side - starts immediately to get hot. So, current state is shown on the picture - FTDI cut out .... somehow it hurts to treat the QS like that.
Hopefully the propeller was protected by the driver.
Still, there is an FTDI tool that talks directly to the chip over USB.
I believe I've seen a case where that worked even though it wouldn't identify with the Prop Tool...
Also, I might reboot the computer and try again, or try a different computer before giving up...
BTW: It isn't terribly hard to replace the FTDI chip with an ordinary soldering iron, lead solder and some solder wick....
Just make big beads of solder on both sides that connect all the pins on each side. Get both beads hot and then
push the chip off it's pads. Clean up with wick and then put the new chip down. Get solder on all the pins and then
clean up with the wick. The wick will pull all the solder off from between the pins.
You may need a magnifying glass or something to be sure no pins are shorted out at the end...
So, there is some work there, but it can be done...
Replacement did not work out perfect so far. I see the Tx and Rx LEDs blinking, but after some short blinks there are 4 slower blinks and windows then tells me that there is a problem with the USB device. Guess I have to take the schemtic and check each connection. Luckily I ordered another QS a few days ago, so it's not urgent to fix my honorable first QS. And after Christmas I am going to order some more, just for being on the safe side.
The FTDI chip is supposed to only draw 100mA or so until it identifies. If there is some error with the chip or the board that causes it to draw a lot of power,
Windows will complain and shut down the power...
BTW: Cutting the pins with a sharp knife can also work, but I've also pulled pads off the board that way. So, for me, the big solder bead method is preferred because it's hard to damage the board that way....
Just this month, I was having troubles with com37. I did the device manager -> show hidden devices -> uninstall device for all the comports. I reconnected the device, it came up as com3, and its working again.
I never noticed my magic resistor boards getting hot, though.
I do have one quickstart that a user reported as dead, and it tested as dead. When I got it home, it worked, so I tossed it back in the queue. A few weeks later, no response. Today, It working. No clue why, but its only this one board. If I build caskaz's current monitor I will check if its a power issue.
Bad news: 2nd Quickstart died the same way - FTDI went hot and was gone - this time even worse, it's not recognized by windows and the power LED stays dark as well.
Good news: I managed to repair the first QS. De-soldering and putting a replacement FTDI there was fine even with a magnifying glass. I found out that the connection between USB-plug and FTDI ( D- ) did not have a connection even if soldering looked fine. So I added a wire and now the QS is up and running again.
For the reason I 'm going to start a new thread because it raises some questions.
REMEMBER: FTDI LEDs on the QS are blinking short and then blinking 4 times whereas windows finds a device but reports that it is broken means that D- (maybe that's also true for D+) has no connection while the opposite D-line is fine.