Bad Prop BOE Board?

NWCCTV · 2013-09-28 16:48

Should the following code run indefinitely until power is disconnected or reset is pressed?

OBJ
  pin  : "Input Output Pins"
  time : "Timing"
PUB Blink
  repeat
    pin.Low(15)
    pin.Low(14)
    pin.Low(13)
    time.Pause(200)
    pin.High(15)
    pin.High(14)
    pin.High(13)
    time.pause(200)

This is not the case with my Prop BOE board. After blinking about 15 or so times it stops, then after a couple seconds the LED will be purple. I also seem to be having issues with my Servos stopping after they run for about 45 seconds. I am using an 12V wall wart.

ElectricAye · 2013-09-28 18:19

Are you running any other objects besides the ones listed? I'm wondering if other objects might be stomping over memory or something.
Do you have the servos hooked up when you experience problems with the LEDs freaking out? I'm wondering if power spikes from the servos could be causing problems.

What happens if you try to make the LEDs blink without using those objects you listed but instead just use "raw" SPIN code?

NWCCTV · 2013-09-28 18:38

Nothing else connected. I posted about this issue in another thread so moderators feel free to merge if possible. This is bizarre. I can not even keep an LED lit when going high. It stays on for about ten seconds and then shuts off. I have tried different LED's and resistors and everything is the same.

I also tried the SimpleIDE blink.c program on the Prop BOE internal LED on pin 9. Same thing. It will not blink indefinitely.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2013-09-28 19:37

Try a different power supply. What happens when you just use USB power?

-Phil

NWCCTV · 2013-09-28 20:35

Different power supply, same results. USB power, same results.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2013-09-28 21:59

What happens if you load the program in EEPROM, let it fail, then press the reset button -- but not disconnect power? Does the program start running again? What happens when you do this with the USB cable disconnected?

-Phil

NWCCTV · 2013-09-28 22:30

Phil, can you merge these two threads? http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/150513-Multi-Color-LED-Question?p=1209952#post1209952

Loaded to EEPROM, USB cable connected, power supply disconnected, works fine. Power supply disconnected, USB cable connected, works fine. It is only when I am sending to RAM that it does this and it is on both my Prop BOE boards and Demo board.

Duane Degn · 2013-09-28 22:41

NWCCTV wrote: »

Phil, can you merge these two threads? http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/150513-Multi-Color-LED-Question?p=1209952#post1209952

I don't think the threads should be merged. There's a lot of good LED info in the other thread. Just continue with this thread for the PropBOE diagnostics.

NWCCTV · 2013-09-28 23:00

OK. So, any other ideas as to why this does not work in RAM?

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2013-09-28 23:54

NWCCTV wrote:

Phil, can you merge these two threads?

I looked at both, but agree with Duane. The thread subjects are different, despite the cross-posting, so they should remain separate.

OK. So, any other ideas as to why this does not work in RAM?

Um, no. Maybe in the morning. In the meantime, create an archive of a simple program that fails in RAM, and post the zip here. It sounds like one of us could also get it to fail.

BTW, which IDE are you using? Prop Tool or BST?

-Phil

xanadu · 2013-09-29 07:47

In my extraordinarily limited experience hehe.. if it only happens in RAM it sounds like a brown out.

What about adding a statement just above the repeat loop to the serial terminal or a piezo beep to indicate a restart?

If it is browning out, then maybe try just a loop with no LEDs, a serial terminal output that counts up once a second or something. Leave it running for awhile. If that loop runs fine try slowly adding your stuff back until it fails.

NWCCTV · 2013-09-29 09:48

LED_Test - Archive [Date 2013.09.29 Time 09.58].zip
I am using Prop Tool. Here is a simple program that works in EEPROM and fails in RAM. Not sure how it would be a brown out using a 12V wall wart. I have tried 3 different ones.

Ken Gracey · 2013-09-29 09:53

NWCCTV - if this turns out to be a problem with your PropBOE we shall gladly replace. I won't be able to monitor this thread closely so contact me offline when some conclusions have been made.

Ron Czapala · 2013-09-29 10:03

NWCCTV wrote: »

LED_Test - Archive [Date 2013.09.29 Time 09.58].zip
I am using Prop Tool. Here is a simple program that works in EEPROM and fails in RAM. Not sure how it would be a brown out using a 12V wall wart. I have tried 3 different ones.

Works fine for me in EEPROM or RAM using USB power or external

ratronic · 2013-09-29 10:04

Andy the code you posted works as far as toggling P0. Can you post a picture of you circuit?

NWCCTV · 2013-09-29 10:40

I have wire from P0 to H on Prop BOE. Thing is it does it on both my Prop BOEs.

if this turns out to be a problem with your PropBOE we shall gladly replace

I do not think it is. I tried a similar set up on my Prop Demo also with the same results. I am going to try from my laptop.

ratronic · 2013-09-29 10:42

What is H?

Edit: I think you should show us a picture of your setup if you can.

NWCCTV · 2013-09-29 10:51

Problem solved. (Somewhat). I tried on my laptop and it works fine. I think I may have bad USB ports on my main system or some other issue with it. Thanks for all the help.

ratronic · 2013-09-29 10:53

Good news!!! No replacement board Ken.

Edit:Not good news for your computer though - sorry.

NWCCTV · 2013-09-29 11:19

What is H?

The pins with the onboard LED's on the Prop BOE.

Not good news for your computer though - sorry

I use a front panel USB Port. I am going to try running directly to the motherboard USB to see what happens.

NWCCTV · 2013-09-29 11:41

Well, Running directly from Motherboard USB did not work either. This one really has me scratching my head!!! I am running Windows 7 Pro 64 Bit on the system that has issues. My laptop is running Windows 7 Home 32 bit. I had to reinstall my OS on both systems and reinstalled the Prop Tool. My main system did not have this issue before I did that. I am wondering if one of the Windoze updates may have killed it.

ratronic · 2013-09-29 11:48

I have Win7 and mine still work. I've had to fix many issue's before but I have never had a power problem with USB. I think they can shut them selfs down if to much power is being drawn.

But if or how you restore it I don't know.

NWCCTV · 2013-09-29 12:10

Well, I tried uninstalling and reinstalling all related items in the registry and uninstalled/reinstalled the prop tool. Same issue. Funny thing is it also does the same thing with SimpleIDE. I am leaning towards it being just another Windoze update issues.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2013-09-29 13:08

When it works from EEPROM, are you sure you're not getting periodic resets? IOW, does the flashing get interrupted and then resume from time to time?

-Phil

NWCCTV · 2013-09-29 13:35

No, When running from EEPROM there is no delay at all. I have narrowed it down to something on my main system. A few days ago I was having issues with my Servos also and thought I had a bad one. Something is amiss with my system so I will just be using my laptop since it works fine with that.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2013-09-29 14:01

Just out of curiosity, what happens when you power your main system temporarily through a cheater plug? I wonder if there's some sort of earth-ground/logic-ground issue happening.

-Phil

NWCCTV · 2013-09-29 15:17

What do you mean Cheater Plug? I currently have it plugged in to a higher end Surge Protector that shows if there is a ground fault or not.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2013-09-29 15:20

-Phil

Yanomani · 2013-09-29 17:41

NWCCTV wrote: »

No, When running from EEPROM there is no delay at all. I have narrowed it down to something on my main system. A few days ago I was having issues with my Servos also and thought I had a bad one. Something is amiss with my system so I will just be using my laptop since it works fine with that.

NWCCTV

Does you have some means (e.g. an ancient analog multimeter, with a large and faithful fast moving galvanometer needle display) to check for sudden power outages, commanded by a misfound or misconfigured USB power management chipset driver, that refuses to sustain power to your device?

Perhaps the last post of the following Techrepublic's forum thread, can help you solving your system's issues.

http://www.techrepublic.com/forums/questions/y-do-my-usb-ports-keep-failing/

As a personal contribution of my own experience, some kind of d

NWCCTV · 2013-09-29 17:52

@Phil, That did not work. @Yanomani, The problem has been narrowed down to the computer, not the board. I have 3 seperate boards that are doing the same thing. Everything works fine on my laptop, just not my main shop system.

Yanomani · 2013-09-29 18:13

NWCCTV wrote: »

@Phil, That did not work. @Yanomani, The problem has been narrowed down to the computer, not the board. I have 3 seperate boards that are doing the same thing. Everything works fine on my laptop, just not my main shop system.

NWCCTV

This is exactly the subject of the above cited Techrepublic's forum thread.
I hope it does help you figure out how to fix your main shop system.

Yanomani

P.S. The SMT resistor hint is a last try to be done on your main shop system's motherboard. Perhaps you could find a 0 Ohm blinker too!

Bad Prop BOE Board?

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