Problem with BS1 carrier board? ....
Catspaw
Posts: 49
So, I haven't mess with BS-1's until recently. Bought a carrier board, built the serial adapter on the carrier. Couldn't get it to work. Checked some things out and this is what I found.
Not sure I've posted the pic right so we'll see.
It appears to me that the 9 volt battery terminals are mounted on the board backwards. I checked with a meter and had -8.98 on Pin 1, Vin. If the pic is there, you can see the trace angling up to pin 1 from the male terminal (female negative of the battery). According to the image in the store, the terminals are right (old, old image.) The male terminal on the battery (+) is going to Vss, and the female terminal (-) is going to Vin.
Am I missing something here or are the terminals installed backwards..... and the next question would be what might that have done to my brand new never-been-used-before $30 BS-1?
edit: I should add that this was a built board from Parallax, not the solder-it-yourself.
Not sure I've posted the pic right so we'll see.
It appears to me that the 9 volt battery terminals are mounted on the board backwards. I checked with a meter and had -8.98 on Pin 1, Vin. If the pic is there, you can see the trace angling up to pin 1 from the male terminal (female negative of the battery). According to the image in the store, the terminals are right (old, old image.) The male terminal on the battery (+) is going to Vss, and the female terminal (-) is going to Vin.
Am I missing something here or are the terminals installed backwards..... and the next question would be what might that have done to my brand new never-been-used-before $30 BS-1?
edit: I should add that this was a built board from Parallax, not the solder-it-yourself.
Comments
That would connect to the female connector on the 9V battery, which is the negative side. Unplug your BS1 and use your multimeter to make sure you get proper voltage with a 9V battery connected. With the black multimeter lead on Vss (ground), you should get 9V with the red lead on Vin.
In a related story, it looks like the end of life for the BS1 Carrier board: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/160298-Final-Sale-Items-BS1-Carrier-Board-Sound-PAL-and-Power-Input-Daughterboard
Yes, I know I'm using old stuff. But it fits the project and is the cheapest of the BS's. It's either that or go with all discrete components .... which is really going backwards ..... or get more expensive.
Hello!
As our answer to the Zorro legend erco asserts I am indeed having power problems with a carrier board. Catspaw, (black paws or other colored coat?) did you ever contact them and get a replacement of either?
Hello!
Well I've gone ahead and spoken with a good person at the techsupport offices for Parallax. The person wants an e-mail with the details, such as the numbers on the invoice, and a description of what's wrong. From that an RMA# will be generated.
Based on that I then send back the board from that step it will be appropriately examined and either repaired or replaced.
I'm including a scan of the invoice with the carrier board tagged accordingly.
Hello!
Then I hope you enjoyed it, Okay I finally got around to contacting the firm about the board. Via the phone of course first.Then via e-mail to that address, was eventually contacted by a bright individual named Zakia Ben Youss who took care of the problem rather expeditiously.
I explained what was wrong, and what I was interested in doing, an RMA # was not needed, but I did request that the board to be the replacement, actually be checked out before it left the place.
It works, well it was seen by the program which was the indication of something being wrong before hand.
So I am back in business with regards to the whole ideas of how to make things work with that guy.
Zorro, or rather erco, you did good on this whole messy problem.
Buck,
Zakia is one of our newer tech support agents and we're glad to hear she was able to get your issue taken care of in a timely manner. It is okay to ask for a replacement to be checked or tested before being sent out. Every once in a while we find that a problem isn't just a single unit, but potentially others. Checking replacement items helps us find these rare things. I have passed on your feedback to Zakia.