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Problem with BS1 carrier board? .... — Parallax Forums

Problem with BS1 carrier board? ....

CatspawCatspaw Posts: 49
edited 2015-05-11 11:18 in BASIC Stamp
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.

Comments

  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2015-03-03 15:56
    It looks like the terminals are installed backwards. I believe the regulator on the BS1 is an automotive style regulator which is designed to survive reverse-connected power connections and protect any downstream devices as well. Call Parallax Tech Support tomorrow and they'll send you a new carrier (and probably another BS1 as well).
  • CatspawCatspaw Posts: 49
    edited 2015-03-03 16:03
    When you stare at something for a long time, you can mentally start missing simple things. This is my first experience with these and I just wanted to make sure I wasn't thinking/doing something really stupid. I don't mind switching the terminals (it's actually very convenient to just throw a switch on it anyway as this is just a programming board not a project.) We'll see about the BS-1 first. What I'm doing should be very simple to verify operation. Thanks, I feel less stupid now.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,257
    edited 2015-03-04 12:54
    Actually your photo looks just like the one on the Parallax page (male battery connector on top) at http://www.parallax.com/product/27110

    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
  • CatspawCatspaw Posts: 49
    edited 2015-03-04 18:22
    Well, as I said in my post, I already checked and got - 8.98 V. That's what got me to check the actual mechanical terminals. I've checked the BS-1 .... doing a servo driver using pulsout ... and it's giving me two spikes at the beginning of every pulsout. That's with no servo attached. Power is clean, my BS2 doesn't do that using the same power sources. I have not checked other pins to see if they are doing the same thing (wondering if one particular pin is fried or something.) I guess I will do that before I call tech support before requesting a new BS-1.

    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.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,257
    edited 2015-03-29 08:04
    Parallax, can you weigh in here with an official comment? Buck Rogers is also having power problems with a BS1 carrier board.
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,187
    edited 2015-03-29 09:20
    erco wrote: »
    Parallax, can you weigh in here with an official comment? Buck Rogers is also having power problems with a BS1 carrier board.

    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?
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,187
    edited 2015-03-30 10:53
    erco wrote: »
    Parallax, can you weigh in here with an official comment? Buck Rogers is also having power problems with a BS1 carrier board
    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.
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2015-04-06 10:48
    Hello everyone! Sorry for the late reply but I was on vacation and just got back today. Still catching up. According to our assembly diagram of the board it does appear that the terminals may be backward. The positive battery terminal should be connected to the top post (in the context of the photo attached previously), however the positive terminal connects to the larger snap, which in the photo is at the bottom. The irony here is our product photo on the website looks the same. I will look into this immediately, however if you have one of the affected boards please contact us via email or phone support to get a replacement. It would help to have the customer number and invoice number.
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,187
    edited 2015-05-10 21:11
    Hello everyone! Sorry for the late reply but I was on vacation and just got back today. Still catching up. According to our assembly diagram of the board it does appear that the terminals may be backward. The positive battery terminal should be connected to the top post (in the context of the photo attached previously), however the positive terminal connects to the larger snap, which in the photo is at the bottom. The irony here is our product photo on the website looks the same. I will look into this immediately, however if you have one of the affected boards please contact us via email or phone support to get a replacement. It would help to have the customer number and invoice number.

    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.
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2015-05-11 11:18
    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.

    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.
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