Simple IDE Setup

Shawna · 2017-08-29 15:06

Hey guys, its been awhile since I've been on.

Im trying to play with the simple IDE software and C. I followed the tutorial on setting it up, but I get an error when I try to load the welcome.elf file.

ERROR: Download failed: -1

I am using the hoverfly open board. It looks like it uses pins 30 and 31 for loading the program. So I set the board type to QuickStart.

The board is showing up as COM 6, I'm not sure if that is a problem. I read in another post that higher com port numbers can mess with the program.

I am running windows 7 and I rebooted my pc after everything was installed.

It also says that the build succeeded, so I am kind of stuck.

I haven't tried another usb cable yet, but I can load a spin program into it using the Propeller Tool v1.3.2 with the same cable.

Any thoughts!

Thanks
Shawn

Publison · 2017-08-29 15:27

Use the pulldown on the COM Port , upper right, to see if there is another in the list. I just loaded "Welcome" on a Hoverfly Open.

Publison · 2017-08-29 15:30

Both the Quickstart and Activity Board worked for me.

Using SimpleIDE Version 1.1.0

EDIT: BTW my COM shows up at COM17, so the higher numbers should not be a problem.

EDIT: Windows 7 Pro

Shawna · 2017-08-29 15:35

Well its showing up as com 1 now, but its the only thing showing up in the drop down. If I unplug the board from the usb port, no com devices show up. I was having this same problem on a pc with windows 10 and never got it resolved. That is why I switched to windows 7, but that doesn't look like that was the problem.

Publison · 2017-08-29 15:43

What I would try:

Unplug USB Cable
Reboot Computer
Restart SimpleIDE
Check COM Ports
Plug in USB cable
Recheck COM Ports

With SimpleIDE running with nothing plugged in, I normally get a COM 1 showing up, (may be some internal to the mother board).

Publison · 2017-08-29 15:44

You may have to load or reload the FTDI driver.

If you want to reload, you must uninstall the FTDI drivers first through the control panel.

Then install these:

https://www.parallax.com/downloads/parallax-ftdi-usb-drivers-windows

Shawna · 2017-08-29 16:08

I couldn't find the driver in the control panel, but I went into the device manager and uninstalled the com drivers. I installed the driver from the link above 2.12.16 with no luck. I have tried everything you suggested. I will try a new cable tonight, Im not sure what else to try.

Thanks for the help, I will report back after I try another cable tonight.

Publison · 2017-08-29 17:05

Yea, I ment the device manager. Sorry. I have been bitten by bad cables before.

Also make sure you reboot after installing the new drivers.

Shawna · 2017-08-29 23:53

Well, no luck with the different cables. I'm going to go down and try and find a quickstart board and see if that will work.

Shawna · 2017-08-30 00:48

So this is where I'm at, I found a Propeller Proto Board laying around. I powered up the Proto Board and hooked it up to the computer and was able to download the hello program to it.
I'm not sure what this means exactly. The one difference I can see between the two boards is that the Propeller Proto Board requires a Prop Plug, where the hoverfly open board has the chip already on board.
Does the hoverfly open board needs powered with something other than the usb cord? I have programmed the hoverfly using the propeller program with just the usb cable.

Thanks
Shawn

macca · 2017-08-30 06:33

Shawna wrote: »

The one difference I can see between the two boards is that the Propeller Proto Board requires a Prop Plug, where the hoverfly open board has the chip already on board.

Maybe the onboard chip doesn't support the high-speed download settings of SimpleIDE, the latest release sets the port speed to 960k instead of the usual 115k.

Unfortunately there isn't a simple way to change that, you need to edit the .cfg file associated with the board type you have selected, located somwhere in simpleide/parallax/propeller-load (sorry, I don't know exacly where that is on Windows).

Add or replace the following entries (some may already exist with different values, make sure to replace all):

baudrate: 115200
loader-baud-rate: 115200
fast-loader-baud-rate: 115200

Hope this helps.

VonSzarvas · 2017-08-30 06:41

Shawna wrote: »

Does the hoverfly open board needs powered with something other than the usb cord?

You could be onto something. That's entirely possible for a board of that age. Are you able to apply 5v to one of the esc headers?

Publison · 2017-08-30 11:30

No external power needed on Hoverfly Open. I loaded "Welcome" with just the USB cable
connected.

(See above).

Shawna · 2017-08-30 15:54

I'm going to look for that config file. It looks like simple IDE sees the board but just fails to load properly. If I pick the wrong board configuration or the wrong com port it says propeller not found, or maybe board not found.

I think 5v can be applied via the esc header, but it seems like this should be unnecessary since its not needed using the propeller tool.

Where there different versions of the hoverfly open board?

Shawna · 2017-08-30 15:55

Maybe there is an older version of simple IDE floating around somewhere I can try

Publison · 2017-08-30 16:07

Shawna wrote: »

I'm going to look for that config file. It looks like simple IDE sees the board but just fails to load properly. If I pick the wrong board configuration or the wrong com port it says propeller not found, or maybe board not found.

I think 5v can be applied via the esc header, but it seems like this should be unnecessary since its not needed using the propeller tool.

Where there different versions of the hoverfly open board?

You do not need the 5V

If you bought the Hoverfly Open from Parallax, they only sold one version. They did sell the Hoverfly Sport at one time. Early Elev8 I believe.

Can you load to RAM from SimpleIDE? Of course you can't run the terminal, but just to check communications.

Publison · 2017-08-30 16:11

There is the RC on this page which was earlier:

https://www.parallax.com/downloads/simpleide-propeller-c-software-windows

Shawna · 2017-08-30 18:40

Ok, so I found the .cfg file for the quickstart board. The only reference to baud rate was this....

baudrate: 115200

So I added these two lines and saved.

loader-baud-rate: 115200
fast-loader-baud-rate: 115200

It still did not work.

So then I uninstalled the new version of simple IDE and installed the RC version from Publison's link above.

Simple IDE will now load and verify the ram and say ok, but when the terminal screen comes up it is blank. I loaded the "Hello" program.

I'm out of ideas.

This is so frustrating, its rediculous. The only thing left to do, is too laugh!

Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it.

Publison · 2017-08-30 19:04

You have to use the "Run With Terminal" button in SimpleIDE. It has to load to EEPROM first, and then it opens the terminal automatically.

Shawna · 2017-08-30 19:23

Right, but once the terminal opens, its blank with a cursor flashing. It should print Hello.

xanadu · 2017-08-30 19:35

Is it possible the USB port isn't supplying enough power to power up the Hoverfly?

Dave Hein · 2017-08-30 19:48

Does the hello program print multiple times in a loop, or does it only print once? If it only prints once the print might be occurring before the terminal is up. If so, try adding a longer delay at the beginning of the program.

Shawna · 2017-08-30 20:06

I added a 5 second pause and the result is the same. I don't think its a power problem, because I can load spin programs with the propeller tool, but I will try and measure the voltage.

Publison · 2017-08-30 23:23

Dave Hein wrote: »

Does the hello program print multiple times in a loop, or does it only print once? If it only prints once the print might be occurring before the terminal is up. If so, try adding a longer delay at the beginning of the program.

The "hello" program only prints out once. It does not loop. (Welcome.side)

Dave Hein · 2017-08-30 23:50

There is a hello.side in the "Propeller GCC Demos" directory. It prints out "Hello World" every 100 msec. It might be interesting to try that one. I looked at the welcome program, and it doesn't have a delay before the print. This could be missed if the terminal isn't ready in time to catch the print. However, Shawna said that a 5 second delay was added, so that should have been more than enough time.

tritonium · 2017-08-31 11:25

Hi

Have you read this user guide it has a schematic on last page.

https://www.parallax.com/sites/default/files/downloads/80000-Hoverfly-OPEN-Users-Guide-v1.0.pdf

I see there is a tricolour led on ports p4,5,6 - could try flashing that rather than use the terminal- to prove it's getting programmed and running.

Dave

Shawna · 2017-08-31 13:32

I didn't have any time last night to mess around with it. It does have a tri-color led. I might be getting a little ahead of my self anyways. I do not know how to program in C. I should probably just use the propeller proto board to learn on. I don't even know how to make a port an output. Lol!

Actually I was looking at the hoverfly board this morning and it says "hoverfly hoverflyGIMBAL" maybe it is not the hoverfly open board. I need to do some more research.

I was looking through the Learn Tutorials and I thought I saw one for configuring the ports, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out how to turn the led on.

OK, I'm an idiot. It is not the same board. I just looked at Tritonium's link. I will see if I can find a schematic for the gimbal hoverfly board.

Thanks for your help Guys
Shawn

Publison · 2017-08-31 15:29

Here is the Schematic for the HoverFly Gimbal.

The Gimbal Board uses a 10Mhz Xtal. That may be why it's not working. Try the Hydra board setting in SimpleIDE. The Hydra used a 10 meg Xtal.

Shawna · 2017-08-31 15:31

Publison, how did you find that schematic so fast. I just found it and I saw the same thing.
I will Try it

Shawna · 2017-08-31 15:36

That was the problem. I feel bad for wasting you guys time.

I'm going to try and load the latest Simple IDE and see if it works also.

Thank You Very Much!

Shawn

Publison · 2017-08-31 16:02

Shawna wrote: »

Publison, how did you find that schematic so fast. I just found it and I saw the same thing.
I will Try it

I also bought that board. I had the schematic on my hard drive. It was also easy to get by doing a search on the forum site "Hoverfly Gimbal". It brought up the thread were they were being sold. I think it was post #2 or 3 that had the schematic and firmware to bring it back to factory specs.

Simple IDE Setup

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