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URGENT!!!!!!!!!!! stamp problems — Parallax Forums

URGENT!!!!!!!!!!! stamp problems

bdcoakbdcoak Posts: 5
edited 2005-04-11 13:41 in BASIC Stamp
My basic stamp has been working fine for months.· Today, the day before a robotics competition, the stamp will not download my program and seems to be getting warm.· I have fresh batteries, but still no download.· It's not the board because I tried a lesser stamp and it downloads fine.· I need the first stamp because its memory capabilities. Any help would be appreicated.

Comments

  • steve_bsteve_b Posts: 1,563
    edited 2005-04-07 13:36
    Do you have a home-built board? OR are you using a BOE?

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    ·

    Steve
    http://ca.geocities.com/steve.brady@rogers.com/index.html
    "Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
  • bdcoakbdcoak Posts: 5
    edited 2005-04-07 13:43
    using next step carrier, not home board.
    ·
  • steve_bsteve_b Posts: 1,563
    edited 2005-04-07 13:57
    I'm not familiar with that board....does it have an onboard regulator?
    You mentioned fresh batteries.. 9volts? Anychance you touched them backwards by accident?

    Do you have another board to test the stamp in? OR can you remove your external cctry from the board to test the stamp?!
    Check the schematic for your board/stamp and measure some voltages and let us know what you have.

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    ·

    Steve
    http://ca.geocities.com/steve.brady@rogers.com/index.html
    "Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
  • bdcoakbdcoak Posts: 5
    edited 2005-04-07 14:00
    yes, it has onboard reg, and no didn't reverse 9 volt. I do have a 5 volt ttl signal used to start the robot going into one of the inputs. I don't know if that could have fried it or not.
  • steve_bsteve_b Posts: 1,563
    edited 2005-04-07 14:20
    The stamps are somewhat robust when it comes to static (to a point)....the Javelin seems to be the sensitive little brother!
    HAve you gone along the stamp pins and measured voltages?

    That 'start' line probably would only kill that particular pin. But maybe it's bringing a bunch of noise down the line....I'd assume not!

    IS this a serial stamp? Is your cable any different?
    Does the Loopback/echo status lines come up ok? Do an Identify Stamp out of the PBasic menu....

    I'm off to run errands...I'm sure someone more knowledgable will jump in for me! [noparse];)[/noparse]

    good luck

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    ·

    Steve
    http://ca.geocities.com/steve.brady@rogers.com/index.html
    "Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
  • bdcoakbdcoak Posts: 5
    edited 2005-04-07 14:36
    bs2p stamp.
    serial. normal serial cable transfer.
    Lacking some voltages at several pins.
    getting hot fast.
  • Jon WilliamsJon Williams Posts: 6,491
    edited 2005-04-07 14:46
    Probably damaged. It happens to all of us at one point or another. The best thing to do is double-check all your circuitry for any *possibility* of a problem; that's a big job for engineers of commercial products: designing for *possibilities* and doing what can be done to prevent the harmful ones from doing harm.

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    Jon Williams
    Applications Engineer, Parallax
    Dallas, TX· USA
  • dandreaedandreae Posts: 1,375
    edited 2005-04-07 15:36
    Hello,

    You can contact our sales department at 1-888-997-8267 and ask for an RMA # and this will allow us to test it.· It has the indications of being in thermal runaway.

    Dave



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    Dave Andreae

    Tech Support
    dandreae@parallax.com
    www.parallax.com

    ·
  • UPA_Knight1UPA_Knight1 Posts: 2
    edited 2005-04-08 22:15
    Hey I am at the IEEE robotics competition in Ft. Lauderdale. FL.

    We flew in on thursday evening with airtran. Today when we were going to test run our robot for qualifications, the motors were not moving. The motors are connected to the PWMPAL. We tried reloading the code 3 times and the 4th time the code will not load any more.

    The chip is very hot to the touch. Hot enough to burn you if you touch it for too long. This is a strange irony that two people are at a robotics competition are both having the same problem.

    We have tried using 5 or 6 different types of batteries. We use a 7805 regulator to control the voltage going into the stamp. We measured the current into the stamp and it read over 100 ma ... really about 150 to 200 ma with no external circuitry connected.

    THe robot was transported as carry on. We do not thinkthe xray machines had anything to do with it.

    So thats our problem. THought it was funny to find some1 with the same exact problem.
  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,568
    edited 2005-04-08 22:28
    I'm surprised, that you were able to take something like that as a carry on, and someone did not yell SNAKE!! if you know what I mean in this day and age.

    It's interesting that one of the stamps of lesser capacity survived.

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  • UPA_Knight1UPA_Knight1 Posts: 2
    edited 2005-04-08 22:54
    DO you think an xray machine could possibly do anything to the stamp?
  • dandreaedandreae Posts: 1,375
    edited 2005-04-08 23:27
    The X-ray machine shouldn't have damaged it, I've traveled··quite a few times without any problems.· I have a box of stamps that I carry with me when I travel to different events and I've never had any problems.· As long as you follow ESD safety with the stamps, its hard to damage them just carry them around.

    Dave

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    Dave Andreae

    Tech Support
    dandreae@parallax.com
    www.parallax.com

    ·
  • death by stampdeath by stamp Posts: 9
    edited 2005-04-10 05:55
    such an unfortunate thing when a stamp dies...

    your stamp has probably been serving you well and has died from pulling alot of current and normal wear and tear

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    -~Kill~-
  • Jon WilliamsJon Williams Posts: 6,491
    edited 2005-04-10 11:20
    Under normal wear and tear the BASIC Stamp -- like most ICs -- will last virtually forever. I'm still using the same BS1 that I bought 11 years ago.

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    Jon Williams
    Applications Engineer, Parallax
    Dallas, TX· USA
  • allanlane5allanlane5 Posts: 3,815
    edited 2005-04-11 13:41
    It is a long shot, but it is possible that the new high-power x-ray machines being used on luggage could have an effect on an unterminated BS2, especially if it is not in a metal container.

    I would think plugging the BS2 into conducting foam would help. It would give a place for any static charges built up by x-ray exposure some place to go before they could damage the BS2.

    Or I could be completely off-base with this one. It just seemed strange that two BS2's at the same competition would die in lock-up on the same day. As Jon has said, usually the BS2 architecture is extreemely reliable and robust.
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