Just got my HYDRA, but...(problem inside)

weirdocollector

Hi everybody,

I've just bought my HYDRA from my local distributor (I'm from ITALY).

Yesterday I found some time to hook it to my TV set and fire it up with Parallaxaroids, and it worked great.

I then inserted the cartridge (leaving the HYDRA on) and pressed the RESET button to make the Breakout demo to start: the two blue leds on the cart lighted on as expected, but to my discomfort, nothing happened, and my TV just displayed the 'No Signal' tag.

I had no time to do further testing the board, and I suppose that programming the 128K EEPROM cart through the IDE with one of the demo on the CD, will solve the problem (I'll try again tonight): is this true, or·are my HYDRA or my cart flawed, and the hardware should be returned for substitution ?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Post Edited (weirdocollector) : 9/10/2007 1:12:38 PM GMT

mpark

Does Parallaxaroids come back when you take the cartridge out? Maybe you got a blank cartridge somehow?
Anyway, don't panic, wait and see if you can program it through the IDE.

weirdocollector

mpark said...
Does Parallaxaroids come back when you take the cartridge out? Maybe you got a blank cartridge somehow?
Anyway, don't panic, wait and see if you can program it through the IDE.

Yes, Parallaxaroids returns once I remove the cartridge and I turn off and on the HYDRA.
I also·suspect that the·cartridge I've got has not been programmed, but I wanted to be sure (even if I'll try myself ASAP) if the HYDRA behaves like I described when a blank cart is used.
Thanks for your help.

AndreL

Hmm, just someone forgot to program the cart with the game during assembly. Basically, the assembly guys are told to program each card with the breakout game right now. So, don't worry, just program the cart with whatever game you want [noparse]:)[/noparse] Its just so that there is "something" on the card when you plug it in, other than that, the breakout game is of course on the CD with the HYDRA.

Andre'

QuattroRS4

incidently - I got my Hydra this week & card was blank ... no biggie really ...

Regards,
John Twomey

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'Necessity is the mother of invention'

dandreae

This issue is being taken care of as we speak.· I apologize for the inconvenience.·



Regards,



Dave

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Dave Andreae

Parallax Tech Support·

LoopyByteloose

While it is possilble that the EEPROM wasn't properly programed, the cartridge port is specifically designed to plug in a cartridge with power on.

Of course, the cartridge itself can possibly not seat properly. In that case try again.

And in some cases, the electrical contacts pick up dirt from handling and storage. Try cleaning until they are bright copper with a pink soft pencil eraser. Make sure not to leave any eraser where it can prevent good electrical contact.

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"Everything in the world is purchased by labour; and our passions are the only causes of labor." -- David·Hume (1711-76)········

···················· Tropically,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan

Paul Baker

A new cartridge and Hydra should work right out of the box, in this case a batch of cards ended up not being programmed, and some of them were sent to customers and distributors before we were aware of the problem. These cards should work just fine by programming them with whichever game you desire, if in the rare case it cannot be programmed by you (ie it's defective) we will happily exchange a functioning card for the defective one.

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Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer

Parallax, Inc.