Core diagnostics w/out LCD?

Testing/Troubleshooting
1

I am 90% sure I burned the PIC18F452 correctly

I used the current 1.2b bootloader .hex using a jdm

I verified it and installed it on two different chips

The core module I used is from smashtv and am confident in the soldering work I’ve done

I’ve tried this with both chips in the core with the same results

I run MIOS Studio and after hitting Query I get

Operating System: MIOS8

Boar: MBHP_Core or similar

Core Family: PIC18F

Bootloader is up & running!

That’s why I’m 90% sure about burning the PIC right

then in MIOS Studio I browse for mios_v1_9g_pic18f452.hex,

hit the start button, and after ten minutes of so it’s done

after the loading I am not getting the reboot w/ copyright and ready msg described

I have an LCD connected and it only displays a single line of black squares

I know the pinout of the lcd and I’ve made 2 different cables for it

I have adjusted both the contrast and brightness with success

it is a Sharp lc95706 lm20x212

which is a 20 character 2 line lcd

it’s possible I got a bad LCD since I don’t know it’s origin

Can I identify whether or not my core is working using MIOS Terminal?

I have a DIN and DOUT module if that will help me do some diagnostics.

Thank you in advance

I love the project

2

Hello dnhstv!

hit the start button, and after ten minutes of so it’s done

Ten minutes - I think the period is too long…

3

The core module is definitely at least partially working. A ten minute upload really does seem very long. What MIDI interface are you using? (ie is it either on the white- or black-list on the wiki)

If your MIOS upload failed, you still only have the bootloader on the pic and you’ll still only get a line of black bars, since the display isn’t initialized.

My money is on a corrupted upload.

4

Yes, seems to be an upload problem, check the messages in the upload window, probably you are getting checksum errors or no response (timeout?)

The most simple way to check the DIN/DOUTs is via the MIDIO128 application as described here: http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=home:mbhp:module:din

But first you need to upload MIOS8 successfully before MIDIO128 can be uploaded.

MIDI troubleshooting guide: http://www.ucapps.de/howto_debug_midi.html

Best Regards, Thorsten.

5

First I’d like to apologize for missing the guide you linked me to TK

I felt horrible when I saw,"Please don’t ask for help in the forum

before you haven’t worked through this guide." in the first paragraph.

this morning I went through the midi interface troubleshooting guide

midi interface loopback worked

midi interface loopback with TX and RX pins on socket bridged worked

all midi input tests in the guide passed

LED flickers when attached to midi out

resistors double checked… diode double checked

optocoupler checked and replaced (I have many)

midi plug polarity is correct (surface mount jacks)

I performed all the core tests and get consistent results

4.9V at all points it’s supposed to be at

Now I’m 98% sure it’s not the PIC, Optocoupler, Diodes, Resistors, or Jacks

I have more than 5 of each and have tried them in different combinations

I have a core assembled on a board as well as a core on a breadboard giving me the same results

More detailed info on the MIOS upload attempts:

After selecting the mios_v1_9g_pic18f452.hex from the midi folder and clicking Start

Each Midi Out message repeats 16 times then progresses to the next message

This process takes about 14 minutes at which point I see

‘Upload of 13312 bytes completed after 832.74s (0.02 kb/s)’

So for some reason MIOS studio seems to think it completed the upload

Even though this transfer rate indicates something is wrong

TK suggested

“check the messages in the upload window, probably you are getting checksum errors or no response (timeout?)”

I am not sure which window is the upload window

but I see no errors anywhere

other than the out messages being repeated exactly 16 times each

is this normal or a sign of timeouts?

At this point I think we must blame the midi interface

It is a Tascam Fireone which is a crap interface at best

I am on OSX, but will probably attempt this on Windows 7 later today just in case.

I know for a fact that the drivers are significantly different between windows and osx.

I guess in the meantime I’ll start shopping for a good dedicated MIDI interface.

Thanks for your help guys

6

You can close this thread.

I installed XP SP3 and the upload worked in 11.75s (1.11 kb/s)

So I guess this is for your white/black list

Tascam FIREONE - OSX Lion - FAIL

Tascam FIREONE - Windows XP SP3 - SUCCESS

The FIREONE drivers are final and abandoned so this won’t change.

Of course it could also be a difference between

MIOS Studio XP and OSX versions also…

So it finally reads…

“Application is up & running!”

Now it’s time to have fun…