Call for help, please on Synthex kit.

[ilporcupine]

Bought Synthex v.2.8 Kit (complete kit)
I took my time and used DMM to verify components, and check all joints as I added each component and socket.
Went through all combinations to test for shorts, and plugged her into USB. CAME RIGHT UP WITH COPYRIGHT SCREEN, and Windows Vista recognized Megadrum USB MIDI !! Success! So I unplugged it, and worked a litttle on the Jacks, etc., then went to sleep.
Next day, plugged it up again, and NOTHING..OH, S##T...

1) It wold not boot up, but is still recognized by Windoze.(PIC OK? right?)

2) The midi LED stays lit all the time power is on(USB connected).

3) Display (I have white on blue ) shows faint flickering image of 2row blocks that look darker than background.
EDIT: (with pin 3 to ground, displays 2 rows white blocks)
So here I am, frustrated, hat in hand, looking for an expert!

So far I have:
1) Removed all IC's and checked all connections again, (all combinations of pins on the ATmega socket, etc.) I am
not finding any shorts or opens. (pins 11 & 31@GRD...10&30 are at 4.95Vwhen powered up)
2) Removed again the 4851's and tried to boot without, no luck.
3) Put it all back again & tried another hundred times...
4) Reset processor while trying to boot(flickering display goes all blue for half second, and back to same flicker)
5) Read Forum posts for about 6 hours today!
6;) Looked for shorts and cold joints for hours, if they are there, I can't find 'em.
7) Jumpered pins1&3 on LCD, (2 rows of solid white 5x7 blocks displayed)





So I am pretty much out of Ideas, and cannot figure what went wrong.



Thanks in advance
Brian

[gabriel1712]

3) Display (I have white on blue ) shows faint flickering image of 2row blocks that look darker than background.

Mine did this after I accidentially erazed the firmware.
Try reinstalling the firmware follwing this procedure: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=622

NB! You DON'T need to install the bootloader, so scroll down to this part "Once you have the bootloader programmed follow this procedure:"

[ilporcupine]

Gabriel, I thought when I saw your post..How in the world could I reinstall firmware when board won't even come up?!

Got me thinking about it, though, I never had buttons connected to it. I rigged a couple up to the board, and tried to boot up with Left pressed. WOW, I could see Fw Update if I turn the LCD sideways.(contrast is full up, and makes it really hard to read.)
However, when I hit down, and it says "send sysex now" the MIDI LED comes on, and stays on.
Midi=Ox will not send sysex to it, and hangs.
According to documentation, LED should flash, but it is on all the time, as it is if I boot MD without Left button.

Nice try, but I think I still have a hardware problem. On first connection, it came up with copyright and went to VU blocks...second time, no good. Makes me think something is fried..

B.

[gabriel1712]

However, when I hit down, and it says "send sysex now" the MIDI LED comes on, and stays on.
Midi=Ox will not send sysex to it, and hangs.
According to documentation, LED should flash, but it is on all the time, as it is if I boot MD without Left button.

So did mine. Think restarting MIDI-OX did the trick. Follow the procedure carefully. Start MD before MIDI-OX and and erase the old firmware etc.

[gabriel1712]

Guess what. Today, I was trying to install the new firmware and I was hopelessly stuck with erased firmware, constantly lite led and unable to transfer the new firmware.

Following the procedure step-by-step solved it. My fault was rebooting the MD after erasing the firmware. As the procedure says, load and send new firmware right after erasing the old firmware.

Any luck at your castle?

[ilporcupine]

No, no luck yet, but I'm going to keep at it, until I get working or kill the thing

It's hard to find any time during the work week to mess with this stuff. I have to drag it all out & then put it all away, as I am lacking work space at present.

Thanks for your help

B.

[gastric]

...and plugged her into USB. CAME RIGHT UP WITH COPYRIGHT SCREEN, and Windows Vista recognized Megadrum USB MIDI !! Success! So I unplugged it, and worked a litttle on the Jacks, etc., then went to sleep. Next day, plugged it up again, and NOTHING..OH, S##T...

Based purely on reading your comments here I would say whatever you did between Day 1 and Day 2 would be the cause of your issues. I wouldn't expect working on the input jacks alone to cause catastrophic issues as that should only entail soldering wire to the jacks, wire that's already connected nice-and-easy to the PCB via the board socket. Maybe the "etc." is what did it.

As far as a specific cause and the other behaviour you've mentioned, I cannot provide any specific guidance.

Note that for the firmware update directions make sure to follow it EXACTLY as specified. In my "Gastric" thread I spent a bit of frustrating time failing a firmware update only to realize I skipped Step 6 - Erase Firmware. Your firmware update will fail if you do not perform that step first. What will happen is you'll tell MIDI-OX to send firmware and your MD will just sit there doing nothign. No blinking LED, no errors or messages in MIDI-OX, nada. Erase firmware, note the confirmation on the MD LCD, then immediate send firmware via MIDI-OX, note the MIDI LED blinking, then it'll automatically reboot like magic. At least that was my problem.

[ilporcupine]

Hi gastric,
Thanks for tips. When I said I worked on the input jacks, etc, I was talking about installing jacks on my homemade Jacks PCBoards, and measuring cables, etc, to see how I was going to orient things in a case. Between successful boot on first try, and second failed attempt, the Synthex board was secure in an antistatic bag in it;s shipping box.
That's the frustration of it.

THAT SAID, the saga continues...!

After corresponding with Gabriel, I went back to give it another go.. After fighting with MidiOX for an hour or two, (nowhere can I find anything that says it isn't compatible with VISTA but it gave me fits) I finally successfully erased and reflashed the firmware. It booted right into MD program!! Yaaay!
Once again, I closed up midiOX, and ran my finger across the 32 input connector, AND SAW THE METERS MOVE! Yaaay!
So I disconnected from USB port, and replugged it to see if it came up.

DAMN! It comes up in the "Fw Updater" without the buttons even connected to the board.
OK, thinks I, I'll update yet again.....NOPE, cannot get windows to recognize it now, whereas that was the one thing it would always do without fail before.
So I spent today checking with DMM again every connection on the board, especially the few connectons on USB connector, power & groud lines, and data lines on the PIC, even removed & reseated PIC several times.... NO LUCK so far.

At least I know ATmega is running, but now I don"t know about the PIC...

Not the first time I've been down this road, always turned out to be something "simple".

Thanks for assistance, B.

[ilporcupine]

Gabriel1712,

Did you get yours running and stable?

You did help me.. see above post.
Hope you are having luck with your machine..

Regards, B.

[gastric]

Don't quote me on this but I thought the board HAD to have the buttons attached to function properly.