Confused about flashing... Help!

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Blackkrystal
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Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by Blackkrystal »

Last year I bought a 9x preprogrammed off of eBay. Last week I bought my son the Identical 9x. The only difference is his was stock, mine had a back light installed. His flashed to open9x with out any kind of problem. My 9x with the er9x firmware in it fails every time I try. At first I thought it was a driver. Then I though it was the avr programmer. Then I thought it had something to do with eepe, that failed too. Then I plugged his radio back in and it again took the new firmware real nice.

Any ideas

Thanks

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Flaps 30
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by Flaps 30 »

I take it that the USBASP programmer is the same one used with both transmitters?

If the above is the case, then it is time to open up the TX and check the wiring related to the USBASP. What does AVRDUDE report when it fails? Can you paste what it says here so that we can see it.
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ShowMaster
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by ShowMaster »

A closeup picture of the programmer and your board with trouble would help a lot. Actually both 9x board pics.
Once wiring errors are ruled out,
there is a reset cap on the 9x board that can mess with some programmers. The fix would be to remove the cap without consequences, not needed.
The other could be the programmer having high value series resistors in the programming lines. It could work with one 9x board and not another.
The fix there is to lower the resistor values or just short them out. Again, not a serious issue, easy fix.
First thing is some pictures so Flaps 30
and others can better advise you on I'm sure will be a simple fix.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk.
Blackkrystal
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by Blackkrystal »

Thank you for responding to my cry...

yes I'm using the same programmer for both radios. I have rechecked my wiring and double checked, and checked some more..lol

here is the fault message I get from my radio:

=================================================================================
Started AVRDUDE
C:/Program Files (x86)/companion9x/avrdude.exe -c usbasp -p m64 -P usb -U flash:w:C:/Users/Kevin/opentx-stock-templates-voice-autosource-autoswitch-dblkeys-nobold-thrtrace-nowshh-novario-nogps-ttsen-en.hex:i
=================================================================================
avrdude.exe: Warning: cannot query manufacturer for device: usb_control_msg: sending control message failed, win error: A device attached to the system is not functioning.


avrdude.exe: error: could not find USB device "USBasp" with vid=0x16c0 pid=0x5dc

=================================================================================
AVRDUDE done - exit code 1
=================================================================================
my program card
my program card
this is a picture of my program card. I read on the forum about the high value resistors and mine has 101 printed on them, (100 Ohm).
My Radio
My Radio
this is my radio,
My sons radio
My sons radio
this is my sons.

I noticed some of his components are different colored..

any ideas?

I appreciate all your help and input.

Thanks
Kevin
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rperkins
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by rperkins »

Blackkrystal wrote: avrdude.exe: Warning: cannot query manufacturer for device: usb_control_msg: sending control message failed, win error: A device attached to the system is not functioning.

avrdude.exe: error: could not find USB device "USBasp" with vid=0x16c0 pid=0x5dc
normally errors similar to this are a result of the usbasp drivers not installed properly in windows. In your case you are saying you can use the same usbasp, on the same computer, with a different TX, and it works.

ok then. lets try this

What error do you get if you have the usbasp hooked up to the computer , but not to any TX, and attempt to flash a TX. ? OF Course it will fail because you dont even have a TX hooked up. What is the error ?

then:

Do nothing else but hook up the TX you are having trouble with and run the same command. What error do you get then ?

My guess based on the information you have given is the Tx you are having trouble with is wired in a way that causes the usbasp to not be seen by the computer. I didnt try to look at your wiring picture to determine any errors.

Blackkrystal
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by Blackkrystal »

thanks rperkins

I tried that. the fail message was different.. here they are, the radio first then just the programmer..

=================================================================================
Started AVRDUDE
C:/Program Files (x86)/companion9x/avrdude.exe -c usbasp -p m64 -P usb -U flash:w:C:/Users/Kevin/opentx-stock-templates-voice-autosource-autoswitch-dblkeys-nobold-thrtrace-nowshh-novario-nogps-ttsen-en.hex:i
=================================================================================
avrdude.exe: Warning: cannot query manufacturer for device: usb_control_msg: sending control message failed, win error: A device attached to the system is not functioning.


avrdude.exe: error: could not find USB device "USBasp" with vid=0x16c0 pid=0x5dc

=================================================================================
AVRDUDE done - exit code 1
=================================================================================



=================================================================================
Started AVRDUDE
C:/Program Files (x86)/companion9x/avrdude.exe -c usbasp -p m64 -P usb -U flash:w:C:/Users/Kevin/opentx-stock-templates-voice-autosource-autoswitch-dblkeys-nobold-thrtrace-nowshh-novario-nogps-ttsen-en.hex:i
=================================================================================

avrdude.exe: error: programm enable: target doesn't answer. 1
avrdude.exe: initialization failed, rc=-1
Double check connections and try again, or use -F to override
this check.


avrdude.exe done. Thank you.


=================================================================================
AVRDUDE done - exit code 1

Thanks for your idea, I'm open to try whatever you want to try, I have checked the wiring at least 5 times, even compared it to the other radio. no wiring errors. The other radio will upload eeprom, download , and burn firmware, my radio nothing.. it has er9x loaded on it, must of been with a solder less program card, when I installed the header, there wasn't any sign of the board ever being solder to before, either that or the guy was really, really good.

Thanks
Kevin
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Kilrah
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by Kilrah »

Maybe try to remove the 5V wire between the usbasp and radio, and power the radio up for flashing.
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rperkins
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by rperkins »

Blackkrystal wrote: I tried that. the fail message was different.. here they are, the radio first then just the programmer..
great. If I am reading your message correctly you did what I asked but in the opposite order. NO big deal, just want to be sure.
Blackkrystal wrote: avrdude.exe: Warning: cannot query manufacturer for device: usb_control_msg: sending control message failed, win error: A device attached to the system is not functioning.
avrdude.exe: error: could not find USB device "USBasp" with vid=0x16c0 pid=0x5dc
AVRDUDE done - exit code
So this 'first one is with the radio plugged in ' this is showing our problem. same as it ever was.
Then all you did was unplug your TX and ran the same command, and got the error below. Right ?


Blackkrystal wrote: avrdude.exe: error: programm enable: target doesn't answer. 1
avrdude.exe: initialization failed, rc=-1
This is the normal error when no TX is hooked up. But is means that the computer sees the USBASP device and that the drivers are more than likely installed properly. No problem is showing here and in fact this is better than you are after the radio is hooked up into the circuit.


Blackkrystal wrote: Tit has er9x loaded on it, must of been with a solder less program card, when I installed the header, there wasn't any sign of the board ever being solder to before, either that or the guy was really, really good.
That is very well possible as there is a product called the Smartie parts card that is a solderless solution.
The seller probably kept that to reprogram his other radios.


--where we are now --
So this tells me that the problem radio did not come to you wired and that you wired it and the wiring has never worked. Please correct me if that statement is incorrect. That , along with the error messages above, points to a wiring issue.


so let me ask you this ?

When you first plug in the usbasp to the computer, your computer goes through a process detecting the device. Sometimes they make a noise. sometimes they just show that a device is available. then later when you unplug it , the computer reverses the process, sometimes making a similar, but slightly different sound. Get familiar with the process your computer makes when inserting and uninserting the usbasp device. Do this without any TX hooked up to the usbasp device.

Also the usbasp device has 2 led's on it. usually one of the led's is lit to indicate power. the other one only lights up during data transmission. the color of the led's is not consistent during manufacturing runs of the product so one cant say for sure that 'the yellow led is for power and the red led is for data transmission', but you get the idea. Determine which LED's lights up and when on your USBASP. Do it without any tx hooked up. Then run a couple trial processes with the working radio hooked up to determing which led is the data led. Make a note of which Led's light up when.

Then:
1. plug in the usbasp device noting the process.
2. hook up the problem radio to the usbasp device, while the usbasp device is still hooked up to the computer.

Observe
1. After hooking up the problem TX Does the computer go through the process it normally does when the usbasp device is uninserted, even though it is still connected ?
2. Does the power light on the usbasp device go out when the problem TX was hooked up.

If yes to either observation...then.
Double check the power and ground connections of your wiring. If they use the same color wire check to see that they are going into the same location on the plug. Your picture does not show the plug. The ground and power maybe reversed.

good luck
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rperkins
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by rperkins »

Kilrah wrote:Maybe try to remove the 5V wire between the usbasp and radio, and power the radio up for flashing.
I think this is along the same line as I just wrote, so we are thinking in the same direction :)
It is in the wiring
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rperkins
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by rperkins »

Kevin,
After seeing the pic of your programmer I have came to the conclusion that you are about 2.5 hours drive from me in Brunswick, OH :)
As a last resort you can always bring your equipment up and we can sort it out. I think we'll be able to work through this, but wanted to let you know that if necessary, it is an option.
Thanks
Blackkrystal
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by Blackkrystal »

Alright, you big beautiful bunch of hackers.

I got it to work, but I still have problems. I checked the wiring again, looked good. Just to make sure I took my trusty ohm meter and rang out each pin of the 10 pins to make sure it was wired correctly, it was. The weird part is that my boys radio started to fail also. I never really had a warm fuzzy feeling about the drivers for the AVR programmer. So I searched all morning for better drivers. Finally found something. However it doesn't always work. Both radios acting the same now. If I change USB ports it will work for a while again. Just wonder if I don't have a bad programmer, or my laptop is fried. My laptop works fine on every other USB device.

So I have one of those 9 dollar programmers from eBay. Where are the correct drivers for this programmer (Win 7 64 bit)?

Its funny how all these smart people came up with this wonderful firmware with all its bells and whistles, but you got to jump through flaming hoops to find drivers for the programers.

Sorry my noob rant is over...lol

any way, any ideas?

thanks

Kevin
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rperkins
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by rperkins »

http://www.9xrprogrammer.com/index.php/learn/23-drivers

Lots of people have had luck following the process in the link on the above web page titled
"USBASP driver for Windows 7 and Windows Vista x64"
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rperkins
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by rperkins »

The more I thought about the information you last posted I would try what Kilrah suggested.
Kilrah wrote: Maybe try to remove the 5V wire between the usbasp and radio, and power the radio up for flashing.
Maybe your laptop doesnt supply enough power to power the usbasp and the radio. If you go this route then the radio will need to be turned on while flashing.

I really dont think you have a drivers issue but anything is possible with windows
Blackkrystal
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by Blackkrystal »

I think that's it. I bent the VCC pin on the programer then plugged the ribbon cable back in, just to try it. Now it's working like a champ! Thanks guys & gals.

You rock for support!

Thanks
Kevin
idar66
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by idar66 »

hi guys well after 18 hrs straight ive finally solved the usb message saying cant find usb thingee even though windows see it in device manager, i am running windows 7 ulitimatem. the problem was sort of zadags fault and part mine, too fix problem run latest zadag have usab plugged into computer with radio on off, run zadag and go all devices scroll down choose usab zadag will most likrly show you what driver you have installed and next too it it will reccomend latest driver mine was 6.1 bla bla, cliicj on little arrows at back of the 6.1 driver, you should see three other driver options i choose the lib 32 one and pushed install driver, problem solved! i hope this helps people with same problem as i could not find solution on line, people were saying it was my usab that was faulty, but i know it worked before i got my taranis it wasnt till io went to upload some templets that i came across this problem, im no expert but id say lastest driver isnt likeing some usab thank idar
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ShowMaster
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Re: Confused about flashing... Help!

Post by ShowMaster »

The simplest way to solve the driver install is to search for stm32 driver and force windows to install it. No Zadig, no problems. I gave up on the Zadig install method a year ago after reading about the direct install option. I found the stm32 driver posted on the opentx wiki at that time and saved it. It was under some heading like " if all else fails" try this.
I haven't checked OTX university to see of this option has been covered but it's a keeper.
Works with XP and w7 USB 2. I can't comment on w8 or usb3.
Basically 2 or 3 mouse clicks and the driver is installed and working.
I'm glad you were able to get the driver installed. It's probably the hardest part of setting up your new Taranis for OTX and firmware updates. The new flash from the SD card is a super improvement, but having the stm32 driver installed and working is still required if you mess up so it it can't be totally ignored. Planning ahead can't hurt.
SM

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