Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Hardware Support for the 9XR Pro
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shahrizan31
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Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by shahrizan31 »

Hi,

I'm new here at openrcforums, but have been involved in RC world for several years. I own Turnigy 9XR Pro for half year before suddenly something weird happen to it. Now the only thing that I can do with the Tx is to switch it on and getting the display to flash/blink from fast to slow. I don't know what actually happen but I suspect that this Tx cannot load the bootloader or stuck, loop in maybe.... boot sector 0 :D

This problem happen when I attached FrSky Tx module while the Tx is ON and with a sudden switch off after I accidentally press bind button on the FrSky Tx module while attaching it to the Tx, so I switch the Tx OFF. Switching it on again producing this error (flash/blink).

I'm hoping that the creator of Turnigy 9XR Pro (Brent) can answer this question and suggest me what I can do. Now I'm planning to erase and install the bootloader the hardware-way; soldering wires to the chip and install do the process needed to erase and burn new bootloader. BUT I don't know how I can do that even after reading the datasheet of the chip (Atsam3sxxx).

Please Brent the "SkyNorth", Mutchy, jhsa, and MikeB also others that have solution to this problem..

These are the link to the video of what I have been doing to get the Tx functioning back..

1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--gAIArilH8
2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuFkGXO8m6k

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MikeB
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by MikeB »

Go here: viewtopic.php?f=122&t=5575#p79483 and read:
9XR Pro Using SAM-BA to restore bricked Tx 2014-02-12.pdf.

You don't need to solder any wires anywhere.

Mike.
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jhsa
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by jhsa »

That radio thinks it is a spark plug :mrgreen:

Does it do the same if you remove the module?

I do find strange that happening just because you inserted the module on the radio while pressing the bind button? :o

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Kilrah
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by Kilrah »

Inserting modules with power on is NOT a good idea, the pins can temporarily touch the ground plane before being correctly aligned and cause a short.

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shahrizan31
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by shahrizan31 »

Dear friends,

I have been trying the steps and procedures shown in the pdf files (9XR Pro using SAM-BA to restore bricked....). But computers i've used to do that were not detecting the Tx.. Of course I do the combination trim buttons while switching the Tx ON. This is because the Tx wont "boot" at all to the bootloader.. It just stuck at the blinking display.

I'm not inserting the module while pressing the bind button but actually accidentally pressed the bind button. When that happen I take out the module and the Tx still fine but when I switch off and turned it on again, the Tx wont boot and stuck at the blinking display..

Have read the chip datasheet and it said that if the voltage is lower (ground plane situation, correct me if i'm wrong) than 4V or something like that, it would erase the chip. If this happen I am happy with it because i can flash the bootloader back. But if it is short circuit, then it would be the end of the Tx (hoping that i can buy new mainboard of 9XR Pro)

Because I have tried the listed steps and procedures here (openrc) and give me no success, thats why I wanted to know if there any ways to do the soldering LOL

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MikeB
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by MikeB »

You need to erase the chip so it starts in the ROM bootloader. Read the part in the manual I linked to above about "erasing the chip".

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shahrizan31
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by shahrizan31 »

Yup, done that too.... but no success. I also have check whether the erase switch is not soldered correctly or cold-solder joint.. But its not. The main board and boards inside the Tx have no burnt mark.
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MikeB
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by MikeB »

If the following doesn't work:

Press and hold the erase button, then switch power on, wait a couple of seconds, then power off.
Plug in the USB cable, then switch the power on.
Get a USB device being recognised on the computer.
(Having used the erase button, you won't see "USB" on the display).

The you probably do have a hardware problem.

Mike.
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shahrizan31
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by shahrizan31 »

How can I temporarily power the main board with 5V power supply to test whether the board-that-have-the-fuse is the culprit or not? :lol:

Can I power the Tx without the fuse?
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by SkyNorth »

The fuse is OK , or the READY LED would not light.

My best guess is you damaged the 5V switching regulator ...This could be replaced by a 7805 linear regulator for testing , as this in Not a SMT part.

-Brent
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jhsa
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by jhsa »

How could inserting the module with the radio ON damage the 5V regulator? as far as I understand the module uses battery voltage, right?

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shahrizan31
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by shahrizan31 »

Is this the switching regulator? The vertical tiny board in the red circle..
Image

I saw that board have 3 pins.. do i need to desolder it to replace with 7805?
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MikeB
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by MikeB »

Yes, that is the 5V regulator.
You could measure some voltages first. On the main board near that regulator are 3 test points, labeeeld 0V, 5V and 3.3V.
Measure between 0V and 5V, you should have 5V there, then measure between 0V and 3.3V and you should have 3.3V there.

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SkyNorth
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by SkyNorth »

Yes , check the voltages first..
The 5V regulator is either bad or there is a short causing to much current draw , the regulator is shutting down , and then re-starting.
Hence the blinking display... If it is good then the 3.3V regulator needs checked..

Also DO NOT grab the 5V regulator pcb when it is running ..you can effect the output voltage...In a BAD way...
shahrizan31
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by shahrizan31 »

Let say I replace the switching regulator with a linear 5V regulator, does it affect the 3.3V power supply to any component that using 3.3V supply? For information, I did measure the 5V and 3.3V point/vias on the board near the switching regulator 0=0, 3.3=3.3, but 5 did not reach 5..

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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by SkyNorth »

The 5V regulator supplies power to the 3.3V regulator... if you are seeing 3.3V at the test point , then the 3.3V Regulator is OK.
So it appears that the 5V regulator is shutting down ... for some reason...
If you have a 7805 and are confident in swapping out the two parts , then it is a quick way to start to track things down.

I would recommend powering the radio from a 9V transistor radio battery for testing ... There is not enough power in one of those to
do any damage , if you short something out by mistake..

-Brent
shahrizan31
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by shahrizan31 »

Hi friends..

UPDATE: I have replaced the switching regulator to a new one. The result is the same. The flickering/blinking of the screen still there. Don't know what else I could try.. Any suggestion?

*Is there any effect if I removed the memory card? It should turn on correctly right? but without memory?
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by SkyNorth »

I think you have damaged the ARM chip , By Hot plugging the RF module ...The module uses a direct battery connection , so say 12V ... when you Hot inserted it, the 12V and PPM pin connected BEFORE the Ground pin.
It is possible that you injected 12V into the 3.3V PPM output pin on the ARM chip.
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jhsa
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by jhsa »

So, does that mean that in every single radio we are currently using we could fry the CPU immediately if the ground connection to the RF module fails?? :o

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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by shahrizan31 »

how about replacing the arm chip? is it possible? and does there any step-by-step or guide that I can follow? especially burning the bootloader and flashing the entire opentx firmware..
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by SkyNorth »

Yes the ARM chip can be changed ....do you have the skill/tools to do it?
It can be done with a Hot air removal tool , or using chipquick on the solder connections.

The user manuals explain how use the SAM-BA program to reload the software.
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MikeB
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by MikeB »

These ARM chips come with a bootloader, that uses SAM-BA, built in in ROM.

Mike.
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shahrizan31
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by shahrizan31 »

which of this atsam3 should i buy to replace the chip on the 9xr pro mainboard?
[img]
uploadfromtaptalk1442541122876.jpg
[/img]

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MikeB
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Re: Is it bricked? Never read about this before

Post by MikeB »

The processor on the 9XR-PRO is a ATSAM3S8CA-AU.

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