FlySky FS-TH9X-B with er9x firmware LOCKDOWN!!!!

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Mon May 11, 2015 3:03 am

Hi openRC friends out there, I have a issue with my radio after I installed the er9x fw

VERS: V1.127-Mike
DATE:08-04-15
TIME:13:15:26
SVN:er9x-r817
MOD:---------

I have got to put only 2 models so mem is good

1-QuadCopter
2-Reptile KK

for some reason the next day when I turn it on give me this sign.

LOADING
QuadCopter

I left it on for an hour or more but nothing happened
I have tried resetting the chip with rst to ground no luck
it does not matter if module in place or switches are on or off, the screen still the same.

I have tried loading the fw but since is busy trying to load it cant not communicate, avrdude can't communicate
then I press the two horizontal trim inward and turn the transmitter on it give me this sign

Stopped

anyways the chip still busy and can't not load anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAOXacRdc8Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxg7vfEAjac

Post by **jhsa** » Mon May 11, 2015 6:09 am

Hi, be very welcome to the forum. I can see that you managed to register

As I said on your YouTube video comments, I think you have a problem with your "Menu" push button or circuitry.
The menu button connects to the same CPU pin as the programmer's SCK.
Please do the following. Disconnect your programmer from the radio. With your multimeter set to read resistance measure between the SCK pad and ground with the menu button pressed and then not pressed. Post the results here.

João

Post by **MikeB** » Mon May 11, 2015 9:04 am

Specifically what is happening is you are getting a "Quick Select". This happens when you switch on while holding one of the six buttons pressed, one of the first 6 model is loaded. In your case MENU is detected as being pressed. Since the signal from the MENU button is also used during programming, if it being held active (connected to ground) then you can't program either.

Mike.

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Thu May 14, 2015 3:12 am

well that's it all or nothing friends
what else an I do, maybe replace the chip or the board.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-I0jqfki2c

Post by **jhsa** » Thu May 14, 2015 8:06 am

It probably starts going higher because you cut the trace

The reason I asked to measure was to find out if the pin was grounded, or if the switch was bad. But as you removed the switches and cut the trace we are exactly at the same stage we were before

I did say measure WITH THE BUTTON PRESSED AND NOT PRESSED.
Please measure the resistance from pin 11 on the chip to ground.

Also if we could use the so called real MISO AND MOSI lines for programming we would have been doing it by now

Please try doing what we suggest as we can then help you better

João

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Thu May 14, 2015 10:48 pm

thanks for all your effort jhsa, but as you can see by now that chip is on a lockdown stage or unprogrammable this radio was "brand new" working perfect with an without the firmware and the buttons and switches were working fine, I even did a calibration, receiver binding, etc... it has to be a bug on the FW that made it do that. I remember trying to setup the (AUX 3 F Mode Mix switch) on the front right and some how a switch was on the middle when I turn on the radio after that I got the LOADING Quadcopter sign witch was the one I was trying to work with that switch. (yes I forgot about the cut I made, I soldered back again and the resistance from pin 11 to ground is 245 ohms and the MODE switch to ground is 444 ohms)

Post by **jhsa** » Thu May 14, 2015 11:19 pm

Quasimotoglez wrote: it has to be a bug on the FW that made it do that.

I doubt it. If there was a bug on the firmware there would be more people with the same problem..

(yes I forgot about the cut I made, I soldered back again and the resistance from pin 11 to ground is 245 ohms and the MODE switch to ground is 444 ohms)

So, measuring from the SCK pad to ground you have 245 ohms? I think you have a short somewhere..
Please take a good resolution picture of your board and post it here.

I just measured one of my boards and I have a infinite resistance ( no connection) between pin 11 (SCK) and ground. you removed the switches, right? Please measure the pads where the menu button is normally soldered, are they shorted?

João

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Fri May 15, 2015 3:16 am

9xSchematics.pdf: (96.97 KiB) Downloaded 421 times

"I just measured one of my boards and I have a infinite resistance ( no connection) between pin 11 (SCK) and ground. you removed the switches, right? Please measure the pads where the menu button is normally soldered, are they shorted?"

is not possible, look at the diagram I send you in page 5
remember I bought a NEW TRANSMITTER just to check part by part... I might put the er9x FW if I got to solve this mess first!
the reason I took out the switcher is to discard any dough of being short. they all work fine.
ALL pads without the switches read 465k

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Fri May 15, 2015 4:04 am

these are the pictures of the board

the missing capacitor and resistor are also to discard just in case of any shortage via ground in this case the pin 20 (reset) via AVcc in pin 64

the blob of solder in pin 11(SCK) is because I cut it to Isolate any contact with possible shortage. now is bridge via small blob/wire.

Post by **MikeB** » Fri May 15, 2015 8:55 am

It is extremely unlikely that flashing er9x has caused the problem you have. A great many people have flashed er9x without any problems.

The most likely explanation is the SCK/MENU pin of the processor is no longer working, and has an internal short to ground.

A good way to test this is to get a 1K resistor, connect one end to pin 11 and the other end to first gorund then +5V. In each case power the board up and measure the voltage on pin 11. If the pin/signal is not shorted you should get voltages of near 0V and near +5V. If you always get 0V, then there is a short to ground, either internal to the processor or on the track from the processor.

Mike.

Post by **jhsa** » Fri May 15, 2015 9:08 am

Exactly, that is why why I have been asking for the measurements to ground.

Please just measure what we ask. We can only help you if you provide the information we ask for.
By doing other stuff at the same time you are making it all more confusing..

Ok, along with what Mike asked for, you could also take these measurements. Have a look at the points I've marked on the picture.

Measure A - G
Measure B - G

Please post the results.
Ah and please solder the reset resistor back in place

I think you are not able to program the chip because THE SCK LINE IS SOMEHOW SORTED TO GROUND, either Internally or externally..

João

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Fri May 15, 2015 1:42 pm

is logic to be confuse as I'm jhsa, but we are not going anywhere back an forth looking for part that are short out or open when I have strip down the board to discard any confusion of being short out, when the real problem come from the program itself.
somehow one of the switches (I mention before like AUX3) whore on the ON position when I turn on the transmitter and the program recognize and give the error. I thought some more people should be looking at this, instead we are stuck.
so to answer your question
A-B (resistor) =200 Ohms
B-G (capacitor)=445 Ohms
A-G= (from pin 11(SCK) to Grn)=245 Ohms

Post by **MikeB** » Fri May 15, 2015 2:10 pm

As I said above, "It is extremely unlikely that flashing er9x has caused the problem you have. A great many people have flashed, and are using, er9x without any problems".

Your measurements show there is a 245 ohm connection between point A and ground. This is wrong, there should be over 1Mohm resistance between point A and point G. If the AUX 3 switch is on when you switch on, you might get a warning indicating this is the case, but this would not cause the problem with pin 11.

I described a test (above) you could do, using a 1K resistor.

Currently, my feeling is that, for whatever reason, pin 11 has failed internally in the processor. The test with the 1K resistor will help to check for this. You may simply be unlucky that this has happened. Given the number of these radios that have been produced, a small number are likely to have problems.

Mike.

Post by **jhsa** » Fri May 15, 2015 2:53 pm

Quasimotoglez wrote:is logic to be confuse as I'm jhsa, but we are not going anywhere back an forth looking for part that are short out or open when I have strip down the board to discard any confusion of being short out, when the real problem come from the program itself.

Oh yes we are going somewhere now.. We know that pin 11 might be damaged due to those readings. Definitely, this is NOT firmware related..

Mike, could the programmer cause the SCK pin to fail?

Quasimotoglez , What programmer do use?

João

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Mon May 18, 2015 1:06 am

“This is wrong, there should be over 1Mohm resistance between point A and point G”.

Mike, I don’t know if can read schematic or you measure it wrong, but is obvious that from pin 11 (SCK) to ground can’t be over 1Mohm when you have a resistor (200 Ohms)and a capacitor (240 nf) in series to ground, even in my NEW RADIO it reads 473K ohms.

“My feeling is that, for whatever reason, pin 11 has failed internally in the processor”.

I was afraid of that!!!

“We know that pin 11 might be damaged due to those readings. Definitely, this is NOT firmware related”

Well a wrong firmware or program can ruin an entire board ( I flashed a ESC once with a wrong FW everything when fine even give me the successfully loaded!!! , I connected the battery, the motor (looking good) and when I apply the throttle a big magic smoke……

Anyways…..

I’m using the HK USBasp ( I have used it many times)

I used companion 9x loaded with hex file--er9x_v1.127_er9x-r817

I wrote down the FW before it broke

VERS: V1.127-Mike
DATE:08-04-15
TIME:13:15:26
SVN:er9x-r817
MOD:---------

Is the Mike mention in this VERS maybe you…..

So what is the test with 1k ohm resistor you are talking about?

The one across RST to GND? Did that already!!!

Do you know about this procedure, check this PDF?

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Mon May 18, 2015 4:21 am

OK BOYS, I DIDN'T WANT TO COME DOWN THIS WAY, BUT THIS WAS IT LAST WORDS!!!!
TEST IS OVER.....

Post by **jhsa** » Mon May 18, 2015 8:16 am

It seems to be working now. What did you do?

João

Post by **jhsa** » Mon May 18, 2015 10:20 am

MikeB wrote:It is extremely unlikely that flashing er9x has caused the problem you have. A great many people have flashed er9x without any problems.

The most likely explanation is the SCK/MENU pin of the processor is no longer working, and has an internal short to ground.

A good way to test this is to get a 1K resistor, connect one end to pin 11 and the other end to first gorund then +5V. In each case power the board up and measure the voltage on pin 11. If the pin/signal is not shorted you should get voltages of near 0V and near +5V. If you always get 0V, then there is a short to ground, either internal to the processor or on the track from the processor.

Mike.

The test with the 1K resistor is on pin 11, to find out if it is broken or not..

Also, the pin should read a very high resistance, yes. there is a resistor in series with a capacitor to ground, yes, but the capacitor doesn't let DC voltage pass, so it acts like a open circuit. So in fact, only when you press the menu button will pin 11 be connected to ground via the 200 ohm, resistor. When not pressed it should read a very high resistance..

One of the biggest (most of the time invisible) chip killers is static.
It happened to me when I replaced the m128 chip on one of my 9x radios with a m2561 chip. I might have damaged the chip with static (or maybe it was already damaged, I don't know) and had a problem similar to yours, but with the "EXIT" button. I had the opposite problem, the button would not work. Also had problems programming the chip. It could only be programmed with a certain programmer and using AVRStudio 4. Nothing else worked. I did the tests Mike recommended, and all measurements and the answer was that the chip was broken. When replacing the chip again, I did wear a earthed wrist band and an earthed plate on my bench to avoid static.

Another great source of static is your soldering iron if not properly earthed/grounded. Working on these boards with a soldering iron that is not grounded is a no no.

João

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Mon May 18, 2015 11:44 pm

well guys, I'M VERY VERY thankful for everything and every effort you have put in trying to solve my situation.
unfortunately all those picture don't mean anything since I was playing with my meter set to read voltage touching the contacts from the ground to one end of the xtal, it start giving me those random reading that did not mean anything,I couldn't reprogram it and when I turn it off and back on it give me the same screen that this time was LOADING model1
anyways maybe I was not paying attention at the tip of probe that mistakenly touch two of the very tiny leg of the chip the somehow I got a short and now I really F@ck up!!!!
so that's it...
any place you guys may know were to order a new chip or a board for this radio (I end up with plenty of spare parts for the other one) LOL!!!!

Post by **jhsa** » Mon May 18, 2015 11:55 pm

HobbyKing apparently is selling replacement boards for the 9x, and they seem to come already with an Atmega128 on them.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... aff=341726

But it is on backorder at the moment

João

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Tue May 19, 2015 3:09 am

HOOLLYY CRAAAP!!! that's super cheap?

I will order after you answer some question. please

I might order two just in case!!!! GOT THEM ON MY CART...on two with S&H is $24.29 NOT BAD....
so will that work with this radio eventually is the same , but Atmega128? is more memory? something got to change?
will the procedure of the cables installation to upgrade the FW is the same?
so instead on m64 on eepe configure put m128
what FW number? will still be er9x......
Lots of people with Turnigy-9x and FlySky-th9x would like to upgrade, no wonder is on back order.
thanks jhsa

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Tue May 19, 2015 3:35 am

Funny thing is that they don't mention anything in the product detail about the Atmel128
I see that there is one less mounting crew on this board.
there is a replacement screen mention in the accessories will this board support the existing screen?

Post by **MikeB** » Tue May 19, 2015 8:17 am

Yes they should be completely compatible. Just select M128 for the processor and er9x-128-frsky as the version to download. The wiring is the same.

Mike.

Post by **jhsa** » Tue May 19, 2015 8:21 am

The Atmega128 has the doubles the flash and eeprom of the original m64. That means more features and more model storage.

I hope they will be back in stock soon..

João

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Wed May 20, 2015 12:32 am

"Just select M128 for the processor and er9x-128-frsky as the version to download"
Mike I'm confuse here, the radio I have is 9x/th9x no FrSky.
Jhsa or Mike , have you see any videos with this upgrade and the new features?

Post by **jhsa** » Wed May 20, 2015 12:49 am

on the m128 and m2561 version of er9x, if you have done the telemetry mod (frsky), you enable it in the firmware. There's an option called "Frsky Mod Done". Obviously if you didn't mod the radio you leave that option alone.

I'm a bit confused now, what upgrade do you mean? You mean the board from Hobbyking? If so that is brand new. They started selling the boards a couple weeks ago, maybe not even..

Or do you mean the version of the firmware for the m128??
I use it since a long time, and Mike is the person that programs er9x

I have a 9x radio with er9x-128 and another with er9x-2561. Both heavily modded with telemetry, voice module, rotary encoder, extra switches, Model backup and restore to/from the voice module SD Card, etc, etc.

João

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Thu May 21, 2015 3:19 am

LOOK WHO IS WAITING FOR THE NEW BOARD!!!!!
I bought two boards form HK they still in back order, it might take a month or so....

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Thu May 21, 2015 3:56 am

jhsa "Both heavily modded with telemetry, voice module, rotary encoder, extra switches, Model backup and restore to/from the voice module SD Card, etc"
hey, I might be interested in those option with this radio, sound very scary, I like it.
where can I get the info?

I knew it...."Mike is the person that programs er9x"
Bro, I wish it could be a thousand thumbs up, I will give it to you. no hard feeling for my failure it can happen to the best.

and yes I'm talking about the board from HK.

One last thing is Mike involve in the Open9x, looks like er9x, but it got a bit more options. (I'm a bit IGNORANT about it)

Quasimotoglez · Post by **Quasimotoglez** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 1:36 am

Hi jhsa, remember me Quasimotoglez with "FlySky FS-TH9X with erx firmware LOCKDOWN!!!!"
Well I pick up where I left off, I finally got the board from HK and installed in the radio (it says Turnigy and no trim issue) that had the problem and end up junk, well.
I painted the radio with GUN GRAY and installed the new board (will post pics), it comes with the Atmel Atmega 128A
I’m afraid to mess thing up and bother you guys later with a disaster that I may make later on (jhsa and mike thanks so much for your comments and effort in my past problem)
"The more I read about it the more confusing I get"(TonyGlez)
So I'm expected to have an issue or NOT with the horizontal trim or some other software/hardware issues after software upgrade
Please, if it is possible and no time consuming from you, mike or somebody, can you guide me to all the process and steps (including links, pics and videos for at least successfully UPDATING this radio.)
Give my best regard to mike and thank you for your time.
Btw... let me know if you want me to open a new post in the forum (for no confusing arguments) or I continue were I left off with the LOCKDOWN issue.
Tony

Post by **jhsa** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 2:38 pm

Hi. Do you have a programmer already? You need one to program the radio. What people normally use is a "UsbAsp". if you don't have one, you can get it at "http://9xrprogrammer.com/" if he still have some. You will also need to install the driver for it on your PC..
Attached is a picture of the 9x board showing the connections to the programmer.

Also here is a link on how to flash your radio. Have a read. I think there are some videos too..

http://openrcforums.com/wiki/index.php/Flashing_your_9x

Please note that some information is a bit old. For example companion is not a multi firmware platform anymore. If you decide to use er9x you need Eepe. If you want to use openTX you need companion.
I cannot assist you with openTx because I haven't used it for over a year. I'm not sure the developers are still updating opentx for the 9x board. That is a question only they can answer. Er9x is still in development and has lots of new features, including support for many hardware mods, including adding more switches, voice module that can be used to also backup models to the SD Card, etc. Most of these are not supported by opentx as far as I know..
Most of the mods you will have to do it yourself, obviously

There is a voice module you could buy on ebay, but I'm not sure if HC1969 is still selling them.. I'm sure he will read this and let us know.. If not, and you are not afraid of a bit of soldering, you could probably make your own.
Have a look here:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6831

This version is only supported by er9x as it uses a serial communication between module and radio. It allows for 2 more switches connected to the voice module. It uses parts that can be found quite cheap on ebay..

Here is a link for that trim mod you asked above.. I didn't do it as any of my radios have the problem.

http://openrcforums.com/wiki/index.php/ ... Ground_Fix

I don't know which RF module you are using but my advice goes towards the frsky RF system.
If you want telemetry, you will need to mod the radio of course. Here are some links. I DO NOT recommend the telemetry mod without the level converter.

http://openrcforums.com/wiki/index.php/ ... _telemetry

Also have a look here for some other information you might need..

http://openrcforums.com/wiki/index.php/ ... dware_Mods

Now, if you don't want to do any soldering and still get telemetry, voice, a very fast and powerful processor, then you should have a look at this when becomes available. I did pre order one for one of my radios

http://www.smartieparts.com/store/en/9x ... order.html

João

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FlySky FS-TH9X-B with er9x firmware LOCKDOWN!!!!

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