9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Want to get your own 9x? Don't know where to buy one? Looking for spares?
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rperkins
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9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

http://9xrprogrammer.com

I've setup a website to sell Usbasp programmers for The 9xr and 9x. The 9xr is opening our world up to a Whole new group of people. This site's goal is to quickly get them up and running by bundling the adapter with the programmer. Of course you can get just the programmer if you dont need the adapter.

I'd like to be this communities first choice for Usbasp programmers. Any feedback or suggestions would be appreciated.
  • Fast shipping from USA at a reasonable cost
  • Real Usbasp firmware that allows timing adjustments
  • Dedication to customer satisfaction
Thanks

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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by cloudflying »

I think this is awesome. Heck I'm in for one. Thanks for your service and I'll help spread the word!
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

Thanks for the feedback. Word of mouth is the best advertising. :)
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by ShowMaster »

I just bought 2. Now Randy will know my secret identity.
About the brand programmer you're using Randy. I see what I think is a 100 ohm resistor pack. Some other posts mentioned that it could cause issues and put jumpers in place of the resistors.
If these programmers are working for you I assume it's not an issue.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

I just packed yours up and will drop them off tomorow, around 1pm at the post office, on my way to work. That'll be my normal routine. Just had two orders come in these wee hours. Expected them to be overseas but they were both west coasters. Yes, I know your secret Identity now but wouldn't have unless you mentioned it :)

Yes these have 100 ohm resistors EDIT - the resistor issue was resolved in March 2013. If you buy a betemcu.cn usbasp from ebay or another source, be sure ti doesnt have a 220 ohm resistor pack. The manufacturer was quick to fix this issue, but there were a fair amount of them sold. For the most part this issue has died down as of 6/22/2013. They originally had 220 ohm resistors but I switched them out when I updated the firmware on them. Got to use the microscope :) The pics show 100 ohms because I took them with units I'd had here for awhile. I've requested my next order to come with the 100 ohms so I dont have to switch them out.

I did a lot of testing this weekend 100 ohm -vs 220 ohm on a 9X . The 100 ohm worked fine for me, as it always has. I'll be following up with my findings in this thread. viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2571

Dont hesitate to let me know if you have any issues. 9xrprogrammer.com has two areas in which it must excel to be successful .
  1. Fast Shipping
  2. Unsurpassed Customer Service
Thanks again
Last edited by rperkins on Sat Jun 22, 2013 11:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

Just got an update from Showmaster that the 6 to 10 pin adapter that I sold with the programmer doesnt quite fit in the 9xr. Slightly tapering the sides by sanding it down lets it fit. It appears that the adapter I bundled will work on an unshrouded header, IE: an arduino, but will not fit the 9x due to case clearance, or its use of a shrouded header.

So If your one of the 15 people that got one of my kits and plan on using it for the 9xr , it will not fit. I have ordered replacements from a US supplier and will send them out when they arrive. If you need a fix before then, try sanding as mentioned above. I'm sorry for the inconvenience and thanks to Showmaster for quickly alerting me of the issue.

Post updated on 2/12/13 with work around and replacement details.
Last edited by rperkins on Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:39 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by Rob Thomson »

Strange. You would think that there are iso standards to prevent this sort of thing!

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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

well it is HK. :) Maybe the case was just out of spec on this one unit ? Showmaster said it was the long end that was too long. He also sent me this link. It's a cable like what HK ships with theirs. The price is comparable. I'll order some of theseunless this turns out to be an isolated incident. https://solarbotics.com/product/14190/
Edit - Sparkfun has the same cable. Ordered from them. They've always treated me right.
Last edited by rperkins on Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Sv: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by dvogonen »

Rob Thomson wrote:Strange. You would think that there are iso standards to prevent this sort of thing!
The best thing with standards is that there are so many to choose from and that many of them are almost compatible :-)
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

I updated my 2 posts regarding the adapter snafu. Let me know if anything else arises. Thanks.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by ShowMaster »

Works on my 2 adapters, tested in my 9XR. Easy fix!
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by cloudflying »

Bummer that they dont fit :( Mine arrived pretty darn quickly. Like a couple days quickly. Packed well and looks great. Going to pick up a new dremmel tomorrow so I'll just have a go at the fix when I get home with it.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by ShowMaster »

cloudflying wrote:Bummer that they dont fit :( Mine arrived pretty darn quickly. Like a couple days quickly. Packed well and looks great. Going to pick up a new dremmel tomorrow so I'll just have a go at the fix when I get home with it.
No Dremmel please! :o
Too much tool for removing so little plastic. I few strokes with a sanding block or some sandpaper on a flat survace and try it as you go will do it. It's not a big deal so go slow. It's a real soft plastic and a flat surface sanding will be much better then 10, 000 RPM's and a round grinding stone burning the plastic away. :oops:
Even a power sander is excessive.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by ShowMaster »

Ready to program.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

Replacement cables are in. Sent a message to the purchasers of the oversized adapter. If you were a purchaser and didnt get a message feel free to Pm or email me. Sorry again for the inconvenience.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

I now have items back in stock.

Currently Am following up with the supplier to remedy the adapter issue. It appears the adapter is just .25 mm too long. It only took 3 swipes with a flat file on each side to get it to easily fit inside a shrouded header. So Showmaster is right, no power tools needed. I'll be sure to check this issue going forward. Sorry again for the problem.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by ShowMaster »

I'm asking this question here so my lack of knowledge will help others.
I need a direct link to AVRdude and the version number I want to use. I also can use an add on GUI if there is one.
My searches find a lot of choices and many of them are compressed tar files ect. When I download and install them I'm not sure it's the program I want?
I'm going to try other firmware versions on my usbasp programmers as well as educate myself on how it's done. Randy's programmers come with v 2011 and I would like to try ver 2007. All my cables are long and I still have the reset caps on my boards.I want to test and report on the best ver firmware and resistor values to keep me from doing any tx or cable length mods.
I have a HK thats not fussy about any of this and I want to find out if it's FW or HW on/in the programmer that makes it less critical to all the ebay brand programmers. SM
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by ReSt »

I have installed a GUI, avrdude-gui v0.2.0
The url it shows with the help: http://avrdude-gui.sourceforge.net/

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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by ShowMaster »

Thank you.
I got to this page for a AVRdude download to go with the GUI and this is where I get confused?
What file or files do I want to download for s working AVRdude ?
http://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/avrdude/
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

5.11 is the current version of avrdude but I dont think you want anything from the directory you pointed to. That is source code that would need to be compiled for your OS.

I am assuming you are on windows. If you have installed eepe it comes with a version of avrdude . You may need to locate the exact path it was installed into, but you shouldnt need to install avrdude.

Concerning the gui. I am going to have to try out the one mentioned by Reinhard. I shied away from it be because of it's age. The source files are 8 years old, but the tarball is from 2010 ?. I was thinking surely there are advancements in avrdude that this gui have not been updated to accommodate . I'll try to check it out soon as the gui I use is sorta clunky.

Avr burn o mat is a java based avrdude gui thaf works in linux
http://avr8-burn-o-mat.aaabbb.de/avr8_b ... ui_en.html
I dont use it much, mainly for fuse calculations. It is sorta clunky, and java based.

Thanks for assisting me in finding the best usbasp firmware//hardware solution that is open source, works with 9x/9xr, and is most compatible with all avr isp needs.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by ShowMaster »

Ok, eepe! Of course that's where I've seen it. As for helping you out, I'm not sure I'm much help but I'm working hard to change that. I did do a multiple read and with the 2011 FW and 100 ohm resistors and the stock length of flat cable and adapter, I have to unplug and replug the USBasp adapter for each read or I get an error message.
I also tried it on my 9x conversions, all with the reset cap installed.
My 9xR also has the cap witch I understand may be removed in later runs?
As long as I unplug and replug the programmer after each read or write, it works fine.
I'm posting this so others can give that a try before they think something's wrong after a first attempt.
The question here is weather the different firmware versions available and even the patched one posted here on the forum is at fault or the resistor values. I hate to open my cases again to remove the cap to try that fix because there're all working and all the screws are not going to survive another unscrewing I fear. Hopefully others will try with cap on and cap off so I can avoid that. If not, that'll be my final test and I'll take one for the "team"
So to be clear, I can program with all versions with the cap on, it's just easier with some.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by ReSt »

I sometimes used the GUI when I used a parallel port programmer.
But this GUI has one great advantage.
It shows directly the commandline with the options according to what you select. So you can understand, how to set options of any kind and use them e.g. within batchfiles to do a certain job.

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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

IMHO it will either work or not work with the wrong resistor value. The resistor creates a voltage divider in the 9x. The ratio of the two resistors, the one in the programmer and the one in the 9x/9xr, determines if the voltage at the pin of the MCU is above its threshold to switch states. Of course it is possible to get a ratio that is right on the edge of the threshold but I hope we would not be that unlucky :)

EDIT - after I got my own 9xr I came to the conclusion that a patched version of the 2009 version of usbasp firmware works best on the 9xr. That is what ships on the programmers from my website.
SM , you'll probably find that the 2011 version will work repeatedly if you slow the usbasp down far enough with the -B switch. There is a point where a large enough -B value shifts the usbasp into a bit banging mode. It toggles the reset far less and at a slower rate. I dont recall the exact number but '-B 1000' would surely be slow enough. You can add this options to eepe's configuration of avrdude. Note this wont work with chinese usbasp's (including HK) that still have their stock firmware. If it says ' can not set SCK' then the -B option will not work. Hopefully this will illustrate that repetitive programming problems are not related to the resistor value.

You are the only person that has had this issue but I believe it is because of the depth of your testing. Thanks for that. If anyone else as similar issues, or any other concern, dont hesitate to mention it.

As you said earlier it appears some of the 9xr's do not have a large cap on the reset. Now that HK is selling this radio as a programmable radio it appears they are making some changes. 1. No large cap on reset. 2. Larger value resistors in series with the switches on the programming lines.
Last edited by rperkins on Sat Jun 22, 2013 11:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by ShowMaster »

I'll try the slowdown option first.
I also suspect that the cap on the reset line is part of the trouble. If the 9XR's currently being shipped have the cap removed I'll remove mine as well. I've been keeping my 9XR as it was received in case I move it in on to a club member to try a new Frsky later on. I plan to supply a USBasp programmer and cable with it as well as a new FrySky module with factory attached antenna and a new RX ready to fly.
No profit to be made. Just cost.
I will add any current changes however if they are made.
Basically it'll be the same price as a 9x but with a factory programming port and back light, or maybe a trade for something?
I do want it program reliably so I'm interested in the final cap and programmer outcome.
If I slow down the SCK speed and do nothing else, that's OK as a fix.
Since I'm able to do a single function it would seem to indicate that the FW and 100 ohm resistors work together and points to the cap.
If the slower SCK speed also solves programming on my 9x's that'll be great because I can use this programmer and not have to remove the caps on past conversions if their HK programmer fails. I would rather use one from a US source so there is local support and so far Randy, you've been on top of it and ship fast! Great support!
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

Thanks for the compliment about the shipping speed. I carpool with 2 guys and am driving them crazy :). Plus I'm realizing USPS doesnt really service mailboxes according to their posted schedule. Dont worry, I'll find the properly serviced mailbox :)

Slowing down the programmer is good for debuging but isnt a long term solution unless you're real patient. It's more than 10x slower than the default speed. What the usbasp code calls 'ispTransmit_sw' ( bit banging software isp) doesnt kick in until the speed <= 32 khz . I double checked the -B option speeds. If you keep -B 11 or higher you will stay in software mode. The default speed without setting a -B option is 375khz.

The -B to freq conversion is handled in the avrdude software, not the usbasp firmware. All that is passed to the usbasp device is a number from 0-12 (0 = auto = 375 khz) via usb which is transparent to the end user.
0. no -B switch = auto = 375khz
1. -B 2000 = 500 hz
2. -B 1000 = 1khz
3. -B 500 = 2khz
4. -B 250 = 4khz
5. -B 125 = 8 khz
6. -B 62 = 16khz
7. -B 31 = 32khz * the cutoff for bit banged isp
8. -B 10 = 93.75 khz
9. -B 5 = 187.5 khz
10. -B 2 = 375 khz
11. -B 1 = 750 khz
12. -B .5 = 1.5mhz


Originally there was a jumper to set the speed. if you set the jumper the speed is 8khz. The -B option has made the jumper obsolete.

If you wanna try to maximize your throughput and have a working setup, go into the avrdude settings in eepe and add a '-B 1' or '-B .5' and see how much faster you can read/write with your 9X :)
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

Sorry but back out of stock. I was only partial shipped last time and the 2nd half got caught in the post Chinese New Year traffic Jam. They have left the mainland and are probably at sea. Should be back in stock no later than April 1st. I have already followed up with a much larger order but that hasnt even shipped yet. I still have some 10 to 6 pin adapters available , but no programmers. You can go to the website and signup to be notified when back in stock.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

Back in Stock :) Was able to get enough to last for awhile this time. The supplier did keep his commitment and these units come with the 100 ohm resistor pack so I no longer have to remove 220's and replace with 100's. Thanks for your support !!
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

Starting today am going to ship the programmers with 'Romolos patched 2009' usbasp firmware.

I am using the smaller of the two patches. viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1363&sid=9a0440aed ... 8da#p19315 . Also be aware that the firmware is compiled with the vusb-20121206 version of vusb due to changes in gcc's use of progmem. Eventually, I would like to use a patched version of the 2011. Until I am able to test with a 2560 (or other mcu that utilizes the extended addresses), and a device that utilizes the TPI interface, I am going with Romolos patch which I believe was based on Gruvin's patched usbasp. http://code.google.com/p/gruvin9x/sourc ... are/README

I was finally able to get a 9XR and took delivery yesterday. I tested various firmwares and at the present moment the 2011 usbasp firmware is not the best solution. Even though the large reset cap was removed at the factory, there were issues doing multiple programming commands depending on the programming speed ( -B option to avrdude ). I was able to trace the problem to the fact that the 2011 firmware pulses the reset upon every time it enters programming mode via ispEnterProgrammingMode() . I dont know why this issue is on the 9xr and not the 9x. There is still a small cap on the reset and maybe the value changed . The HK programmer and the betemcu.cn units both worked with their original chinese firmware. It was the 2011 firmware that caused this problem. By looking at Romolos patch and reading this
http://www.avrfreaks.net/index.php?name ... c&t=117280 I was able to get 2011 usbasp firmware to work consistently by backing out this one change that was made for the 2011 firmware. Maybe this change was made for the TPI support. However, currently I am going to use Romolos patch as mentioned above because it addresses the extended address issue with larger Avr's

Code: Select all

--- usbasp.2011-05-28/firmware/isp.c	2011-01-19 13:18:00.000000000 -0500
+++ usbasp.2011-05-28.new_change/firmware/isp.c	2013-03-20 08:00:01.725692472 -0400
@@ -197,9 +197,9 @@
 
 		/* pulse RST */
 		ispDelay();
-		ISP_OUT |= (1 << ISP_RST); /* RST high */
+		ISP_OUT |= (1 << ISP_SCK); /* SCK high */
 		ispDelay();
-		ISP_OUT &= ~(1 << ISP_RST); /* RST low */
+		ISP_OUT &= ~(1 << ISP_SCK); /* SCK low */
 		ispDelay();
 
 		if (ispTransmit == ispTransmit_hw) {
In a day or so I will update 9xrprogrammer.com to reflect exactly what firmware is going on the programmers and will update those pages as the firmware evolves instead of posting the changes here.

So I finally saw the light with my own eyes concerning the 2011 firmware. My stubbornness has given way to the facts :)
Last edited by rperkins on Tue Sep 17, 2013 3:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

EDIT- this was resolved in June 2013 when USPS 'click-n-ship' started offering first class international shipping.
I am sorry to say that I will no longer be shipping Internationally directly from the website. You can still purchase Internationally through my ebay username rperkins1234. There is a link on the website to my ebay offerings. Expect to pay around $6.50 for International shipping. I am sorry to make this change as I wanted to support the entire community at the best rate. Currently about 50% of my International orders were through the website, the rest through ebay. basically it will cost International users ~$3.50 more than previously.

I was shipping Internationally for $3 through the website but USPS is just making it too difficult. The postal workers do not want to be bothered with the electronic customs forms and other restrictions when shipping first class international. USPS does not offer first class international rates online, so it had to be handled locally. They have returned a few of my International shipments and I am not willing to continue to argue how I meet the requirements for the $3 rate.

On a side note, some of these filing requirement burdens are because the US government has directed the US census bureau to collect data on exported good which has increased the responsibility of USPS. So now the customs declaration is dual purpose. It informs the US government of the export for their records and it is used by the receiving country for duties and/or taxes.
Congress specifically directed data to be collected by the U.S. Census Bureau on traffic in goods export­ed from the United States, as well as goods shipped between the United States and its overseas territo­ries. These official statistics offer important insight into the United States’ economy, and they can be in­strumental to economic analysis and planning by businesses, economists, and other members of the public. In addition, the data assist the U.S. govern­ment in enforcing export rules that serve national se­curity and foreign policy purposes.
Last edited by rperkins on Sat Jun 22, 2013 11:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 9xr and 9x programmers offered at 9xrprogrammer.com

Post by rperkins »

Good News !!

I can again accept International orders through my website without going through ebay. USPS has added first class international packages to their 'Click and Ship' online service. Sadly I cant get the $3 'large envelope(AKA flats)" rate. The International package shipping rate for a single usbasp bundle is$6.50. $7.00
Last edited by rperkins on Wed Sep 18, 2013 2:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

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