No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

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PNaz
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by PNaz »

This is not a hardware issue with the mac. I went back to the mac with the transmitter I successfully programmed with the Win10 computer. It had the same failure to verify that i had previously. Win7 is installed on the mac through Parallels. I used eePe for Win7 on the mac. It successfully programmed the transmitter. Win7 and Parallels use the mac hardware but use windows versions of avrdude and eePe.

Paul

s_mack
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by s_mack »

Actually, that is in the FAQ on the product page. You never mentioned Linux/Mac to me, that I recall, or I would have pointed you there. It is a known bug in Linux avrdude, and the solution is to downgrade from 6.x to 5.x
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by TT0002 »

s_mack wrote:Actually, that is in the FAQ on the product page. You never mentioned Linux/Mac to me, that I recall, or I would have pointed you there. It is a known bug in Linux avrdude, and the solution is to downgrade from 6.x to 5.x
I wasn't referring to your FAQ, but rather any general FAQs for er9x/avrdude/eepe -- since the same situation will presumably affect everyone trying to use them even if not using your board. Since I saw the discussions of this early on this was not a big issue for me -- once I finally got the board basically working with the "pressure technique" and got the verify error, I immediately switched over to Windows for the next -- and successful -- try using the same technique.

Thanks.

L
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by TT0002 »

AND ... I turn on the 9x this morning. No display. Burning smell. Looks like it's all toast. Apparently the SP board slipped out from under the washer and shorted something. A total loss, likely. Don't even know where to start to try again.
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jhsa
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by jhsa »

S**t.. Sorry to read that.. :(

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TT0002
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by TT0002 »

There was an earlier issue I identified last night. After a successful EEPROM read, the firmware appeared wiped and needed to be flashed again. But now -- other than lingering burning smell -- the unit appears completely dead -- even the HK backlight I installed is out, and that was lit whenever power was on the unit. So this suggests that there's a fundamental power problem that is at least part of what happened. Is there an internal physical fuse in this anywhere? Any clues to testing for basic power issues? Thanks.
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by s_mack »

TT0002 wrote:Apparently the SP board slipped out from under the washer and shorted something.
Can you please show us a picture of the fried SP Basic board?
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by TT0002 »

s_mack wrote:
TT0002 wrote:Apparently the SP board slipped out from under the washer and shorted something.
Can you please show us a picture of the fried SP Basic board?
The SP board itself may not be fried. It still lights up on USB. But I found it swung way out of position (pivoting on the other screw, which no longer feels tight -- perhaps that side is partly stripped). I didn't get a photo of that because I pulled the board out immediately. The pins still look OK to the eye.

L
TT0002
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by TT0002 »

s_mack wrote:
TT0002 wrote:Apparently the SP board slipped out from under the washer and shorted something.
Can you please show us a picture of the fried SP Basic board?
And (just tested) it appears to be responding to USB normally. So it's probably OK.

L
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kaos
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by kaos »

I am sorry I did not bring this up earlier. It just popped up in my head. I recently got a new T9x and I put my SP v1.2??? (older/oldest version) in to flash the tx, but I could not do it. then I noticed the screw that came with my SP was not big enough (just a hair) to hold the board tight against the stock board. I eventually end up holding the SP against the stock board during the whole flashing process to do it. Later on I just bolted the SP to stock board and there is no issue. (I was planning using the stock board outside the tx any way, so I don't need those hole to anchor the stock board in tx).
I think there may be some very minor difference of the riser hole for newer T9X that the previous screw won't hold the SP in well enough. We all know how 'good' the QC on T9X. May be S_mach want to put a note on SP reminding people there is a potential issue with these new T9X holes.

edit:
Ah, memory start to come back. I just replaced the button on one of my older T9x and noticed the screws used to hold the stock board are metal screw type (non self threading). But the newer T9x is using the self threading type of screw which the thread is slightly bigger than the metal screw thread. This may explained why the hole is slightly bigger on these new T9X when used with non self threading screw. The self threading screw expanded the hole just a hair.
Last edited by kaos on Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
TT0002
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by TT0002 »

kaos wrote:I am sorry I did not bring this up earlier. It just popped up in my head. I recently got a new T9x and I put my SP v1.2??? (older/oldest version) in to flash the tx, but I could not do it. then I noticed the screw that came with my SP was not big enough (just a hair) to hold the board tight against the stock board. I eventually end up holding the SP against the stock board during the whole flashing process to do it. Later on I just bolted the SP to stock board and there is no issue. (I was planning using the stock board outside the tx any way, so I don't need those hole to anchor the stock board in tx).
I think there may be some very minor difference of the riser hole for newer T9X that the previous screw won't hold the SP in well enough. We all know how 'good' the QC on T9X. May be S_mach want to put a note on SP reminding people there is a potential issue with these new T9X holes.
This may explain why I couldn't keep that screw tight in my 9x, which indeed I obtained extremely recently. Thanks.
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by s_mack »

TT0002... no damage on the SP Basic *probably* means your assumption was incorrect and it didn't short anything. I couldn't really see how that would be possible anyway, but if it didn't even take any damage, then its almost certainly not the point of a short. Your brief description of the scenario sounded more like a battery oops and I'm guessing your voltage regulator is toast. If you look carefully at the Basic and how it interfaces... it would have to pivot a significant amount to touch anything at all that it shouldn't, and I don't think there is anything it could touch that would cause a short anyway. I did that as part of my testing and while I could certainly get the Basic to not work (due to it being out of alignment) I wrenched it around as far as it could go in either direction with the battey and USB both charged and never managed to get it to release any smoke.

@kaos Screw holes have been an annoyance since I started all this back in 2010 (has it really been that long? wow). For whatever reason, FlySky has used at least 3 different screw sizes for the holes in question. Too big, too small... throw in normal variances and some people that like to use power drills while others are afraid to turn a screwdriver with more than finger pressure... anyway, the good news is that it doesn't take much pressure to hold a board down. So the vast majority of users get it to work just fine.
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kaos
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by kaos »

s_mack: did not see your post before I did the editing on my previous post. Yep, that different screw size is messing up things for sure.
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jhsa
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by jhsa »

If the battery would have been reversed the big cap just below the 5V regulator would have burnt.

TT0002, a good picture (good resolution) of your mainboard would help. .

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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by TT0002 »

9x is back up and running er9x successfully. Details at: viewtopic.php?f=95&t=8339

Thanks all!

L
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kaos
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by kaos »

Now you just need to flash it again for the new r820 just released today. :lol:
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by TT0002 »

kaos wrote:Now you just need to flash it again for the new r820 just released today. :lol:
Already did! When I was doing a round of tests today (the 9x is completely unconfigured) the notification for 820 came through so I went ahead and flashed, A-OK!

L
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9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by obguy99 »

Hello,
bought a few 9xs with LED backlighting kits (HK) and a smartieparts board. I had really hoped to put opentx on the 9xs since I had a great experience with opentx (and the opentx companion which was great!) and an old 9xr i ruined mechanically.
On flashing I kept getting EEPROM error and was about to junk all of this stuff out of frustration - thought I bricked it.
Just for grins I used EEPE and ER9x and it immediately worked on the first time.
It seemed to have fixed (what I had thought was a bricked 9x) EEPROM error and continuous beep.
Well anyway I'll use ER9x (seems nice enough and simple to use despite no companion).
So.... Thanks!
I wonder why I could get no love from the OpenTX (the settings were correct as was the download etc.) but the ER9x worked immediately and perfectly?
After ER9X upgrade it seemed like I could successfully flash OpenTx but those flashes (while going well and getting all the correct feedback - "write successful" etc. didn't work and ER9x stayed on device working w/o problem. (locked in?)
Hope this helps someone - not sure why it worked buy happy now with ER9x on a simple unmodded otherwise 9x.

thanks
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MikeB
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by MikeB »

eepe is the PC program to use with er9x instead of companion. Indeed, companion was forked from eepe in the same way openTx was forked from er9x.

Mike
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The difficult we do immediately,
The impossible takes a little longer!
obguy99
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by obguy99 »

Is there a way for me to write my model on the computer and then sync it to the 9x transmitter or am I best off doing everything on the transmitter itself. Would really like to configure everything on computer and then send it via USB. Happy I have eR9x now on 2 of the 9xs!
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jhsa
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Re: No joy with 9x transmitter and SmartieParts SP Basic firmware programmer for Er9x install

Post by jhsa »

You can.. if you have a 9x with stock mainboard and Er9x, you can use eepe to program your models and then send them to the radio..
One thing that many people don't know is that with some extra hardware, which is a simple cheap arduino pro mini board, it is also possible to program our models in eepe, and have the model responding in real time, just like when you program it on the radio :)
This is how I normally program my models from scratch.. :)

João

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