please help - is this a USBasp driver issue?????

[Roders]

Hi all
I'm going out of my tree trying to update the firmware on my 9xr and 9x. So to date I have the USBasp device and I think I've successfully updated the driver as when I go to the device manage in Win 7 it tells me the device is working correctly. So I have downloaded Companion 9x and it seems to open normally, and I can download profiles. The problem is when I try and read from my Tx I get a dialog box saying
avrdude.exe error: could not find usb device "USBasp".
I wondered if I had the correct settings in the configure option and had a wee play and now think I really stuffed it up. Any thoughts or help would be fantastic and greatly appreciated

[mizuta1951]

Had a same kind of problem before.
I'm not sure that my experience is same yours.
In my case the USBasp device was the criminal.
Tried more than 5 different USBasp device, but did not get any solution.
Finally found one device from here only worked.
http://9xrprogrammer.com/

Cannot guarantee that this will solve your problem, but it is a cheap device.
Try or give up is up to you.

[Roders]

Thanks so much for the reply, I have this exact USBasp but purchased it off ebay (plus one from Hobbyking). Do you know if there is anything special with this one? So did you get one faulty USBasp after another? If its common for these to fail that might be my problem

[rperkins]

Hello

the errror you show usually happens when the windows drivers are not loaded properly. This page
http://9xrprogrammer.com/index.php/learn/23-drivers has a link to the protostack partial signed driver for win7 and the instructions on exactly how to install the drivers.

Yes you could have that exact usbasp from ebay. I have sold 3 (EDIT - oops it was only 2. the OP had already placed another order )of them to Rangiora.
last summer HK sold a bunch of usbasp that did not have firmware on them. It was the first batch of boards with components only on one side. Not the same as the LC branded ones they sometimes stock now.

NO the usbasp do not fail a lot. Usually it is lack of properly installed windows drivers. Even if the drivers were installed beforehand sometimes the device is renumerated or something and the drivers have to be installed again, or at least so I have read.

You have 2 usbasp so you can connect them together and see if one can read the other. Does windows even make the 'sound'when you plug one of the units in to the computer ?

If you bought a programmer off of ebay from 9xrprogrammer or user rperkins that is not working, send a message as outlined at http://9xrprogrammer.com/index.php/contact to get a replacement sent out.

[Roders]

Hi rperkins and thank you for all your info. I have ordered another USB asp from the 9xr programmer site to see if its a faulty unit. I loaded the driver onto another Win7 computer last night and the driver updated fine (as far as I could tell) but once again as soon as I attached the Tx and tried to read the existing models it came up with exactly the same dialog box as I put in the original post. So I'm wondering if I have overlooked something in the setup and will go over the link you supplied

Thanks again for help

[Roders]

Ok so I went through the troubleshooting guide included in your link, and one suggestion was if you think the driver is correctly installed then it may be a power issue with the hardware and suggested plugging into the Tx before plugging in the USBasp. Well this time it did actually start but brought up a different dialog box saying
avrdude.exe: device signature =0x1e9702
avrdude.exe: expected signature for ATMEGA64 is 1E 96 02
Double check chip or use -F to override this check
avrdude.exe done
exit code 1

Tried pressing -F (together and one after another as not sure what this is) but nothing happens

Does this shed any light on my problem?????

[rperkins]

that means the unit is good and working but you have the newer 9xr with the m128. go into the settings and select the different processor.

Please dont use the -F. It will only cause problems

<rant>
I oughta remove that message on the avrdude i am compiling for my bootable disk project
</rant>

I've matched you up with your previous order and am sending this out as a warranty replacement for that order. You should have gotten a tracking number and a refund. If you get this sorted out and dont need the replacement, just post here . thanks

[Roders]

The saga continues - double checked and downloaded the openTX for 9xr with m128 board - tried "read EEPROM from Tx" and got "invalid EEPROM file C:/.........Local/temp/temp.hex????????

I think we're getting closer

[rperkins]

yea the eeprom probably isnt the right format yet. I wouldnt worry about that till you have successfully flashed the device.

It does sound like your usbasp is working better

[rperkins]

you should be able to save the eeprom to a file, but eepe/c9x just doesnt understand it in its current format . again just plow forward with flashing -- without the -F !!!

[rperkins]

Tried pressing -F (together and one after another as not sure what this is) but nothing happens

I was re reading this and you made me laugh .dont worry about what I ranted about messing up your TX. It cant happen that way. the -F is a command line switch to add to the avrdude command, it isnt keystrokes you hold on your keyboard.

[Roders]

man guess you can spot the newbie here eh. People like me must either drive you to drink or give you an chuckle as to how thick we can be haha

[rperkins]

yea I chuckled but was relieved. that -F thing , well you know.

anyway have you successfully flashed your radio yet with the new firmware? That is what we want to do . If you have trouble I'll try to find a guide . Basically the program will download a firmware file (.hex file) and you will burn ( or write ) it to the TX

[rperkins]

For all you sitting on the edge of your seats wondering how this is gonna come out I got message stating that he got his TX programmed. Now back to your regularly scheduled program

looks like I was wrong

[Roders]

yep with the amazing rperkins assistance one 9xr successfully flashed with OpenTX..... The 9x - well thats a different story. not sure whats happened but it flashed ok, but once switched off then on again I just had broken dots and dashes on the screen so switched off and on again to strangely find it had reverted back to the bad EEPROM warning so pressed a key and went back through the formatting process, calibrating etc. All good until I switched it off and then on.... and back to the broken dots and dashes. Round and round in circles I go. Wonder if I've bricked my 9x????

[rperkins]

Apprently you have to set the preferences for your radio set in two places. I was looking around and it seems eeprom errors can happen if you download the wrong firmware.


In the preferences under the FIle menu. This determines what firmware you download. If the processor is wrong then set this correct, redownload, and reburn

File...Pref

and the avrdude configuration telling avrduded what processor you have. I think you fixed this already

avrdude configurations

[Roders]

yay got it sorted. What I stuffed up was very basic but so others (idiots like me) dont make the same mistake I will explain. When you set your preferences and have other Tx's you want to flash ensure you give each profile or preference its own profile slot which you select BEFORE downloading the preference. I did all my selections for both a 9xr and a 9x but didnt change the profile slot so my poor ol 9x got really confused and through a hissy fit.

Once again a huge thank you to rperkins for all his assistance with my brain fart

[rperkins]

thanks for the follow up

Maybe the companion program can be updated so that when you change one of those perference values it updates the other one. ? OR just have one preference for the radio .

But maybe their are some rare scenerios where you want to download a M128 version of er9x but then flash some other software to a M64 version of 9x/9xr. but it isnt the normal use case

happy flying

[Kilrah]

That's the point, companion precisely makes it easy by allowing to make profiles that hold all settings for a radio together. BUT you still need to remember to select the profile that matches the radio you're about to work with, which is what he forgot

[rperkins]

ok thanks

I worked up screenshots of eepe but called it companion, and he is more than likely using companion because he speaks of opentx. Sorry for the confusion.

[jhsa]

Kilrah, no excuses please. Companion should know what you're thinking as it is a very advanced piece of software. Trying to blame the poor user now? Unbelievable

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