MIDIBox going mad...PIC not working?

[Primate]

Hi guys.

I have built my MIDI controller and everything was working fine till yesterday when I powered up the unit and nothing happened. Since then I was trying to solve the problem but unsuccessfully and I really hope you could help me.

So I have a controller with 16 pots, 8 buttons and 32 LEDs connected with the PC via E-MU Xmidi 1x1 USB Interface. As I mentioned everything was fine which makes things more confusing.

Now I can't upload apps (neither the mios and the bootloader) and here is what I get when I try to upload:

Starting upload of app.hex

Sending block #1 00003000-000030FF

there it stops and nothing else happens.

App

timestamp [unknown] | SysEx: F0 00 00 7E 40 00 02 0C 00 00 20 26 7B 65 2F 02 4F 5E 2A 78 16 3D 72 57 41 51 6F 15 3C 0D 1E 
79 2B 60 6F 77 4A 5E 0A 5F 3C 55 70 5D 3B 65 2F 04 6F 5E 2A 78 28 7D 72 57 43 13 6F 15 3C 12 3E 79 2B 61 0D 77 4A 5E 07 2F 3C 55 
70 40 3B 65 2F 00 1F 5E 2D 78 02 1D 72 6F 40 13 6F 16 7C 01 2E 79 37 61 1A 77 4A 5E 09 4F 3C 55 70 05 7B 65 5F 00 33 5E 2D 78 03 
3D 72 6F 40 24 00 00 00 02 20 00 00 00 12 00 00 00 01 10 00 00 00 09 00 00 00 00 48 00 00 00 04 40 00 00 00 24 00 00 00 1F 7F 7F 
7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 
7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 
7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 
7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 7F 78 04 F7

MIOS or Bootloader

timestamp [unknown] | SysEx: F0 00 00 7E 40 01 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 F7

I have also troubleshooted the core:

    * TEST PROG1: bootstrap loader has been burned successfully before but now I can't do it

    * TEST CORE1: done that

    * TEST CORE2: /

    * TEST CORE3: everything OK (doublechecked)

    * TEST CORE4: I have 4.88 V except on the Tx of the PIC18F452 (pin 25) where the voltage is 3.7 V (with the cabel plugged in)

    * TEST CORE5: ground OK

    * TEST CORE6: OK

    * TEST CORE7: OK

    * TEST CORE8: OK

    * TEST CORE9: OK (doublechecked)

    * TEST CORE10: I didn't notice any request messages at all

    * TEST CORE11: I'm 99% positive this is OK

    * TEST OUT1: LED doesn't flicker

    * TEST OUT2: I think this is not required since the controller worked properly with the ground line of MIDI Out port

As I searched the forum I noticed that somebody had a similar issue but since I don't understand German so well I didn't figure out how to solve the problem.

If I had missed out some info let me know and thx for the help!!!

[TK.]

Could you please try TEST INOUT1 - this test ensures, that the whole MIDI IO path is working w/o the PIC.

Depending on the results we could give you more hints

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Primate]

First of all thx for the quick response TK  ;)

TEST INOUT1

MIDI MONITOR OUT:

timestamp [unknown] | SysEx: F0 00 00 7E 40 01 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 F7

Nothing on MIDI MONITOR IN.

Starting upload of bootloader_v1_2b_pic18f452.hex

Hex file contains code in MIOS range, forcing reboot for upload via 1st level bootloader!

The reboot request will lead to an error acknowledge, please ignore!

Waiting for upload request...

As I understand in this test it is necessary to send a .hex file and see what is  on the IN and the OUT monitor? (Sorry but I'm confused after two days of trying to get this running)

[TK.]

Thanks for testing - this simplifies remote diagnosis :)

One purpose of the test is to check the SysEx robustness of a MIDI interface, but another purpose is to check, if the chain:

MIDI Out of your MIDI interface -> MIDI In of Core Module -> MIDI Out of Core module -> MIDI In of your MIDI Interface

is working.

For this test, you could also send MIDI Notes (e.g. with a virtual keyboard), or any other MIDI event just to check if it goes through the chain. MIDI Data displayed by the MIOS Studio Output monitor should also be displayed by the Input monitor.

Apparently there is an error in the chain.

Now you've already an hint, that the error isn't related to the PIC. Accordingly, it isn't required to update the firmware (usually it isn't required to update MIOS or the firmware anyhow, it's very very unlikely that the internal flash memory gets corrupted)

Next test: check if your MIDI Interface is working. Loopback MIDI Out->MIDI In of your MIDI interface, and send some MIDI notes with MIOS Studio. Result?

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Primate]

Thanks for testing - this simplifies remote diagnosis :)

NO Thorsten thank you for the help!

Ok I've made the test on a Desktop computer and the OUT MONITOR doesn't reflect to the IN MONITOR. Furthermore I have tested the MIDI interface on a laptop and situation there is the same. I'll reinstall the drivers because nothing else comes to my mind how to solve this.

[TK.]

Ok, so it is the MIDI interface.

I would propose to check an alternative MIDI Monitor (e.g. MIDI-Ox) to ensure, that the problem isn't related to your Java installation.

It could also make sense to check the MIDI cable (or just try another one if available)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Primate]

Now that I have some hints I'll check them all and report what have I done.

Thx once again! ;)

[Primate]

Hi guys. Yesterday I was back from a trip and continued detecting what was causing my controller not to work. To make a long story short I couldn't get the controller to work (although the re-installation of the drivers resulted a good INOUT1 TEST) so today I bought a new PIC and guess what...it was the PIC's fault after all.

Everything is OK now (:D) but I still don't know what caused the PIC to malfunction, do you have an idea? I would like, if possible, to prevent and avoid this to happen again.

Regards

[stryd_one]

Ok I've made the test on a Desktop computer and the OUT MONITOR doesn't reflect to the IN MONITOR.

That is definitely a PC failure, not your PIC chip... Perhaps something changed on your PC (even a reboot or something could be enough) and by coincidence, it happened at the right time to make it seem that the problem was the PIC?

Hey, it works, that's a good start :D

[Primate]

Yes it works but with a new PIC  :P

I only want to determine what went wrong and why so I can prevent it from happening again (and maybe help somebody with a similar problem in the future).

The reboot surely didn't occurred. I also didn't notice anything out of the ordinary on the PC, further more I've tested the controller on a laptop also. One more thing, the LEDs didn't light on startup as usually although I had the voltages as described in the earlier post. The INOUT1 test was OK in the end.

I've also tried to check out the PIC memory via chip burner and I wasn't able to either write or erase the the memory (had an error message) which indicates, to me, that the PIC didn't work properly.

Maybe it was the PC's fault but I somehow doubt it. I'm wondering did maybe the power supply fail on me (read there was not enough current) or was there a short circuit...hmmm

[stryd_one]

I only want to determine what went wrong and why so I can prevent it from happening again (and maybe help somebody with a similar problem in the future).

Wise, and kind. :)

I'll try to help you figure it out...

The reboot surely didn't occurred. I also didn't notice anything out of the ordinary on the PC,

I just saw this:

(although the re-installation of the drivers resulted a good INOUT1 TEST)

Driver reinstallation is just the kind off change that would fix the problem with your midi interface.

further more I've tested the controller on a laptop also.

I gather that the midi interface was not working on either PC or laptop:

Ok I've made the test on a Desktop computer and the OUT MONITOR doesn't reflect to the IN MONITOR. Furthermore I have tested the MIDI interface on a laptop and situation there is the same

Was this test done as per TEST INOUT1? Or was it a direct cable connection from the midi interface 'out' to 'in' as per TEST PC2?

One more thing, the LEDs didn't light on startup as usually although I had the voltages as described in the earlier post. The INOUT1 test was OK in the end.

I've also tried to check out the PIC memory via chip burner and I wasn't able to either write or erase the the memory (had an error message) which indicates, to me, that the PIC didn't work properly.

Particularly the second problem, indicates a problem with the PIC.

Maybe it was the PC's fault but I somehow doubt it.

If a direct loopback like TEST PC2 fails, it was definitely the PC... But a PC failure does not exclude a PIC failure also.

I'm wondering did maybe the power supply fail on me (read there was not enough current) or was there a short circuit...hmmm

The most difficult bugs to diagnose, are the ones where two separate things have gone wrong, at the same time.... It seems that maybe that's what happened here... I have some suspicions, but I can't be sure yet as I lack some details... Let's sort out the details above, and it will lead us to an answer...

[Primate]

Fond the problem. The power supply, the power connector on the case to be more accurate. It was making a short circuit which apparently effected the PIC long enough to make him go bad.

Anyway tnx to everybody who helped!!!

Regards