troubleshooting

[AdamB420]

Hi everyone, Im new to the forum although I've been visiting ucapps since about 04.

My first attempt @ a midi box a couple years ago were unsuccessful. This time i bought boards from SmashTV.

they came friday and within about 3 hours i had a JDM, AIN, DOUT, and a Core module all solderes up. I got the PIC programmed and the LCD attached to the core. I am not having any luck gettin MIOS uploaded. I use the MIOS java app to monitor my midi ports but i see no activity(the upload request)

the lcd shows the top line black and the bottom blank( i read on the sid page this is normal)

all voltages are ok(as per the core module page) but nothing still.

I desoldered the midi part of the core and resoldered it. but no change.

what can i try?

Thanks!

Adam

[Jidis]

Hi Adam,

Dumb question, but did you connect the ports to and from MIOS studio in it's hardware setup pref box? You'll also likely need to reconnect each time you open it. Can you get MIDI into MS from other devices using the same connections?

I would think the output line of the MIDI would be the harder one to screw up (the "in" is the one with the optocouple and all), so if your two resistor values and connections are right, you should at least be getting the dump requests. Pin 27 of the PIC should hit a 220ohm resistor (red,red,brown) and go to pin 5 (or 4??) on the socket, pin 4 (or 5??) should go through another 220ohm up to 5volts (Pic pin 11&32,etc.). The only other connection is the ground, which is the center pin of the socket (hits Pic 12,31,etc.).

If you're not running a kit with mounting holes for MIDI sockets, make sure your pin 4&5 connections are right (as you can tell, I screw that up also). You may need to flip them.

If all that still doesn't work, I'd guess the Pic itself wasn't firing up for some reason, which opens a nice big can of worms, but at least you've got a nice tested board design to start with, rather than a total DIY.

Hope something in there helps, and maybe someone else in here can take over if it doesn't ???,

George   

[doc]

Hi,

If all that still doesn't work, I'd guess the Pic itself wasn't firing up for some reason, which opens a nice big can of worms, but at least you've got a nice tested board design to start with, rather than a total DIY.

The PIC seemed to be right, becaue he had the black line on the display. But who knows ?

I recomment to to the MIDI-Troubleshooting step-by-step.

You can find it here: http://www.ucapps.de/howto_debug_midi.html

The bold marks at the beginning of each line tells us, where you stuck. Give it a try.

greets

Doc

[smashtv]

Hi Adam!

they came friday and within about 3 hours i had a JDM, AIN, DOUT, and a Core module all solderes up. I got the PIC programmed and the LCD attached to the core. I am not having any luck gettin MIOS uploaded. I use the MIOS java app to monitor my midi ports but i see no activity(the upload request)

Did the bootloader burn without issues/errors?  Does the PIC pass a verify test with your programming software?  Which burner software are you using? Did you add the 10k resistor to the JDM as shown on my JDM page? (http://www.avishowtech.com/mbhp/mbhp_jdmR2.html under "Design Modifications:")

the lcd shows the top line black and the bottom blank( i read on the sid page this is normal)

The top line black bottom line blank thing is really only telling you that the display has power.....-most- LCDs will show this without a PIC loaded in the Core!

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to collect clues to lead us to the cause.  ;)

Best

Smash

[Jidis]

Oops-

Just realized I missed the mention of the JDM in the list of boards. :o (thanks Smash)

I sort of guessed he was running a "pre-programmed".

[smashtv]

Oops-

Just realized I missed the mention of the JDM in the list of boards. :o (thanks Smash)

I sort of guessed he was running a "pre-programmed".

I did the same thing....Assumed the PIC was from me and wrote a big troubleshooting message about how it should show "ready." on the LCD, etc.  ;)

Luckily the coffee kicked in before I hit post....  :o

Back to the kit mill!

Best

Smash

[AdamB420]

Hi Adam,

Dumb question, but did you connect the ports to and from MIOS studio in it's hardware setup pref box? You'll also likely need to reconnect each time you open it. Can you get MIDI into MS from other devices using the same connections?

yup, criscrossed. In to out and out to in, but i only have a tr707 and its midi is very basic, i dont know how to test it on the midi

I would think the output line of the MIDI would be the harder one to screw up (the "in" is the one with the optocouple and all), so if your two resistor values and connections are right, you should at least be getting the dump requests. Pin 27 of the PIC should hit a 220ohm resistor (red,red,brown) and go to pin 5 (or 4??) on the socket, pin 4 (or 5??) should go through another 220ohm up to 5volts (Pic pin 11&32,etc.). The only other connection is the ground, which is the center pin of the socket (hits Pic 12,31,etc.).

the voltages are all ok. like TK said on the core page. Check those 4 points for 5v. i get 5.02v in all 4 place(3 on ic1 and 1 on ic2)

If you're not running a kit with mounting holes for MIDI sockets, make sure your pin 4&5 connections are right (as you can tell, I screw that up also). You may need to flip them.

its a kit from smashtv. im using board mount ports, they only go 1 way. all parts are in the correct places.

If all that still doesn't work, I'd guess the Pic itself wasn't firing up for some reason, which opens a nice big can of worms, but at least you've got a nice tested board design to start with, rather than a total DIY.

i programmed 2 pics(i got 6 samples of the 877 and 6 of the 452) and they both verify ok(the 2 i programmed with the bootloader

[AdamB420]

Hi Adam!

Did the bootloader burn without issues/errors?  Does the PIC pass a verify test with your programming software?  Which burner software are you using? Did you add the 10k resistor to the JDM as shown on my JDM page? (http://www.avishowtech.com/mbhp/mbhp_jdmR2.html under "Design Modifications:")

The top line black bottom line blank thing is really only telling you that the display has power.....-most- LCDs will show this without a PIC loaded in the Core!

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to collect clues to lead us to the cause.  ;)

Best

Smash

No problems with the ques. I Tried troubleshooting for a couple days b4 i asked what might be a silly question.  My PC(duel core athalon 64bit) was not giving the voltages needed. I moved it to my womans comp and i was able to program 2x452 pics and they verified no problem. This is what i figured it was first. Maybe its my MIDI interface(i did have to add a soundcard to get a midiport) problem is, i have no way to test the port/cable. 

i need a usb interface... :(

BTW. everyone should know how well packaged the kits were. ive gotten shit off the net before, but never so well packaged. and the board quality was fantastic. i will be ordering mort parts(kits) when i get this badboy working.

[AdamB420]

I did the same thing....Assumed the PIC was from me and wrote a big troubleshooting message about how it should show "ready." on the LCD, etc.  ;)

Luckily the coffee kicked in before I hit post....  :o

Back to the kit mill!

Best

Smash

a ready message? You mean the upload request it should send?

ADAm

[Jidis]

I think "Ready" would be after it's got MIOS installed (so yes, just the upload req's in your case)

Adam,

I'd be suspecting the MIDI interface/computer until you've actually seen it work. If you open MIOSStudio and connect your ports, I'd guess the 707, even at defaults, will end up spitting out something at some point (hit notes and hit start/stop on it's sequencer and maybe initiate a bulk dump if it can do anything like that). You also might try the input window in MIDI-Ox.

Good Luck,

George

PS @Anybody else--> How likely/easy is it to blow the loader data into the "wrong" part of the PIC?

PSPS @Adam- Don't fret the soundcard MIDI. Yeah, it sucks, but it can work. I use it for lots of stuff when there's nothing else around. I've actually used it when better interfaces were screwing up, just because it's simple and it works. ;D 

[AdamB420]

i get the 707 plugged in and no messages.  ??? so where do i go from here? maybe ill go to creativelabs and see if they got newer drivers...

[AdamB420]

creative labs was a waste of time. all i found were complaints about the poor quality of drivers and other technical problems. one i found disturbing was excess null bytes on the pci bus related to midi thus reducing bandwidth on the pci bus. I will be getting a usb interface tomorrow. its just easier than fighting the sound card. (It crackles occasionally anyways)

Cheers,

Adam

[AdamB420]

success!

[Jidis]

Care to elaborate?

..... can't help but wonder what it was. ;D

[AdamB420]

soundcard midi. never again.

i got a edirol usb interface.

now i got to figure out how to program it for 16 pots. i also need to get buttons and a DIN module. I forgot them..:(

[Jidis]

Good to hear. I may look for one myself in the near future and it's good seeing a "non-MOTU" name come up. The ESi 8x8 looked good when I looked at it. If I end up needing more than 2x2 and nobody says it sucks, I'll likely go with that (unless of course something DIY shows up ::)).

BTW- If you're dealing with one of the regular apps (like the MB64), you may already have your pots worked out. Just look for the "DEFAULT_NUMBER_POTS" and "DEFAULT_MUX_ENABLED" prefs near the beginning of the main.asm file. I *think* it defaults to 8 pots with a multiplexer. You'd just be changing the 8 to a 16 and recompiling.

Enjoy!