Verification error with wifi module programming

dave.

New Member
Any hints on how to overcome verification error when programming a picaxe? I can see that the program is going in and I can check the chip type but cant download a program onto an 08m and a 18m chip.
 

srnet

Senior Member
You need to describe your problem in more detail, for instance;

What exactly are you using to program the PICAXEs ?

Are they really 08M and 18M, or are they 08M2 and 18M2 ?

How is a 'wifi module' involved, and if so which one ?
 

dave.

New Member
Thanks for your comments. Im using a, urf and erf pair, to program from a laptop using picaxe editor 6. The chips are 08M2 and 18M2. I can successfully program the chips with a cable but have had no success with the wifi modules. When I attempt to download the program I can see the oled screen being affected but get a verification error which stops the download. Using the terminal part of editor 6 I can see the chip running and sending back information and also can see it affected when I send data back to the chip. The editor 6 program can successfully interogate the chip via the wifi link and determine what type of chip it is.
 
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Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
Verification errors are almost always power supply related. The firmware check still works because it doesn't involve any 'writing' to the chips memory. Check the batteries at the PICAXE end.
 

dave.

New Member
Thanks. Checked and charged the batteries and have 4.5v at the moment. No success.

Error:
Verification error - 0xFFFFFFB2 transmitted but nothing received at byte 2

the error will change to a different byte number each time.

Do I have to program the erf module to suit the chip that I am using?
 
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Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
Add some extra capacitors into your system, try some directly across the erf supply.
 

AllyCat

Senior Member
Hi,

If you really mean one Farad, that's much too large! "Supercaps" generally have far too much series resistance and/or inductance for decoupling purposes.

Typically use 0.1uF (ceramic/mylar, etc.) or 10uF - 100uF electrolytic, or possibly both. As technical said, verify errors are nearly always due to power supply issues (but I suppose a poor wireless link might have a similar effect).

Cheers, Alan.
 

dave.

New Member
Thanks Alan. I tried decoupling with a ceramic and a 33 uf electrolytic but no success. Because I can read the transmissions from the erf module and can see the effects of the transmissions from the urf module on the erf I dont understand why it wont program because the signals appear to be getting through. I guess if no one else is having verification issues then it must be my fault somewhere. Perhaps I need to buy another O8m2, urf erf pair and start again.
 

edmunds

Senior Member
Dear @dave.,

From your reply, you are rushing into expenditure prematurely :).

I have had verification problems, before, but I do not remember the cause, nor the remedy. I'm sure buying more stuff was not it, though ;).

You could start with trying to disconnect the picaxe from everything and upload something like blink an LED and see if that gives the error. Then, you could follow Alan's suggestion exactly and add 0.1uF (ceramic) and 10uF(electrolytic) decoupling capacitors, because 1F and 33uF do not help with the problem. Most likely, between 0.01uF and 0.1uF ceramic is what you are after.

If the above fails you could post schematic and/or picture of your setup.


Good luck,

Edmunds
 

inglewoodpete

Senior Member
From my experience, two things may be causing the verification errors. As most of the previous posts have mentioned, add a 0.1uF capacitor (I use "MKT" type) mounted as close as possible to the power pins on the chip if you don't have one mounted there already. Additionally a 10 to 100uF electrolytic mounted near the chip too.

The second source of problems is a weak power source. You need a good supply to successfully program a PICAXE. I use a 7805 (or equivalent) regulator with its own capacitors or fresh batteries. Old or weak batteries or poor battery contacts can affect your ability to program a PICAXE.

You mention that you "charged the batteries and have 4.5v at the moment". That is an unusual voltage for rechargables - what type are they?
 

dave.

New Member
Ok. Thanks I will give it a go. The batteries are Nimh. Ive changed them for three Alkalines at the moment. I have a 100nF close to the power supply pins on the chip and also placed the 33 uF next to it but the verification error still occurs.
 
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Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
Please see page 5 of the erf manual

http://www.picaxe.com/docs/rfa020.pdf

The erf does NOT connect into the 3.5mm serial socket, as it is then the wrong side of the 10k/22k resistors. See the datasheet for the correct circuit. The way you have it wired now will not work - as you have found out!
 

dave.

New Member
verification error3.jpgI reworked the tx from the erf module and placed it on the serial in pin3 of the 18m2 chip. The verification error comes up during download.
 

cravenhaven

Senior Member
I have never used these modules, but from looking at the data sheet linked by technical there are a couple of things to be aware of.
1. Is the module specifically designed for picaxe (APPENDIX 1 OF THE DOC).
2. To save confusion, it might be better to get rid of the connection via the 3.5mm socket and just wire the module directly to the chip
3. Are the baud rates set correctly.
 

Goeytex

Senior Member
As Technical noted verification errors are nearly always Power Supply related.
This includes poor grounding.


Why is a stereo cable plugged in to the stereo jack?
Unplug it and remove any connections from the cable to the ERF Module
In other words get rid of the stereo cable.


Shorten all leads. The shorter the better.
Connect Picaxe Serout (C.3) directly to ERF RX
Connect Picaxe Serrin (C.4) directly to ERF TX
Connect a jumper from ERF ground to Picaxe Ground.

The attached diagram is how I might do it with your CHI030 Board.
 

Attachments

dave.

New Member
Thanks for that. I rewired without the stereo setup. The error still comes up. The transmit and receive signals appear to be getting through. Its as if the modules aren'verification error 4.jpgt speaking the right language to one another.
 

Goeytex

Senior Member
The URF should automatically set the baud of the ERF rate to match when the units are paired. If I am not mistaken. the URF defaults to 9600 baud. However programming is done at 4800 baud. Maybe try to manually set the URF to 4800 baud.

And make sure that the terminal program in Program editor is not open prior to programming. Or maybe open the terminal and set the terminal to 4800 then send a few bytes to the URF to auto set the baud rate. Then close the terminal and try programming. Just guessing here.
 

dave.

New Member
Thanks for all who have looked at the issues involved. The comments have been encouraging and helpful. I tried the 4800 baud rate as suggested but the verification error continues. I took a screen shot of the terminal program running. The screen shows the picaxe program running and sending out its readings. verification5.jpg

Also I ran the URF configuration program and the image shows that a string is missing. Do I need to add this string to the URF program and then download it?verification 6.jpg
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Also I ran the URF configuration program and the image shows that a string is missing. Do I need to add this string to the URF program and then download it?
Possibly but we would need to investigate further as to what the problem is. There should be no need to run the URF or any other configuration wizards; and doing so may dig you deeper into the hole.

What may be best is to take a step back and set the ERF up standalone doing no more than echoing data back to the PC. Get that working reliably then move on to see if over the air programming works and determining why not if it doesn't.
 

dave.

New Member
I had a look at the ERF and URF configuration programs. I think that this is where the problem is. I ran the urf and erf configurations when I first got the URF and ERF modules. I think that I have destroyed the original programs inside the modules. verification error 7.jpgverification error 8.jpg
 

Jeremy Harris

Senior Member
IIRC, the URF and ERF modules sold by Rev Ed are NOT the same as those that used to be sold directly by Ciseco (the now defunct manufacturer). They were programmed and configured to allow the use of break signalling, a particular requirement of the Picaxe programming method.

I'm not sure whether the configuration programmes can alter the required configuration to enable Picaxe programming, but have a strong suspicion that they probably can. I've used the ERF modules a fair bit, until they stopped manufacture of them a few months ago, and I'm afraid I stuck with the stock configuration, and didn't risk changing a thing, for fear of messing up the settings, and they worked very well.

I think it's also for this reason that not all cheap USB to serial converters will programme a Picaxe, as some do support break signalling, some don't.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
I had a look at the ERF and URF configuration programs. I think that this is where the problem is. I ran the urf and erf configurations when I first got the URF and ERF modules. I think that I have destroyed the original programs inside the modules. View attachment 20649View attachment 20650
Possibly. It's been a long time ago I have used any URF, SRF or ERF and it would help to clarify things to indicate what the screen is showing, whether that is a URF, SRF or ERF being interrogated, and it would be better if you could include an actual screen shot taken using the PC rather than a phone.
 

dave.

New Member
This is a screen shot of the configuration program for the URF module. verification error 9.PNG

The following errors appear.

sleep mode (ATSM err)
flow control (ATFC err)
Baud rate (ATBD err)

From what I can gather the ERF module is currently running at 2400 baud rate. When I run data link the data comes back correct from the ERF module at 2400 baud rate.verification error 10.PNG )screen shot of data link program indicating the information that is being sent from the picaxe through the erf/urf serial link. 2400 baud rate.
 
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Jeremy Harris

Senior Member
I've just had an experience that might have a bearing on your problem, or might not.

I was trying to programme a 14M2, in circuit, and had a sequence of verification errors, not something I've ever seen before. This was using the AXE027 cable, not your set up.

After a lot of head scratching I found the cause. This board has a couple of serial inputs from another unit connected to it, and has always worked faultlessly before. In this case I found that in taking the lid off to programme the unit I had accidentally dislodged the ground connection from the cable that feeds the serial data to this board. So, when I was trying to programme the board, pins C.3 and C.2 were receiving serial data from another unit, but with no ground connected. This caused the verification error, as presumably the differential voltages across C.2 and C.3 were enough to mess things up somehow.

It may have no bearing on your problem at all, but by posting in this thread it might well get spotted by someone with a similar problem in future, and save them half an hour of head scratching.
 

dave.

New Member
Thanks for that. I wonder whether the serial input messes with the programming input. My 08m2 and 18 m2 chips are sending serial outputs out due to the program that they have running. Perhaps that interferes with the program download so it stops? The ground connection would also be an issue though.
 

dave.

New Member
Hooray! Success at last. Because I was trying to download and upload through the programming terminals I needed to use the sertxd and serrxd commands not the serin and serout commands. I guess that the old addage still holds true. "When all else fails read the instructions". Now the fun can really start.
 
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