AXE090 - Serial Download Problem

Hi, apologies for having to ask for help so soon, only got the AXE090 experimenters pack on Thursday and now the strain of sleepless nights and loss appetite is obvious to friend and foe alike.

Power is from three AA batteries, the green PWR LED is on, the serial cable is connected but trry 'run' from the program editor and get the error message..."Error - hardware not found on Com 1: ..."

I've tried the reset trick and the serial test from the options menu... Clicking the green icon on and off gives 5.32V and 0V respectively from the Serial In/0V pins of the pic.

Tested the resitors which are very close to the values specified in the datasheet.

There are no problems with the com ports on my PC, to rule this out I'm planning on hijacking mates' computers tomorrow.

My last ditch attempt was to update the program editor to 5.20 - still no joy.

Am I right in thinking that my only course of action now is to wait til payday (the 20th May) and buy the USB/serial lead to see if that works, as well as a pic08 starter pack that has fewer bit to mess up to rule out soldering problems on the axe090?

Any advice grealy welcomed

Cheers

1. Is the 18X inserted correctly?

Then check manual I p. 25 for the circuit.
Measure the voltage at legs 5/14

2. You said the comms were OK.

Have you checked View/Options/Serial .........

I'm sure there'll be lots of other suggestions soon.
e

AXE090 experimenter pack

Thanks Eclectic.

The pic is the correctly inserted, with the recessed semicircle on the left?

Measured 4.64V at pins 5 & 14 - is normal?

The serial options show comms 1, 2, 3 as available. Have tried them all to be sure but using Hyper terminal I set up a connection on com1.. tried the program editor again - clicked the run command, the connection was not available so it's definitely on com1.

Thanks for the help

OK, I'm just using my failing memory at the moment.

Another "nasty" is installed programs/applications which "grab" com ports.
For example, I had a problem with one portable,
until I uninstalled some PDA software.

Another;
In the editor, type a very simple program

b0 = 1

Press the "reset" button with one hand and left-click the "run" arrow.
Then release the "reset"

Finally switch off and try once more. I am NOT being flippant.

If all else fails, use the Simulator for the time being.

e.

slimplynth said:

Measured 4.64V at pins 5 & 14 - is normal?

Click to expand...

If you mean both pins are at 4.6V then no, those power pins should measure 0V and 4.6V when compared to 0V - the chip will never download until it has a correct supply.

Apologies...

Pin 5 = 4.63V
Pin 14 = 0V

Thanks Eclectic. I don't have any "com grabbing" apps installed.. will try the b0=1 prog tomorrow when I get home though, cheers.

For Hard Reset, wait until the pop-up for download shows "Connecting to hardware..." before powering up / releasing the reset button.

Apologies...

Pin 5 = 4.63V
Pin 14 = 0V

Click to expand...

For the 18X, these are reversed. Suggest you recheck the PICAXE 18X in inserted the right way around.

If the power LED is lighting up then suggests the battery is connected the right way and the PICAXE is reversed.

I realize you said the serial cable was installed correctly, but is it a serial cable or a USB cable? If it is the USB cable you will need to install drivers for it to work properly. I bought a starter kit when I started out, and installed everything with the CD. There are two drivers that need to be installed. Unfortunately, I installed only the first one. It took me 8 hrs to find the problem and install the second.

Sorry, I read your question again and discovered my mistake. If you go the USB route just remember the extra drivers.

axe090: pictures showing 18x insertion.

Picture of board...

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s210/stanleyl_uk/DSC01561.jpg

and picture showing pic insertion, pin one to the left...

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s210/stanleyl_uk/DSC01562.jpg

(image is a little blurry but the recessed dimple is on the left.)

I've re-checked the manuals again, the pic is inserted correctly? Don't want to risk goosing it completely by turning it around.

Thanks

(Apologies again, i've searched the forum for axe090 download problems related problems and learned alot from the 120 or so pages I trawled but am still stuck at the most frustrating first hurdle. I hold my hands up and admit my electronics knowledge falls way short at present, so please feel free to talk to me like a dummy ).)

5.32 : 4.64 Does not compute.

I've just re-read your reply on voltage.

I then tested a CHI035 board(18x)

5.23 volts battery.
Leg 14 = 5.23 volts.
Leg 5 = 0 volts.

Can you check the soldering and all connections on the
base of your board.
With a magnifying lens if needed.

e.

I do not have an AXE090 nor can I locate a datasheet to help clarify with certainty.

From your photo, the adjacent socket shows a notch to the right suggesting pin 1 for that socket is top right. See blue mark-up to attached copy of your photo.

If you PICAXE is correctly orientated then the voltages will be 0V at pin 5 and 5V at pin 14 as per the red mark-up to the same photo.

Can you please recheck the voltages - were you wrong in your earlier posting?

Found another photo of an AXE090 (attached) and zooming in suggests your PICAXE is correctly orientated. So if voltages are not as per red mark-up on attached photo must be some other problem related to power supply.

School boy error

pin 5 = 0V
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s210/stanleyl_uk/DSC01563.jpg

pin 14 = 4.5V

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s210/stanleyl_uk/DSC01564.jpg

Slim

Just trying to eliminate variables one by one.
I've just assembled an Axe090, but luckily, I was wearing my best reading specs.

Firstly, have you checked the back for any nasties bridging between solder?
Second, is the small BAT85 diode in the correct way round?

Third,
The four resistors on the left of the board.

Are they in the order I've shown in my photos?

e.

Cheers Eclectic you're a star, I'd almost given up all hope.. I rechecked all my soldering a couple of days ago. Tried a different commy yesterday also borrowed a USB/Serial adapter with no joy (followed the USB help from options menu). will check the diode tonight (thanks for the pics)

I'm going to just wait til Tuesday when I get paid an buy the 08 starter pack, fewer components for me to solder (and fluff ), maybe i bit off more than i can chew with the axe090. Can always use the bits to try an make my own download circuit with the 18X so all is not lost.

Many thanks to all.

H slimplynth,

You arn't giving up yet are you? I have one (dev board)and on mine I only have two Through hole resistors sitting by the Voltage reg. the other one is SMT and soldered on the back side. If yours has it then you can omit the through hole resistor that corresponse the the smt.

180 Resistor

Hi

I was just checkin the board again, the 180 resistor (R4) isn't shown in the download circuit of the axe090 datasheet. Does anynoe know If R4 not working could cause my board to fail during download?

The soldering looks ok on the back but I did have problems while mounting it.

cheers

sorry, guess my question is.. what the eck does R4 do?
:0)

The 180 resistor is part of the "Enhanced Download circuit"

See Manual 1 page 32.

And, just checking.........

1. Have you got the resistors in the correct order, as shown on my photo's?

2. The modern instructions for the board are correct. The photo is of the old board.

But, the sequence, from the top is

R4
R1
R2
R3

e.

Added
"problems while mounting it" Could you explain please?

Thanks.

The Resistors are in the correct order the problem i had during soldering was that I goofed up an blocked one of the holes up, in opening it up I thought this may explain my current situation. it look ok from the back.. but front the front, one of the legs of R4 looks a little dosgy, like there is no pad there.

Its hard to tell if there is any witness of solder on the front side at R4. Im guessin this is the root cause.

OK.

EVER SO carefully now.
Remove ALL the Picaxe chips.

STUDY the connection diagram for the "enhanced circuit"
Then study it again.

Get the multimeter and bodge two thin wires to the probes.

Plug one wire into the TXD (second from left) on the bottom line of connecters.
Then look at the diagram again.

Then, try a Resistance test on BOTH sides of R4.

It SHOULD be near ZERO on the R/H side
and 180 ish on the Left.

Please, please check CAREFULLY.

e.

Addit. I should proof-read better!
180

It's alive!!!

Cheers Eclectic you're are the man. I looked up the advanced circuit and bodged together this...

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s210/stanleyl_uk/DSC01573.jpg
wire straight from serial connector to pin two.

download works fine now yay!

thanks everyone for the help tryin to fix this.. I feel like a happy soul once more