Can a picaxe be resurected?

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mikemwa

Member
I have two 20M chips that seem to have died. One a few weeks a go and one over the weekend. Not sure how or why. Possible that I inserted/removed the chip with the power on.
I have tried to run the program and clear hardware memory without success. Is there any way to bring this chip back to life or find out what happened to it?
 
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Dippy

Moderator
If you've done the usual stuff of checking everything ten times (right-way-round, power,connections, serial I/O etc.) and done as eclectic suggested then oh dear.

I assume you have tried the 20Ms in a known-to-be-working configuration to remove all other 'variables'?

If your circuit has actually killed them then I suggest you spend some time analysing the circuit.

Inserting/removing with power ON could have done the deed of course. But without knowing your circuit it's impossible to say. In any event it's bad practice.

However, that may not be the problem, it depends on all those other 'variables' in your design. After all, when doing hardware programming you would chuck a PIC in a ZIF powered-up. Again, not ideal. I'm merely saying don't assume that was the cause.
It is SO important to check all the I/O possibilites that may have happened.

The only thing you can assume is that it is highly unlikely that the 20Ms have died without external 'help'.
 
hippy

hippy

Ex-Staff (retired)
If it is truly dead then that's probably the end of it other than as a decorative object.

Before pulling the legs off it, check that other PICAXE's do work and that it's not a PC configuration problem or something other than PICAXE failure, try with fresh batteries etc.

As to why they have died, the circumstances they were being used in at the time they failed may help there, along with knowing what the circuit was. Were they both in the same circuit when they failed ? Without that there's only a general list of what could cause the PICAXE to fail.
 
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mikemwa

Member
What happened was I extended a couple wires on the perfboard circuit. Shortly after that I noticed it wasn’t working. After looking to see if there was a problem with that board I removed my last good 20M from the solderless breadboard and replaced it with the one that doesn’t work. It didn’t work in there either. I ran it in the program editor and it won’t download the program. Then I tried the clear hardware memory and I get the same thing. The window comes up about hardware not found on com 1.

Mike
 
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manie

Senior Member
I've had that with 12 (twelve) 28x1's ! The problem ALWAYS turned out to be ME ! Shorted something or 12V into an input pin or something like that. I've since learnt to "power down" before making ANY wiring/component changes... otherwise these little chips are remarkably robust. Good luck...
 
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mikemwa

Member
Yeah I'm afraid that's probably what happened to me too. I just hope I don't break your record.:)
I'm afraid to put my last good 20m into that circuit so I don't blow that one too. Everything looks ok though.
Does anyone know of a source for reasonably priced Picaxes in the U.S.
 
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Andrew Cowan

Senior Member
One multimeter probe on 0V. Put the other in each pin of the 20 pin socket. Any odd voltages? Any pins output pins direct short to 0V/+V?

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manuka

Senior Member
FWIW I've been working with (& supervising) endless PICAXE circuitry (mostly "M"s & 18X) since 2002, & have yet to lose a single one.
 
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