E/X-Mag Microcontroller Programming (Atmel AT90S2313)

[Shipforbrains]

Oops

You must not have noticed but there is a thread titled XMOD BETA Testers ONLY also in Deep Blue that I started. All useful questoins/comments are to be posted there. If anyone thinks they are haveing a unique problem please email me first and I will let you know if I think you shoud post it there.

Didn't see that. Thanks for the info.

[zigss]

xmod

hey lorne i got my board back....if anyone has an stk500 and can't find their board in the program instead of installing it again if you go hit the program button while turning on the board just the power light stays lit. After that if you go into TOOLS>AVR PROG>...browse STK500.Ebn usually this will make the board found! The program is found in the c drive under atmel.

Make sure you have a full battery or you might get a message saying the ISP frequency must be set 1/4 of the clock or something close. Trying to help the iliterates like me. Thanx

Zigss

Just got 1.61 installed yeah

PROPS TO LORNE

[Naash]

I received the programmer yesterday and installed the 1.61 soft.

It took me a few minutes and the gun really rocks !



Gratz Lornecash.

[hitech]

Does anyone know if they have a version of studio that works under Microsoft Pocket PC?

[LorneCash]

Does anyone know if they have a version of studio that works under Microsoft Pocket PC?

I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist, I've searched before, but there is a programmer I found on AVRfreaks where you can load up to 8 flashes into the programmer and program devices without a computer at all. It's called the FISP-USB, check out the link.

[Outlaw5]

Upgrade to XMOD 1.61

I have upgraded my X-MAG to XMOD 1.61 and it took me longer to set up the device, deconnect the correct plugs on the board and plug in the wiring harness for the flash than it did for the program to be flashed on the board. I have the AMTEL STK-500 and I followed the instructions from Revision 4.0 of Lornecash's manual for the XMOD. I have tested it.......but you'll have to go over to the XMOD Test thread to find out how it went. I leaset you don't have to wait until next week for the conclusion to this show....... V/R MAJ Jerry "Outlaw5" Perkins, SF, De Oppresso Liber

[SeeK]

It took me a couple of days but I finally got upgraded.

I seemed to have run into all the problems mentioned but at least I was able to capture all of the windows that should help in the documentation.

My list of problems:

1. German programmer didn't seem to be detected.
The software install went just as it should and windows detected when I plugged it into the USB so I know it was functional. I finally found this resolution in this thread's previous page (Right click on My Computer, Properties, Device Manager, Ports (COM & LPT), USB to COM Bridge for ICmega Modules (COM5), Right click, Properties, Port Settings Tab, Advanced button, COM Port Number) change this to anything NOT in use.)
This happened because I have a Blackberry virtual port. I suppose this will be the case with anyone else with a smartphone.

2. The 1.61 Flash.hex was not a valid INTEL HEX File when trying to flash. This was actually an easy fix to remove an extra linefeed (LF) at the end of the file. The fix was to delete the extra LF and save the file.

I was using Firefox to download from GMail. I opened my backup of 3.2 Flash in Notepad and noticed that my download of the 1.61 Flash had 2 LF at the end of the file while the backup had only 1 LF. This could easily occur when text files are sent between Unix and Windows systems. HEX is not a widely used filetype so GMail probably didn't know how to handle it. If it were named 1.61 Flash.hex.txt it probably would have mailed fine.

3. LEDs on the German programmer don't light up like the documentation say.
I'm still working on this one. I know that I took static precautions and I plugged into USB2 ports with little or no other devices drawing power on 2 different computers. I was also using a fully charged battery. Others have said the saw it light up upon first install but I didn't see any lighting or flashes.

[hitech]

I'm going to try reinstalling the USB drivers again (already reinstalled Stuido once), but I seem to be having a different problem. When I click on Tools -> AVR Prog... it works for awhile but it never displays the screen for AVR Prog. The process is running in task manager, but the screen is not displayed. When I try to shut down AVR Prog doesn't want to shutdown. Any Ideas?

[SeeK]

I'm going to try reinstalling the USB drivers again (already reinstalled Stuido once), but I seem to be having a different problem. When I click on Tools -> AVR Prog... it works for awhile but it never displays the screen for AVR Prog. The process is running in task manager, but the screen is not displayed. When I try to shut down AVR Prog doesn't want to shutdown. Any Ideas?

I kept McAfee Virus Scan running on one computer and they both work. I suppose it's possible that other AntiVirus programs may cause problems when installing or running.

Other that that it sounds like the Board can't be found problem that is cured by changing COM ports. This may still be your problem if you switched to a COM port that shares an IRQ with something else (ie COM 1 & 3 and COM 2 & 4 share the same IRQ). If you selected COM 3 and had a mouse, modem or something else used at the same time you might have problems.

[hitech]

I kept McAfee Virus Scan running on one computer and they both work. I suppose it's possible that other AntiVirus programs may cause problems when installing or running.

Other that that it sounds like the Board can't be found problem that is cured by changing COM ports. This may still be your problem if you switched to a COM port that shares an IRQ with something else (ie COM 1 & 3 and COM 2 & 4 share the same IRQ). If you selected COM 3 and had a mouse, modem or something else used at the same time you might have problems.

I will have to check out the com ports. I do have the IR port enabled and it uses a com port to enable it. hadn't thought about that.

[hitech]

[LorneCash]

Speaking of Reballs... Does anyone know where I can get a couple hundred for a good price? I have never used them before but if there are different kinds which ones are best / last the longest. I am in the process of getting a SCUBA and will be doing some hard core testing that really only I can do because I know how the code is supposed to work. There are a few things that need to be tweaked that even the best beta tester won't find, that may be partly my fault for putting you right in the center of a Mag owners utopia. Compared to where you came from my BETA 1.0 was really awesome, but there is still some evolving that needs to happen.

[SeeK]

Speaking of Reballs... Does anyone know where I can get a couple hundred for a good price? I have never used them before but if there are different kinds which ones are best / last the longest. I am in the process of getting a SCUBA and will be doing some hard core testing that really only I can do because I know how the code is supposed to work. There are a few things that need to be tweaked that even the best beta tester won't find, that may be partly my fault for putting you right in the center of a Mag owners utopia. Compared to where you came from my BETA 1.0 was really awesome, but there is still some evolving that needs to happen.

Rusballs?

http://www.forceofnature.com/invision/index.php?showtopic=11209

It says they may need lubrication but I think Silicone spray should work and not leave paint on the target.

[zigss]

reballs

sopay water is how to clean them and they shouldn't need to be lubricated

[Naash]

In my team, we use reballs in a kind of cage (35m x 3 m x 3m).

We bought about 2500 of them 4 monthes ago and use them 2 or 3 times every week (we're 12).

All they need before be re-used is to be washed in water, and dried (we use old Tshirts ...). That's all, absolutely no lubrification.