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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : ArmmiteF4 firmware V5.07.00b1 - major upgrade

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disco4now

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Joined: 18/12/2014
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Posted: 10:37am 09 Mar 2021

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Ok got those
Thanks
Gerry

Latest F4 Latest H7 FotS

erbp
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Joined: 03/05/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 195

Posted: 05:27am 12 Mar 2021

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The ability to trigger an interrupt on a Serial Port when a certain character has been received has been available in the MM2 and MM+ firmware since Release 5.05.02 - see below excerpt from the Change Log for the 5.05.02 release:

An interrupt on a serial port can now be triggered when a certain character has been received. The number used in the fifth field in the comspec string can now be prefixed with an equals character (=) and in that case MMBasic will call the interrupt subroutine when a character with that ASCII value has been received. For example, using the following comspec string "COM1: 300, 256, MyInt, =13" will cause MMBasic to call the interrupt subroutine MyInt when a carriage return character (ASCII value of 13) was received. The previous behaviour with an ordinary number (ie, interrupt on the number of characters received) is unchanged.

Is there any possibility that this feature could be added to the Armmite F4 firmware too?

Thanks,
Phil.

RetroJoe

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Joined: 06/08/2020
Location: Canada
Posts: 290

Posted: 02:23am 13 Mar 2021

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I picked up an F4 + LCD bundle. The USB bootloader and STM32CubeLoader appear to work fine, but Windows 10 doesn't see a USB port when I disconnect / reconnect with BT0 grounded. I tried "mass erasing" the board via the STCube app, a different USB cable, and different versions of the Armmite FW - no dice. Any diagnostic / troubleshooting tips on offer? I don't think it's a flaky USB connector or cable, otherwise the FW upload wouldn't work - right? Maybe pulling the battery to fully purge the board? I left the LCD disconnected thus far - does that factor into anything?
Edited 2021-03-13 12:25 by RetroJoe

Enjoy Every Sandwich / Joe P.

disco4now

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Joined: 18/12/2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 971

Posted: 03:23am 13 Mar 2021

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Try removing the jumper all together, as its not needed, this will eliminate possibility of it being in the wrong place.

Hold Key1 down while applying power, ie plugging in the usb cable.
This will ensure a full reset of MMBasic.

Also check in windows device manager to see if the USB port is coming up under Ports(COM &LPT)

Regards
Gerry

Latest F4 Latest H7 FotS

panky

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Joined: 02/10/2012
Location: Australia
Posts: 1111

Posted: 04:13am 13 Mar 2021

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I also had quite a few problems with bad solder joins on the USB connector - gave me intermitents just moving the board slightly. It's a !@#$% to get into to touch up as the nRF connector is in the way.
Regards,
Doug.

... almost all of the Maximites, the MicromMites, the MM Extremes, the ArmMites, the PicoMite and loving it!

RetroJoe

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Joined: 06/08/2020
Location: Canada
Posts: 290

Posted: 06:27pm 13 Mar 2021

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Thanks, guys, but nothing doing

I just tried (a) holding down K1 at power-up, (b) pulling the battery, (c) connecting the freshly-flashed board to another PC running Win10, (d) running the STCube flashing process on that other PC, and (e) booting the F4 board with all jumpers disconnected.

I've also tried F4507b1, b4 and b7 - no difference.

I am 98.5% convinced there is no fault in the electrical part of the USB connection, as Windows detects it just fine when I plug the F4 board in while it is in DFU mode (i.e. with BT0 at 3.3V and BT1 at GND per "Appendix G" in Gerry's excellent manual), on two different PCs, using two different USB cables.

In all cases, the STCube application downloads/verifies the .bin file without any error.

Here's one more possible clue: in one of my DFU attempts, I checked the "Run after programming" in the STCube software, after which the USB connection was broken following the erase/write operation. Normally, the "USB1" bootloader connection remains alive after programming, and you have to "Disconnect" it manually in the STCube app.

The only other thing I can think of is I am not using the "right" model or vintage of the F4 board, but mine looks exactly like all the posted pictures - it's marked "STM32F4VET6".

Is there any other factory reset or "purge" option on the board, or any kind of "exerciser" FW image (e.g. diagnostic tools from STM) I can try to verify that the HW (particularly the USB com port) is or is not working correctly?

If not, I'll have to chalk this up as a failed MMBasic experiment, as I am currently dead in the water. Seems a shame, because the Armmite looks like it would be a cool platform for a bunch of applications if I could get it working.

Cheers,

Joe P.

Enjoy Every Sandwich / Joe P.

lizby
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Joined: 17/05/2016
Location: United States
Posts: 3315

Posted: 07:01pm 13 Mar 2021

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If you're up for more experimenting, you might try to see if you can get serial console as per page 22 of the F4 manual. Hook up a serial-to-usb module at 115200 to the J6 pins, press and hold the button on the F4 labelled K0, and reset or plug in usb power.

PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed

RetroJoe

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Joined: 06/08/2020
Location: Canada
Posts: 290

Posted: 09:14pm 13 Mar 2021

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Yes, thanks. I guess that would be the next step if I had an actual project I needed it for, but I just wanted to see what all excitement was about and play around with the LCD GUI. Maybe some future release of Peter's firmware will do the trick.

Enjoy Every Sandwich / Joe P.

matherp
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Joined: 11/12/2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 10070

Posted: 10:32pm 13 Mar 2021

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Quote Maybe some future release of Peter's firmware will do the trick.

Firmware can't rescue a H/W issue. If you have a scope check things like the crystal being driven. The programming uses an internal clock so it is perfectly possible for the device to be programmed but not run if there is a H/W problem

davematt
Regular Member

Joined: 27/09/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 55

Posted: 10:52pm 13 Mar 2021

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I have the same symptoms, board wont play nice in device manager.
Version 5.06 and earlier works for me... Cheers, D

crez

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Joined: 24/10/2012
Location: Australia
Posts: 152

Posted: 01:25am 14 Mar 2021

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I'm having a problem with XMODEM. I issue the XMODEM SEND command at the prompt then start XMODEM RECEIVE in teraterm using alt-f,t,x,r. Teraterm sits there for a good while with nothing happening then gives up. mmbasic does not respond to any keypress and must be reset. I'm using the VET-6 board with the 2021-03-08 firmware.

David

TassyJim

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Joined: 07/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 6221

Posted: 01:42am 14 Mar 2021

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crez said I'm having a problem with XMODEM. I issue the XMODEM SEND command at the prompt then start XMODEM RECEIVE in teraterm using alt-f,t,x,r. Teraterm sits there for a good while with nothing happening then gives up. mmbasic does not respond to any keypress and must be reset. I'm using the VET-6 board with the 2021-03-08 firmware.

David

Are you giving the command a filename?

xmodem send "temp.bas"

The command will timeout eventually if you don't get teraterm started within 30 seconds (could be a bit longer than 30)

It works OK here with the latest beta6 firmware

Do you have the console redirected away from the USB?

Jim

VK7JH
MMedit

crez

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Joined: 24/10/2012
Location: Australia
Posts: 152

Posted: 02:06am 14 Mar 2021

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Hi Jim,
No, no file name. Transferring from program memory with no SD card attached.
I am using the virtual serial via the USB.

TassyJim

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Joined: 07/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 6221

Posted: 04:47am 14 Mar 2021

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I have never tried the F4 without a SDcard.

It looks like a bug to me.

I can confirm that the system locks up if you try XMODEM SEND without a filename$

You can always use LIST ALL to get the program of the 'mite

Jim

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MMedit

crez

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Joined: 24/10/2012
Location: Australia
Posts: 152

Posted: 06:08am 14 Mar 2021

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Thanks Jim
I didn't have an 8G (or higher) SD card handy when the board arrived, but it is now on my shopping list. So it wasn't just me...

RetroJoe

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Joined: 06/08/2020
Location: Canada
Posts: 290

Posted: 08:46am 14 Mar 2021

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matherp said Firmware can't rescue a H/W issue. If you have a scope check things like the crystal being driven. The programming uses an internal clock so it is perfectly possible for the device to be programmed but not run if there is a H/W problem

Thanks, Peter. I do have a scope - can you recommend any diagnostic "POST" type routines, or come across any testing FW or HW troubleshooting guides in your STM or F4 travels?

"Surely", these F4 boards undergo some modest testing by the manufacturer and don't just get shipped straight off the wave soldering machine? Or maybe they do, which is why they are so cheap and seem to exhibit such a high degree of flakiness and infant mortality.

Enjoy Every Sandwich / Joe P.

matherp
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Joined: 11/12/2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 10070

Posted: 08:56am 14 Mar 2021

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Quote "Surely", these F4 boards undergo some modest testing by the manufacturer and don't just get shipped straight off the wave soldering machine? Or maybe they do, which is why they are so cheap and seem to exhibit such a high degree of flakiness and infant mortality.

I suspect there is no testing at all

If you attach the LCD and power-up does the LCD go all white and then clear to black? If it does then the processor is running and the issue is with USB. If not then it definitely isn't running properly. If it is running try using a serial console as explained above.

Quote It looks like a bug to me.

Thanks for the report - I'll look at XMODEM

UPDATE

b7 attached XMODEM fixed

ArmmiteF407.zip
Edited 2021-03-14 19:52 by matherp

jaybek
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Joined: 25/05/2020
Location: Greenland
Posts: 18

Posted: 02:20pm 14 Mar 2021

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@RetroJoe.
I had the exact same errors with my board, as you describe.
I got it to run by pressing the "Full chip erase"-button in STM32CubeProgrammer, before uploading the firmware.
Hope it does the trick for you to.

Jens

#MeTo ZX81

RetroJoe

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Joined: 06/08/2020
Location: Canada
Posts: 290

Posted: 08:19pm 14 Mar 2021

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@ jaybek, Thanks! I did try that at one point (I tried just about everything :), but it seemed to hang the STMCube app. I'll give it another go. What FW version are you using?

@ Peter, I can confirm that the LCD, if connected at bootup, is white and stays white I.e. all pixels on.

Enjoy Every Sandwich / Joe P.

matherp
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Posted: 10:30pm 14 Mar 2021

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Quote Peter, I can confirm that the LCD, if connected at bootup, is white and stays white I.e. all pixels on.

This means the processor isn't running. I would suspect the crystal and load caps as a first try

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