 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Bricked explore 64+
Page 1 of 4   |
|||||
| Author | Message | ||||
Bryan1 Guru  Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1480 |
G'day Guy's, Well it has been awhile since I played with my explore64+ so today loaded up the new beta only to find it won't connect to tera term or MMChat at all. I've loaded several hex files and everytime the IPE has said it programmed correctly but then trying to connect to tera term I just get a block. Hit enter then get a prompt. Close tera term then find there is no option to use the serial terminal as none are found. Even trying MMChat going first time it finds the serial port then I go to connect the chat and it says not set COM8. Com8 is the correct port as I did check in the device manager so I do know the driver is working. Close down MMChat and reload it only to find it can't find COM 8 at all. Been trying all morning with no luck and it does look like it is bricked. Regards Bryan |
||||
TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6283 |
Are you using the built-in USB or an external USB-TTL converter.? What version of windows are you using? A user was having problems with the driver for the built-in USB. I haven't had any problems with Windows 10 but haven't tried the latest beta yet (and I normally use the external TTL method to retain what little sanity I still have) Jim VK7JH MMedit |
||||
| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1480 |
Hi Jim, First I tried XP on my old cnc computer with no luck then I tried my laptop with win7 64 bit which I used to program it with. I did get the pickit 3 and the IPE to load up the new beta file but no luck on the connection. Finally I came down to the house and used my desktop win 7 computer and thats when I loaded several hex versions. Everytime it did the same thing connect to com port then after a computer reboot it wouldn't find the port yet the device manager was saying the driver was loaded correctly. I am just using the usb cable that plugs into the explorer and no other device. I have used this method in the past with no problems. Regards Bryan |
||||
| TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6283 |
I think you are having the same problem as Malibu https://www.thebackshed.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10686&PN=3 I do have an old XP laptop I can try to resurrect but I don't think I have any analyzing software that will run on XP. Windows 10 uses a Microsoft driver while all other Windows versions use the Microchip driver. I expect there is a timing issue that the Microchip driver doesn't like. The best long term fix is to use an external USB-TTL adapter. Jim VK7JH MMedit |
||||
| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1480 |
Hi Jim, I did a trial with the device manager open and no serial ports was shown so plugged in the usb cable and the port came up. So now I'm backup on my shed laptop and tried the same thing and it does the same. Now although the micromite welcome screen doesn't come up I went and typed edit and the editor did come up both in tera term and mmchat. So it does look like it is working now so next job is hooking up the lcd. Maybe if I tried that this morning I wouldn't of done my head in trying to get it going. O'well it does look like the brick is in my head rather than the explorer board but with no welcome screen it was the big distraction. Regards Bryan |
||||
| TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6283 |
Plugged it into a USB port on the old XP and Windows complained that the device will run faster on a high speed USB2 port but it works OK. The laptop is supposed to have all USB2 ports so something is confusing it. Tried every USB port on the laptop and it gave the same message but still worked. Jim Edit: Glad you have it working... VK7JH MMedit |
||||
| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1480 |
Hi Jim, Yea on the shed laptop when I tried to connect using the pickit 3 to power the explorer it kept saying supplied 3.3V but saw 3.0V (to that effect) so I dropped the vdd voltage in the power section of the IPE to 3.0V and it said it programmed ok doing that. |
||||
Azure Guru Joined: 09/11/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 446 |
Glad it is running. I now program my MM Plus 64 LCD Backpack and talk to the console using the microbridge. The notebook I use has a 4K screen and the Microchip IDE/IPE just did not like it (it is a little better now but not great). That started me looking for other ways to update the firmware so I gave the microbridge a try. Get yourself a microbridge kit. I have a genuine pickit-3 and also pickit-4 and the microbridge. The microbridge with both serial (with your choise of comms software) and icsp port using pic32prog is much easier. You can keep the comms window open, just disconnect (in the comms software), press the mode button on the microbridge and run pic32prog, when it is finished just go back to your comms software and reconnect. No cables to change or usb disconnect/connect issues, one nice little convenient module does both. If you are using the MM LCD Backpack V2 it has the microbridge build into the Backpack. So same toolset just need to load different firmware file depending on which you are working with. Here is a picture of it connected up for both ICSP and Console (front and back).   |
||||
| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1480 |
Hi Azure, I'm using the explore 64+ I bought off Grogster which is a breadboard version and I don't have a microbridge. o Now I hooked up the ILI9341 as per the manual and set the OPTION LCDPANEL And it said Restart the micromite. So did that and now this laptop is refusing to see it once again and keeps coming up as a Unknown Device and there's noway it will run the siliconchip driver where it showed before. Even after a reboot it's saying the same. I do have some prolific boards here so thats my next trial. Regard Bryan |
||||
| Azure Guru Joined: 09/11/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 446 |
If you are powering from the USB Port it may not be able to drive the display. Does it still start up with the LCD not powered up (maybe just remove the LCD Vcc and Backlight power if you cannot easily unplug it). In my pic that little board is the Microbridge plugged into a SC MM Plus 64 BP. It has an ISCP for programming and another connector (that I put the jumpers on) to connect to the console. Doing that there is no USB plug change or wires to change to go from programming to talking to the console. you just do a software disconnect and reconnect in your terminal package while you use the programming software. |
||||
Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
Phucking Opera crashed on me during my very technical reply, so I am NOT typing all that again.  Short-list of points I was making when Opera died: - On-board USB on E64 has been reported as being temperamental. Not always, just some of the time, for some people. This made it hard to decide if the 1C's should be discontinued. - 1455 chip gets around this problem, and is now how I design any new MM product. - When you press reset, the PIC32 core restarts, which also restarts the USB handler, and Windoze promptly then drops the VCP(virtual COM port). To get it back, you have to unplug the E64's USB cable, put it back, reconnect in TT or similar - this is a pain. - Windoze being Windoze.....well, enough said really. - Getting the on-board USB back once Windoze has had issues with it, can be quite difficult with messages along the lines of 'The USB device has malfunctioned and Windows does not recognise it' - this is a Bill-level issue, not the E64's fault. - I also STRONGLY agree that you should use an external USB adaptor such as a CP2102 USB adpator for $1 Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
||||
| Malibu Senior Member  Joined: 07/07/2018 Location: AustraliaPosts: 260 |
Yup, this does sound very familiar... so I know what you're going through! My solution to what you're describing (and I wouldn't even call it a solution) was to use a USB 3 port - but even that was temperamental at the best of times. For a few days, it was random if the Win7 system would recognise the port driver, but now after a couple of weeks, the USB port/Driver works first time, every time. My problems ONLY happened when I configured the LCD Panel with the OPTION command. I wish I could give you a solid answer to your headaches, but all I can say is that 'it just started working'! (As an observation in my case is that when I sometimes get a hickup on the Hantek USB DSO driver, the MM USB driver seems to get a little frazzled. Generally a re-boot fixes both drivers and I'm good again. I'm still working on the theory of that one) Strangley enough, I've never seen that! John |
||||
| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1480 |
G'day Guy's, Well the prolific board was a complete flop although it did register in the device manager as com4 teraterm and MMChat would not let me type anything. Tried doing a system restore after plugging in the usb the umpteenth time and the laptop hung so had to the battery out hard reset. Even after the system restore the laptop still won't see the micromite and it has stayed as an 'unknown device' refusing to allow a new driver to be installed even after logging in as the admin. I have ordered one of those modules Grog's and it's on the slow boat from china and even slower boat when it gets to Oz. I'll have to seew here I can get one of those micro bridge modules and hopefully it wont a month or two to get here. Until then it will have to go bak in the box. Regards Bryan |
||||
palcal Guru Joined: 12/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1993 |
@ Bryan1 I have a Microbridge here that I can send you. I am going to town tomorrow, else it will be another week. PM me if I can help. Paul. "It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all" |
||||
| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1480 |
Thanks Paul PM sent mate |
||||
| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
Yes, I have seen that myself. This does NOT happen for everyone, only a very few from what I have documented. What version of Windoze are you using? You may have stated that before, and I might have missed it..... Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
||||
| Azure Guru Joined: 09/11/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 446 |
You can order the MicroBridge Kit from SC or just the bits you want. Here is a link to the microbridge details from Geoff. There are also some TBS members like WhiteWizzard at MicroMite.org or this one from Circuit Gizmos that sell something. I think Grogster, BigMik and possibly others (I'm still learning who's who in the zoo) have chips not sure if they have PCB or Kits for this. |
||||
| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1480 |
Win 7 home on the laptop and I'll put a new monitor on the xp computer as stuffing around on it has messed up the display. |
||||
| Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1480 |
Well had a look at this problem of 'Device Unknown' and got onto microsucks to find a solution. It recommended removing the usb drivers doing a reboot and letting winsucks take care of it. I did look at the date on the original driver '09 so deleted all the usb in the device manager then did a reboot. Well no USB at all after the reboot so got onto the acer site and found the driver file only to find it was the same date as the one I deleted. As I hadn't updated winsucks for 2 years decided to do an update and 3 hours later after it all downloaded installed them. Then tried again with the USB cord from the expolorer board only to find 'device unknown' again. Back in the day of the 32 bit computers all one had to was change a key in the registery. Now with 64 bit I thought I did find the key to change only to find I had to do a restore as it wasn't the one. As this is a known fact of microchip chips having the problem with winsucks is the siliconchip one the only driver file for the micromite or is there a more current one out there somewhere. Also I did change the monitor one my old XP box and and it did same 'Device Unknown' where in the past it used to just plain work. Paul has sent the microbridge today and one that one Grog's said for a $1 I did get an email saying altohough it's snail mail please don't give me a bad rep as it's not my fault. Regards Bryan |
||||
| palcal Guru Joined: 12/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1993 |
As for the SiliconChip driver, I always needed it with Win XP but not with Win 10. Paul. "It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all" |
||||
| Page 1 of 4 |
|||||
 Print this page |
 |
The Back Shed's forum code is written, and hosted, in Australia. | © JAQ Software 2025 |
