BP3 firmware update problem

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BP3 firmware update problem

December 22, 2009, 04:10:39 am

So I got my BP3, was able to talk to it in terminal. I decided to update the firmware. I'm trying to installed the v3.1 firmware. When I write the firmware I get a LOT of errors, and outside of the range it says is okay. http://aquabunker.com/downloads/ERROR.TXT And now I can't talk to it in the terminal, it's just blank. I've tried flashing a number of times...

Ideas?

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #1 – December 22, 2009, 08:47:12 am

Hi desolatordan - I'm sorry your upgrade didn't work. These verify errors shouldn't cause any problems on their own. The log shows that there should be a blanked region from 0xa800 to 0xabfa, but you have data instead. The main program will never call these instructions so it shouldn't really matter.

First the simple stuff: did you press the erase button before programming, and did you press the green arrow button when the programming is complete?

If this doesn't help, could you please try the following:
*Open the PIC24F quick programmer
*Connect to the PIC
*Click the erase device button
*Click the read device button

Please post the resulting PROGMEM.TXT here and I'll take a closer look.

Did you use a one of the translated firmwares? They sometimes write to a page the bootloader seems unable to erase. This doesn't cause operating errors though because the rest of the program calls the correct instructions.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #2 – December 22, 2009, 08:50:53 pm

[quote author="ian"]
First the simple stuff: did you press the erase button before programming, and did you press the green arrow button when the programming is complete?
[/quote]
Yes.

[quote author="ian"]
If this doesn't help, could you please try the following:
*Open the PIC24F quick programmer
*Connect to the PIC
*Click the erase device button
*Click the read device button

Please post the resulting PROGMEM.TXT here and I'll take a closer look.
[/quote]
http://aquabunker.com/downloads/PROGMEM.TXT

[quote author="ian"]
Did you use a one of the translated firmwares? They sometimes write to a page the bootloader seems unable to erase. This doesn't cause operating errors though because the rest of the program calls the correct instructions.
[/quote]
Yes, I did try the Spanish one, but that did not work either.

I am using the Tera Terminal program. It seems to connect to the BP, as I don't get any errors, but no text or prompt appears.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #3 – December 23, 2009, 08:41:46 am

Thanks for the dump. I'll take a look at it and try to find a solution, please give me a few days though because of the holiday.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #4 – December 23, 2009, 08:51:50 am

Just a quick note: I flashed the v3.1 Spanish firmware, then flashed back to v3.1 English. I have the same garbage as you on the last page, but the terminal still works fine.

What I find strange is that the bootloader would continue to work if the chip is damaged. What speed are you updating at? What is the name of the .HEX file that you flashed to the chip? Is the MODE LED on when you power up with a jumper, and off when you power-up without?

I'll think about it some more and try to find a solution. I may ask you to send it to me for error analysis.

Thanks for your patience, I'm sorry you're having problems.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #5 – December 23, 2009, 03:25:09 pm

The MODE LED doesn't come on, ever. I jumper the PGC and PGD pins before plugging into the computer for update.

"v3-Firmware-v3.1.hex" I've tried updating at both 9600 and the fastest speed, no difference.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #6 – December 24, 2009, 03:27:50 am

I hope this helps in some way.

just before i went away for the christmas holidays i did an upgrade of the firmware on both my v2go and the v3 Buspirates that i have,

the v3 went without a hitch. but the v2go seemed to have the same area's that were effected by the verification error. I didnt think to much of it at the time other than i did the erase and program twice and got the same result.
I am not at home so i cant verify this but when i get home next week i can do it again and double check.

anyway. i thought it was interesting to see the same area with verify errors.

hope it helps

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #7 – January 03, 2010, 05:25:52 am

I'm having the exact same problem with mine. I CAN get the MODE light to come on if I press various combinations of the Enter and ? keys. Still, nothing ever shows up on the terminal window.

Note, I'm running Win 7 64 bit if that makes a difference.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #8 – January 03, 2010, 05:33:06 am

Wanted to add some more to this. In my scenario, the MODE light is off when I power on without the jumper and ON when the jumper is attached.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #9 – January 03, 2010, 05:55:10 am

ok,

i just did some playing,

i used my pic programmer to erase the pic and then reload the bootloader. that all went fine. pic verified etc.

then i loaded the v3.1 firmware again. i get verify errors upto 0xb5c

the last few lines are

Code: [Select]

Verify Error at 0xB30 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0xBB0880
Verify Error at 0xB32 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x90004E
Verify Error at 0xB34 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x200550
Verify Error at 0xB36 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x883B30
Verify Error at 0xB38 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x200AA0
Verify Error at 0xB3A should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x883B30
Verify Error at 0xB3C should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0xA8E761
Verify Error at 0xB3E should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x0
Verify Error at 0xB40 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x0
Verify Error at 0xB42 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0xBFC761
Verify Error at 0xB44 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0xB3C801
Verify Error at 0xB46 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x604001
Verify Error at 0xB48 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0xE00400
Verify Error at 0xB4A should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x3AFFFB
Verify Error at 0xB4C should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x78001E
Verify Error at 0xB4E should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x880190
Verify Error at 0xB50 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0xFA8000
Verify Error at 0xB52 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x60000
Verify Error at 0xB54 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x800
Verify Error at 0xB56 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x118
Verify Error at 0xB58 should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x0
Verify Error at 0xB5A should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0x0
Verify Error at 0xB5C should be: 0xFFFFFF but read: 0xFE0000

before i erased the pic i was getting the same errors but i also got verify errors at a higher location 0xa??? (note sure of the exact range as i didnt note it.)

i am wondering if the bootloader is erasing the full chip when its told to keep the config words.

edit: this was with my v2go.
edit: Just realised that the verify errors to that address are ok. i thought that the bootloader stopped at 0x800 but reading the readme it can go to 0xbff so i think that the erase with the pickit2 it is now working as exopected. the only thing i can think of is that the device is not being erased properly when the bootloader program says it is erased.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #10 – January 03, 2010, 08:47:02 am

@alexdresko - The MODE LED gives me hope we can get it going

You describe the correct functionality - the MODE LED is off in normal mode until you enter a bus mode. It is on with the jumper to indicate that the bootloader is active and waiting for new firmware. I'm hoping it's a PC configuration error, though it might be a loose connection between the FTDI chip and the PIC.

Is it possible your terminal is the wrong speed (should be 115200)? Combinations of enter and ? should never enter a bus mode, but they seem to for you. This could indicate a speed mismatch.

Do you have any other working FTDI devices (Arduino) you can test with your PC to make sure the driver is working?

Can you check the connections between the FTDI and PIC to make sure they're soldered firmly? It might help to 'reflow' them with a soldering iron.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #11 – January 03, 2010, 08:54:23 am

@scorpia - Yes, it appears that the bootloader doesn't erase the range from 0xa800 to the config fuses. I've checked the configuration several times, but I don't see anything out of order. You may have hit on it with the 'keep config words' option.

As far as I can tell, this should only effect the translated firmwares at the moment. They're much bigger and reach into that upper memory page (though it happened to you without?). I've been careful not to release a primary firmware that does this until I get a handle on the problem. The upside is that it doesn't appear to damage the PIC, bootloader, functionality, or ability to upgrade to have garbage in that upper page.

I'll do some testing with the config words option and see if that gets the last page. It makes a lot of sense.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #12 – January 03, 2010, 09:08:38 am

Any chance you could post a working teraterm.ini, Ian? If Hyperterminal was flaky, tera term might just be twice that.

I'm going to see if I can gank hyperterminal off one of my XP machines tomorrow to see if that fixes things.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #13 – January 03, 2010, 09:20:56 am

Here's mine. Maybe this will help. Be sure to change the COM port to match the # on your machine.

Re: BP3 firmware update problem

Reply #14 – January 03, 2010, 05:48:02 pm

You'll be happy to know that, near as I can tell, your teraterm.ini file seems to have done the trick! I KNOW I had the setting the same as the Getting Started 101 page, so something was either different, or wasn't "sticking". I'll see if I can reproduce the issue on a clean installation of tera term and diff the files for the answer.