Self-built USBIR Toy issues

[cucobein]

I just finished building my very own USB Infrared Toy, started today very early in the morning. Got most of the components from a local store and 'wired' the circuit as shown by the USBIR Toy schematics with caution.

I already have experience building circuits and the IRToy is not a particularly complex one. I also omitted wiring the IR Receiver and IR Detector because I am not interested in the functionality of capturing IR codes from external devices, I just need to generate signals based on HEX Pronto Codes sent via USB port. Substituted the 0.22uF capacitor from VUSB pin with a couple of 0.1uF capacitors in parallel. Added a MAX232 to the Rx Tx lines for debugging interface purposes.

I am currently having issues with the firmware. I have no prior experience with Microchip PIC's as I am generally inclined towards Atmel AVR's. I am programming the PIC18F2550 using PICKit 2 v2.61 software and PICKit 2 hardware.


> I downloaded the latest USBIRToy.package.v22 software version and I am programming the firmware/bootloader.hex into the microcontroller using the PICKit 2 v2.61 software. Once finished, I wire together the PDAT and PCLK lines, plug the board via USB to my computer (actually tested on two of them, one running Windows 7 and the other one Mac OS X), the green LED (wired to RA0 on the PIC) powers on and stays on but nothing else happens, no USB HID shows up.

> I also tried programming each one of the firmware/USBIRToy.v09.HaD.hex, firmware/USBIRToy.v20.hex, firmware/USBIRToy.v21.hex, firmware/USBIRToy.v22.hex and firmware/USBIRToy-TVBGone.hex into the microcontroller with the PICKit 2 v2.61 software but had no success, I plug the IR Toy but nothing shows up into OS notifications.

> What I expected was the bootloader to 'work' (by programming the firmware/bootloader.hex), installing USB HID driver and then do the flashing of the IR Toy firmware via the BootLoader.exe tool

I virtually implemented all the combinations possible, programming all the .hexes provided by source and package files, wiring together PCDAT and PCLK and then unwiring then, plugging and unplugging USB many times, bought five PIC18F2550 and tested with each one of them, even re-complied the Bootloader source project with MPLAB to get a bootloader.hex. No success yet.


I would appreciate any help, comments or directions. Thanks in advance.

[ian]

I am programming the firmware/bootloader.hex into the microcontroller using the PICKit 2 v2.61 software.

Is this the combined factory image? The steps for a new board would be:
1. Program bootload.hex with programmer
2. Short PGC and PGD, plug in
3. I LED should be on and USB HID device should appear
4. upload firmware using bootloader application

[KamalS]

Is this the combined factory image?

Where do I get the IRT combined factory image?

I am unable to locate this hex anywhere

[ian]

It should be in the dev package download, if not then in SVn under manufacturing resources. If you are having problems though I highly recommend starting with the bootloader and then loading the firmware over USB.

[KamalS]

It should be in the dev package download, if not then in SVn under manufacturing resources. If you are having problems though I highly recommend starting with the bootloader and then loading the firmware over USB.

Thank you Ian, I got the factory image from SVN - IT HELPS to have a composite image so that I can be up and running the moment I take the PIC off the programmer.