DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx EtherDongle => Topic started by: MSL on September 11, 2014,
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Finished building my first EtherDongle. I flashed the DMX firmware onto the chip with my PICkit 3. Hooked it up to an Express (through a reversed combiner). Configured xLights to run the e1.31 network. Ran a test and got nothing. Been trouble shooting it for the last 2 days off an on.
When the EtherDongle is powered up I get a green light inside but no light on the MagJack. The Express shows that it is receiving data (data link light is on steady) but xLights cannot control the Express.
I read that since my laptop is 7 years old (2007) I might need a crossover cable. I can't find information on what wires cross over to where (not that it's not there, I just can't find it). Can someone give me a diagram or a link showing how the wires cross so I can make a cable?
Since this is my first EtherDongle build I am just learning how to trouble shoot it. If anyone has a different idea on what I should do let me know.
Thanks,
MSL
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Here is the wiring of both class A and B crossover cables.
http://www.escotal.com/Images/Network%20parts/crossovercable_color.gif
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Thanks for the response.
Is there a way to know which one to use?
Can I damage the EtherDongle if I use the wrong one?
MSL
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It makes no difference. If you look, you will see that the pin connections are the same, they just use different wire color for those connections. The most common it type B but either one will work.
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Thanks again Tbone.
Mark
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Also if often helps if you set a IP address for your laptop (if you not connecting it to a network) instead of it obtaining one automagicaly.
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Made the crossover cable. Nothing changed. The EtherDongle is not working.
My setup:
Wireless on the laptop is turned off.
I flashed the EtherDongle with DMX firmware (EtherDongle_DMX.hex) ( got the hex file from here: http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=5765.0 ) to test since I already have working Expresses.
Computer -> EtherDongle (MagJack) -> Combiner (Pixelnet out) - Universe 1 "In" on combiner -> Express.
When everything is plugged in I have a green light on the board. No lights on the MagJack. Data Link light is lit on the Express.
I am testing with xLights. 4 Networks set to E1.31. My computers IP address (but not in sequence / all for are the same).
The laptop is showing nothing is plugged in with either a "straight" or "crossover" cable.
What I have done so far:
Made a crossover cable
Checked for bridges
Went over my soldering
Made sure the 8 chips were in correctly
Re-flashed the DMX firmware
Photos of the board attached.
Did I set it up correctly? If so, what would be my next step?
Mark
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The first step would be to take the laptop out of the picture. If you have a hub or a switch or if your cable router has multiple ports (built in switch), then plug the ETD into one of those (with a straight cable). If the link lights light up on the switch and the ETD, then we will know that the issue is with the old laptop and if not, then we need to look further into the ETD.
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I plugged the ETD into the ATT router. Powered the ETD up. Green lite in board. No lights on the MagJack. No link lights on the router.
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Is there something different I need to do to flash the ETD? It takes about 90 seconds to flash. It says it verified the firmware and is "done".
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Ok, couple of quick things:
1. Make sure your voltage regulators are in there correct places.
2. If you have a meter available get readings on the output of both regulators
3. Double check the solder joints for the MAGjack.
The green light on the EtD inicates the PIC is programmed (often mistaken for power indicator.)
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It looks like (if I am reading it correctly) there is 4.94v on the 7895 and 2.70v on the 1117v33. I get these readings by putting the leads on the outside leg of each voltage regulator.
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The MagJack looks like it is soldered OK (see photos above).
The regulators are in there correct place on the board.
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OK will the less complicated things are out of the way (have you checked/changed the cat5 cable?) Looks like some of the others who have more in depth talents than I will have to help from here on.
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I would take a close look at the smaller PIC behind the MAGjack. There were some issues with some of the pins not being properly soldered on some of the initial boards. With light pressure and under magnification, drag a pin across the pins of the PIC. If any of them move, then they are not soldered properly which could cause this issue. It is also possible that the MAGjack itself is defective.
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OK will the less complicated things are out of the way (have you checked/changed the cat5 cable?) Looks like some of the others who have more in depth talents than I will have to help from here on.
Caretaker: Yes. I have tried several different cat5 cables. I have went as far as checking continuity on them.
I would take a close look at the smaller PIC behind the MAGjack. There were some issues with some of the pins not being properly soldered on some of the initial boards. With light pressure and under magnification, drag a pin across the pins of the PIC. If any of them move, then they are not soldered properly which could cause this issue. It is also possible that the MAGjack itself is defective.
Tbone: I checked the small PIC. None of the pins move. There does appear to be a bridge between the two end pins in the lower right corner (see photo). Is that suppose to be there or should I attempt to remove it?
Thanks again to all who have helped.
Mark
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Yea, I believe that one is supposed to be there. Was this EDT accidently connected to one of the hubs controller ports?
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No. I just built this one. The only equipment it has been connected to is the PICkit 3 and an Express through a combiner (reversed).
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And my laptop.
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I just remembered the 49.9 ohm resistors that were replaced in one of the coops. I purchased this one from another member. He bought it from someone else. I don't know what coop it came from.
I tested the 4 resistors I installed and am reading around 0.3 ohm on each one.
Can someone look at the attached photo and confirm these are the wrong resistors?
If they are the wrong resistors did I do damage to the EtherDongle by using them?
Mark
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Those resistors are correct. I'm not sure what you are saying here. Were the 49K resistors there before? I would look into possibly replacing the MAGjack.
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Those resistors are correct. I'm not sure what you are saying here. Were the 49K resistors there before? I would look into possibly replacing the MAGjack.
What I am saying is I went back and tested all the resistors on the board. All the other resistors came within the allowed tolerances. Those four showed less then 1 ohm when I tested them. That is why I asked if they were correct. They are not testing as 49.9 ohm resistors. I am getting readings of .3, .2, .3 and .5 ohm respectively.
If those resistors failed would it cause the problems I am having?
I will purchase a MagJack. Do you know the Mouser part number for it?
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Since those resistors are in parallel with the inductors inside the magjack, they will measure close to 0 ohms and will appear to be shorted when they are not. The only way to measure the resistors is to remove them from the board (or remove the magjack).
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It is not always valid to test a resistor in a circuit because you are also measuring the resistance of the circuit that they are a part of so the resistor is in parallel with other devices, you are also measuring the resistance across them as well and the measured resistance will always be lower than the lowest device in the parallel connection. To get a true measurement of the resistor, you would have to remove one end from the circuit to break the link to other devices in the circuit. There is a separate link to the MAGjack in the WIKI right under the BOM for the EDT. It is a link to Newark, not Mouser.
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It is not always valid to test a resistor in a circuit because you are also measuring the resistance of the circuit that they are a part of so the resistor is in parallel with other devices, you are also measuring the resistance across them as well and the measured resistance will always be lower than the lowest device in the parallel connection. To get a true measurement of the resistor, you would have to remove one end from the circuit to break the link to other devices in the circuit.
Thanks Tbone. I did not know that about testing the resistors.
I will order a MagJack and see were that leads me.
Mark
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Is the Green LED on the PCB on when you apply 6vdc power?
If not then the problem may be the 5.0 MHZ oscillator.
They will go bad or it is installed wrong.
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The picture he posted shows it installed correctly and he said that the green LED was lit after flashing the PIC.
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Yes. The green LED on the board is on. No lights are on the MagJack.
Mark
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Unfortunately I have another EtherDongle that I have not been able to program (another story / another time). When I power that one up the green light on the MagJack comes on. It appears that the MagJack on that EtherDongle is working. I de-soldered both MagJacks and swapped them.
When I power up the one I have been working on (that now has a different MagJack) I still get no lights on the MagJack even if I plug it into the laptop (straight cable or crossover).
When I power up the other board (that I put the MagJack from this board on) the green light comes on the MagJack (like it did with the other MagJack before).
Anybody have any ideas (besides using this EtherDongle for target practice)?
Mark
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Ahh things are becoming clearer! When you said the "green light" before I (and I think some others) assumed (I know you not supposed to do that!) that you were talking about the green led on the ether dongle board NOT the green led on the MagJack. If the green light comes on on the MagJack then the MagJack is most likely working, it is just not receiving data. The green led on the EtD board also needs to be lit, this indicates the PIC is programmed. If the both Green LED's light then try this with your laptop, go into the setting for your network card and select the properties for the TCP/IP. On that page if it says "Obtain an address automatically" uncheck that and enter "192.168.0.10" then save the settings. You will then need to reboot the computer. After that try the etherdongle with a regular (not crossed ) patch cord. If that is a no go, try the crossed connector.
Unfortunately I have another EtherDongle that I have not been able to program (another story / another time). When I power that one up the green light on the MagJack comes on. It appears that the MagJack on that EtherDongle is working. I de-soldered both MagJacks and swapped them.
When I power up the one I have been working on (that now has a different MagJack) I still get no lights on the MagJack even if I plug it into the laptop (straight cable or crossover).
When I power up the other board (that I put the MagJack from this board on) the green light comes on the MagJack (like it did with the other MagJack before).
Anybody have any ideas (besides using this EtherDongle for target practice)?
Mark
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Caretaker: This is how the LED's are on the EtherDongle I have been trying to get to work: The green LED on the PCB comes on; no lights on the MagJack come on.
What I stated in my last post was that I have a second EtherDongle (that also does not work). When the second one is powered up the green light on the MagJack comes on (which tells me that MagJack is working) but the green LED on the PCB does not.
I took the MagJack off the second EtherDongle that the MagJack was working on and put it on the first EtherDongle so I know the MagJack on the EtherDongle I am working on has a MagJack that is functioning.
I also installed the MagJack from the first EtherDongle (that did not light up) onto the second EtherDongle. That MagJack now lights up on the second EtherDongle.
By switching the MagJacks it tells me that the problem most likely is not with the MagJack.
Of course, I know very little about what I am attempting to do. I could be wrong about the MagJacks. That is why I am asking for help from those who know how this works.
Once I get the first one working I will attempt to get the second one to work. By then I will know a lot more about how to trouble shoot the board and hopefully will be able to fix it myself.
Mark
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Hi Mark, Thanks for making that clear, with your second one where the Magjack green LED lights but the Green LED on the board doesn't try reprogramming the PIC or the off chance the LED is bad check that. Your first one RJ may have to chime in OR better yet give him a PM with the details and he will be able to give you some precise things to check. When I had problems with mine he had me check a couple things and I was able to pin point and fix the problem.
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I erased the chip, unplugged the power and powered it back up and the green light on the PCB comes on. Why? I thought it only came on if the PIC was programmed.
I re-flashed the PIC. Is it suppose to take 90+ seconds to flash the firmware?
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Nope, that is way to long. Take a close-up pic of the large processor like you did with the small one and post it. With this much time, it could also be that the crystal oscillator has failed.
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Attached is a photo of the large PIC. I checked the legs. They are all attached (they do not move). I do not see any bridges.
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Since I have two EtherDongles and both take a long time to flash maybe it's not the EtherDongles, Maybe it is how I am flashing them.
Before I attempted to flash either of the EtherDongle I opened MPLAB and updated the software. I am running v8.92.
I do not use MPLAB to flash the EtherDongle, only the PICKit 3.
The following are the steps I take to flash the EtherDongle:
*Power the EtherDongle with the 6v transformer (I find that if I do not the flash will fail).
*Plug in the Pickit 3 onto the board (lining up the arrows).
*Double click the Pickit 3 shortcut on my laptop (which takes about 15 seconds to open).
Once the PICKit 3 software opens there is a message in the dialog box that states (from bottom up):
"Found 1 firmware suite: latest is version 01.38.51"
"Loaded device file with 679 devices"
"Found PICkit 3. SN: DEFAULT_PK3"
The check box under "Program Memory" is checked automatically.
The check box under "EEPROM Data" is checked automatically.
*I click the "Device Family" dropdown (on top) and choose "PIC32".
*Click the "Device" dropdown and choose the last PIC in the list which is "PIC32MX795F512L". It takes about 8 seconds to load PIC information.
*Click on "File" and choose "Import Hex". A folder opens where I have the "EtherDongle_DMX.hex" file. I double click on the file (it takes about 3 seconds to load).
*Click the "On" box under "Target Power". The value changes to "3.38".
*Click on "Write"
At this point it has taken anywhere from 50 to 90 seconds for the "flash" to complete.
Once completed It shows in the dialog box (from bottom up):
"Erasing device"
"Programming device... Program... Boot... done"
I unplug the PICkit 3 from the board. I unplug the 6v power to the board.
When I plug the 6v power back into the EtherDongle there is a green LED on the PCB and no lights on the MagJack.
Am I doing something wrong or missing a step?
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It could be one of your crystal oscillators in not functioning anymore. This will cause the PIC to run on its internal clock which I believe is much slower which will prevent the ETD from functioning properly. I would also check to make sure that there isn't an issue with the firmware. You could download the PixelNet version and loaf that into the ETD and see if anything is different. You can also check for any output on the oscillators. You can get the data sheet from mouser to see what the pins are. While a scope is required to get the actual output of the oscillator, you can use a DVM to see if it is pitting out anything. You need to check for voltage and how much between the output and ground. A reading of 0 or the full input voltage here indicates a failed oscillator. Beyond this, you will need to contact RJ for specific test points to determine exactly what is wrong. You may also want to start working with the other ETD since it seems to have more life in it than this one has.
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Check the voltages as shown on this picture. They should be somewhat close to what is listed. This should tell you if there are any issues with the regulators or oscillators.
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Thanks for the information Rick.
I went over the voltages. They are as follows:
8 MHz oscillator
CLK (1.8v) reading 1.654v
(3.3v) reading 3.306
50 MHz oscillator
CLK (1.8v) reading 1.639v
(3.3v) reading 3.307v
1117v33
GND
(3.3v) reading 3.311v
(5v) reading 4.96v
7805
(V in)reading 8.3v
(GND)
(5v) reading 4.97v
Around Small PIC
top (3.3v) reading 3.31v
bottom (3.3v) reading 3.31v
TP (1.8 - 2.0v) reading 1.691v
Does the CLK voltage of 1.654v and 1.639v on the oscillators fall within operating parameters?
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The voltages look OK. The clock and TP1 voltages will not be exact since it is actually a square wave output and not a constant voltage. The readings you are getting look normal and indicate that the regulators, oscillators and the small surface mount chip appear to be working.
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I know that you said you have two etherdongles. Are all of the pictures here from the same Etherdongle?
Make sure that the 8 MHz and 50 MHz oscillators are not swapped. This will definitely keep the magjack form working. In the one picture here where I can see them, they look correct.
I believe the magjack should light up and work when plugged into a PC even if the PIC is not programmed or not working. So, I don't think your problem has anything to do with the PIC.
I will try to come up with some other things for you to check when I get some time this evening.
Rick
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Rick: Yes. I am only working on the one EtherDongle. All the photos are from that one. If I need help with the other one I will start a new topic. Hopefully once I get to the bottom of this one I will have enough knowledge to troubleshoot the other one.
I have checked the placement of the 8 MHz and 50 MHz oscillators. They are in the correct position. I also have checked the orientation on the board. They are lined up correctly (see photo).
Mark
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I ended up asking RJ for help and ended up sending it to him. He said he touched up a couple of my solder joints, flashed DMX and it worked.
To all that helped me with this EtherDongle, Thank you.
Now to get it working with LOR S3.
Mark
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Glad to hear that you got it working and that he had the time to help you. If the man who designed it couldn't figure it out, then it would be beyond repair. Unfortunately, there are some issues that are not easily determined second hand using pictures and guessing.