DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx Smart String => Topic started by: drlucas on October 08, 2013,
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I bought a few of these second hand and flashed with the test firmware but nothing is happening when I connect in my test string. I confirmed my test string is working on another controller. Any thoughts on the board given the image of it?
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To do the mod correctly follow this thread. http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=9752.0
You had to cut 1 trace, solder in one jumper wire and make sure a resistor has the correct value range. I don't think the black part is supposed to be there. I am assuming 1 of the 3 top wires is hidden from view.
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Looks to me like one of the three input wires is not connected to the board. Just because you hook the jumper to the input wire does not mean you don't connect like it was originally supposed to.
You might want to review this posthttp://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=12419.0 (http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=12419.0)
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The board looks OK, Different but OK. I suspect this mod was applied so that it could be undone, returning the ssc to V1 condition, should there be a change.
Recheck the cat 5 pigtail, looks like yellow wires in the picture, may not be the right pin out. Also check the resistor, hidden in the shrink wrap. Should be 220 - 330 ohms.
If the ssc still doesn't work, Try moving the blue data wire back to its original location and flash it with V1 firmware. I have had an accident with one of my V3 modded ssc where the 12volt and data lines shorted, blowing the output pin on the pic chip, The chip still worked as a V1. You might also want to check for this.
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Here is a photo of the top of the board....I'm thinking the guy who did the mod on the bottom snuck a resistor in that heat shrink tubing on the back side....why the thing is jumped across the pic to the 5v part is outside of my knowledge of electronics and I haven't traced out the traces to see if logically it's the same as a traditional v3 mod. The idea of going back to a normal v1 ssc sounds like a good approach to me to test.... anyways look at the other side of the board too and see if the mystery is any clearer.
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This kind of reminds me of the first attempt at modding the V1. That did not work well. I would remove all the jumper wires and put the known recommended mod on that is shown in the wiki.
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What you are working with is the original mod of the SSC which was not the one that RJ released. I believe that this mod was called the Warp Drive mod. While this mod works well, it is not compatible with the firmware that you installed so it will not function that way. I do not believe that there is any test software for that mod so your choices are to either reinstall the firmware it originally had (to get it working at all), remove the mod and install the original Ver 1 firmware, or remove this mod and perform the approved Ver 3 mod which will work with the Ver 3 test firmware.
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It appears that the trace has not been cut for the V1 mod. The 330 Resistor has been removed. Reinstalling the resistor and moving the blue wire will take it back to V1. While it is in this state you might as well cut the trace and do the V3 mod. The resistor on the bottom might be the right value, and might be enough to do the mod the right way.
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The V3 mod does have this pin going to 5V through the resistor. The cut trace and jumper only changed what pin was used.
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It appears that the trace has not been cut for the V1 mod. The 330 Resistor has been removed. Reinstalling the resistor and moving the blue wire will take it back to V1. While it is in this state you might as well cut the trace and do the V3 mod. The resistor on the bottom might be the right value, and might be enough to do the mod the right way.
+1 The mod is easier than it appears. If the resistor is not the correct value, Radio Shack will have the 330 resistor.
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OK....so I might be dealing with two problems...as I went back to a v4 SSC and flashed it and I can't get it to program right now. I'm going to go recrimp another network cable in the event that's the problem and I'll also create a new test string but a properly modded v3 I have here works fine with the test firmware on the same network cable, but perhaps the data wire isn't solid on my network cable. will start there, get that working again , get my sanity back, and then go back to the v3 firmware on that old school mod and if that doesn't work will go back to the original mod.
I've also just got back down from the roof replacing a bad node....will post a different thread on WHY nodes go dead after pretty much 1 hour of use...
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new cable - same problem. proper ssc software installed on this other PC, one of my properly modded SSCs working now.
now to go see why my v4 ssc isn't working...nor are the other SSCs that were modded. a bit of progress but not a ton.
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The v3 firmware will NOT work on that "old school" mod. That mod is different than the current mod. If you still have one of those SSC's in tact and have not wiped out its firmware, you can use the Pickit to pull a copy of the firmware from it and then reload it on the one you cleared it from.
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Wonder if the firmware exists in the archives at all some where... would be good just to test. failing that i'll start with the approach of going back to square 1 on the boards.
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Did you wipe out the firmware on all of the boards? If so, I would suggest in the future that people only make these type of changes on one unit at a time or on only one unit until you can confirm that the change is working. If not, you can pull the firmware from one of the other ones. It may be a good idea to convert these SSC's to the official V3 mod so that it is consistant with the rest of the SSC's on the site and so that the official Ver 3 firmware will work with it but again, do one and make sure that it works before doing the rest of them.
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Best advice ever!!
do one and make sure that it works before doing the rest of them.
Why I do the things I do sometimes is BEYOND me.
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I've also just got back down from the roof replacing a bad node....will post a different thread on WHY nodes go dead after pretty much 1 hour of use...
You ARE burning them in for a few hours on test mode, right? ;D
Although I have the old firmware, I agree with tbone and suggest you mod to V3 so they are supported for future upgrades. Seriously, the mod is easy.
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It is pretty easy to do. The hardest part of it is cutting that trace and it is actually a little harder to do than it looks but if you are carefull .....
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It will be a post coffee/ pre-9pm cut before I pull out the exacto knife!!
If I can get these to work, then I have enough channels and SSCs for the show I have planned and 3 spare SSCs for any emergencies that come up. All in I'm looking at 22 SSCs for the show which is an incredible amount of work for me this year...i've been at this solid since March (well solid I mean whatever free time I get from the 12hr days at work and the weekends with the kids shuffling back and forth to events).
I do appreciate all the help and am sure that i'll be good for December show time. Maybe with a few minor changes to the plan, but it's coming together.
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OK.... issue has been resolved. The problem at the end of the day was my pigtail connections. Apparently I'm colorblind!!
I thought that brown/yellow:green/blue was equivalent to red/green/blue. That is not the case.
SO.....I'm definitely grateful to everyone who helped get this one fixed up. I think I'll stick with this non-approved mod for now as it appears to be working mint. If I run into problems down the road I'll consider reverting back, but if it isn't broke I'm not going to fix it (i'll tweak it , but I won't fix it :)
Cheers all!
Ryan