DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx Freestyle => Topic started by: MrChristmas2000 on December 01, 2014,
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I know this is an old product but it has worked well and gives widely distributed control of many elements.
I have not had to program any of my freestyles in several years but this year I have the need to replace one with a spare.
I have followed the address process using both Vixen and the 'Lynx Address Utility'.
I have tried both programming processes called for in the manual.
Neither of my 2 spare Freestyles will program to any address but '1'.
Is there a location in the PIC code that could be manually edited and the PIC reprogrammed with the hard coded address of 257?
Any help would be appreciated before I totally loose all my hair. :)
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Using Pickit programmer:
Its in the EEPROM Data area
Memory locations 02 and 04
You have to put in the Hexadecimal value.
257 = 0X101 so (only two digits per location)
Memory 02 = FF
Memory 04 = 02
Rick R.
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Wow, that will be much easier than changing out all that equipment. Thanks <res.
I just have to pull out my old Pic Kit 2. LOL. Have not used that one in a very long time.
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Ok, I have read the PIC and the screen looks like the attached dump.
I look at what appears to be location 002 and it currently has a value of F000 and location 004 has a value of FFFF.
So if I understand you correctly I change those bytes to 00FF and 0002 respectively?
Am I correct or reading the instructions wrong?
Thanks for your help.
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No NO
Look at the bottom where it says EEPROM Data
You are looking in the Program Memory section
Rick R.
I marked your picture for the locations
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Ok, I changed those locations (see graphic).
Still the Freestyle starts at address 1.
Any other ideas would be appreciated.
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Are you sure that you actually wrote this to the device? You checksum has not changed although I'm not sure if EPROM data is included in the checksum value. I would shut down everything and restart the software and reread the PIC and see if the new values are still there.
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After a write I would do a read to verify that the chip has the correct address.
Rick R.
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I reconnected my Programmer module, pulled the chip out of the Freestyle and put it in the Programmer socked. Fired up the PICkit2 software, did a read and here is the resulting dump. (attached).
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RJ may need to get involved in this. He may have a default value of 1 if it cannot resolve a correct address. If he is just adding the two memory locations, you could try reversing the two entries and put the 02 in position 2 and the FF in position 4. You could also keep the first entry in position 2 but make it FE and change the value in position 4 to 03.
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tbone that didn't help either.
I guess I am just going to have to rewire my show, ugh! <fp
Freestyles seem to just have a mind of their own. LOL They are very very very very stubborn about changing the start address to something else.
I have accomplished it before but it took a long time to do it back then and I don't remember the magical combination that worked. :(
Didn't RJ retire?
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Sorry to hear that. It appears that there may be a third piece to this puzzle.
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I just want to thank those that have helped.
Unfortunately because of the inability to reprogram a Freestyle with this address I am stuck with stripping it out and recabling 4 Lynx Expresses to do the same job. UGH!
Again thanks.
Tom
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Hi Tom, I am having the very same problem with one of my Freestyles as well - it's being very stubborn. One thing to doublecheck is your comport settings in Device Manager, if you haven't already. Make sure it's set to 115200, 8, N, 1.
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I checked and mine was at the default of 9600. I am going to be very upset is this fixes the problem because I am over half way to replacing that box. <md..
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You can set it in the firmware as you are trying. I am not home to look but can check tonight to see what to set to change it.
RJ
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Rick has it in the wiki correct. If you change the hex in the eeprom area it has to change. I think you maybe having an issue where it is not saving when you do this. Try it again and then clsoe the pickit utility and them open it and read the pic again to verify it changed. The two bytes have to add up to the address you want.
RJ
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Thanks RJ. I guess you haven't retired. :)
I will retry programming it this afternoon. I am just about finished with my current project.
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RJ, are you setting an indicator in the program code to tell the firmware to read the internal memory and add the two values otherwise, default to 1? The reason that I am asking is because the two locations both seem to be set to zero and yet, the Freestyle still goes to channel 1.
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RJ,
I tried your suggestion to program those two locations then reload the programmer to verify that they programmed and they verified as per you and the Wiki.
The Freestyle still refuses to use any other address than One (1).
I have increased my Lynx DMX dongles speed without any change as well.
Some program and soma don't. I guess that is just a fact of using a Freestyle. I just hope my other element that uses freestyles that are programmed at higher address do not fail.
Thanks for your assistance.
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If you can, connect your pickit to one of your functioning freestyles with a starting address other than one and read the firmware from the PIC. Then look at the checksum and the memory locations and see what they are. You can also save this as a file and load it into one of your freestyles that you cannot change the start address and see what happens.
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I do not want to present Murphy any more of an opportunity to mess up the show than he already has done. That element is working fine so maybe after the season is over I might take the risk of dumping the code then, but for now it will stay sealed up. LOL.
I have spent 3 days pulling out the freestyle infra structure and replacing it with 4 Lynx Freestyles that I found in a closet stashed away. I built whole new wiring harnesses to distribute power to all the elements, whew!