Stumped

[kmcallorum]

I have tried it all so at this at this point I guess its a wash three etds are done.

[twooly]

Are you willing to ship so someone else can try them for you or where are you located maybe someone near by.

[RJ]

Lets look at this from a logic point of view. Does it make sense that three Etds that were know to work all died at the same time with the same issue.

This would lead me to believe either there is something else common to your setup. Or that maybe they all were reflashed with firmware since they worked and something is not getting flashed right or something.

RJ

[kmcallorum]

I have flashed them with the firmware from the wiki a couple of times.  I have pickit 3 latest software and the datafile from the wiki.  verifying and writing erasing and blank checks all seems fine with the flash no errors.
the only odd thing is there is a checksum on the board(I have one but wiki shows 0000), and I have since upgraded to windows 8.  but between last year and this year that's the only change.  I  tried a borrowed windows 7 today but same result.
etd when  plugged in to express lights up dmx data light, the internet port on etd green light and yellow activity light goes hog wild when I run test.  upgraded to lastest xlights still no go.
all lights show its connected and send and receiving data, just nothing turns on channel.  swap out etd with dongle and lights come on and go off. so express is programmed correctly. xlights works.  used wireshark and see packets being sent to correct addresses for etd just nothing will flash that light power for dmx. 
last year before putting them up it worked like a champ.  this year just isn't looking like etd year.  it's like the dmx data is being sent but the etd isn't interpreting and its flashed etherdongle_dmx.hex.

[keitha43]

In xlights setup you are removing the usb dongle network type setting before adding the e1.31 setting correct?

[kmcallorum]

yes. same way I started last year.  but the answer is yes.  all is setup correctly just no dmx signal going through etd to express.

[Kasey911]

Something that you might try, instead of using the v3 Beta of the stand alone programming software, try it with the version 1 from the Wiki.  I had the exact same issue going on and sent my EtD to another user and they reflashed with v1 (I used the v3 beta) and it started working.

I am the one that created the chip database file for the v3 beta and I'm thinking that it may not be working correctly for the chip on the EtD.  If you find out that flashing with the v1 works, please let us know and I'll talk to Rick about removing the database file from the Wiki until we can sort out what went wrong.

When I was flashing the EtD with v3, I received no errors and everything looked like it was working (LEDs on the MagJack doing what they should, etc.).  So there may just be something wrong in the database entry.

I hope this gets you going in the right direction!

[keitha43]

Something that you might try, instead of using the v3 Beta of the stand alone programming software, try it with the version 1 from the Wiki.  I had the exact same issue going on and sent my EtD to another user and they reflashed with v1 (I used the v3 beta) and it started working.

I am the one that created the chip database file for the v3 beta and I'm thinking that it may not be working correctly for the chip on the EtD.  If you find out that flashing with the v1 works, please let us know and I'll talk to Rick about removing the database file from the Wiki until we can sort out what went wrong.

When I was flashing the EtD with v3, I received no errors and everything looked like it was working (LEDs on the MagJack doing what they should, etc.).  So there may just be something wrong in the database entry.

I hope this gets you going in the right direction!

That could explain why he was getting a checksum and we don't. I hope thats it.

[kmcallorum]

That was it.  All working now,  don't use the newer pickit software.....

Thank you Thank you

[drlucas]

Wow - was following this thread.... great to see it working. I'm just getting used to my pic programmer and having just flashed a DSC i think i have the jist of it, but i installed the entire mplab ice and after some frustration went to the standalone, but was using the beta, i'm  going to try to use v1 and see how that works. thanks for everyone's troubleshooting on this along the way. it's proven beneficial to see some different sources of problems. 

[keitha43]

Whew glad to see it is working. I wish the pickit 3 software was better and standardized. Right now we have to have warnings of "Don't use MPLAB" and now "Don't use V3 beta". Microchip should develop a software program that works for all chips. Since the pikit 3 comes with MPLAB software you would think it should work. Maybe we should remove links to the problematic programs?

[tbone321]

IIRC, MPLAB does work but you have to understand what you are doing with it.  It is way more than just a chip programming utility and has the ability to render the chip useless if the defaults and options are not set correctly.  It has a bit of a learning curve to configure it and the configuration for one chip may not work or cause issues with another.  Since there are MUCH EASIER utilities such as the stand alone programmer to accomplish what we need to do, it is better to stay away from MPLAB.  If you set up MPLAB incorrectly and it locks up the PIC that the ETD is using, you can toss that board in the trash.

You also have to understand that the the newest programming utility is called Beta for a reason.  It is not fully proven and in this case, it appears to have issues with the PIC that the ETD is using and that's what BETA is all about.  It is fortunate that there are so many people here willing to help and share information and that this issue was discovered way before the crunch time when people are trying to final test and setup their shows.

[Steve Gase]

IIRC, MPLAB does work but you have to understand what you are doing with it.  It is way more than just a chip programming utility and has the ability to render the chip useless if the defaults and options are not set correctly.  It has a bit of a learning curve to configure it and the configuration for one chip may not work or cause issues with another.  Since there are MUCH EASIER utilities such as the stand alone programmer to accomplish what we need to do, it is better to stay away from MPLAB.  If you set up MPLAB incorrectly and it locks up the PIC that the ETD is using, you can toss that board in the trash.

You also have to understand that the the newest programming utility is called Beta for a reason.  It is not fully proven and in this case, it appears to have issues with the PIC that the ETD is using and that's what BETA is all about.  It is fortunate that there are so many people here willing to help and share information and that this issue was discovered way before the crunch time when people are trying to final test and setup their shows.

I never thought about this as an issue.  A while back I used the beta version and had problems, so I went back to the tried-and-true version.


A stronger warning in the Wiki might prevent this from happening to another person.

[Kasey911]

I went ahead and added an additional note in the Wiki about the EtherDongle and the v3 Beta software.  Hopefully that will help out any others who run into the same issue. Feel free to add/modify if it is not clear.

And glad you were able to get it working!

[keitha43]

It needs to have a warning in the hardware section under the etherdongle as well (next to the MPLAB warning). People who have already downloaded the program and are using it wouldn't be going back to the software page and seeing the warning.