Zeus Assembly Manuals

[tbone321]

That looks great Rick, thanks for the clarification but here is a question.  If you select all like in the picture, does the utility calculate the starting channels of all of the strings based on the options and the starting channel selected or does it just set them all to the channel selected in the box.

[rrowan]

That looks great Rick, thanks for the clarification but here is a question.  If you select all like in the picture, does the utility calculate the starting channels of all of the strings based on the options and the starting channel selected or does it just set them all to the channel selected in the box.

It increments each start channel for each string based on options selected. If you want them all the same start channel then you would need to do that manually. Just so you know I was Not on the beta team. I can only go by what the beta folks were saying.

Rick R.

[tbone321]

Cool, it appears that this system was well though out and I am looking foward to the kits getting here. 

[rdebolt]

If you select all like in the picture, does the utility calculate the starting channels of all of the strings based on the options and the starting channel selected or does it just set them all to the channel selected in the box.

If you select all you select the number of nodes and the utility programs each string in order. For example if you select all and 50 nodes string 1 start channel will be 1, string 2 will be 151, string 3 301 and so on. You can also select the start channel number on string 1 so it does not have to be 1, but the total of all strings must stay within the 4096 limitation. Make sense?

[zwiller]

Programming that many chips would be nearly 5 days for 24 hours straight at 90 seconds per chip... 

The new utility looks awesome and especially dig the Zeus "all" option and color order options!

[tbone321]

I hope that you are talking about the time it will take the coop manager to flash them all.   

[zwiller]

Yep;  Just a number I needed to run since I am still baffled how much time and effort that COOP managers have invested into a COOP.   

Looks like this was a very wise choice for the chips to be factory programmed. 

[tbone321]

While I agree that it was a good idea to have Micro Chip preprogram them, they could have also been sent out unflashed as well.  There is no real need for the coop manager to program or flash any chips.  Unless all you intend to work with is a USB dongle and a few LE's, you really need to get a Pickit3.  Not doing so would be like taking up golf and not bothering to purchase a putter.  Any hobby requires certain tools and equipment and this one is no exception. 

[rdebolt]

While I agree that it was a good idea to have Micro Chip preprogram them, they could have also been sent out unflashed as well.  There is no real need for the coop manager to program or flash any chips.  Unless all you intend to work with is a USB dongle and a few LE's, you really need to get a Pickit3.  Not doing so would be like taking up golf and not bothering to purchase a putter.  Any hobby requires certain tools and equipment and this one is no exception. 

Agreed t, but this chip takes an adapter and the standard jumper settings do not work. We got a work around, but for at least the first go being pre-programmed is much better.

[tbone321]

LOL, don't get me wrong.  I agree that it IS a good idea to get them that way.  I was saying in general that there really is no need for the coop manager to pre-prgram the PIC's for ANY coop, especially if it is time consuming.  As for these PIC's, you could always use an SSC v4 to flash them on if needed since they use the same PIC as the Zeus.  If there is a need for a work around then it should be added to the assembly manual.  I would also suggest posting the firmware for these PIC's by the time the Zeus ships incase someone gets a bad PIC or the flash was missed or corrupted so they can reflash it or flash a replacement.  I have gotten bad PIC's on some orders so it does happen and there is going to be a very small window bewtween when this ships and the start of the holiday season for this kit.

[rdebolt]

LOL, don't get me wrong.  I agree that it IS a good idea to get them that way.  I was saying in general that there really is no need for the coop manager to pre-prgram the PIC's for ANY coop, especially if it is time consuming.  As for these PIC's, you could always use an SSC v4 to flash them on if needed since they use the same PIC as the Zeus.  If there is a need for a work around then it should be added to the assembly manual.  I would also suggest posting the firmware for these PIC's by the time the Zeus ships unless someone gets a bad PIC or the flash was missed or corrupted so they can reflash it or flash a replacement.  There is going to be a very small window bewtween when this ships and the start of the holiday season for this kit.

Absolutely agree. I believe that the work around has been or is going to be posted.... I have not looked myself.  It is basically just installing jumper wires on an adapter. If it is not out I am sure that once the coop is done that it will be posted. I know that one of the beta testers took a picture of his.

[rdebolt]

Here is the pin chart from the wiki

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[twooly]

Here is my pic of my setup I used to flash the pics for the Zeus.  After getting into assembly line mode I got all 24 of the pics programmed in a few minutes

This is how I have the wires

Wires ran from the header to each leg of the pic

Pic chip                    ICSP header
pin                              pin
1                                  1
14                                2
13                                3
3                                  4
2                                  5
n/c                               6

[rrowan]

This is what RJ used

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Rick R.