Troubleshooting time. verifying it works and express utility not working with ex

[Trike]

Hi, Finally got my first aether put together last night, I flashed the pic without a problem, verified it with the pickit2 and looks good.

When I plug it into the wall, I see a brief flash on all the LED's, the red light comes on. I have tried jumpering the MAN pins with a wire to verify the LED's work, but nothing came on. I've looked for shorts and bridges for about half an hour, and haven't found any yet.

I figured I try to configure the start address first. I have an enttec pro dmx dongle. All my other programs will talk to it (green light flashing). With the express utility, I made sure the comport is set correctly, I downloaded the light list, and just left the curves and everything else at default. I didn't change anything else. I hit program and it says transmitting. But the light on the dongle isn't flashing, no aether shows no data activity.

I have tried using the enttec tool to send data to the aether, the data LED comes on when this happens, but I don't know what the default channel is, so no blinky yet.

Any suggestions?
Thanks!

[batdive]

First are you using the Express utility, not the address utility?

Second you put the correct jumper to program as the silk is small and there is more than one?

Heres how I do it just be careful as it is hot with on a few spots that are clearly marked.

Turn the aether on
start the utility and start sending the data
open the glass front on the Aether
move the jumper and the leds will cycle throught the colors fast (like 1/2 a sec) and stop on white.
put the jumper back to operate and unplug the aether.
Close the glass door
shut the utility down.
plug the aether back in

You should be done. It never fails for me I have program this one on the bench a few hundred times since I built it.

RJ

Follow the RJ and he will not let you down..  

Those are the programming directions for the Aether.

2nd when you change the jumper to PROG (top right jumper) do all the LEDs come on blue when you plug it in?  (It does for me I programmed mine a little different than RJ, before these instructions came out but always follow RJ's instructions).

The brief flash of all white is normal and to me lets you know that all the channels are working since it takes all 3 LEDs to make that white.

I would program it listed above and after you hit transmit the LEDs will flash a couple of different colors let you know it took it.

Then try the DMX Test Deck with the channels you programmed and try it out and remember you have 4 channels to try, your start channel that your program is white and then red/green/blue.

[rrowan]

The LE Config Utility is only use to set the start address of the Aether. The steps are in the wiki

Normally RJ's controllers are default to start address 1

the Lynx Dongle is compatible with the enttec pro

I would try RJ's DMX Deck You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to do a test of the leds

I don't have a Aether so I can't help with the other problems

Rick R.

[Trike]

Yeah, those are the directions I followed. No luck. Since it appears the express utility isn't talking to the dongle correctly. The data led on the dongle flashes when there's data being sent out of it. I don't see that happening when I hit program.

And no... i'm not seeing the BLUE leds come on when I change it from Operate to Program. hrmm..

[rrowan]

Do you have a LE?

If so see if you can use the LE config program to set the address on the LE. I am guessing the LE and Aether are close in the way they get the start address

Rick R.

[Trike]

No I don't, All I have is the Enttec Pro DMX, and a ethcon gateway.

[rrowan]

Ok,

Guess you will have to wait till RJ or Bill gets off work and help you out.

Sorry I can't do more

Rick R.

[Trike]

Thanks Rick, No problem thanks for trying to help.

To me, it seems like the Enttec isn't handling the serial data that's coming out of express correctly. or something isn't configured right with the enttec. I've tried this on 3 different machines, 2 xp machines, and a win7 x64 machine. All same problem. Only reason I suspect the dongle is the Data led on the aether doesn't come on once I hit program, neither does the dongle itself. But if I send DMX data from another program, the data led's on both the dongle and aether comes on.

It's just weird, since they both use the FTDI chipset, it should work. maybe the firmware on the Enttec is slightly different?

[smartcontrols]

It may sound simple, but did you verify that all the programs are setup to use the same com port that the dongle is on.

[Trike]

Yeah, I double checked that. In device manager, the usb serial port is COM3. This is verified with the Pro Utility that Enttec has. I set it to COM3 in Lynx.

In an XP VM, I can verify that data is being sent to the dongle. Once I hit program, the USB activity icon in the tray will light up.  but the data lights on the dongle and aether doesn't.

[Trike]

baah. I at least may have found out why it's not coming on with channel one and jumpering MAN.

With all the diode orientation discussion, it's getting confusing and or i'm just stupid (most likely stupid). I thought there was an error either with the silkscreen or what RJ had mentioned in the video. The sticky by castortiu mentions that the line is supposed to face the squared off side and shows a picture of it. I thought this was correct.

Then I somehow missed RJ's post right below saying it's the opposite.

I'll flip them when I get home, that should at least get it lighting with the default 1-4 channels and hopefully when jumpering MAN. I'll go from there. that may solve everything. Still odd that the dongle and aether doesn't register any data when using the lynx deck and lynx express config.


baah. I'm just frustrated at myself for screwing that up and made dumb assumptions, when I specifically spent time trying to make sure it was right. 

Ok i'm done beating myself up. I'll get the diodes switched around and report back.

[smartcontrols]

Before you change it. If you go to MickPat's post at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login. He has a very clear picture of the diodes. When you enlarge it you can still see which way they go.

-Jeff

[RJ]

Yes this was my mistake, in the video I misspoke even through I was doing it correct. I said right and I meant left. The line is to the side on the pcb printing that is not Squared off. Cas's english, as he says is his second language and forgetting this I did not answer him clear enough and made him misunderstand me.

RJ

[Trike]

RJ, no biggy. I was just mad at myself for missing it.

I flipped the diodes and the initial flash on power on is brighter. Jumpering MAN still doesn't turn on the lights. Moving the jumper to PROG does turn all the LEDS to BLUE.

I still can't program the start address. If the start channel is 1 by default, I can't get it to respond at all on channel 1-4. The Data LED on the aether is on though, when i'm sending it data through enttecs simple channel control.

I've wiped the pic, did a blank check, re-flashed the pic and verified it. Still no luck.

I've re-seated the RS485 chip and verifying proper orientation.

Is something wrong with the aether itself, since jumpering MAN doesn't turn it on to full white?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

[RJ]

No as it occured to me in the other thread the firmware I posted to fix the issue did not have the start address set or curves loaded. I will post one that does tommorrow night.

RJ