Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post Reply
interestingfellow
Posts: 213
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 2:05 am
Country: United States
Location: durham, nc

Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by interestingfellow »

I'm having a hard time getting OpenTx onto my 9x and I'm so new and inexperienced, I'm not even sure where I went wrong.

CF-29 MKII toughbook running XP SP3
9xrprogrammer.com USBASP
TGY 9x tx
Drivers libusb-win32-device-bin-x.x.x.x.tar.gz from http://libusb-win32.sourceforge.net/

I removed the charge port on the 9x and replaced it with a PS/2 port for programming.
The connectors came from a PS/2 extension cable. I stripped the jacket completely from one end of the cable and prepped it with wires from a quality PATA cable (not ribbon) and soldered it onto the appropriate pads as per http://openrcforums.com/wiki/index.php/ ... Programmer. A rubber grommet and hot glue are holding it in place. *I did tie the 9x gnd pad line in with the metal barrel of the PS/2 connector.
I soldered the other 1/2 of the cable to the 6 pin header after removing the ribbon cable from it so I could plug it into the usbasp.
I have plenty of experience with soldering and basic electronics and feel pretty confident in all my joints/connections AND the pinouts which I triple checked. I have checked the board *again to make sure I didn't have any shorts/sloppy connections.

I downloaded and installed 1.52 of companion9x, selected and downloaded the most recent opentx version, chose USBASP and USB port in settings.
Device manager shows the USBASP as properly installed and working and I've tried both versions of the driver from the aforementioned driver pkg.

When I plug the USBASP into my toughbook USB, the light comes on.
When I plug the USBASP to the 9x, nothing apparently happens. Should the tx turn on, or beep, or something? There is no battery installed and the switch is "off".
I select the red flame icon "write flash memory", select the correct hex image downloaded from earlier, click "burn" and then get an AVRdude error as follows:

=================================================================================
Started AVRDUDE
C:/Program Files/companion9x/avrdude.exe -c usbasp -p m64 -P usb -U flash:w:C:/Program Files/companion9x/OpenTx image/opentx-9x-heli-templates-en.hex:i
=================================================================================
avrdude.exe: error: could not find USB device "USBasp" with vid=0x16c0 pid=0x5dc

avrdude.exe done. Thank you.


=================================================================================
AVRDUDE done - exit code 1
=================================================================================

After programming doesn't work, I unplug the cable, can install a battery, turn it on, and everything appears to be operating properly.

What am I doing wrong? or not doing?

TIA!

User avatar
rperkins
Posts: 1422
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:51 pm
Country: -

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by rperkins »

interestingfellow wrote: avrdude.exe: error: could not find USB device "USBasp" with vid=0x16c0 pid=0x5dc
that error is usually a windows driver issue.
http://9xrprogrammer.com/index.php/learn/23-drivers
interestingfellow
Posts: 213
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 2:05 am
Country: United States
Location: durham, nc

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by interestingfellow »

Thank you!
But, I still can't get it to work.
I dl'd zdiag, used it to install WinUSB (v6.1.7600.16385)driver, it shows up under universal serial bus devices in dev manager, went into companion9x settings to double check that it's USBASP with port USB and I still get the same error when I go to read eeprom.

I even restarted and/or reinstalled the driver via zdiag.

I don't think it's pertinent, but I also installed the LED backlight with a bs170, and PIN17 is hooked up, but the no solder jumper is not plugged in.
User avatar
rperkins
Posts: 1422
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:51 pm
Country: -

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by rperkins »

When trouble shooting ' cant find usbasp device' issues you do not need to have usbasp hooked up to target (the radio). Once the drivers are installed properly or you otherwise resolve ' cant find usbasp device' issues you will get a 'target not found' type error. Then hook up the target (the radio). This will separate any possible wiring issues in the radio from the common windows driver issues.

I have heard some usb3 hubs/ports have issues with usbasp/libusb.
If you would like to replace the usbasp , just pm me or contact through the website.
http://9xrprogrammer.com/index.php/contact

This is the most common issue with usbasp on windows.
User avatar
Kilrah
Posts: 11108
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:56 pm
Country: Switzerland

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by Kilrah »

I've always been successfully using this driver for the usbasp on all my systems:
http://code.google.com/p/er9x/downloads ... v1.2.4.zip

interestingfellow
Posts: 213
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 2:05 am
Country: United States
Location: durham, nc

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by interestingfellow »

That seemed to do it! Thank you rperkins and kilrah!
I'm not sure why, though. Also, now I can troubleshoot my programmer/radio connection... ;D

=================================================================================
Started AVRDUDE
C:/Program Files/companion9x/avrdude.exe -c usbasp -p m64 -P usb -U flash:w:C:/Program Files/companion9x/OpenTx image/opentx-9x-heli-templates-en.hex:i
=================================================================================

avrdude.exe: error: programm enable: target doesn't answer. 1
avrdude.exe: initialization failed, rc=-1
Double check connections and try again, or use -F to override
this check.
User avatar
MikeB
9x Developer
Posts: 17990
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:24 pm
Country: -
Location: Poole, Dorset, UK

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by MikeB »

DON'T EVER use the -F option.

Mike.
erskyTx/er9x developer
The difficult we do immediately,
The impossible takes a little longer!
interestingfellow
Posts: 213
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 2:05 am
Country: United States
Location: durham, nc

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by interestingfellow »

LOL...understood about the -f.

I figured out that I put VCC +5v to the wrong pad on the 9x board, but have fixed it. The tx still works and now the USBASP powers up the radio AND companion9x can try to talk to it, but I get another error....
I'm googling now...

Started AVRDUDE
C:/Program Files/companion9x/avrdude.exe -c usbasp -p m64 -P usb -U flash:w:C:/Program Files/companion9x/OpenTx image/opentx-9x-heli-templates-en.hex:i
=================================================================================

avrdude.exe: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude.exe: Device signature = 0x1e9702
avrdude.exe: Expected signature for ATMEGA64 is 1E 96 02
interestingfellow
Posts: 213
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 2:05 am
Country: United States
Location: durham, nc

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by interestingfellow »

All my switches are in the back or up position (default for stock firmware), and I've tried with throttle down and/or up.
Same result.
User avatar
rperkins
Posts: 1422
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:51 pm
Country: -

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by rperkins »

interestingfellow wrote: avrdude.exe: Device signature = 0x1e9702
avrdude.exe: Expected signature for ATMEGA64 is 1E 96 02
great.
you got the driver issue resolved.

this issue is because your radio has a m128 processor not a m64 processor. I believe there are 2 places in the software where this needs to be changed.
1. in the programing section
2. in the section that determines which firmware you need to download.

maybe eventually the software will autodetect which processor your radio has.
interestingfellow
Posts: 213
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 2:05 am
Country: United States
Location: durham, nc

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by interestingfellow »

Yes rperkins, thanks again!!! I had just cracked it open and verified that.
Back to google!
interestingfellow
Posts: 213
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 2:05 am
Country: United States
Location: durham, nc

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by interestingfellow »

IT WORKS!
Thank you all!

Now....I just have to learn everything else about opentx LOL.
User avatar
rperkins
Posts: 1422
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:51 pm
Country: -

Re: Can't flash my 9x: 1st timer and unsure why

Post by rperkins »

great. glad you got it going.
have fun

Post Reply

Return to “PROGRAMMERS”