[SOLVED] '128 flashing/verification - USB tiny / AVRDUDE

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nvd07
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Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2020 8:45 am
Country: France

[SOLVED] '128 flashing/verification - USB tiny / AVRDUDE

Post by nvd07 »

As the weather is bad I went ahead and modified my other Tx unit, which is a hardly used at all FlySky TH9X I bought second hand , has a '128 inside (although a 'green' one, not an ATMEL)

I did the same hardware mods ( AIL+THR switches re-route, and then NPN inverter for the pin 5 of the module bay ) as on the other 9X unit I have been using so far with er9x ( which is a Turnigy 9X with only a '64 chip ).

Next I went ahead and flashed the latest er9x firmware on it.

It looks like it is a success, see below running er9x and bound to a FRSKY receiver through the Multi Protocol Module, and displaying telemetry data. :D
128_running_er9x.jpg
However (and here are my questions ) I got a verification error from AVRDUDE after the flashing; but, as 'what is done, is done', I turned on the unit anyway and shot the above pic...

The verif error:
m128_flashing_verif_error.png
:?:


So I searched the forum about 0x10000 and found out about USBtiny not handling things properly beyond 64k , ie not handling well the second bank. Also I read about AVRDUDE version probems...
my_AVRDUDE.png

I now see I was ignorant about the limitations of my USBtiny, probably lucky I did not brick anything,
however I could not come to a conclusion from the reading I did today; so I would appreciate some advice about the following :

1) Are both my AVRDUDE and USBtiny at fault, or is it just my USB tiny ? I tried to show version/date of my AVRDUDE above
2) As er9x has been running OK so far when turned on, can I assume that only the verification went wrong, and the flashing went OK ? Or would I be headed for disaster if I attempted to fly with this ?
3) In the future, can I still use AVRDUDE + USBtiny ( example: if I need to flash a newer er9x version , or when I want to download/upload my models ) ? or is it recommended to move towards the FTDI flashing way (which I have never done), taking advantage of the bootloader functionnality?

4) unrelated to the above : I did not install the ' green/SWwatchdog ' er9x versions ; I put the regular er9x first. Now, what should I be watching, in order to decide if it needs SWwatchdog or can stay the way it is ?

Thanks in advance - and I am happy to be looking at the added menus / functionnalities / extra eeprom space of the '128...
Last edited by nvd07 on Sun Jun 20, 2021 11:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

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MikeB
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Re: '128 flashing/verification - USB tiny / AVRDUDE

Post by MikeB »

Avdude is OK, the version I use has the same date.
Since there is over 18K of code in the second bank, if this wasn't written then it just would not work!
The USBtiny will probably write updates Ok, just won't verify properly. I've not used a USBtiny!
You may want to try the FTDI via the bootloader, you just need a cable to connect to the serial connections, which are two of the signal used for "normal" flashing.
The problem seen on some "Green" processors is the hardware watchdog causes a reboot. This happens very quickly, and all the normal startup tests are skipped (switches check, throttle check splash screen etc.).

Mike
erskyTx/er9x developer
The difficult we do immediately,
The impossible takes a little longer!
nvd07
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2020 8:45 am
Country: France

Re: '128 flashing/verification - USB tiny / AVRDUDE

Post by nvd07 »

Ok great, all these are good news. :P
And yes this '128 has been running fine during the past 3 days with the regular er9x firmware ; no unwanted reboots at all. So far I have been using it indoors to operate a RC flight simulator on the PC, without any malfunction; it works great.
I discovered the full size keyboard too... Magnificent !
So as soon as the weather becomes flyable I will go outside with this Tx and will have a go at flying one of my models with it!
Thanks !
:D

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