Device Signature = 0x000000 on a already flashed 9X

[frviana]

I'm having a problem that I can't figure out... I flashed my radio only once in the past (8+ months ago). I wanted to flash it with the latest version (running 708 today).
When I try to flash I get the message: Device Signature = 0x000000 and it fails.

I noticed the following:

When I plug the HK UsbASP the screen doesn't lit unless if I turn the radio on (I thought it wouldn't require to turn the radio on).
When I turn the radio on, the screen lits up but doesn't show anything on it.
When I try to read I get the Device Signature = 0x000000 and the screen blinks.

I'm running the USBASP on a MAC (tried both OSX and Windows (w/ VMWARE)
I have the backlight installed and I don't record if I had it on when I flashed first time
I did not mod the backlight, just used stock HK and have it all time on I removed the backlight and it still doesn't work... when backlight is not plugged nothing shows on the screen when cable is connected. If I plug the battery on the radio and turn off the jumper on the USBASP, when I turn the radio on screen shows everything... as soon as I plug the USBASP cable into the radio the screen turns off.

I measured the voltage on the 5V pin inside the radio when the USBASP is plugged and I'm getting about 3.4v and when I measure it on the USBASP output I'm getting 4.7v.

I revised all connections and everything seems to be in place and again, I had the radio flashed before with the exact same connections.

Any tips?

Thanks

[rperkins]

Hi
Welcome to the forum.

So now the radio isnt working at all ? If not, when did it stop working ? In the field or after you attempted to reprogram it ?

Since the LCD isnt showing anything at all, the processor probably isnt running. Dont panic as it usually can be revived .
Usually at this time is when we like to see a screenshot of the avrdude command error you got when trying to reprogram, a picture of your radio showing the usbasp connections, and a general description of the mods you have done and that are still installed.

If you want to do some more research normally the process to bring one back involves attempting to resetting the software fuses. When it doesnt take you use the -B option of avrdude to slow the process down. The HK programmer may be an issue here as it doesnt accept the -B option. Then sometimes it requires an external oscillator to get the processor back working enough to reset the software fuses. then you can reflash. I'm sorta getting ahead of myself but like I said, you can start researching posts along this line.

[frviana]

Thank you for the reply. The radio is working fine. The only thing I can't do is update/re-flash a new firmware... when I plug the USBASP cable to the radio the screen goes blank.
I tried with the power coming from the USBASP and with the USBASP power disabled and using the radio battery.

I will submit pictures shortly. I will try on my brother PC first as I have been trying on a MAC.

[gohsthb]

have you tried slowing the programmer down? (-B 100 option?) Sometimes it is a dirty connection, and slowing the programming will allow it to work. Have you cleaned the pins the programmer plugs in to? Since it has been a long time since you flashed your radio, maybe these have some corrosion on them.
-Gohst

[rperkins]

ok well that makes things better for you then
Just plugging in the USBASP cable to the radio should not make the screen go blank. The screen will go blank during the actual programming.
we'll wait on the pictures.

While your at it. hook the programmer to the pc as usual , but leave the radio disconnected. Then go through the process to update the radio as if it was connected. eEpe/c9x should say 'target doesnt answer'. that would verify that the usbasp drivers are correctly installed on the pc, and that the programmer is working ( at least on the usb side ).

[frviana]

Ok, found the problem... it was connection... When I first built it I flashed with the USBASP connected directly to the internal cable... I then glued the cable into inside the tag and was using another cable from the USBASP to the radio cable and it was inverting the pins... I'm glad I didn't destroy anything as it was applying 5V to MISO.

Here the pictures with my mistake.

I went test all the connections starting from 5V and noticed it was inverted.

Thanks for the help attempts.

Below the pictures that explains the problem.

Wrong (pins inverted by cable)

Correct