How to debug 9xVoice

[mbanzi]

Sadly, I'm back to the original subject of this thread. I reconnected all the mods, testing after each one, finally installing the voice interface. While my transmitter works perfectly & doesn't reboot anymore, I still have the issue where the backlight doesn't always turn on. When this happens voice doesn't work either, although beeps through the speaker do. If I turn the transmitter off & on (sometime a few times) the backlight (and voice) will eventually come on again.

Pino mentioned to me that he had the same problem with one of his boards, and only after replacing the ATMega328 (suggested by Hans) did the problem go away. What are the odds of having 2 bad MCUs in one transmitter???

[ReSt]

IIRC there where some problems in the beginning that the clock signal (in the voice module) did not rise fast enough. That was the reason for adding C17.
I would assume, that your problem is in the area of R1-R4, Q1,Q2 and C17.
Maybe a wrong value or a slow transistor (Q1)

I would specifically search in that area.

Reinhard

[jhsa]

also, make sure you have the latest hex installed in the module. Mike made important changes because of the connection with the m64. They did involve the trims..

[mbanzi]

I would assume, that your problem is in the area of R1-R4, Q1,Q2 and C17.
Maybe a wrong value or a slow transistor (Q1)

Thanks Reinhard. The resistors are the correct values, but as the caps have no values on them, it's hard to tell. I'll swap it out to be sure. I use BC848 transistors, they work fine on my other voice module. Possibly a bad transistor? Btw I used Mike's schematic, so it's R1-R4, TR1,TR2 and C6 on that.

Would this cause voice not to work also?

also, make sure you have the latest hex installed in the module. Mike made important changes because of the connection with the m64. They did involve the trims..

Pretty sure I have the latest hex (dated Feb 11 from the amod328 code repo), but I'll make sure. The trims work fine now though since I changed the m128. Took me 10 minutes this time!

https://code.google.com/p/amod328/sourc ... d_last.hex

[jhsa]

Yeah next time I'll throw a bucket of hot solder on to the chip and then use solder wick to wipe the exccess (From the complete board? ).. it might take just a few seconds.. Must try the technique

João

[mbanzi]

Checked R1-R4 all have correct values. Replaced C17 (C6) & Q2 (TR1) - backlight & voice still don't turn on. In fact it doesn't come on at all now! I ran out of BC848s so I couldn't replace Q1. Next up is to replace the ATMega328 I guess?

[jhsa]

Yes, ,maybe you were unlucky and got 2 that don't work..

Maybe try to buy it from a different place now..

[mbanzi]

Maybe it's my soldering iron:

[jhsa]

Want to try mine??

[mbanzi]

I can finally declare victory on this one. Unbelievably I managed to have a bad ATMega 128 & 328 in the same transmitter. Quite possibly I damaged both, although my other transmitter I did the same mods to first works fine.

After I replaced the 328, the backlight & voice worked perfectly when I turned the transmitter on. I still don't trust it, so I'll be flying my V929 micro quad indoors for a while...

[jhsa]

That is consistent with the reports from several other people here.. It seems that not all the 328's are up to the job.. the symptoms were exactly the same.. light and voice not working everytime you turn the radio on. Sometimes only after trying a few times..
But glad you sorted it..
I would also like to put some more flights on my radios before the season starts. the one with er9x has already been flying and all seem to be ok..
the other one has open9x in it and has been used to test the firmware.
Also, open9x supports vario and I really want to get my hands dirty with the open9xVario project.
Very Happy to report that the voice feature in open9x has been polished (it really needed ), Thank you Bertrand, and from the next release it will be very easy to setup all the voice and telemetry (and non telemetry) alarms. Some other coool features as well. Some more to come

João

[rainer]

Thanks for all the help guys.

I rechecked the m128 & re-soldered it just in case, then checked it again. Things seem to be getting worse, though. The transmitter reboots almost instantaneously when I use the rudder or aileron trims (mode 2). Is that PD0,1,6,7?

I'm getting close to opening up that shiny new Turnigy 9x box in the garage and starting fresh

a friend of mine has exactly the same problem....reboots when fast clicking the ruder or aileron trims. (both directions) force reboots after changing the processor to a m128. as well he found the battery to drain to fast.
Did it finally solve the problem when you exchanged the proc again? it sounds a bit strange as the symptoms are so similar...did both of the processors get damaged exactly the same way?

rainer.

[mbanzi]

Did it finally solve the problem when you exchanged the proc again? it sounds a bit strange as the symptoms are so similar...did both of the processors get damaged exactly the same way?

After I changed the processor the issue went away, it is now my everyday transmitter. I still don't know if it was bad soldering or a defective chip. I'm starting to think it's my soldering, as I managed to get the same symptoms on my m2561 test transmitter. I seem to do a better job of the processor transplants with my hot air rework station though

[rainer]

Ok, thanks... so there is hope with a new processor
let's see how many processor transplants can a board survive

rainer

[ReSt]

With quickchip at least two

Reinhard

[MikeB]

as well he found the battery to drain to fast.

I would say, this is either a damaged chip, or there is a short where an output is therefore drawing too much current.

Before changing the chip, make another check that there are no shorts.

Mike.