Ordering EVO PCBs at chinese manufactures questions and help

[SpaceGambler]

OK so an update, I can only get the splash screen to come on the display if I go into DFU mode and then use the DfuSe software on the PC to "Leave DFU Mode"

If I press reset or power cycle the display it once again displays nothing.

[lucky1]

Is a SD card inserted ? If yes please remove and tell me if the red led is on. Which power supply do you use ?

[SpaceGambler]

No SD card as is not activated yet, no red LED except when I can get it running.

I have a PC power supply supplying 12V, the same power supply I have used for all my previous V3 shield displays.

Running version 3.12 firmware

[SpaceGambler]

Another update

I put an sdcard in the slot and connected the display to my real pinball data connection and still nothing, I then started mashing random buttons and found that if I hold button 1 & 2 down then press reset and then release buttons 1 & 2 the display will come on, displaying the pinball display until such time as the activation code comes up. I then disconnected the data cable from the display and did the same thing and the splash screen came up as expected.

The display will only show until I press reset or power cycle the display, then I have to press the buttons again to get a display.

If I remove the sdcard and press the buttons the same way I just get a flashing red LED, no display at all.

Is this a feature that excludes auto turn on until the display has been activated??

Will it behave normally once activated?

[lucky1]

That is a emergency function of the bootloader and has nothing to do with the activation. The flashing red led means that it did not find a firmware file on SD which is normal when no SD is inserted. The difference to the normal firmware is that the bootloader does not initialize the external clock oscillator. So this may indicate that there is some kind of problem of getting a stable clock signal when it is needed.

[SpaceGambler]

2 hours ago, lucky1 said:

That is a emergency function of the bootloader and has nothing to do with the activation. The flashing red led means that it did not find a firmware file on SD which is normal when no SD is inserted. The difference to the normal firmware is that the bootloader does not initialize the external clock oscillator. So this may indicate that there is some kind of problem of getting a stable clock signal when it is needed.

Any suggestions on how to rectify it?

[lucky1]

39 minutes ago, SpaceGambler said:

Any suggestions on how to rectify it?

 

As 99,99% of the boards seems to work, there seems some kind of hardware issue. The only thing I can think of on the software side,  is increasing the timeout for the oscillator to come up. I attached a testing version where I set 5 times the current timeout.

[SpaceGambler]

17 minutes ago, lucky1 said:

pin2dmd.upd 298 kB · 1 download

As 99,99% of the boards seems to work, there seems some kind of hardware issue. The only thing I can think of on the software side,  is increasing the timeout for the oscillator to come up. I attached a testing version where I set 5 times the current timeout.

I have applied the update and unfortunately it is still the same.

I have looked at the board with a magnifying glass but there is nothing physically wrong that I can see.

I have checked the buttons and they seem to be functioning properly and not faulty, apart from that I am not sure where to go now.

I have noticed that  sometimes I can press the reset button while the display is showing and the display resets normally but it only does it once and rarely does it happen.

[lucky1]

1 hour ago, SpaceGambler said:

I have applied the update and unfortunately it is still the same.

I have looked at the board with a magnifying glass but there is nothing physically wrong that I can see.

I have checked the buttons and they seem to be functioning properly and not faulty, apart from that I am not sure where to go now.

I have noticed that  sometimes I can press the reset button while the display is showing and the display resets normally but it only does it once and rarely does it happen.

 

Try this one 

 

[SpaceGambler]

27 minutes ago, lucky1 said:

 

Try this one pin2dmd.upd

 

Still the same

[lucky1]

1 hour ago, SpaceGambler said:

Still the same

Last try 

[SpaceGambler]

29 minutes ago, lucky1 said:

Last try pin2dmd.upd

This time I made sure I reinstalled the original firmware and then applied the update but unfortunately it's still the same.

I accessed the config menu  (I could also do this before) and in the tests the inputs had "all pins open" which I assume is ok, I also tested the RS232 and it comes up with "loop error". Does this mean anything or is it just because nothing is connected to the RS232?                

[lucky1]

Do you say you can access the config menu every time ?

[SpaceGambler]

16 minutes ago, lucky1 said:

Do you say you can access the config menu every time ?

yes

[lucky1]

36 minutes ago, SpaceGambler said:

yes

This version goes directly into the config menu without any button pressed. Please let me know if it shows the menu screen EVERY time you power on or reset.

[SpaceGambler]

16 minutes ago, lucky1 said:

pin2dmd.updThis version goes directly into the config menu without any button pressed. Please let me know if it shows the menu screen EVERY time you power on or reset.

Yes it goes straight into the config menu but only if I hold buttons 1&2 and press the reset button to get it going like I have been doing the whole time.

On power up and a normal press of the reset button it displays nothing just like before.

I was able to get three presses of the reset button just now and it reset all three times but now nothing again.

[lucky1]

5 minutes ago, SpaceGambler said:

Yes it goes straight into the config menu but only if I hold buttons 1&2 and press the reset button to get it going like I have been doing the whole time.

On power up and a normal press of the reset button it displays nothing just like before.

I was able to get three presses of the reset button just now and it reset all three times but now nothing again.

so that is not EVERY time then.

No idea anymore to solve this from the software side .

[SpaceGambler]

3 minutes ago, lucky1 said:

so that is not EVERY time then.

No idea anymore to solve this from the software side .

Ok thanks for your help

[Terranigma]

On 12/26/2020 at 5:58 PM, SpaceGambler said:

Has anyone found a solution for this issue?

I just received my first EVO board and after installing the firmware, I re-booted the display and got nothing, then I pressed the reset button and it came on. Just for a test I turned off the power and turned it back on again and then I get nothing again even when pressing the reset button.

I am able to get into DFU mode but not run mode.

I have checked the continuity of the buttons and none are jammed on. I have also checked the power an all good there.

 

Sounds like the same issue as dzorbas and I had. I haven't been back to check on it but what you describe sounds exactly the same. This is a hardware issue that I don't think can be fixed with software. 

I still want to investigate this further when I get time, but for now if you got it from PCBway I would first report it to them and then ask about a refund if possible. If it was from another source I would be contacting them and trying to get it swapped for a working board.

[SpaceGambler]

3 hours ago, Terranigma said:

Sounds like the same issue as dzorbas and I had. I haven't been back to check on it but what you describe sounds exactly the same. This is a hardware issue that I don't think can be fixed with software. 

I still want to investigate this further when I get time, but for now if you got it from PCBway I would first report it to them and then ask about a refund if possible. If it was from another source I would be contacting them and trying to get it swapped for a working board.

It's curious that the display works perfectly normal once I get it going by pressing the buttons, could it be some sort of reset cycle issue, a capacitor not charging maybe?

[fly]

In my opinion, this is a hardware problem, I have assembled five EVO boards myself and they all work without a problem.

[7hund3r]

Hello,

   Will be safe to replace STM32F427VIT6 with STM32F429VIT6 on EVO Board?

Thanks.

[lucky1]

22 hours ago, 7hund3r said:

Hello,

   Will be safe to replace STM32F427VIT6 with STM32F429VIT6 on EVO Board?

Thanks.

Yes ! 

[SpaceGambler]

On 12/31/2020 at 8:47 PM, fly said:

In my opinion, this is a hardware problem, I have assembled five EVO boards myself and they all work without a problem.

Any idea where on the board the hardware issue would be?

[goredaimon]

Hello friends, how are you?

Is it possible to change most components to a trought-hole design? I know some are impossible, like the processor, but capacitors, resistors, diodes, etc could be.