AMC 1.5 help please

Hi guys,

I need Help!!! To introduce myself first, I am Dale and I am from Australia and I am trying to build the thanos AMC 1.5 motion controller with the pololu motor driver.

I have run into problems, I have built the AMC 1.5 board the two green lights turn on, I try to program it and i get device missing -24. I then ordered the Pololu USB programmer and followed Thanos suggestion on one topic and connect to the retrospective points on the board. Still I cannot program my chip. I have run out of ideas. Anyone can offer some help?

I also found what the voltages should be at each point of the programming points on the chip. I checked this and they all corresponded correctly, except for the rest side where when I pushed the reset button, it did not drop to 0v.

Can anyone help? Or can someone program a chip for me so I can see if it is my board?

Or does someone have a complete board they want to sell?

p.s I know in the pictures I dont have the programing leads in, i took them out so you could see the board.

Thanks

Dale

Hello and welcome!

I did struggle with this myself, and from my experience I have this advice: Read very carefully thru the amc-topic, because otherts have postet this problem and solutions there. Your questions about the amc can be posted there also, so others can benefit from answers you get there. I think its the best thing if you are able to program it yourself, to be sure your amc is working correct. I got this issue myself, it turned out to be a broken atmega, and all went well when i replaced with a new one. And once again, read carefully all you find about it in this forum, you will learn a lot about the amc if you take the time. Good luck :thbup:

You can read about my struggle with it in my topic: http://www.x-simulator.de/forum/articsimulator-joyrider-made-of-wood-t2063-10.html

Fred

hi guys,

i am still having trouble, i tried everything from above post, new chip, new crystals in each type, removing the two caps, I even tried a ponulo usb programmer and still nothing, still not able to program or even read the chip. The red LED does not even blink once.

Please help

What chip you are using? ATmega8535 or Atmega644 ??? The atmega644 needs defferent fuses!

I'm using the atmega 8535 I have tried 3 of them so far invade 1 was faulty.

I might not be your best helper here, but I will share my experience: Post all the information you have about how you do this and what happends, You can also post some screenshots. post some high rez pics of the back side of the board, so you can get help checking your solderings. ( I checked mine many times before I found a bad solder-joint) Post info also about your computer, ports etc.. More info = more help! Hope you make it! :yes:

Thanks Fred speed,

basically I am running a AMD quad core PC with windows 7, it has a com port on the mother board.

I am also using virtual machine and running windows xp as a secondary test to make sure Its not a windows 7 problem.


I have tried the inbuilt ponyprog programmer and also a Ponulo USB programmer (attached to the 5 programming headers on the board as per a post by Thanos)

I have tried using different crystals and removing the caps and still nothing. I dont eve gt the red LED to flash, but when I push the reset button the red Led works. I have tried removing all the jumpers and also nothing.

Does anyone have any idea from the pictures where I have gone wrong. (i Know my soldering isnt the best because this is the first electronic board I have made)

My amc was also my first soldering-project, and believe me, it is not easy to see if all the joints are ok. A tip: Hold the pcb in front of the monitor. The light from the monitor will shine thru it and its easyer to see the traces and if there are shortcuts or bad connections. I took a picture while holding it like this, and looked at the picture inn full resolution after. (guess what i spotted...? ) (Also read all you find about good soldering-method, If you have not alredy)

Fred

Terrible soldering job m8.
Even at this resolution, I can see dozen cold joints.
When you finish soldering, be sure to remove flux (sticky paste around contacts)!
Find and watch Thanos's video tutorial for soldering (somewhere in AMC thread).

Clean the iron tip, transfer heat evenly to pcb pad and component pin and add a little solder wire, remove solder wire first and leave the iron tip a little bit longer.
Use good quality solder wire, and remove flux after.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLfXXRfRIzY
even better one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_NU2ruzyc4

BR, Igor

Thanks Igor,

However does that matter? If i am receiving the correct voltages at the pins on the atmega chip as per the details in the post above, it wouldnt be a a problem with a solder joint would it?

can someone circle the bad joints for me? Just so i know which ones I have to resolder.

Thanks

Dale

I didn't mean to critic your work and sorry if I sounded rude.
Many of us had the problems related to soldering, others placed the chips wrong way, few have broken components (transistors,...).
I didn't had any problems so didn't try to understand how circuit works, and never got the need to do the measuring).
As far as I know, reset switch should ground the reset pin of AVR, and simply connect one red LED pin to ground, so it should be on while you hold the switch.
Either the switch is bad (remove it from pcb and measure the resistance), or no contact with PCB.

Thanks. The switch works though. When I hold it it lights up red. It only doesn't flash when connected to ponyprog.

Also I get the -24 dzevice missing in ponyprog

try a slower crystal (20 or 22kHz). Did the trick in my case with device missing

Tried all the crystals.

Can anyone else offer some assistance?

I guess you do not mean people alredy posting when you say anyone else jdmevo123, but i post anyway . I really hope you can make this, but I am not shure you follow all the advices here. i am not an expert and do not know if all your measuring means your board is ok. My advice is still to provide info and high rez pics taken holding it in front of monitor, and post it here. It is also a good idea to list in detail all you do from start to beginning when you try to program it because you have to do it right and it is very easy to do mistakes.

Fred

Thanks Fred, I will take some photos tonight in front of the computer screen to see if it helps, I hope I can fix this before Christmas, It would be an awsome christmas present.

Sorry I didnt mean in that last post anyone else, i just meant anything else to try as I am really stumpped. All of my voltages seem correct at the atmega chip and i have used a ultimeter continuosly all over to check the voltages arent dropping suddenly somewhere. All seems fine.

Hi Guys,

No i have a new problem, I managed to get the chip programmed (verified by reading the flash on the chip and it was correct).

But know when I flick switch 1 into position for LCD the LCD just shows boxes and no AMC 1.5 info.

I then thought maybe it was the lcd and tried to load it in hyperterminal. But still nothing, hyper terminal doesnt display anything on the screen.

can someone take a look at my pics above and see if there is anything wrong? I set the fuses with the two in the pdf correctly and everything.

Please someone help I really want to get my sim working.

I really appreciate everyones effort in helping.

Thanks

Dale

Hi Guys,

Can anyone help please, I am litterally stuck.

I have tried checking continuity on the hole board which there is, i checked voltages and everything. But yet I am still unable to get the board to run the firmware. I have confirmed the firmware is installed and working however the LCD just shows blank boxes instead of the firmware and pott values.

Anyone offer assisstance or what I should check when I get this error?

Or if there is someone in Australia that is willing to get my board working for me I am willing to pay for it.

Thanks

Dale