MultiModule help

Just hoping to get a little help with a multimodule build/install. I followed the directions posted on this site to build a multimodule. I used board v1.2 from OSTpark, an NR24F-L01, an XL7105-D03, a CC2500AliExpress, and an ATTiny84A microcontroller. I used the AVR.hex from March 26, 2014, with programmer_devo7e.dfu from May 2,2015 to program the ATTiny. I am running deviation-devo7e-v4.0.1-c3007aa as my current version.
After turning unit on with the programmer dfu loaded the screen showed first "unti:1" and then it showed the following, so I believe it programmed successfuly.

found AVR: 0c931e53
hex:17bytes
9 Verified <-- this might be a b Verified, the screen is not clean, the graphics are distorted.

Then I modified the hardware.ini file to reflect the multi-module on A-13, and the three modules on their respective channels, S1, S3 and S402.
After all that, when turning the unit back on with the nightly build dfu loaded the screen shows "module missing multi module".
I have subsequently verified all the modules work individually, when solely connected to the TX unit, and since I was able to do all that, I am relatively sure my soldering skills are not the issue, and that all the modules work correctly.

Can anyone offer any advice on what I might be missing here? is that output from the programmer correct, or is it showing some kind of failure that would explain this?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

The flash of your ATtiny microcontroller is not a success. Is it an ATtiny84-P or an ATtiny84A-P, there is a difference. I recall reading somewhere that the ATtiny must be an "A" variant, ...but also reading elsewhere that it may not necessarily need to be a type "A". May be the problem, but I am not positive about this.

Also, did you flash it by itself, or with the transceiver modules mounted on the MM board? If you flashed with all of the transceivers mounted, did you flash using 3.3v or 5v?

multimodv2.zip, hex file for the multimodule v2 is here >> www.deviationtx.com/downloads-new/category/6-old-versions
Try re-flashing the micro-controller with the hex file again. Did you edit the hex text to change the 24 to 84 before running DfuSe?
There are 2 steps to complete. After the first, DOS should say something like:
avrdude: verifying ....
avrdude: 338 bytes of flash verified
avrdude: safemode: Fuses OK <E:FF, H:DF, L:E2>
avrdude done. Thank you

After the second DOS command, it should say something like:
avrdude: verifying ....
avrdude: 1 bytes of efuse verified
avrdude: safemode: Fuses OK <E:FF, H:DF, L:E2>
avrdude done. Thank you

Watch this video from SeByDocKy, starting at 20min 33sec for the steps necessary for flashing the ATtiny

it is a ATTiny84A-P.

i did flash it with the multi-module fully assembled, and fully installed in the TX. I am pretty sure I flashed with 3.3v, as I used the 7e TX to do the flash with the custom .dfu programmer firmware.

I did not modify the hex file, I did not see that instruction anywhere, and I am not familiar with editing hex files. I will look into this.

Thank you for your quick response!

Sam

As far as I know, the 7e is not capable of doing the flash of the ATtiny microcontroller, you may need to use a USBASP programmer.
SeBy's vid is over a year old, and as such, may not be the most recent method. So I'm not sure if the 7e can flash it or not.

Also, I edited my first response to include a link to the old hex file for the v2 multimodule.

There is a 7e dfu programmer available, and the documentation indicates you can use a 7e. www.deviationtx.com/downloads-new/category/7-programmer-dfus . I do not have access to any other programmer. The hex file in your link is the hex file i used.

Thanks

Sam

skretchmer wrote: There is a 7e dfu programmer available, and the documentation indicates you can use a 7e. www.deviationtx.com/downloads-new/category/7-programmer-dfus . I do not have access to any other programmer. The hex file in your link is the hex file i used.

Thanks

Sam

The one that I linked to is an older version that uses a USBASP programmer.
Can you give a link to the documentation that you are using?
It would be nice if there were a readme file with some instructions in the programmer-devo7e.zip file, actually it would be nice to have in all of the DEVO programmer .zip files.

ok, so for the v1.2 hex file I have to use the USBASP programmer?

I'm working off these for the multi-module assembly, programming and install.

bitbucket.org/PhracturedBlue/deviation/w...ing_the_Multi-Module

bitbucket.org/PhracturedBlue/deviation/w...aycomitm110983783515
(section near the bottom shows the multi-modules.)

thanks

Sam

skretchmer wrote: ok, so for the v1.2 hex file I have to use the USBASP programmer?

I'm working off these for the multi-module assembly, programming and install.

bitbucket.org/PhracturedBlue/deviation/w...ing_the_Multi-Module

bitbucket.org/PhracturedBlue/deviation/w...aycomitm110983783515
(section near the bottom shows the multi-modules.)

thanks

Sam

I think so.

On the bitbucket.org/PhracturedBlue/deviation/w...ing_the_Multi-Module page, when I click on both of the programmer links, I get a "#404 Category not found" error, so I got the files that I needed for my DEVO 10 from the Downloads section. I suspect that the file you need to use for your 7e is here, if it can indeed program the ATtiny. >> www.deviationtx.com/downloads-new/category/7-programmer-dfus << If the 7e can program the ATtiny, I don't think you use the old hex file at all.

Yes, that's where i got the 7e programmer that I tried to use, the one that gave me the output I listed in my original post. I'm sure it's talking to the module, as if i disconnect the Vcc lead it gives an error.

I guess I will have to look into finding a v1.3 board, or getting a USBavr programmer so I can program the v1.2 board. It does seem odd that the board needs a different hex file, the microprocessor and modules are the same so why is the hex file different?

thanks

Ok, I ran through this again, using what I have on hand. I used the 7e programmer DFU to flash the v1.2 avr.hex file onto a ATTiny24A-P chip. I get this from the display for the 7e:

First it shows this:

1.Init

then the screen changes to:

Found AVR: 0b91e53
hex: 17bytes
1. Erasing

then it shows:

Found AVR: 0b91e53
hex: 17bytes
2. Programming

And then finally:

Found AVR: 0b91e53
hex: 17bytes
3.Done

If i power cycle the 7e again I only get two screens:
first this:

1. Init

then:

Found AVR: 0b91e53
hex: 17bytes
2.Verified

So it seems to be clearly saying it sees the chip, and is loading the hex fine onto the chip successfully. However, when I power on the 7e after re-loading the 4.0.1-c3007aa dfu, I get "missing modules: multimod"

Again I am positive the modules work properly, as I can remove any of them, connect each of them in turn directly to the 7e and they work fine.

any of this help?

I know you posted it earlier, but is this what your hardware.ini looks like on your Tx drive? Every time you flash the Tx memory, you need to edit the hardware.ini, unless you have saved it back as your source on your PC.

this is my current, as of 10 seconds ago, hardware.ini file;

;Only useful for transmitters with an after-market vibration motor
;enable-haptic=1
;
;switch_types: 3x2, 3x1, 2x2
;extra-switches=
extra-switches=3x2
;
[modules]
; there is no need to enable the cyrf6936 module unless
; it is wired to an alternate port. It is Enabled automatically otherwise
; enable-cyrf6936 = B12
enable-multimod = A13
has_pa-cyrf6936 = 1
enable-a7105 = S1
has_pa-a7105 = 1
enable-cc2500 = S3
has_pa-cc2500 = 1
enable-nrf24l01 = S402
has_pa-nrf24l01 = 1

For one, you need to comment out this line.

has_pa-cyrf6936 = 1

needs to be
;has_pa-cyrf6936 = 1

Plus, I am not so sure that your ATtiny84A-P is flashed correctly.

Can anyone else here confirm whether or not the 7e Tx is able to flash the ATtiny micro-controller? From what I can recall, it is not able to do so, and a USBASP programmer is needed to get it done.

I believe you can flash with a 7E, though that wasn't originally true.

However, I can tell you that the ATTiny is NOT correctly flashed here. The "hex: 17 bytes" is the programming firmware telling you that it only found 17 bytes in the file it flashed to the ATTiny.

So you did something wrong. The programmer you flashed to the 7E is corrupt, or the file it is flashing is corrupt.

I have tried re-downloading the programmer DFU, as well as the avr.hex file, several times. Everything else about the procedure goes as the documentation says it should. I'm not opening the hex file with an editor of any kind, to make sure it's not being altered. I am also successfully able to load the "normal" DFU back to my 7e, and it works fine. (other than the multi-module).

If I disconnect the "reset" pin from my 7e, I get an error that the AVR can not be found. Between that, and the output I get at all, I believe I am being successful in getting the 7e to talk to the chip across the multi-module for programming.

Short of spending $30 on a ATtiny USB programmer that won't guarantee any of this works either, is there anything else I can do about getting the 7e to correctly flash the chip?

I've tried 2 ATTiny chips on two different OSHpark boards and two full sets of modules, and I get the same results when I get to the programming step.

thanks

Can you post up a video of the steps you are going through to flash the ATtiny, pics of your MM assembly, its wiring, and connections to the Tx?

here are some photos and videos as requested.

video links;

It may be a coincidence, but I had a lot of trouble with modules in my 7e when I used the ground point you are using. I changed the modules to ground at the 7 pin on the CYRF module and everything worked. I haven't traced it all, but IIRC the two points don't go to ground the same way (if I'm saying that right). It can't hurt to try, right?

I've been using the ground in my photo for all my other modules, both individually, and in the "pair" set I can install by default, and they have all worked fine. It was easy enough to make the change, but unfortunately, even with the ground connected directly to the CYRF module ground I get the same results. The programmer .dfu output looks like the video i posted.

I have also tried leaving the modules commented out in the hardware.ini file when i run the programmer and it does give me a "no switch cfg" error, so it's clearly seeing the hardware.ini file settings, and if i leave out the AVR.hex file it gives me a AVR not found error.

i have extra 3-way switches installed, which work perfectly, but i even tried disconnecting them from the backplane just to make sure, and everything is the same.

thanks