I first try to start the board from external triggers on a bench.
The report underneath looks like a disorder. In fact I had hard time to get in the thing, either closely following the documentation or from the understanding of the system interface as I can figure out on my own.
This may be useful to show that there could be a learning curve to use Vems and that one has to be patient.
Stim-output
I connected the stim-output signal to the InputTrigger with a 1K resistor as said on the Output Trigger page.
I entered msp0a and I obtained a nice rectangular signal period 20ms, then I configured
primary_trigger 0x01
tooth_wheel 0x04
tooth_wheel_twidth1 0x0A (I did not try 0x2D or 45 deg)
trigger_tooth 0x01 (why not)
secondary_trigger 0x02 ( coil type no cam)
Result : no RPM value on the Megatune gauge !
I also tried the 36-1/no cam configuration and some others ... but that requires tooth_wheel=23 (decimal 35) !
5cyl no secondarytrigger "camsync" example. Only 1 ignout channel, distributor ignition, with 5 window campulses connected to primary trigger, which gives
primary_trigger=03
secondary_trigger=02
tooth_wheel=05
trigger_tooth=00
another_trigger_tooth=01
crank_minper=60
tooth_wheel_twidth1=40
tooth_wheel_twidth2=02
cam_sync_r_edge_phase=01
cam_sync_f_edge_phase=02
reset_engphase_after=F0
Q. What is the configuration which works in this case?
A. Which case ? Make a chapter for it and make it clear what trigger-type exactly you want to test. There are zillion 36-1 and 60-2 configs.
Instead of stim-out, a PC soundcard is often easier: ElectronicDesign/TriggerSignalGenerator
1.0.46 configuration for 36-1 no cam
I switched for baud 19200 as one friend has kindly suggested and I got the Megatune Miniterminal link to run.However
- The numerical characters of the AZERY keyboard of my Toshiba Tecra A9 were not recognized by the miniterminal of the Megatune version from the 1.1.43alpha2 package.
- The Bray terminal was non usable because it was receiving that AIM binary stream as soon as it was connected without any chance to stop it
- Megatune 2.25 crashed when launched from my Notepad Dell Qwerty under Windows NT4.
Then I uploaded firmware 1.1.18.
- The numerical characters were not recognized by the miniterminal of the AZERTY Toshiba
- Megatune from the Dell qwerty was good, but the output trigger gives no signal for the stepper motor port (pin 4 E18) !
Then I uploaded firmware 1.0.46
- Megatune from the Dell qwerty good, output trigger for 36-1 good (check by a scope +5V -5V). I fed that signal to the input trigger pin through a 1kOhm resistance and I configured as said by the Section 4.7.d, that is
primary_trigger 0x01
tooth_wheel 0x23
tooth_wheel_twidth1 0x0A
trigger_tooth 0x01
secondary_trigger 0x02
another_trigger_tooth 0x12
tooth_wheel_twidth2 0x06
-> No rpm on the gauge.
Problem with the miniterminal serial link
. The serial link from the Megatune miniterminal to Vems used to work without problem on my older notebook (Windows NT) 6 month ago. I tried to make it work using my new notebook Toshiba which is equipped with a serial port but I got in response to man the following garbage:
man $Pw ´´´´´´´$(Px ±²±±±±±(,Pw™ª«©©©….
I tested back the Vems communications with the older notebook: I get now the same garbage in response to man, however the megatune display shows the gauges correctly and active.
The audit log seems allright:
Com port=1
Comm rate = 9600
Timer interval=50 (I have tested some other values)
Next I tried to communicate through the keyboard and the LCD. I get the Hello message on the LCD but I was only able to make work the left and right arrows of the KBD.
The KBD is an AZERTY and is a COMPACT type, but even after AZERTY/QWERTY translation, mcd or other commands do not work. However I remember that the COMPACT KBD are special.
Q. For what reasons do I now get that garbage in response to man?
A Type Man not man!
26/10/08 - Thats'it ! (it was an easy one ;) )
Is the output trigger test supposed to work?
Following Marcell advice I put a 4700pf capacitor on the line of the 0utput trigger signal which feeds the input trigger point.
After entering mst62msq21msp01msp00 (I have configured for 36-1), the rpm indicator went up to 25500 tr/mn and back erratikly to zero, the "trigger error" alarm was risen.
- Changing the value for msq21 or msp did not stabilize the indicator.
- Configuring for 36-0 makes the indicator constant and no trigger alarm?
- Doubling the "rpm constant" doubles the indicator value (nice,but how to choose that constant? measurement ?)
- Putting no capacitor, that is having simply a square input signal -5V,+5V, keeps the indicator to zero in any case.
My conclusion is that the Output Trigger signal is of no use for me to make basic testing of the firmware 1.0.46.
Note. In the case where nobody would be able to utilize the Output trigger signal for trigger testing, why to keep the page in the Wiki?
Trigger 4+0
With the help of the UK forum I realized that the trigger configuration "4+0" or more easily "4+1" should be handled only by the recent firmware version.
So I tried to upload version 1.1.43Alpha2
- Check everything running as usual
- Save of config and tables
- mci -> "Hardware serial number: V3.2-n00???"(I badly noted the end number) This surpises me since the order says V.3.3.
- mdV -> 1.0.23
- 1st run of upload-firmare-12x12.bat -> "LoAddr= 0 HiAddr?=e73b" then "No hello from AVR"
- 2nd run -> ... "AVR said hello" "Flash erased" "--" then garbage/binary sent to the screen (1sec for each 80 bytes line), why not echo of the writing I thought, after waiting 4 hours I computed that this should be enough and I stopped the process.
- Power on/off and 3rd run -> "LoAddr= HiAddr?=e73b" then "No hello from AVR"
- check megatune and miniterminal : dead
- run upload-firmare-boot-12x12.bat -> "didn't get reply from AVR, out of sync"
Now I am stuck...
Answer : If it successfully uploaded the new firmware, com speed is now 19200 and it outputs AIM binarydata. Check UK forum thread http://vems.hu/www.vems.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=653.0 Also this trigger type isn't successfully tested so you are on your own with this.
- That 4+0 idea of configuration was for bench testing only.
- Indeed the changelog of version 1.1.43alpha2 says that 19200 is now default. I tested the (nice) uploader script but I forced 9600 com1. I also tried to launch the Megatune but have the message "Megasquirt controller code version - received ???? from controller"
Q. What about the 4 hours of binaries sent to the screen. It probably shows that the upload had failed. Is the boot firmware still allright set for 19200? What to do if not? Do I have to upload the boot firmware?
Q. What about the mci telling my harware is version 3.2? Is Vems 3.2 compatible with the updated firmware?
Anyway some other tests to do the another weekend ...
Finally on July 2009, after more testing once a while, I regularly get a Full Start with the C004 trigger signal and running the last downloaded firmware (I don't remember which version)