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Problems with DDI3

Started by LambdaMikel, 16:34, 12 February 18

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LambdaMikel

I am having problems with my DDI3, just wondering if others are also experiencing this. Sometime I turn on the 464, and the display gets lit up, but it doesn't actually show anything, and doesn't work. I sometime need to turn the CPC on and off three times before it initializes and "boots" correctly. Do others have similar problems? Just curious. Maybe I need a firmware update or the like? Could it be that it has problems with USB pen drive?

Piotr

First, why do you don't contact with me directly  Via SMR ? Second ... 95 % problems is with poor connection from CPC edge slot. Please ,clean edge slot  using cotton buds and pure alcohol. If problems back let me know.

LambdaMikel

Quote from: Piotr on 22:30, 12 February 18First, why do you don't contact with me directly  Via SMR ? Second ... 95 % problems is with poor connection from CPC edge slot. Please ,clean edge slot  using cotton buds and pure alcohol. If problems back let me know.

Hi Piotr, thanks for checking! Right, probably should have tried contacting you PM first - but open community such as this is also good for getting tipps from others, sometimes that's faster than talking directly to the creator. Or might have encountered problems that the creator / designer hasn't :-)

I have to say DDI3 is one of my most favorite pieces of CPC 464 hardware - thank you for making it, I think it is great product!  :)

I doubt it is the edge connector, maybe the power supply, maybe the USB drive (?) I can send you a video of the behavior and we can discuss this offline if you prefer. I just think open discussion benefits the community, if someone else also has this problem he/she can find the thread and does not need to contact you in same matters.

Let me know how you want to proceed, offline or here?

Best,
Michael



LambdaMikel

I have recorded a video showing the problem and sent you a PM, please check it out .
Thanks
Michael

Piotr

Hi, contrast is to high. Under display is small black board with blue  potentiometer. Unscrew display and set it lower using small screwdriver.

LambdaMikel

#5
Quote from: Piotr on 08:31, 13 February 18Hi, contrast is to high. Under display is small black board with blue  potentiometer. Unscrew display and set it lower using small screwdriver.

It is not about contrast. I doesn't initialize correcly until I switch CPC off and on about 2 times (2 power cycles required to make DDI3 initialize and show something on the display). This happens with and without USB pen drive plugged in, and with every PSU I tried so far.

Sorry if my video was unclear; indeed high constrast makes it very difficult to capture. But it isn't about contrast, actually, but about DDI3 not booting / initializing correctly until I power cycle 2 or 3 times.

Piotr

Yes but on second movie i see, you have long "train " with other interfaces connected to CPC. If you connect DDI directly it to CPC,  problem is repeat ? Anyway i pack second DDI3 for you today and i sent it tomorrow.

LambdaMikel

Quote from: Piotr on 23:51, 14 February 18If you connect DDI directly it to CPC,  problem is repeat ? Anyway i pack second DDI3 for you today and i sent it tomorrow.

Yes, but first movie I sent you has only the DDI3 connected directly to the expansion port, with no USB pen drive plugged in. And you can see that it doesn't initialize unless I turn it off and on a second time.

Thanks, that is great, I can send you the other one back for service then. Thanks for your great support!! :)

LambdaMikel

I am attaching 2 screenshots from that movie.
First shows not initialized, second one shows after one more power cycle off / on.
Sometimes I need 2 or 3 power cycles for it to initialize.




Bryce

These LCD screens require a few delay loops in the initialisation. It looks like these have been made too short in the firmware and it's on the border of what's acceptable. If you lengthen the delays (or slow the µP down) this won't happen.

I think Michael has all he needs to reprogram the µP, so just send him an adjusted Firmware file and it should be sorted.

Bryce.

00WReX

I have an Atari SIO2SD with LCD and it occasionally does the same thing.
Not often, and like Bryce said, the LCD must be on the borderline for initialisation.
But it definitely is the same type of symptom you have.

Cheers,
Shane
The CPC in Australia...
Awa - CPCWiki

Bryce

This can be a symptom if the rise time of the 5V rail is too slow. If the rail rises too slow (due to big caps to charge or whatever) the µP will start it's delay before the LCD had got that far. Usually you add a few ms to the delay to allow for worst case.

Bryce.

LambdaMikel

Quote from: Bryce on 11:22, 15 February 18
This can be a symptom if the rise time of the 5V rail is too slow. If the rail rises too slow (due to big caps to charge or whatever) the µP will start it's delay before the LCD had got that far. Usually you add a few ms to the delay to allow for worst case.

Bryce.


Hope Piotr hears that for the next firmware update :-)




Vyper68

Quote from: LambdaMikel on 23:22, 23 February 18

Hope Piotr hears that for the next firmware update :-)

Does your DDI-3 use HxC of Flash Floppy? - Just ask because i updated the firmware on my DDI-3 using the Instructions from the HxC Website to 3.1.0.3a ( i think ) and when i started the update i had a screen like your picture - you haven't got a .UPD file on your USB Stick???
Paul Woakes - Genius & Programmer

Thank you for Mercenary Paul

LambdaMikel

It is HxC. Never upgraded the firmware.

LambdaMikel

... in the meantime I figured out that the problem might be PSU related. Depending on the PSU, I am getting the initialization problem almost always, or very rarely. So it might be that my PSUs are not optimal for this device.

LambdaMikel

I'll get another one from Piotr, of course, I will send him the other one back (at my cost).
Maybe after all it is only a PSU problem.

Vyper68

Quote from: LambdaMikel on 09:19, 24 February 18
... in the meantime I figured out that the problem might be PSU related. Depending on the PSU, I am getting the initialization problem almost always, or very rarely. So it might be that my PSUs are not optimal for this device.

I am using a 5V 4A Power supply these days as now as i run the CPC464, DDI-3 and a 3.5 Drive or sometimes a Gotek as a second drive off the DDI-3 second drive IDC header. I was overloading my CTM-644's 5V output so i wanted to get something with enough power, now i just use the 644 with my 6128 & M4.

I was thinking of changing the EPROM on the DDI-3 as well so i have PARADOS 1.2 rather the 1.1 if that is possible. I have never programmed an EPROM before let alone fitting two 16K Images into a 32K Chip.
Paul Woakes - Genius & Programmer

Thank you for Mercenary Paul

LambdaMikel

Quote from: Vyper68 on 09:37, 24 February 18
I am using a 5V 4A Power supply these days

What kind? Do you have a link please? Thanks

Vyper68

Quote from: LambdaMikel on 09:48, 24 February 18
What kind? Do you have a link please? Thanks

Here is a link, it's a UK Spec plug - You may be able to get it in the US and use a plug adapter.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01M2CSK0V/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Paul Woakes - Genius & Programmer

Thank you for Mercenary Paul

LambdaMikel

This is what I found - my other PSU was at 6 V. This causes the initialization error.
With 5 V, the problem does not seem to happen.

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