Problem downloading program to PIC

[Racer_Rob]

Hey,
I have just bought a PICAXE-18 tutorial pack but am having problems when downloading a progam to the PIC, here's whats happened so far in the set-up:

• 
  Inserted CD & installed programming editor & PICAXE VSM software
  Plugged in USB connection cable & installed driver for that from the CD
  Connected 3x normal AA to PCB
  Connected PCB to laptop with USB cable
  Started programming editor software
  In options set chip mode to '18' and set serial port to num.4 (which was confirmed in the device manager that it's plugged in on num.4)
  Opened up '7SEG.BAS' from the programming editor smaples file
  Clicked 'Program' and got told "hardware not found on COM4, possible causes: 1. hardware not connected (well, it is) 2. hardware not powered (it is) 3. hardware contains blank chip (nope, is new picaxe chip) 4. chip needs a reset (which i tried)

I have Vista and so tried running the software as an admin and in XP compatibility mode but no change. Any help would be great, thanks!

 

[hippy]

Welcome to the PICAXE forum.

There's a download checklist in PICAXE Manual 1 but much of that could be irrelevant given it's a Rev-Ed kit (AXE050U).

Firstly check your batteries and use new ones if possible.

Check the power is connected correctly ( I think that should be red wire to left, black to right from the AXE050U photograph ).

Check the PICAXE is installed on the PCB the right way round.

There is also a Serial Port Test ( View - > Options -> Serial Port ) which will verify if communications are going from the PC to the PICAXE which would be worth trying.

 

[Racer_Rob]

The batteries are brand new, I have double checked the power connection and I assume the chip is inserted the correct way around (it arrive pre assembled).
When i first connected the board to the batteries the 7seg display started running through number 0-9 and just keeps repeating this.

I have tired view>options>serial port and cliked the green LED but there is no change in voltage between the serial input pin & 0V (to double check I've attatched a photo of the PCB, i used the 2 holes bottom left marked IN0 and 0V, and obviously touched the multimeter to their respective contact patch on the rear of the board!)

I also noticed on the back of the board 2 of the pins underneath where the stereo jack plugs in have solder linking them and just wondered if this is intentional? (again pic attatched)

 

[hippy]

Yes, that does look like a solder-bridge which should not have happened and should have been caught in post-production inspection and testing. Please accept our apologies.

If you have the equipment to remove the bridge yourself you are welcome to do that or you may return the board for replacement. If you can hold off any decision for a while I will find what we recommend the best course of action is.

 

[Racer_Rob]

I have a soldering iron & solder sucker so I could fix it but I can wait to see if you recomend anything else.

 

[Technical]

Sorry for the fault, by all means you can fix it yourself by simply running a hot soldering iron tip between the centre pin and the side pair (the side pair are actually meant to be joined together by a track).

Alternately we can send you a replacement if you prefer.

 

[Racer_Rob]

I have removed the solder bridge, plugged it in and all seems to be working ok. I'll update if anything changes but so far its worked perfectly, thanks for the help

 

[LongRat]

Seems like I am having a similar problem here. I prototyped my whole circuit on the AXE091 development board and everything works. But when I try to program the Picaxe chip (40X1) on the real circuit board, I get the same error Rob reported. The thing is, everything else about the circuit works perfectly. I can take the chip out and program it on the AXE091 board fine. When the serial download cable is plugged in to my real circuit, the program seems to run slow and be a bit erratic... it didn't do this when plugged into the AXE091. This is a clue, but I can't find anything wrong with my wiring. If anyone can think of something I could try, please help! I want to be able to program this chip when it is on the real circuit board.

 

[hippy]

Sounds like your own circuit board has a fault on it or there's been a mistake in design. Post the circuit then any obvious oversights or misunderstandings can be checked for.

 

[LongRat]

Right, the board is a bit of a mess at the moment so I won't be able to post a picture of it that anyone could really use. I'll probably disassemble the serial download components and do them again neater, if that doesn't work at least it will be in a better state for others to understand the layout. I just noticed that the AXE091 board has an 8MHz resonator pre-fitted for the 40 size chip - I don't have any external resonators on my board. Might this be the problem? Seems unlikely that any of the circuit functionality would work properly if this was the problem though...

 

[BeanieBots]

The 40X1 does NOT need a rsonator. The 40X DOES need one.
As well as double checking your download circuit, check that reset is pulled high.

 

[LongRat]

BB - thanks for the reply. Reset is indeed pulled high via a 4k7. I rebuilt the download circuit and double checked it again, still the same problem.

 

[Dippy]

If your board is/was 'a bit of a mess', then have you damaged something?

 

[LongRat]

I checked every component, all working fine. Something else - When the circuit is powered and operating, I plug in the download cable and it resets on its own. It doesn't do this on the AXE091 board. Is that right?

 

[hippy]

Resets can occur when plugging or un-plugging the download cable, even on the AXE091. It is recommended not to do either while the PICAXE or board is powered.

For your own board download problem - check that you have the connections correct, that you don't have Serial In and Out swapped over, and that the two pairs of outer pins on the jack are connected together ( you actually only need one of each pair connected but I cannot recall which ) ...

                                                  .---------------.
 Viewed from Above                                |               |
                             .--------------------| Serial Out    |
  .--------------.           |       .-----.      |               |
.-|  +  +      O |--2/R--.---|---.---|     |------| Serial In     |
| |  .--.      O |--2/R--'   |   |   `-----'      |               |
| |  |  |   O    |--1/S------'   |     22K    .---| 0v            |
| |  `--'      O |--3/T--.      _|_           |   |               |
`-|  +  +      O |--3/T--{     |   |          |   `---------------'
  `--------------'       |     |   | 10K      |         PICAXE
                         |     |   |          |
                         |     `-.-'          |
                         |       |            |
                       --^-------^------------^-- 0v

 

[BeanieBots]

It works on the AXE090 but not on your own board.
No other information is required, the statement is it's own answer.
Your board has a fault somewhere.

It is very easy to overlook an error once you have convinced yourself it is correct.
Get someone else to check it and don't prompt them in any way.
Just ask them to draw the circuit of what you have constructed.

Alternatively, post a picture. This has revealed the error for most who have had similar issues.

 

[LongRat]

You are right of course BB. Here is a picture of the download circuit. The extra fly leads coming out of the back of the download socket are to connect the 2 pin pairs together. They are broken off on the legs underneath. I don't have another socket or I would have tried replacing it.

 

[hippy]

I think you're going to get some criticisms for that 'layout' and I cannot follow what's what. I'd suggest starting again on another bit of vero-board, or build the minimal PICAXE circuit on breadboard first.

If pins have snapped off components it's usually best to buy replacements. Soldering on wires and hacking may be okay when everything was working and you broke something, but when trying to get something to work it's just adding to what could be wrong.

When building a board it's best to start with just the bare minimum. Solder the chip socket in and other essential components, run from 3xAA batteries ( or a Lab PSU ) and get that working. It's much easier to fault find when there's no clutter. Add reset switch, regulators, and everything else after that and test at each step of the way. If something goes wrong it's then usually related to what you last did. With a complete but faulty board it could be anywhere. With a fully built board, if there is a fault you can destroy everything on it and will never get anything to work. At least going a step at a time, if the worse does happen, you know it worked up to that point.

 

[Dippy]

Sorry, I can't help either. I can't follow it.
I agree with hippy's build-it-up approach.

Best order another socket. How much are they? 20p ? So order 10, you'll need them for future projects.

 

[hippy]

@ LongRat : I see that the 22K has been labelled "Serial Out" and the pinkish text says "Serial In". That's wrong if you do have it like that; see post #15.

 

[LongRat]

Thanks for everyone's help so far. I've been doing some more investigation, after I also rebuilt the circuit only for it to behave identically. It seems that I can't download ANYTHING now, be that to my circuit or the chip mounted onto the AXE091 proto board. I'm thinking that something in my config changed, because the first time I tried downloading to the AXE091 after my failed attempts with my own circuit, I got the exact same error. I put a couple of different chips into the proto board (an 18X and an 08M) both giving the same error after resetting the PE to that chip type. I ran a serial port test using the PE which was successful apart from the 40X1 test, which was reading ±10V on the serial in pin! Not sure how that can be, I confirmed my circuit voltage was 5V from the in-built regulator on the board. I have ordered the USB download cable to see if that solves anything.
Apart from trying the new cable, I'm a bit at a loss here.

 

[LongRat]

Well just to clear this up, I got the USB download cable and it works perfectly both on the proto board and my own circuit. After all this it seems either the serial cable or my serial port is damaged, even though it passed the tests in the PE...
Anyway stuff all working now .

 

[stelerp]

Hello

I cannot downloading program to PICAXE in PICAXE Programing Editor.
Check Firmware Version in Options work OK.
I was trying version 5.3.1 , 5.2.0 and olders. Win XP 32bit.

Downloading program in WinAXEpad is working OK!

you can help me?

Thanks Stelerp

 

[stelerp]

Hello

I install new copy of WIN XP, install SP3, install all update, install Programing editor.

Programing Editor is run, and downloading program not work.

what yet be to make?

 

[westaust55]

@stelerp,

Welcome to the PICAXE forum


Which cable are you using? The Rev Ed AXE027 USB cable or some other cable?

Do you have the USB drivers installed? Available from the Rev Ed website for AXE027 cable.

What is your power supply?
If using batteries, make sure they are new to provide 4.5 Volts.
In many cases a low voltage has allowed a check of the firmware to occur but not to successfully download the BASIC program.

 

[stelerp]

Hello

Thank for answer.

I use other USB to Serial adapter, with PL-2303 Controller. Power supply is adapter + Stabilisator 7805 on the test board.

Be of interest, that the download doesn't go only in Programing Editor, but in WinAXEpad yes. Even also command line command functions OK (for example: '..\compiler\picaxe08m -cCOM3 test.bas' is work perfectly)
This is SW or HW problem? :-/

I still check voltage drop during download, if is, or isn't.

Stelerp

 

[hippy]

Programming Editor and AXEpad use different internal libraries to interface to Windows OS which could explain why you are seeing a difference in behaviour. I have used PL2303 cables ( USB010 and others ) with no problems using both on Windows XP

I would suggest installing the Rev-Ed supplied USB010 drivers ( Software & Drivers link at top right of page ) if you have not used those already; there have been odd and inconsistent issues reported when users have installed other PL2303 drivers. We recommend use of the AE027 programming cable for use with the PICAXE.

 

[search24sc]

Re

I would also like some more information regarding this.

 

[westaust55]

Welcome to the PICAXE forum

Please be more specific about "this"

If you can explain clearly what your problem is and what hardware/cable you are using then folks here can generally hept you better rather than having to guess what "this" is

 

[hippy]

Welcoem to the PICAXE forum

Welcome, goodbye and good riddance

Just another spammer using signature links to attract people to whatever they are flogging, hosting or infecting with. Their posts don't usually make sense, and especially not if signature display is disabled, but their style is pretty recognisable as a hint to investigate.

Some spammers get through but we soon slam the door on them. You posted while I was nailing the door shut; normally we ban and delete the posts.