I'm using a 14m in an Xbox controller which is powered off of 2 AA batteries. In the past I have been able to program the 14m using just power from the controllers batteries, but lately I have been having to use a special charging cable, which provides 5volts to the controller, and the 14m, to be able to program it.
trouble with downloading program
- Thread starter aduy
- Start date
Andrew Cowan
Senior Member
PICAXE chips need a good strong supply to program - 4.5v is usually recommended. They will run off a lower voltage - they just need the full 4.5v to program.
It sounds like your AA batteries used to give enough voltage for the download to work - now they have discharged a bit, the voltage has fallen, and the voltage is no longer high enough for the download to happen.
Solution: Replace the batteries, or use your special cable.
Andrew
It sounds like your AA batteries used to give enough voltage for the download to work - now they have discharged a bit, the voltage has fallen, and the voltage is no longer high enough for the download to happen.
Solution: Replace the batteries, or use your special cable.
Andrew
If you were using exactly the same setup in the past - i.e. same PC, same picaxe, etc, then it might be that a different brand of battery, or even new batteries that aren't quite as "fresh" are being used. As has been noted above, programming the picaxe with 3V is a questionable proposition, and even a small change of any kind, even temperature, could cause a problem.
"might it have something to do with using 8mhz instead of 4mhz?"
- I don't know. How long would it take you to change to 4MHz and try it?
It appears that the frequency tolerance gets greater as Vdd goes down too.
If I were you I'd try changing to 4MHz and/or beefing up the batteries. Experiment and report back. It would be useful info.
- I don't know. How long would it take you to change to 4MHz and try it?
It appears that the frequency tolerance gets greater as Vdd goes down too.
If I were you I'd try changing to 4MHz and/or beefing up the batteries. Experiment and report back. It would be useful info.
one other thing. i can program the picaxe using the Logicator off the two AA batteries. in the past i now remember having problems with the programming editor. I re-installed the programming editor in the past and it would start working again, but obviously its not a permanent solution.
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BeanieBots
Moderator
After you read and tried all the suggestions made, what was the outcome?
In particular, using three instead of just two batteries.
Did using 4Mhz instead of 8Mhz help?
Re-installing the PE will have absolutely no effect on download reliability. It was probably the time taken to do it that allowed your batteries to recover that had a bigger effect.
In particular, using three instead of just two batteries.
Did using 4Mhz instead of 8Mhz help?
Re-installing the PE will have absolutely no effect on download reliability. It was probably the time taken to do it that allowed your batteries to recover that had a bigger effect.
BeanieBots
Moderator
Probably a combination of luck, coinicidence and the reasons given in post #7.
There is no design reason for any difference.
There is no design reason for any difference.
its a little belated, but i may have found what the issue that ive been having was and how to solve it.
after loading the live spice program into my picaxe 18m2(running on 5 volts) in the pic logicator, i was unable to clear the program memory using the program editor.
so i restarted my computer, then tried again to clear the memory with the program editor with no luck.
so i started up the pic logicator and tried to clear the memory using that but it didnt work either.
so i downloaded the live spice then disconnected and was then able to clear program memory with the pic logicator
and then i was able to program it with the program editor.
I now remember programming my 14m with the live spice program thing in the pic logicator
after loading the live spice program into my picaxe 18m2(running on 5 volts) in the pic logicator, i was unable to clear the program memory using the program editor.
so i restarted my computer, then tried again to clear the memory with the program editor with no luck.
so i started up the pic logicator and tried to clear the memory using that but it didnt work either.
so i downloaded the live spice then disconnected and was then able to clear program memory with the pic logicator
and then i was able to program it with the program editor.
I now remember programming my 14m with the live spice program thing in the pic logicator