MidiOX updates...won't FREAKIN work :/

[toneking]

I don't know if the problem i've had relate to yours, but I have been having big problems with inconsistency trying to update my megadrum lately with midiox, sometimes it worked out fine, and sometimes i didn´t... Today I tried to update to the latest fw just to find out that - here we go again...

The thing is that I have been using a macbook with windows xp for the last months when updating firmware, and before that I was using my son´s pc, which always worked out fine. Today, after trying a couple of times with the macbook, I took the megadrum of my basdrum and walked in to my son´s room to try using his pc for the update procedure, I was frustrated indeed, and guess what?, it worked right away...!!!

So there is obviously something fishy going on with my macbook but I don´t know what it is. I have two "apples" in my music room, one mac pro and one macbook, both give me the same problem trying to update firmware.

In short, you can always try with another computer, hopefully it´ll work for you.

[Firelord]

As far as I can tell, the update worked its way to the chip, but unfortunately some part of the flash is evidently corrupted — just look at the resulting gibberish on the LCD. The only sure way to make MegaDrum working again is to reflash ATMega via ISP. That is, of course, if there are no h/w problems present.

[jman 31]

You might try re-downloading the FW. It's possible to get a corrupt download and not even know it. I know it sounds like we are grasping at straws, but until you try a new computer, fresh FW, and a parallel programmer, there is no telling.

[pfhor]

Thanks pfhor making me feel like an ass!

Sorry, didn't mean to be a dick. Came out a bit harsher than intended but I had missed the closing time for buying beer so I was annoyed.


Edit: To actually contribute to the thread (I hope), might it maybe be easier to check with Synthex if he can sell you just a preprogrammed IC? I get the feeling you might want a simple plug&play solution for a few extra dollars at this point.

[dmitri]

I have a suspicion that communication between Atemega and PIC18F2550 is broken. The latest version of the bootloader, the one which keeps the LED flashing rapidly if you keep the LEFT key pressed while powering up, has a rudimentary debugging capability.
Once in the bootloader and having selected the right crystal frequency with the key UP, you can press key LEFT and each time you press the key LEFT the booloader sends MIDI message Note On with note number 2 and velocity 1. If you cannot see these messages in MIDI-OX (when you selected MegaDrum as MIDI input in MIDI-OX) then you either chose an incorrect crystal frequency or or Atmega->PIC communication is broken.
Can you see these MIDI messages?

[blindboyrecording]

I have a suspicion that communication between Atemega and PIC18F2550 is broken. The latest version of the bootloader, the one which keeps the LED flashing rapidly if you keep the LEFT key pressed while powering up, has a rudimentary debugging capability.
Once in the bootloader and having selected the right crystal frequency with the key UP, you can press key LEFT and each time you press the key LEFT the booloader sends MIDI message Note On with note number 2 and velocity 1. If you cannot see these messages in MIDI-OX (when you selected MegaDrum as MIDI input in MIDI-OX) then you either chose an incorrect crystal frequency or or Atmega->PIC communication is broken.
Can you see these MIDI messages?

hi dmitri!

no. unfortunatly i can't see those message in midiox.

how do i fix the connection/communication between Atmega->PIC ?
could Synthex just sell me a new programmed chip?

and yes - the gibberish on the LCD is weird too.
i only just noticed now that when selecting the crystal frequency the top corner of the LCD says something that looks like "n!! 10s4"
you can barely see it in the picture, but it IS there....
(i have a 16MHz crystal so i hadn't looked before - as i didn't need to push LEFT)

[Sabre]

I had missed the closing time for buying beer so I was annoyed

Not at all friend, gave me a good chuckle... not to mention you a had damn good reason

[dmitri]

I have a suspicion that communication between Atemega and PIC18F2550 is broken. The latest version of the bootloader, the one which keeps the LED flashing rapidly if you keep the LEFT key pressed while powering up, has a rudimentary debugging capability.
Once in the bootloader and having selected the right crystal frequency with the key UP, you can press key LEFT and each time you press the key LEFT the booloader sends MIDI message Note On with note number 2 and velocity 1. If you cannot see these messages in MIDI-OX (when you selected MegaDrum as MIDI input in MIDI-OX) then you either chose an incorrect crystal frequency or or Atmega->PIC communication is broken.
Can you see these MIDI messages?

hi dmitri!

no. unfortunatly i can't see those message in midiox.

Was the MIDI LED flashing while you were holding the key LEFT pressed on power on?
If yes, then it is the latest version of the bootloader and you should be able to see these messages.
If you don't get these messages then the most likely reason is soldering problem, e.g. shorts/breaks/excessive flux.

how do i fix the connection/communication between Atmega->PIC ?
could Synthex just sell me a new programmed chip?

You should ask Synthex but I'm not sure that Atmega is at fault.

and yes - the gibberish on the LCD is weird too.
i only just noticed now that when selecting the crystal frequency the top corner of the LCD says something that looks like "n!! 10s4"
you can barely see it in the picture, but it IS there....
(i have a 16MHz crystal so i hadn't looked before - as i didn't need to push LEFT)

It could be because of soldering problems. The less likely reason is that the bootloader is corrupted.
Do you get the same symbols all the time? Do they change when you press the key UP?

[blindboyrecording]

I have a suspicion that communication between Atemega and PIC18F2550 is broken. The latest version of the bootloader, the one which keeps the LED flashing rapidly if you keep the LEFT key pressed while powering up, has a rudimentary debugging capability.
Once in the bootloader and having selected the right crystal frequency with the key UP, you can press key LEFT and each time you press the key LEFT the booloader sends MIDI message Note On with note number 2 and velocity 1. If you cannot see these messages in MIDI-OX (when you selected MegaDrum as MIDI input in MIDI-OX) then you either chose an incorrect crystal frequency or or Atmega->PIC communication is broken.
Can you see these MIDI messages?

hi dmitri!

no. unfortunatly i can't see those message in midiox.

Was the MIDI LED flashing while you were holding the key LEFT pressed on power on?
If yes, then it is the latest version of the bootloader and you should be able to see these messages.
If you don't get these messages then the most likely reason is soldering problem, e.g. shorts/breaks/excessive flux.

i will check for shorts etc - but there hasn't been any ever...but i'll definetely check.

how do i fix the connection/communication between Atmega->PIC ?
could Synthex just sell me a new programmed chip?

You should ask Synthex but I'm not sure that Atmega is at fault.

and yes - the gibberish on the LCD is weird too.
i only just noticed now that when selecting the crystal frequency the top corner of the LCD says something that looks like "n!! 10s4"
you can barely see it in the picture, but it IS there....
(i have a 16MHz crystal so i hadn't looked before - as i didn't need to push LEFT)

It could be because of soldering problems. The less likely reason is that the bootloader is corrupted.
Do you get the same symbols all the time? Do they change when you press the key UP?[/quote]

yes it's the same weird symbols everytime.
and it doesn't change when pressing LEFT or UP

[dmitri]

It could be because of soldering problems. The less likely reason is that the bootloader is corrupted.
Do you get the same symbols all the time? Do they change when you press the key UP?

yes it's the same weird symbols everytime.
and it doesn't change when pressing LEFT or UP

looks like your bootloader is corrupted if it doesn't react to key UP and shows the same weird symbols. I'm afraid you have to re-program the bootloader.