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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : ColorMax Pre-order
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donmck Guru  Joined: 09/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1313 |
Many notebook computers don't have provision for screws at all. As long as it is in a reasonably static environment, it shouldn't be a major problem. If it isn't, then it may pay to chase the stand-offs up, as you don't want to interrupt the VGA signals when powered up. EG: Space Shuttle, Harley Davidson, or Nascar. Don... https://www.dontronics.com |
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| Greg Fordyce Senior Member  Joined: 16/09/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 153 |
I've got the same issue with my CGCOLORMAX1. I've rolled back to V4.0 and display is fine. Does this also affect any other versions of the CMM or is it specific to the CGCOLORMAX1? Has anyone tried V4.0A? Aside from that I am happy to report everything else seems to be fine. Greg |
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CircuitGizmos Guru Joined: 08/09/2011 Location: United StatesPosts: 1425 |
I really hope it isn't just the CGCOLORMAX1. That would be an odd thing for the hardware to have an effect like that - with only a firmware change bring out the symptoms. Micromites and Maximites! - Beginning Maximite |
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Zonker Guru Joined: 18/08/2012 Location: United StatesPosts: 761 |
Finally got a chance to get a new coin cell for the ColorMax board. New batt voltage reads 3.34v (sounds ok) ... Still a no-go tith the RTC... I think I remember that if the RTC is not set, would the MM firmware ASK to set the time on first boot.? I think that is what happend when I attached the Sparkfun RTC board up to the UBW 32 board for the first time. I have yet to buy a through-hole version of the RTC for the Mighty-Mick-Motherboard, but will be working up a DigiKey order soon... Anyway, I took a look at the Colormax board and things seem to look ok.. The RTC pin 1 dot is pointing to the X-tal. The cap near the ic looks ok with the two resistors having a marking of "01C".. not sure about that one... BTW: still have v4.0B loaded and I think I am also seeing the color shift too. I tried fooling around with the settings on the "Sceptre" LCD. It even has a "phase" adjustment, but could not totaly remove the effect. I looks like an old shcool "convergence" error. I will try rollong back to v4.0 and see if it goes away... Thanks for all the help Gizmos..!! |
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| CircuitGizmos Guru Joined: 08/09/2011 Location: United StatesPosts: 1425 |
Testing the that the date/time is saved by the RTC is part of the test procedure before these are shipped. It worked at one point, the question is why doesn't it work now? [quote] I think I remember that if the RTC is not set, would the MM firmware ASK to set the time on first boot.? [/quote] It sets the RTC when Date$ and Time$ are set. The resistors are 10k. Micromites and Maximites! - Beginning Maximite |
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Geoffg Guru Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 3194 |
The colour shift is an issue in the firmware, not the hardware (Rob breaths a sigh of relief). The colour shift is caused by the three SPI channel for red, green and blue starting at slightly different times - the difference is only a nano second or two but it is enough to spoil the exact registration of the three colours and that shows up the worst on white text. For example, if you select green text (COLOUR GREEN) you do not notice the effect at all. Exactly why this happens sometimes and not others is a mystery but I have found that I could fix it by inserting a number of nops (an instruction that does nothing) into strategic positions in the code. My guess is that these shift the code in flash memory to some optimum position in relation to the instruction cache which is constantly reading the flash memory. The exact number of nops required seems to be a random number and varies every time I re compile the source. As a result, every time I have finished a new version I must program a Colour Maximite with the hex file and check for colour shift. If it exists I insert another nop and recompile and test again. Sometimes it takes all morning before I hit on the correct number! You cannot really blame the PIC32 for this. After all, the SPI output was never designed to generate video let alone colour video and I am sure that the designers never considered the need to have three SPI channels start at exactly the same time. But, this does show that with colour and everything else going on in the latest versions of MMBasic that we are pushing the chip close to its limits. This is one of the reasons that I am reluctant to add complex new functionality to MMBasic for fear that I might push the PIC32 too far and end up with something that is unreliable. I can only guess that I made a mistake in my testing with 4.0B and got the number of nops wrong - sorry about that. Rather than re release it I have come up with a new version (4.1) which also fixes a number of other issues and adds the PORT command. It is up on my website now and I will be shortly emailing everyone on my mailing list to advise of the new release. Geoff Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net |
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| CircuitGizmos Guru Joined: 08/09/2011 Location: United StatesPosts: 1425 |
[quote] The colour shift is an issue in the firmware, not the hardware (Rob breaths a sigh of relief). I have come up with a new version (4.1) [/quote] Wooot!! Micromites and Maximites! - Beginning Maximite |
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| paceman Guru Joined: 07/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1329 |
Just tried V4.0A and it doesn't have the text problem. The RTC still doesn't hold time. Greg |
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| paceman Guru Joined: 07/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1329 |
V4.1 has fixed the colour fringe problem for me - thanks again Geoff. Greg |
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| Zonker Guru Joined: 18/08/2012 Location: United StatesPosts: 761 |
Yes, I did try the Time$= and Date$= commands also to set the RTC. before I shut down the ColorMax, I did Print Time$ / Date$ and both were set correctly. Then powered down, and restarted... nogo... Will try v4.1 ..!! (nice) A big Thankyou goes out to Geoff and ALL the fine people here on the forum for supporting this project..!! This system makes programing easy, fast, and fun..!!  |
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| hitsware Guru Joined: 23/11/2012 Location: United StatesPosts: 535 |
> I have come up with a new version (4.1) > which also fixes a number of other issues > and adds the PORT command. Good-O ! Would someone direct me to the directions for reflashing the CGColorMax ? I've done it with a DuinoMite, but it has a button which the directions I have uses . Thank You |
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| CircuitGizmos Guru Joined: 08/09/2011 Location: United StatesPosts: 1425 |
The ColorMax does away with a pressable button and has two through-holes that you short out with a small length of wire. Next to the micro and crystal is J7. With a small jumper wire short these two contact points as you power up the board and the bootloader will run. Optionally you can solder in a small 2-pin header and use a shorting block to enter the bootloader. When the bootloader is running the power LED (red on the CGCOLORMAX1) blinks. The rest of the procedure uses the firmware loading program just like other Maximites. Micromites and Maximites! - Beginning Maximite |
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| greybeard Senior Member Joined: 04/01/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 161 |
Hey Rob, Received my CGColormax1 today ( Perth Western Australia ). Updated to MM 4.1 ok and RTC and display appear to be working ok. 
Interestingly it's sitting on my work bench with a core i5 laptop on one side, a pentium 900 laptop on the other and a microbee z80 computer ( with compact flash drive addon as well as 3.5" floppies ). The Maximite is a tad faster than the poor old microbee   and a fraction slower than the core i5 
Rod |
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| 3buns Newbie  Joined: 16/07/2012 Location: United KingdomPosts: 8 |
Hi all, mine just turned up in merry old England! Can't wait to get home and try it out. Thanks Gizmo! Regards, Kurt |
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| paceman Guru Joined: 07/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1329 |
Hi CG, I think I've found the problem (with my board anyway), I'm only getting 4.0v on the board instead of 5.0v. When I power it with the USB port it's correct and the time holds up fine after power down/up - not using Vin for power though. In either case the PIC's working fine though. This is what I'm getting: Supply 3.3v 5.0v 12Vin 3.3v 4.0v 9Vin 3.0v 3.0v USB 3.3v 5.0v The 9v & 12Vin is coming from a good bench supply. I normally have been powering it with 9v Vin. When I posted the message quoted above and reported it held time OK for a while till I went to bed, I must have been on the USB supply. I'd started first up with USB and then tested the Vin supply and then swapped back to USB. In all cases the Micro worked fine (which it would of course) but no go with the 1307 unless using USB in (in hindsight). Guess there's a problem somewhere on the Vin power supply. Greg (paceman) |
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bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2914 |
Hi Greg, Rob, Is there a link to the circuit anyway? It might bring up an idea of where to look. Regards, Mick EDIT **** Taking Geoff's circuit the problem can be ONLY in the following areas. 1. Your power source... try a different source your bench supply `may' be playing up. 2. The 5V regulator.. can you measure the voltage at the input and output of the reg? 3. The filter Cap (C1 in GG's cct) could be faulty or reversed. 4. The protection diodes (D1 and D2 in GG's cct) may be soggy or not soldered correctly 5. The power jack may be a 2.1mm and you have plugged a 2.5mm plug into it. Good luck Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| hitsware Guru Joined: 23/11/2012 Location: United StatesPosts: 535 |
Thanks ! ..... Did the header with jumper. Is there a schematic - board layout ? Mostly I need to ascertain which MMBasic pin numbers correspond with which pins near the keyboard connector. |
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centrex Guru Joined: 13/11/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 320 |
Hi The pin out of the 26way connector is the same as all the versions of the maximite incl the colour version. Googgle Geoff Grahams site will give you the details. Regards Cliff |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2914 |
If it is the same, as I am fairly certain it is, then this pinout (use GPIOa information) I made for the UBW32-MCC PCB will be the same. 2012-12-01_012259_GPIO_Connectors.pdf Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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Wombat Regular Member  Joined: 27/05/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 72 |
Received my ColorMax yesterday. 
Surprised that there is no power jack, so ran it off the USB via a phone charger pack 5.1V, 0.7A. No problems! When I have time I'll get some headers, jacks and stuff. 
Will need 2 cases. Anyone in Melbourne want to combine postage?
Thanks CG.  |
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