Trouble with UIRT2

[GoldServe]

I've finally made one and it was all worth it! The only problem is that i can't seem to send out codes. I'm not sure if i have the leds installed incorrectly or something like that...is there something you have to set in the firm ware so the leds will pulse instead of a constant ir beam?

*edit: I've used a multimeter to test pin 13 of the uln to ground and found a connection is not made when i press the button. My understanding is that the uln chip are like gates to ground correct?

[GoldServe]

Hrmm...yes...both the flat sides of the leds are connected facing the pin 1 of the uln. Any more ideas? I used an winlirc receiver with the scope to caputer what i'm sending out and that is nothing...tried all the frequency settings.

[GoldServe]

Ahhh...all works now! I just had the leds reversed! Round side = positive!

[Luc]

Antti,

Is "Incorrect 1st character" the message you get? Normally with a dead PIC (no crystal) it should be: "Can not read 1st char.".
Check the cabling and the PCB for shorts, are there conflicts on the comm port with other plugins or programs? Try another comm port or PC if possible.
It could be that the PIC is dead but why?

Luc.

[Luc]

Goldserve,

first of all you should be sure that the IR led's are installed correctly: the flat side should connect towards the ULN pin, the long wire to the 10 ohm resistor. Refer to the external connection options on my website.
The led's are driven at a frequency of 36-40kHz depending on the Uirt settings and this is the only thing that can be changed. You might be able to see "something" with a multimeter but it won't be much.

[Luc]

Goldserve,

I think you misunderstood me. I don't know wich version you use and it looks like you are saying that they are mounted so that the flat side is directed towards pin 1. I meant that it should be connected to the PCB trace going to the ULN pin (13 or 14). They are most likely reversed.

Luc.

[Luc]

Antti,

did you reprogram a new PIC and still have exactly the same problems?

I still think that it is probably a conflict between plugins and/or other programs or a problem with the communication between PIC and COMM port, this could explain both problems. Have you been able to try on another port or another PC?
What operating system are you using?

Luc.

[Luc]

I was just double-checking my UIRT2 (again) and found out that in part layout you have ZD1 other way than in the UIRT2 picture on your site. Or at least it looks like that. Which one's right?
You are correct: the B version picture is wrong :oops: The part layout is correct.

Is there a big difference in polyesther and ceramic capacitors? My C1 and C3 are both ceramic with correct values.

No, not in this case. Ceramic is even better for noise suppresion.

By now I've been programming the PIC with Ruud's UIRT Do you think I should try UIRT2? Any chance to succeed with crystal mounted and shorted?

I have programmed already a lot with and without crystal, others have done it also and it works just fine. I don't think this is the problem but you could give it a try.

This looks like a very strange problem, if you can't get it to work and it produces the same problem on a different PC: could you mail it to me for investigation?

Luc.

[Luc]

At least one problem is solved: The strange IR signals are caused by the 36KHz receiver.
Thus it looks like the uirt2 worked OK at day one (with the above "problem") but then something has gone defect, not the PIC: it still works.
If you can you check the components connecting to the comm port and the MCLR pin with a multimeter you might find it assuming that the power supply is OK.

Luc.

[Luc]

Antti,

has this problem been solved?

Luc.

[Antti]

Hi.

What a disappointment. Just got my UIRT2 working and it actually did it for a while. But now all the sudden Girder keeps telling me "Incorrect 1st character" Right in the beginning. During the initialization I suppose because if I set it to skip init it works. What happened? Just burnt up my PIC or something? :(

Antti

[Antti]

It could be that the PIC is dead but why?

Hi again.

I checked everything and all seems to be ok. And the PIC works fine. I put it back to UIRT1 and reprogrammed it and no problem.

And yes "Incorrect 1st char" is the error message I get. Exactly in that form. Ok-button included. :) First it worked and gave random codes when I pressed a button on my remote and then it gave that error. I have no clue why. Gotta try out again today with different COM port and so on.

Thanks.

Antti

[Antti]

Hi all!

Still something seriously wrong. I checked everything out again and even changed the 36KHz receiver to the 38 one I used in my UIRT1. I programmed the PIC with UIRT1 and Danijels programmer. HEX-file was Jons v1.7. After programming it worked quite well except that I still got many different codes from my remote. And it worked fine with UIRT1 sending always the same code for same button. What's wrong with that?

Then I restarted my computer and voilá! It just said "Incorrect 1st char" with OK button under it. What's wrong here? Anyone?

Oh.. I'm using Girder 3.13c and Jons plugin that comes with 1.6 firmware.

Antti

[Antti]

did you reprogram a new PIC and still have exactly the same problems?

No. I have only this one PIC at the moment. It works fine with in UIRT1. Maybe there is something wrong with some part of it that UIRT2 uses?


Have you been able to try on another port or another PC?

Not yet tested with another port. I'm going to visit my parents this weekend so their PC will be a good victim. :)


What operating system are you using?

Win2K Pro SP2. I really wonder what is going on. "Feels" like the PIC would get erased during boot or something because first it works fine (if you don't count messy receiving). And then there was this funny surprise. Last night at about 2AM my PC suddenly turned on. :D And I bet my shorts that it was UIRT2 with WOL. Girder still whines about 1st char. Maybe I have to keep using UIRT1 since it works fine. :(

Antti

[Antti]

Luc,

I was just double-checking my UIRT2 (again) and found out that in part layout you have ZD1 other way than in the UIRT2 picture on your site. Or at least it looks like that. Which one's right?

Is there a big difference in polyesther and ceramic capacitors? My C1 and C3 are both ceramic with correct values.

By now I've been programming the PIC with Ruud's UIRT Do you think I should try UIRT2? Any chance to succeed with crystal mounted and shorted?

Antti

[Antti]

You are correct: the B version picture is wrong :oops: The part layout is correct.

Well.. apparently even the great ones fall sometimes. :)


I have programmed already a lot with and without crystal, others have done it also and it works just fine. I don't think this is the problem but you could give it a try.

I tried programming with UIRT2 and crystal shorted. Danijel's programmer failed. Almost like UIRT2 didn't respond at all or so.

Then I took off the PIC and put it back in UIRT1 and tried that with 36KHz receiver. It worked but I got weird signals. After I put back the 38KHz receiver it worked fine. With Danijel's and Jon's plugins. So I would say that there's something seriously wrong with my UIRT2. Just makes me wonder why it partially worked on day 1. Almost like something would've burnt up after that. Any ideas? :) Not enough power?

Maybe I should make another PCB and get new parts. :(


This looks like a very strange problem, if you can't get it to work and it produces the same problem on a different PC: could you mail it to me for investigation?

Err.. I didn't test it with another PC. Forgot to take it along last weekend. :oops: I tried it on COM1 and 2 on my PC though. Same thing. UIRT1 works just fine on both. Gotta do some serious debugging here.

Antti

[Antti]

has this problem been solved?Luc.

Sorry..not yet. My Apache project took all my time for a while but now it can handle Perl, PHP and MySql just fine. :)

And maybe there was some lack of interest since Girder 3.2 doesn't quite work with UIRTb and UIRT does. I have a two-week holiday soon so I'll try to find some time. It's just this thing with finnish people and summer I quess. ;)

Antti