Flashing Cyton with DefaultBoard "Program flash failed"

gagegreggagegreg Ann Arbor, MI
edited July 2021 in Cyton

We have an electrode cap kit, and are having issues flashing an arduino sketch onto the Cyton board. We were able to successfully flash the Cyton board with the DefaultBoard example one time, but after making some changes to the DefaultBoard to add a button push event, we failed to flash the Cyton board. Now, all of our Arduino sketches seem to fail to flash. The error that comes up everytime we try to flash the board looks like this.

As of right now, the Cyton board LED doesn't turn on when the board is powered on, but the LED does flash when the board is put into boot loader mode.The BLE dongle does light up blue when plugged in, and while trying to upload the sketch, the dongle flashes a red light and a green light, but the sketch always fails with the above error message. If you could provide some guidance on how to troubleshoot this problem we would greatly appreciate it.

Comments

  • wjcroftwjcroft Mount Shasta, CA

    Check out the suggestions in the Troubleshooting section here:

    https://docs.openbci.com/docs/02Cyton/CytonProgram#troubleshooting

    Some related threads, found with the Google Advanced Search button in right column:

    https://www.google.com/search?as_q=cyton+program+flash+failed&as_sitesearch=openbci.com

    Can you mention why you are desiring to replace the default firmware? You state:

    ... but after making some changes to the DefaultBoard to add a button push event ...

    Button press events can already be recorded using the External Trigger feature:

    https://docs.openbci.com/docs/02Cyton/CytonExternal

    Finally, the two RFduino radio chips (dongle and mainboard), are independent of the PIC32 firmware. Thus radio channel status and changes can be made from the GUI directly. Confirmation of this functionality would verify that your radios are healthy.

    https://docs.openbci.com/docs/01GettingStarted/01-Boards/CytonGS#5-optional-settings

    Expand Section 5 with the arrow.

    Regards, William

  • SamKuhnSamKuhn

    I am working with Dr. Gage and BYB on this issue, and I can explain why we are trying to make changes to the DefaultBoard. Although there is documentation on how to use the native External Triggers, I have not been able to find documentation on where these external triggers get saved and how. We were hoping to alter the DefaultBoard code so we can add a button through one of the extra pins (D12 to D17).

    As far as troubleshooting goes, I have tried closing all tabs, restarting my computer and attempting to flash the board again, but I ran into the same error as before (Original Post). I am using an Alien Ware Razer computer with the following specs, so I don't think my computer is too slow: .

    I am now trying to check the RFduino to see if it is communicating properly, but I am having a hard time doing so, because the board connects to the GUI, but doesn't show any data.

  • wjcroftwjcroft Mount Shasta, CA

    Although there is documentation on how to use the native External Triggers, I have not been able to find documentation on where these external triggers get saved and how. We were hoping to alter the DefaultBoard code so we can add a button through one of the extra pins (D12 to D17).

    The Cyton data stream contains 8 EEG channels and 3 'Aux' channels. Normally the Aux contain the accelerometer, but they can be switched (with the GUI or serial port SDK commands), to instead capture 3 pins on the PIC32 header. In either analog (0V to 3.3V) or digital mode. There is no need to modify the firmware. I previously gave you the link with the documentation. DId you take a look??

    https://docs.openbci.com/docs/02Cyton/CytonExternal
    https://docs.openbci.com/docs/02Cyton/CytonDataFormat [data format, also saved in recordings]

    I am now trying to check the RFduino to see if it is communicating properly, but I am having a hard time doing so, because the board connects to the GUI, but doesn't show any data.

    I previously suggested testing the RFduino's separately from actually starting the data stream. I gave instructions on how to do that.

    Finally, the two RFduino radio chips (dongle and mainboard), are independent of the PIC32 firmware. Thus radio channel status and changes can be made from the GUI directly. Confirmation of this functionality would verify that your radios are healthy.

    https://docs.openbci.com/docs/01GettingStarted/01-Boards/CytonGS#5-optional-settings Expand Section 5 with the arrow.

    So you use the menu in that section to try to get the radio channel, change the channel, autoscan, etc.

  • SamKuhnSamKuhn

    As you can see from the image above I was able to show that the RFduino is in fact connecting.

    I also noticed that when I have been turning the Cyton board on I have consistently been setting it to BLE mode. I tried flashing the board while it is in PC mode, and it failed as well, but I still get the same error in the arduino IDE as the original post > @gagegreg said:

    I don't think I understood before how to change what data gets put in the 'Aux' channels, because I did not see this option in the GUI. I looked at the link (https://docs.openbci.com/docs/02Cyton/CytonDataFormat) that you mentioned to see how to alter the Aux data that gets written to the output file, but I do not see any instruction on this page for how to change the Aux data type in the GUI. Could you offer some guidance on how to set the first Aux channel to log events?

  • wjcroftwjcroft Mount Shasta, CA
    edited July 2021

    As you can see from the image above I was able to show that the RFduino is in fact connecting.

    When I suggested you test your RFduino's (dongle and mainboard), I was referring to the buttons: Get Channel, Change Channel, or Autoscan. These actually exercise the channel setting functionality of the RFduino's.

    I also noticed that when I have been turning the Cyton board on I have consistently been setting it to BLE mode.

    There is no difference in the position of the switch BLE and PC both just mean 'on'.

    and it failed as well, but I still get the same error in the arduino IDE as the original post

    Did you look at the suggestions at the link I gave previously?

    https://docs.openbci.com/docs/02Cyton/CytonProgram#troubleshooting

    If the upload fails with Program Flash Failed it's due to the Arduino IDE not being able to read from the serial port fast enough possibly due to resource starvation or overall computer power. We recommend taking the following actions:

    • Keep the Board and Dongle physically close to each other during the upload.
    • Keep the Arduino IDE open, front and center and don't use any other programs during the upload.
    • Close all open programs such as (Google Chrome, MS Word, etc...) and only have the Arduino 1.6.5 IDE open during upload.
    • Restart your computer and don't open any other programs other than the Arduino IDE used for programming.
    • If all else fails, find a friend with a more powerful computer and do the uploading from their computer.

    Regarding:

    but I do not see any instruction on this page for how to change the Aux data type in the GUI.

    The GUI has a widget for changing the Aux data to analog or digital mode.

    https://docs.openbci.com/docs/02Cyton/CytonExternal#using-the-openbci-gui

    [From that section:] Once you have connected, you may selected the "Digital Read" for one of your widgets. Then select start digital read mode button in the top left of the newly populated widget. This will activate and send the proper commands to your Cyton. Note that the accelerometer will no long be turned on because the trigger data is now sent instead.

  • wjcroftwjcroft Mount Shasta, CA

    All the above 'docs' links are now somewhat obsolete after the upgrade today (July 27th) of the 'Docusaurus' package used to maintain 'docs' section of the website. Here is an example of the old link style and the new format:

    https://docs.openbci.com/docs/02Cyton/CytonExternal#using-the-openbci-gui [old]

    https://docs.openbci.com/Cyton/CytonExternal#using-the-openbci-gui [new]

    Basically numbers and dashes disappear, and the '/docs/' internal folder element is eliminated.

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