failing final code upload over radios

shadowphileshadowphile
edited October 2017 in Build-it-yourself
So far I have successfully (supposedly) programmed both radios and the boot-loader and tried to upload the EEG code, no luck.
Some questions to help me with the troubleshooting:

-The blinking LED on the EEG board, is it supposed to be about twice a second?  When I turn on the board it immediately starts blinking, when I try the power-up-with-PGD/RESET-buttons-sequence I get the same thing.  So basically it looks like it jumps immediately to the bootloader without any timeout.  Is this the expected response?  In this case it doesn't seem like the PGD/Reset buttons sequence is necessary (on a new un-programmed PIC that only has a bootloader burned in).

-Meanwhile, trying to troubleshoot the radio connection.  Data is pulsing to the outgoing dongle radio, no indication coming into the EEG radio (based on it's data line activity).
I have a 300 MHz-2.5GS/sec scope with a 500 MHz probe.   I know the radio signal is in the 2.5 Ghz range so I can't really read the signal, but the scope's LP roll-off and other factors might let *something* through so I put it on the external antenna pin of J2 to see if I could detect any kind of radio noise.  Don't know if this a valid test.  Anybody have a suggestion about testing whether my dongle radio is sending at all?  Bursts of noise interfering with a blue-tooth audio connection for example?  I'm dealing with a black-box so every kludgy test has the potential for false negatives.

-One alternate approach I am considering (in the absence of help) is to upload bypass code to both radios and use wires to program the PIC with the dongle.  Then if it loaded correctly it should start sending?  I'm thinking I read somewhere that it needs a command to start sending.  Anyway, I could then attempt to see if the EEG radio is sending in the same highly sketchy manner I attempted with the dongle radio, blegh.   But I need the radios to work anyway and I'd rather test them out properly uploading the main code.

-Another thought is to adjust the radio code to toggle one of the unused GPIO pins as a heartbeat but have not looked closely at whether that would be useful until hopefully this forum saves me a lot of tedious guesswork.

-oh, one other thought:  is the external antenna header pin and trace not going to interfere with the radio's built-in antenna?  I'm not much of an RF guy.

thanks for your consideration!


Comments

  • wjcroftwjcroft Mount Shasta, CA
    Mentioning Joel @biomurph in case he might have some insights. You might also look over the other users posting in this Category (Build it yourself), and possibly click on their names, which reveals a "Message" button to which you can send a private message.
  • wjcroftwjcroft Mount Shasta, CA
    It looks like @shadowphile figured this out himself, according to his more recent post, is that true?


  • shadowphileshadowphile
    The question about the blinky LED is true; about twice a second and always blinky if no code has been loaded.  It must be true because it is working.
    As for the other questions, they became unnecessary once I tried reprogramming everything.  I believe I didn't do the flash-then-no-flash correctly the first time. 
    thanks
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