Uzebox Quick Start

What is a Uzebox? How can I get one? Check here!
redcom001
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 6:08 pm

Re: Uzebox Quick Start

Post by redcom001 »

Thanks, I'll get on the painful task of un-soldering the ISP header to check the other side of the SD card socket, mine has tabs on the side closest to the edge of the PCB. Would an improper solder on that one side cause the SD init to fail? One more thing, is it possible to flash the games to the uzebox using the arduino IDE and Uno board as an ISP?
User avatar
uze6666
Site Admin
Posts: 4801
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:13 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada
Contact:

Re: Uzebox Quick Start

Post by uze6666 »

redcom001 wrote:Thanks, I'll get on the painful task of un-soldering the ISP header to check the other side of the SD card socket
You should not have to unsolder anything.
mine has tabs on the side closest to the edge of the PCB. Would an improper solder on that one side cause the SD init to fail?
You mean the small wings on each side of the socket? If so, that should make no difference. If not can you post a pic?
One more thing, is it possible to flash the games to the uzebox using the arduino IDE and Uno board as an ISP?
Yes, the Uno can be used a ISP programmer, I tried that in the past: http://uzebox.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=12161#p12161
redcom001
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 6:08 pm

Re: Uzebox Quick Start

Post by redcom001 »

I did manage to get the SD card socket flush with the pcb, but still no luck. I also went over all the resistors from the schematic. Could it be a software issue instead?
Attachments
0221151614a.jpg
0221151614a.jpg (3.48 MiB) Viewed 15849 times
User avatar
uze6666
Site Admin
Posts: 4801
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:13 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada
Contact:

Re: Uzebox Quick Start

Post by uze6666 »

If you confirm you have electrical continuity from the mega644 pins to the socket pins (and the resistors are ok), I don't really know what happens. Perhaps the socket itself is defective, some pin not making contact from the inside. But that is hard to test unless you have something like that: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11468.

Still, I'm suspecting a bad solder somewhere since it can't really be a software issue, it's the exact same firmware shipped on hundreds of units. And each card is tested on a real Uzebox.

Did you validate the card works on your computer and tested with another card?
redcom001
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 6:08 pm

Re: Uzebox Quick Start

Post by redcom001 »

The card comes up on my computer with all the preloaded games. I'm checking all the contact points again to make sure everything is connected. From looking at the schematic, the only other components that could be messed up are one or more of the 6 resistors that come from the socket. One contact from the SD socket might not have contact, so I'll try touching that up and see what happens.
Update- still nothing. Could a resistor be shorted?
redcom001
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 6:08 pm

Re: Uzebox Quick Start

Post by redcom001 »

Are the ISP header and the SD card socket pins/paths connected at all which could have caused a short? I touched up all the solder leads on the board but the SD card still won't come up.

Also, is it possible to open up the game source code in the Arduino IDE? I can toy with code in avr studio, but I'm lost as how to flash it to the uze via the arduino.
redcom001
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 6:08 pm

Re: Uzebox Quick Start

Post by redcom001 »

Just read this somewhere else in the forums that a file called "mmc.h" needs to be on the SD card to initialize. Is it available to download here or should the SD card just load the games without any extra files on it? All the solder joints are fine.
User avatar
D3thAdd3r
Posts: 3221
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:00 am
Location: Minneapolis, United States

Re: Uzebox Quick Start

Post by D3thAdd3r »

redcom001 wrote:Update- still nothing. Could a resistor be shorted?
From the picture a couple of those solder joints look suspect. If you already did then great, but referencing the schematic and checking every detail and assuming nothing when using your multimeter will save you lots of work on these problems. It's also possible the SD socket got too much heat applied and the plastic warped making the pins loose. I did that myself and nothing could be done except buying a new SD socket, really have to solder quickly and let it cool down in between pins. If at any point a pin became loose or pulled out of the socket, it's probably junk.

It's not going to be a software issue and the card is good so it's definitely the wiring between the pins of the '644 and the socket. Are you sure you have the correct resistors in place? The wrong value resistors will definitely screw the communication up, I would check with a multimeter or resistor color code chart.
redcom001 wrote:Also, is it possible to open up the game source code in the Arduino IDE? I can toy with code in avr studio, but I'm lost as how to flash it to the uze via the arduino.
I don't think there is any way to do it in Arduino IDE and I don't know if anyone here has done it it with an UNO. You can definitely use your UNO as an ISP and it looks like you would need to use avrdude. I found this but you might have to research a bit to make it workhttp://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=125248.0. That would be a nice tutorial to have around the wiki.
redcom001 wrote:Just read this somewhere else in the forums that a file called "mmc.h" needs to be on the SD card to initialize.
mmc.h is a header file the actual game/program needs to include to control the SD card. It gets compiled into a game/program but it does not need to be on the actual SD card in text form so nothing to do there.
User avatar
uze6666
Site Admin
Posts: 4801
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:13 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada
Contact:

Re: Uzebox Quick Start

Post by uze6666 »

Are the ISP header and the SD card socket pins/paths connected at all which could have caused a short? I touched up all the solder leads on the board but the SD card still won't come up.
Sorry to ask, but just to be sure, can you confirm you checked for continuity and shorts with a multimeter or just visually?
redcom001
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 6:08 pm

Re: Uzebox Quick Start

Post by redcom001 »

I just got a multimeter just checked all the resistors and SD socket leads, and it gets a reading on all of them, but it doesn't beep with all of them, even though the needle moves.

The only pins from the SD socket I get no continuity from are the first, third and last pins from the left. Is the socket busted?
Post Reply