Weird Euzebox issue: starts, but no bootloader

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immortalx
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Weird Euzebox issue: starts, but no bootloader

Post by immortalx »

Hey guys

I received my Euzebox a couple of weeks ago from Harty (thanks Harty!) and today me and my son tried to assembly it.
First time we fire it up we saw the bootloader screen but Megatris wasn't there. I thought OK maybe it doesn't come as standard anymore. So, we formatted an SD card, putted Arcanoid and plugged it in the reader. The bootloader recognized the card and we had some quick fun playing the game.

From then on, we're unable to get back to the bootloader! When we plug the board off and on again, Arcanoid boots directly!
Any clues as to where we can start troubleshooting?
Thanks in advance
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Artcfox
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Re: Weird Euzebox issue: starts, but no bootloader

Post by Artcfox »

Hold down a button on the controller and press the reset button on the console.
immortalx
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Re: Weird Euzebox issue: starts, but no bootloader

Post by immortalx »

Artcfox thanks for the reply.
I've tried that numerous times but the board just re-boots up straight to the arcanoid game.
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Artcfox
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Re: Weird Euzebox issue: starts, but no bootloader

Post by Artcfox »

Bummer. What happens if while in the game you press and hold down Select, Start, Y, and B at the same time?
immortalx
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Re: Weird Euzebox issue: starts, but no bootloader

Post by immortalx »

Thanks for helping me out!
I tried that too and it also restarts the console (while making a slight clicking noise)
immortalx
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Re: Weird Euzebox issue: starts, but no bootloader

Post by immortalx »

In case the bootloader got somehow corrupted, I have an Arduino Leonardo that I believe can be used as an ISP programmer. It has an ICSP header with these pins:
Image
I'm assuming these pins can be connected to atmega644 as follows:
MISO-->to pin 7
SCK-->to pin 8
VCC-->to pin 10
MOSI-->to pin 6
GND-->to pin 11
RESET-->(Can't be used on Leonardo. Instead I found I could connect a digital pin(e.g. 10)-->to pin 9 of the Atmega)

Can I just hook it up on a breadboard with the above connections, without any oscillator, caps,etc. and burn the bootloader?
Please bear with me as I'm a complete beginner and thanks in advance.
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ry755
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Re: Weird Euzebox issue: starts, but no bootloader

Post by ry755 »

immortalx wrote: Wed Dec 27, 2017 6:52 am In case the bootloader got somehow corrupted, I have an Arduino Leonardo that I believe can be used as an ISP programmer. It has an ICSP header with these pins:
Image
I'm assuming these pins can be connected to atmega644 as follows:
MISO-->to pin 7
SCK-->to pin 8
VCC-->to pin 10
MOSI-->to pin 6
GND-->to pin 11
RESET-->(Can't be used on Leonardo. Instead I found I could connect a digital pin(e.g. 10)-->to pin 9 of the Atmega)

Can I just hook it up on a breadboard with the above connections, without any oscillator, caps,etc. and burn the bootloader?
Please bear with me as I'm a complete beginner and thanks in advance.
Welcome to the Uzebox community! I'm also somewhat new at this.

That's what I did with my breadboard Uzebox. I used an Arduino Uno, but I'm sure it would work with a Leonardo. Use the Arduino as ISP example sketch that comes with the IDE. Then use avrdude to flash the bootloader.

IIRC you need to at least have the oscillator (with the two supporting caps) connected to it.
immortalx
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Re: Weird Euzebox issue: starts, but no bootloader

Post by immortalx »

Hi r755 and thanks for the help!
I don't have an oscillator and it's quite difficult to get one where I live. But after reading tons of tutorials, half of them state a bootloader can be burned without an oscillator or caps between the Arduino and the chip . Does the fact that uzebox uses the chip overclocked, has anything to do with burning the bootloader and, presumambly thats why one needs an oscillator there?

Thanks again.
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D3thAdd3r
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Re: Weird Euzebox issue: starts, but no bootloader

Post by D3thAdd3r »

I am really not sure, but I think an ISP hijacks the clock immediately so you don't need one. At least I messed with an Uno to program some ATtiny85s I think it was, but I had never set fuses to use an external clock on those, where the Uzebox '644 will be. Worth a try I think, but quite strange the bootloader should have been corrupted. Can't see what else the explanation would be if not that though.
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ry755
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Re: Weird Euzebox issue: starts, but no bootloader

Post by ry755 »

immortalx wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:22 am Hi r755 and thanks for the help!
No problem! I enjoy helping people. :D

Maybe I’m wrong, but I thought it needs the oscillator/crystal to be there because a few years ago I accidentally set the fuses on a 328p to a clock source that I didn’t have. After doing some research I found out that the only way to fix that is to use a high voltage programmer. That shouldn’t be needed if the ISP hijacks the clock.
immortalx wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:22 am I don't have an oscillator and it's quite difficult to get one where I live.
But you have the crystal that came with the Euzebox, right? If it’s soldered into the pcb you can try sticking some breadboard jumpers into the correct pins on the 644 socket. I do that sometimes if I need to use the crystal that’s on my broken Uno board.
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