975 replies to this topic

[apturbo]

Well that's encouraging... so any advice on how to get the computer to recognize it?  Have tried on a win7 and win10 and neither do anything when plugged in. I've read about how plugging into win10 can brick the thing.

Edited by apturbo, 29 June 2020 - 06:51 PM.

[mjr]

I've read about how plugging into win10 can brick the thing.

 

Where have you read that?  You might want to let your source know that they're probably mistaken.  They might have confused "not quite working with Windows 10" with "bricking".  What is true is that old version of the boot loader (as shipped from the factory before about 2018) had a bug that prevented firmware installs from completing successfully with Windows 8 and 10 hosts.  But there was no risk of bricking; it was just that downloads didn't complete successfully.  But the bug didn't affect USB recognition, so that's probably not what's going on.

 

If it's not working even when you take it back to a Windows 7 host, my guess is still that it's probably a hardware problem on the KL25Z side.  The intermittent behavior you described earlier sounds like a hardware issue - it sounds like something might have been on the edge of failure, maybe working until the parts heated up or something, and finally went over the cliff to not working at all.

I assume when you're trying it on the Windows 7 host, you've unplugged everything from the GPIO ports, to make sure that it's not a problem in the connected wiring or something like that.

[apturbo]

When i plugged it into win7 machine i didn't have anything attached to the board.. assuming that's what you mean.  

 

This is an article i found about the brick deal.. https://mcuoneclipse...ndows_8_and_10/

 

When i have the program port plugged in what files should i see in the drive that appears?  Unclear what I can do with this drive that shows up or if there is some software/files whatever i can put in there with the hopes of making the board cooperate again.

 

Do you have a recommendation on where to purchase a new board that's ready to plug in and go?

 

thanks for looking at this.

[mjr]

This is an article i found about the brick deal.. https://mcuoneclipse...ndows_8_and_10/

 

Yeah, they're definitely using the term "bricked" incorrectly - if you're so motivated you can let them know, but meh.  "Bricked" normally means that the board is in an unresponsive and unrecoverable state; what they mean is that it doesn't work properly with your computer, not that there's anything wrong with the board.  And what's more misleading is that when you use the combination of Win8/10 and the old firmware, it doesn't even *look* like there's anything wrong - it connects up just fine and even appears to accept firmware downloads.  The downloads just won't stick.

 

 

When i have the program port plugged in what files should i see in the drive that appears?  Unclear what I can do with this drive that shows up or if there is some software/files whatever i can put in there with the hopes of making the board cooperate again.

 

I assume you're talking about the "FRDM-KL25Z" thumb drive that appears on the Windows desktop when you plug in the programming port, right?  First thing you should do is check the drive label - if it's NOT "FRDM-KL25Z", you have the old firmware, and you should go through the firmware upgrade procedure.  If it IS "FRDM-KL25Z", you have the Win8/10-compatible firmware, so you're set.

The Config Tool will walk you through the firmware upgrade procedure, if you need it - click "Set up a new KL25Z" on the front page and follow the prompts.  Hopefully all will be explained there.

[apturbo]

The drive name that appears is MBED.    Not sure how i can upgrade the firmware if the computer doesn't recognize it as a game controller if either usb port is plugged in?  I've tried the version 2 software but the program says there are not any devices detected.

[mjr]

The drive name that appears is MBED. 

 

You might want to go through the firmware update procedure using the Config Tool.  It sounds like you might have installed the mbed boot loader at some point.  That was a separate branch of the boot loader entirely.  I'm not sure whether or not that ever had the Win8/10 bug, but it's pretty old, and given that you're not having much luck with it, I'd update to the manufacturer firmware instead.  The Config Tool will help you out with that.  If you don't know what a Config Tool is, see here:

 

http://mjrnet.org/pi.../swversions.php

 

 

Not sure how i can upgrade the firmware if the computer doesn't recognize it as a game controller if either usb port is plugged in?

 

The KL25Z's setup is pretty confusing on this score.  Put everything related to "game controller" and "joystick" out of your mind as far as getting the Programming Port (the one marked OpenSDA) working.  That port is connected to a separate CPU that ONLY handles firmware installs, and it does it entirely through a virtual thumb drive interface.  It doesn't know anything about joysticks or pinball machines; it just wants to act like a thumb drive and receive firmware binaries to copy into the embedded flash memory.  You want to get that going with the volume label reading "FRDM-KL25Z" before thinking about anything else.

[apturbo]

If I understand what you're saying i need to rename the volume to FRDM-KL25Z and then the config tool will detect it?  I tried this but the device is periodically disconnecting/reconnecting and reverts back to MBED.

[mjr]

If I understand what you're saying i need to rename the volume to FRDM-KL25Z and then the config tool will detect it?  I tried this but the device is periodically disconnecting/reconnecting and reverts back to MBED.

 

No, sorry, don't attempt to rename the volume.  What I mean is that the volume name is telling you that have the old boot loader. Installing the new boot loader should update the volume name.  What you need to do is go through Config Tool procedure to "Set up a new KL25Z" and follow the instructions for installing the updated boot loader.

[apturbo]

Well been here before but anyway when i get to the screen that says NEW KL25Z Setup it says at the bottom "no devices have been found yet....".  Sorry if i'm missing something.

[mjr]

Well been here before but anyway when i get to the screen that says NEW KL25Z Setup it says at the bottom "no devices have been found yet....".  Sorry if i'm missing something.

 

I guess the Config Tool doesn't recognize the mbed version of the boot loader as a boot loader, so you'll have to do the update manually.  

 

- Go to http://pemicro.com/opensda/

- Find OpenSDA Firmware (MSD & Debug)

- Go through the procedure to do the download, which probably requires setting up an account

- Unzip the download to a folder on your hard disk

- Unplug all KL25Z devices

- Open My Computer

- Press and hold the KL25Z reset button (the button between the two USB plugs)

- While keeping the reset button pressed, plug in the OpsnSDA (programming) port

- Release the reset button

- You see see a new thumb drive appear with a name like BOOTLOADERAPP.  (Or maybe still MBED in your case.)

- In the PEMicro software you downloaded above, find BOOTUPDATEAPP_Pemicro_vXXX.SDA (the XXX is a version number, varies)

- Drag and drop the file onto the thumb drive identified above

- Wait for Windows to finish copying the file

- Unplug the KL25Z

- Repeat the whole process, but this time drag and drop MSD-DEBUG-FRDM-KL25Z_Pemicro_vXXX.SDA when you get to the file copy step

- Unplug the KL25Z again, then plug it back in

- The thumb drive should now have the volume label FRDM-KL25Z

 

Remember that this procedure only works with Windows 7 if you have old boot loader firmware.  If you try it on Win8/10, it typically will appear to work but won't actually change anything on the device.  (Part of the Win8/10 bug is that you don't even get any error feedback that it's not working; it just doesn't update.)

[apturbo]

Wow that was an adventure but part of the fun actually.  Thanks much!  I managed to follow your instructions and successfully got everything to work with one exception.  All buttons in my cab have been configured and removed ones in the setup not being used.  The one exception is the plunger. For the life of me i have no idea how to attach images to this forum otherwise i'd attach pictures of the proximity sensor and plunger and the board itself.  In any case the closest sensor type i can find in the tool is VL6180X.  The proximity sensor board i have says VCNL4000 and has 4 pins, SCL, SDA, GND, Vin.  When i acquired this stuff the controller board already had the black female connector attached to the board and proximity board has same attached, both connected by a ribbon cable.  I've tried different combinations of pin assignments just trying to guess the right ones on the controller board but not having any luck.  Is this proximity board i have something i'll be able to setup with the tool?

 

Thanks again!

[mjr]

apturbo - Uh oh, I'm guessing this KL25Z actually came from a Virtuapin plunger kit?  If that's true, it actually explains a lot about the trials and tribulations you were having and why everything seemed so confusingly different - you never had anything Pinscape-related in the first place.  Pinscape and the virtuapin kits just happen to run on the same microcontroller, but that's like saying that Linux and Windows can both run on Dells.  I'm afraid that the Pinscape software doesn't support the IR sensors that the virtuapin kits use.  So after all of this, you might actually be better off going back to the original Virtuapin firmware and reinstalling that.  There's no harm in having updated the boot loader - that will only make things easier for you going forward, since the new boot loader is more stable - but you'll have to find the Virtuapin firmware and reinstall that.  Hopefully the product support people there can help you out.

[apturbo]

mjr, it would appear based on the searching i've done it might be a good idea for me to look at just replacing my plunger with something else like a potentiometer setup.  Regardless, can you advise me on an alternative not requiring a whole lot of diy work?  Maybe one that would work with your software?

[mjr]

mjr, it would appear based on the searching i've done it might be a good idea for me to look at just replacing my plunger with something else like a potentiometer setup.  Regardless, can you advise me on an alternative not requiring a whole lot of diy work?  Maybe one that would work with your software?

 

The full suite of Pinscape plunger options is here:

 

http://mjrnet.org/pi...php?sid=plunger

 

Scroll down to "Choosing a plunger device", and look through the ones marked Pinscape.  Each has its own chapter with step-by-step instructions for setting it up, linked from that section.  

 

The potentiometer option is definitely the easiest - it's about a 2 out of 10 on the DIY difficulty scale.  If you want something turn-key, there's a pre-built pot option available (also linked from the section above).

[apturbo]

Just emailed Mike... looks like the $25 kit is the way to go... thanks for all the help and info!

[apturbo]

mjr... sorry one more question.  I've looked at which pins on my existing board (which did come from virtuapin) i'll need to connect up with using the pot kit.  One of the pins has a 10 pin black conn already on it.  The other 2 for ground and power will need to go on the J9 area and my board doesn't have anything attached to them.  How would you connect the wires to my board under the circumstances?  

[mjr]

mjr... sorry one more question.  I've looked at which pins on my existing board (which did come from virtuapin) i'll need to connect up with using the pot kit.  One of the pins has a 10 pin black conn already on it.  The other 2 for ground and power will need to go on the J9 area and my board doesn't have anything attached to them.  How would you connect the wires to my board under the circumstances?  

 

The easy way is to solder hookup wire directly to the terminals on the board.  24 gauge hookup wire will fit through the holes.  The better way is to solder in some pin headers like the ones that you already have on the other side (the "black connector" you mentioned).  Those are standard connectors that you can buy on Amazon or eBay or just about anywhere - look for 0.1" pin header.  More here:

 

http://mjrnet.org/pi...?sid=pinHeaders

 

You can buy them in different sizes, so you can just find a set for the number of pins needed, but you can also buy what they call "breakaway" headers that have little perforations in the black plastic base that let you break them off between any two pins to make a custom size.  Those are easier to find and cheaper than the individual sizes.  So I'd get a double-row breakaway header and chop that up to the sizes needed.  Anything you see on Amazon that has 40 or 50 pins is probably the breakaway type.  The ones on Amazon and eBay will all say they're for Arduino, but it's a standard size that'll fit this board too.

[sppooky]

So I connected the VCC pin on both the transmitter and receiver to one side of a terminal block and the other side of the block to the other free 3.3v pin on the kl25z. Would this have overloaded it?

 
Possibly.  The potentiometer and IR receiver are both low-power devices, so those won't have caused any damage, but the transmitter might be a different matter as those can be require high current.
 
What kind of transmitter are you using?  Could you post a complete diagram of how you had it wired?  For that matter, your complete wiring diagram including the pot and IR receiver might even be helpful, just in case there's something I'm missing about your description.

Hi mjr I disconnected everything from the kl25 and reflashed the firmware. However everytime I go into IR control and select a PWM port for the transmitter and then save settings i loose all connectivity to the kl25 and then have to reflash it. I am leaving the receiver as not connected, and have tried different PWM ports. This is all without physically connecting anything to the kl25. I've also not enabled 'TV on switch' or built a power sensing circuit. All I am trying to do is connect an IR transmitter. But everytine I select a 'IR LED (transmitter) pin' it makes the kl25 unresponsive, forcing me to reflash firmware.

[mjr]

Hi mjr I disconnected everything from the kl25 and reflashed the firmware. However everytime I go into IR control and select a PWM port for the transmitter and then save settings i loose all connectivity to the kl25 and then have to reflash it. I am leaving the receiver as not connected, and have tried different PWM ports. This is all without physically connecting anything to the kl25. I've also not enabled 'TV on switch' or built a power sensing circuit. All I am trying to do is connect an IR transmitter. But everytine I select a 'IR LED (transmitter) pin' it makes the kl25 unresponsive, forcing me to reflash firmware.

 

If nothing at all external is connected, then it sounds like it either has to be a crash bug in the firmware, or a damaged KL25Z.  A couple of things to narrow it down:

 

1. Make sure that you're trying the absolute minimum number of changes.  Start with freshly installed firmware, and when you get to the settings page, the ONLY thing you should change is the IR transmitter pin selection.  Nothing else.

 

2. Repeat the experiment with at least a few different GPIO pins, in case the problem is from past damage to a particular port.  Try pins from different "letter" groups - PTA1 and PTD5, for example, just in case there might have been damage to a group of ports.  (I'm not even sure that's electrically possible, but the labeled port letter groups do get wired internally into shared connections into the CPU, so it seems like an outside possibility.)

If you want to give me a detailed step-by-step procedure of what you're trying, I can try repeating it on one of my KL25Z's to see if the software crash reproduces, to check if it's a simple reproducible firmware bug.  Remember that if I'm going to be able to try reproducing it, I have to be able to repeat the exact steps you're attempting, so you have to give me the procedure in ridiculously minute detail to make sure I can repeat it precisely - basically down to the individual mouse clicks and plug/unplug operations.

[DBrown67]

I'm wondering if someone could please help me with the TV ON command from the KL25Z.   I've got the board up and running and all is working fine. I currently have a button on the underside of the cabinet hard wired (soldered) to the 10" TV switch I'm using for the DMD. This never powers on by itself and always needs to be manually switched on.

I'm OK with this setup for now but it would be handy to have the Pinscape software do this on boot up.

 

It's a standalone KL25Z and in the V2 build guide talks about a "relay" being pulsed from a Windows .bat file. But nothing is mentioned about this relay. What do I need to buy? I certainly don't want to be building that Power sensing circuit... that looks way too complicated for me. I'll stick wit the button if it comes to that. 

Edited by DBrown67, 13 July 2020 - 08:52 AM.