MS1 not connecting after loop-back test

[VDubber]

Hi all,

I have just put together my first DIY MS1 2.2 V3 board but am having trouble with connecting to the board.

I already have a pre-assembled MS1 2.2 V3 with which I have no issues so I know that both the USB-serial adaptor and the MegaStim are functioning correctly.

When I conduct a loop-back test by linking pins 12 and 13 I get the characters that I have sent echoed back in the response window, however when I install the chip and send the A + T commands I get a response for the A but nothing returned for the T. Additionally if I use auto-detect in the communications setup window it detects the port and baud correctly but shows the message ‘firmware: unknown’. It almost appears as if there is no firmware installed on the chip.

This issue seems similar to the one outlined here - http://www.msextra.com/forums/viewtopic ... re+unknown but at this stage I am apprehensive of trying to load up new firmware without confirming that this is definitely the issue as it is probably just a simple noob assembly error.

I’ve not found any solutions in the troubleshooting guide that related to this issue and welcome any assistance.

With thanks in advance.

[VDubber]

Okay, so I've substituted the main processor from the working unit with the processor from the not working unit to find that the issue is definitely not the processor, it has firmware installed and it works perfectly.

[VDubber]

Okay, so I've substituted the main processor from the working unit with the processor from the not working unit to find that the issue is definitely not the processor, it has firmware installed and it works perfectly.

Seems I was a little premature in this diagnosis. The MegaStim was working but it still had no comms. So next I put the good processor into the board and found that I could then connect with no issues, so it would seem that the processor has indeed corrupted / lost it's program.

Now on to my next problem, when trying to use the firmware uploader it will not get past the select firmware stage as it fails due to the unknown hardware check. How can I upload the firmware without already having valid firmware on the processor?

BTW I am using TunerStudio on OSX.

TIA.

[kjones6039]

Are you using the boot jumper when attempting to reload firmware?

Ken

[prof315]

MS1 firmware loaders are unfriendly w/OSX. I haven't tried them using TS though.... It does indeed sound as if there isn't firmware loaded on your processor, which is the norm when you buy an MS kit.

As Ken asked are you using the boot jumper?

[VDubber]

Yes I've tried with the bootloader jumpered and confirmed this with the mini-terminal (it gives a '>boot' response) but it is still the same, it falls over at the same place.

What other firmware loaders are there for OSX?

Mick.

[VDubber]

So I managed to get past the firmware uploader issue by Installing MegaTunix under Ubuntu running in VirtualBox.

This allowed me to successfully load the firmware, but now I have another problem. The board is stuck in bootloader mode.

No matter what I try to do, it seems to be stuck. Cycling power with or without the jumper across the boot pins, with the serial unplugged, leaving it unplugged for 30 minutes, nothing seems to work. Is there a way to get the board out of bootloader mode?

I don't believe that it is an issue with the board as swapping the processor out to the other MS1 unit I have has the same results. Seems to be a glitch with the processor itself.

Open to ideas.

Mick.

[prof315]

Get rid of the obsolete and out of production MS1 and upgrade to an MS2. It's just a processor upgrade.

[VDubber]

Get rid of the obsolete and out of production MS1 and upgrade to an MS2. It's just a processor upgrade.

Thanks, but that is a bit like buying a new car to fix a blown headlamp.

[VDubber]

OK so a bit more progress....

I've managed to get rid of the boot loader issue by flashing the original B&G firmware instead of the 029y4a firmware

So either 029y4a was not the right firmware to use or it has some kind of conflict with the hardware that I have. (A point to note - I tried this with both of the MS1 ECU's that I have and the result was the same with both so I suspect that it is not an assembly issue).

So at any rate I now have the new ECU up and running.

For anyone else treading this path, the key issues I found with OSX were the USB-Serial adaptor drivers. Purchasing the new adaptor with current drivers fixed this. Loading firmware to the board does not appear to be easily possible in OSX. Whilst most people probably have access to a windows box, I do not, so installing Ubuntu running under Virtual Box was a good (and free) option. Getting the USB-Serial driver to work under ubuntu also had a few challenges - Ubuntu is compiled with support for prolific and FTSD drivers, and whilst I could see it as /dev/ttyUSB0 it would not work. I then discovered that you need to be root in order to access it, so a simply permission change fixed that issue -

Code: Select all

sudo chmod 777 /dev/ttyUSB0

With the drivers working I installed megatunix and used the included firmware loader to flash the firmware. Once I installed the original B&G firmware all was good.

Hope this helps someone else

Mick.

[Matt Cramer]

029y4 should work on your hardware, but it may be the USB adapter accidentally sent a bit of noise loading the firmware and garbled it.

[prof315]

Get rid of the obsolete and out of production MS1 and upgrade to an MS2. It's just a processor upgrade.

Thanks, but that is a bit like buying a new car to fix a blown headlamp.

More like converting to HIDs because they don't make your headlamp bulb anymore

[VDubber]

029y4 should work on your hardware, but it may be the USB adapter accidentally sent a bit of noise loading the firmware and garbled it.

I persevered and after about a half dozen attempts I managed to get it to load up. I think that you may be right, there was something that was causing a communications issue. From what I can see there is no handshaking or checksum implemented in the communications protocol so the firmware uploader it just blindly throws data at the com port, if it doesn't happen to get read correctly the uploader has no way of knowing, so it simply assumes the job has been done correctly, leaving the user none the wiser.

Very happy now that I have got it all up and running. Loving that I'm learning about it along the way too, which is part of the reason I chose to tread the MS1 path.

Get rid of the obsolete and out of production MS1 and upgrade to an MS2. It's just a processor upgrade.

Thanks, but that is a bit like buying a new car to fix a blown headlamp.

More like converting to HIDs because they don't make your headlamp bulb anymore

It's all relative... Why waste time tuning Miatas and Corrados when you can buy a GT3? It's just an upgrade

[prof315]

Get rid of the obsolete and out of production MS1 and upgrade to an MS2. It's just a processor upgrade.

Thanks, but that is a bit like buying a new car to fix a blown headlamp.

More like converting to HIDs because they don't make your headlamp bulb anymore

It's all relative... Why waste time tuning Miatas and Corrados when you can buy a GT3? It's just an upgrade

Because when I am done tuning them , the Miatas and Corrados (and Mustangs, Merkurs, 240sx's ,Z cars, Golfs, BMWs etc....) can outperform the GT3s and GTRs

[VDubber]

Because when I am done tuning them , the Miatas and Corrados (and Mustangs, Merkurs, 240sx's ,Z cars, Golfs, BMWs etc....) can outperform the GT3s and GTRs

So what you are in fact saying is that you too would rather spend your time playing with the old technology as when you get results it gives you an enormous source of satisfaction.

I rest my case

[prof315]

Because when I am done tuning them , the Miatas and Corrados (and Mustangs, Merkurs, 240sx's ,Z cars, Golfs, BMWs etc....) can outperform the GT3s and GTRs

So what you are in fact saying is that you too would rather spend your time playing with the old technology as when you get results it gives you an enormous source of satisfaction.

I rest my case

Actually I stuff NEWER technology into OLD sheet metal. I believe they call it hotroddding....if I wanted old tech I would still be using carbs and CIS.