Hi and HELP! Twisted Melon.

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Elfmonkey
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Hi and HELP! Twisted Melon.

Post by Elfmonkey »

Hi

Elfmonkey here, I'm new to all this and from England.

My and my 9 year old have built a 2 2l bottle rocket and launcher, with camera and have launched succesfully a number of times now. Good times.

However the rocket came down with a hell of a bump so we decided to build a parachute deploy system using the following method. Bad Times. We need some help guys!

I have bought an msp-exp430g2 launchpad board from TI, wired it up as shown with servo and launch wires and battery and have attempted to install the firmware from the servochron2 app.

When using FETPRO to install it, I get the following message (attached) and a consequent FAIL on auto prog, although the flash programme does seem to install.

When I try and set the deploy timer and servo via the board I can follow the “set the home and deploy” points but the timer part of the process will not work.


Here’s what I did and the results:

power up with mode button pressed – got a red continuous LED

set home and deploy points (set home, save, set deploy point, save) I get a green led

press and hold mode and tap reset (to set timer) I get a continuous red led – this should be a blinking red led in 1s intervals I understand.


If left alone for a few seconds I then get a blinking red LED with the third blink a longer one.

If I attempt a second timer set, I get both red and green LEDs flashing during set and a green LED flashing post set attempt; when I try and simulate launch nothing happens

I have tried re-installing the firmware and get identical results.

HELP!! This is twisting my melon!
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FETPRO message.docx
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Blenderite
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Re: Hi and HELP! Twisted Melon.

Post by Blenderite »

Hmm. I almost want to say that I had the same problem I just don't remember what I did to fix it. I got another one that plan on programming. If I run into the same problem again, I will tell you how I fix it.

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U.S. Water Rockets1
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Re: Hi and HELP! Twisted Melon.

Post by U.S. Water Rockets1 »

Elfmonkey wrote:Hi

Elfmonkey here, I'm new to all this and from England.

My and my 9 year old have built a 2 2l bottle rocket and launcher, with camera and have launched succesfully a number of times now. Good times.

However the rocket came down with a hell of a bump so we decided to build a parachute deploy system using the following method. Bad Times. We need some help guys!

I have bought an msp-exp430g2 launchpad board from TI, wired it up as shown with servo and launch wires and battery and have attempted to install the firmware from the servochron2 app.

When using FETPRO to install it, I get the following message (attached) and a consequent FAIL on auto prog, although the flash programme does seem to install.

When I try and set the deploy timer and servo via the board I can follow the “set the home and deploy” points but the timer part of the process will not work.


Here’s what I did and the results:

power up with mode button pressed – got a red continuous LED

set home and deploy points (set home, save, set deploy point, save) I get a green led

press and hold mode and tap reset (to set timer) I get a continuous red led – this should be a blinking red led in 1s intervals I understand.


If left alone for a few seconds I then get a blinking red LED with the third blink a longer one.

If I attempt a second timer set, I get both red and green LEDs flashing during set and a green LED flashing post set attempt; when I try and simulate launch nothing happens

I have tried re-installing the firmware and get identical results.

HELP!! This is twisting my melon!

Hello, Elfmonkey!

The error message you have been seeing is more of a warning message and not a true error. Texas Instruments has upgraded the MSP430 Launchpad by installing a new chip with a real serial port and more input/output signals. Boards with the new chip are backwards compatible with the older version, but the programmer software will issue the warning you are seeing because it can see the chip is a newer version. You can just accept the warning and let the software program the device and it will work. Others have confirmed the new chip works with the software.

It sounds like one of two things has happeend. Either the download malfunctioned and the chip did not program completely, so it crashes when you set the time. This is not really likely. If the download fails, the device typically will not work at all.

The second possibility is simply that you are moving too rapidly when you set up the timer and it is missing your button presses. The sequence you describe sounds like you may have simply pressed a button too fast and it was not recognized.


Try this again but do it with deliberate patience:

1. Power up
2. Press in the MODE button
3. Press in the RESET button
4. Release the RESET button
5. Release the MODE button
6. Wait the time delay you require for the parachute deploy
7. Press the MODE button again
8. Release the Mode button

Try this very carefully and report back what results you get.

Good Luck!
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Elfmonkey
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Re: Hi and HELP! Twisted Melon.

Post by Elfmonkey »

Hey

Thanks for taking up the fight :D

I tried what you suggested. Same results.

power up - red led 3 blinks - 3rd blink longer
press and hold mode - as above red led sequence
press and hold reset - all led off
release reset - both red and green led blink together - looks like 1s intervals
release mode - green led blinks - 1s intervals
wait and press mode, release mode - red led blinks per 2 short 1 long as in 1 above

....sooooo, any ideas where do I go from here ??

got new rocket and cam and cant deploy chute .. grrr

I also reprogrammed the board (using same download) via FET PRO, same result as above
Elfmonkey
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Re: Hi and HELP! Twisted Melon.

Post by Elfmonkey »

FYI - my setup is as shown on the attached jpeg

9v battery
Towerpro MG90S micro servo
wire break launch detect
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launchpad setup.JPG
launchpad setup.JPG (31.78 KiB) Viewed 27 times
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U.S. Water Rockets
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Re: Hi and HELP! Twisted Melon.

Post by U.S. Water Rockets »

Elfmonkey wrote:Hey

Thanks for taking up the fight :D

I tried what you suggested. Same results.

power up - red led 3 blinks - 3rd blink longer
press and hold mode - as above red led sequence
press and hold reset - all led off
release reset - both red and green led blink together - looks like 1s intervals
release mode - green led blinks - 1s intervals
wait and press mode, release mode - red led blinks per 2 short 1 long as in 1 above

....sooooo, any ideas where do I go from here ??

got new rocket and cam and cant deploy chute .. grrr

I also reprogrammed the board (using same download) via FET PRO, same result as above
What firmware file are you loading? We think you might be using the wrong version. If you have the file name it would help.
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U.S. Water Rockets
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Re: Hi and HELP! Twisted Melon.

Post by U.S. Water Rockets »

Elfmonkey wrote:FYI - my setup is as shown on the attached jpeg

9v battery
Towerpro MG90S micro servo
wire break launch detect
It seems as though you may have installed the ServoChron 2 firmware (dual servo) and used the servo setup instructions for the ServoChron (single servo). The error codes you may see are:

Red LED 3 blinks (2 short, 1 long) = A servo is not configured.
Red LED 2 blinks (1 short, 1 long) = No time delay configuration set.

The error you show would indicate you did not set up a servo correctly. If you have been using the ServoChron 2 firmware, the procedure in the manual is slightly different than the method for the ServoChron 1 firmware. The manuals and youtube videos on our channel have pretty detailed explanations of each procedure.

It looks like you may have set up only 1 servo and the firmware expects 2 settings. You can set up the second servo even if none is there if you just press the button as if the servo was connected and. The key thing to know about a servo configuration is that the two positions must be different. If you skip through either servo setup leaving either position duplicated for the same servo, then it will complain.

Hopefully, this will help!

Good luck!
Elfmonkey
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Re: Hi and HELP! Twisted Melon.

Post by Elfmonkey »

Sounds entirley plausible - thanks - will give it a go and get back to you - sadly work calls
Elfmonkey
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Re: Hi and HELP! Twisted Melon.

Post by Elfmonkey »

Guys

Thankyou so much for the assistance. Outstanding diagnostics from afar!

Also - to add to many others I'm sure - that servochron system for so few $ is just what the doctor ordered.

If all companies offered product AND service like you guys then we would nt be in such a state..

Thanks again.

Andy
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U.S. Water Rockets
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Re: Hi and HELP! Twisted Melon.

Post by U.S. Water Rockets »

Thanks for the kind words of support! We are happy to help!

Word of mouth from nice people like you is what will make this hobby more popular and with more people sharing ideas it can only get better for everyone!