Black Screen and Nothing Else [1 Attachment]

[[e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Hi I need abit of help with this, I flashed a core today and I think if failed (I was being distracted by my 7 year old) also I think I choose CORE0. So now I am getting a black screen when the Chameleon boots and the status lights are always on. I cant connect to the flashing software now to try to bring it back. I have also tried putting the update software back on the SD card. Can anyone help. I feel its bricked.

screenshot attached


Thanks


Scot...

[Tobias [e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Post by scot-***@public.gmane.org [chameleon_64]
Hi I need abit of help with this, I flashed a core today and I think if
failed (I was being distracted by my 7 year old) also I think I choose
CORE0. So now I am getting a black screen when the Chameleon boots and the
status lights are always on. I cant connect to the flashing software now to
try to bring it back. I have also tried putting the update software back on
the SD card. Can anyone help. I feel its bricked.

it is really hard to "brick" the chameleon by flashing a core - don't worry.
(this should infact never happen unless you upgrade the microcontroller
firmware, and even then we have the debrick jumper)

disconnect everything from the chameleon, then power it up using the USB from
the breakout cable. if slot 0 contains an invalid core, the status LEDs should
blink now (see manual) - if not, then a valid core is running. (perhaps you
flashed it ok but forgot to attach ROMs? or perhaps your monitor just cant
display the image it generates? what core was it anyway? :))

to reflash, also connect the second USB cable, power cycle the chameleon, and
run the update program. if that doesnt work, please try if eg starting some
other slot works using chacocmd (see manual)... and make sure you are doing
this as admin/root or depending on your OS it might not work.

[[e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Thanks for the reply, do you guys ever sleep....
anyway


so... just plugging in the cable I get a solid green and red light. Not Flashing


tried running the update as well as chacocmd and I get more or less the error (below) I am running as admin btw


I know the drivers are installed because I am using a newly built laptop and watched the drivers install and finish just to make sure they are on.


If you think it may help I can setup a windows xp machine tomorrow and try again. But I am getting this issue on Windows 8 and Windows 7 machines


C:\Users\Scot\Downloads>chacocmd --flashrbf 0 chameleon_beta9a.rbf rom-menu.bin
--start 0
libusb:info [windows_get_device_list] The following device has no driver: '\\.\U
SB#VID_08FF&PID_2810#5&242A2C8B&0&1'
libusb:info [windows_get_device_list] libusb will not be able to access it.
libusb:error [cache_config_descriptors] could not access configuration descripto
r (dummy) for '\\.\USB#VID_0A5C&PID_2145#5&242A2C8B&0&2': [31] A device attached
to the system is not functioning.
getversion failed.



Thanks Scot...

[Tobias [e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Post by scot-***@public.gmane.org [chameleon_64]
Thanks for the reply, do you guys ever sleep....
anyway
so... just plugging in the cable I get a solid green and red light. Not Flashing
tried running the update as well as chacocmd and I get more or less the
error (below) I am running as admin btw
I know the drivers are installed because I am using a newly built laptop
and watched the drivers install and finish just to make sure they are on.
If you think it may help I can setup a windows xp machine tomorrow and try
again. But I am getting this issue on Windows 8 and Windows 7 machines
C:\Users\Scot\Downloads>chacocmd --flashrbf 0 chameleon_beta9a.rbf rom-menu.bin

--start 0

Post by scot-***@public.gmane.org [chameleon_64]
libusb:info [windows_get_device_list] The following device has no driver: '\\.\U

SB#VID_08FF&PID_2810#5&242A2C8B&0&1'

Post by scot-***@public.gmane.org [chameleon_64]
libusb:info [windows_get_device_list] libusb will not be able to access it.

libusb:error [cache_config_descriptors] could not access configuration

Post by scot-***@public.gmane.org [chameleon_64]
descripto r (dummy) for '\\.\USB#VID_0A5C&PID_2145#5&242A2C8B&0&2': [31] A
device attached to the system is not functioning.
getversion failed.

i think you have a problem with some other hardware there - for chameleon the
respective IDs are:

VID_18D8 (vendor id)
PID_201D (product id)

one of the above IDs matches a fingerprint scanner... (is this a laptop? :))

[[e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Hi yes that was a laptop, this is the result I get from a windows 8 desktop

C:\Users\Scot\Downloads>chacocmd --flashrbf 0 chameleon_beta9a.rbf rom-menu.bin

--start 0
libusb:info [windows_get_device_list] The following device has no driver: '\\.\U
SB#VID_040A&PID_4043&MI_00#7&238AC1C8&1&0000'
libusb:info [windows_get_device_list] libusb will not be able to access it.
getversion failed.


I will try from a XP machine tomorrow...


Thanks

Scot...

[[e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Hi not having much luck, the error message I get on XP is
getversion Failed

[Jens Schoenfeld [e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Post by scot-***@public.gmane.org [chameleon_64]
Hi not having much luck, the error message I get on XP is
getversion Failed

That's not much of an error message to work with. The picture you've
added shows a timeout, which points to some connection error. Please
make sure that:

- you are powering the Chameleon through the breakout cable from a
reliable source, such as a 1000mA 5V USB power supply

- you have removed all power-consuming devices: Keyboard, mouse,
SD-card, Docking Station. Is there an RR-Net installed in your
Chameleon? If so, please let us know, so we can try to replicate any
problems here. It should not cause any trouble if you have removed the
networking cable (that will reduce power consumption).

- you are using a known-good USB data cable and a known-good port on
your computer

- you are connecting directly to the computer, not through a USB hub

- you are running the computer as administrator

Do not press any button while the Chameleon is starting up. That is only
required for fab use, and it's only described in the manual for
completeness. The USB flash procedure doesn't require pressing any
buttons on the Chameleon.

If the Chameleon is powered up and you plug the USB data cable into your
computer, you should hear the "ding-dong"-sound that tells you "a new
device has been found". Please confirm that this is happening.

The GUI version of ChaCo is not stable on all computers. You should also
try the commandline version, which is referenced in the batchfile that
does all the required flashing. Please either call the batchfile from a
commandline, or double-click it from Windows Explorer.

ciao,

[[e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Hi,
thanks for the reply, sorry to be a pain!


OK so I was using the PC USB port to power the Cham however I moved on to a PSU (the rating you stated) rather than using the PC, I have tried the normal usb cable I used for connecting to the PC and also a shorter one just in case. I have used both in the pass on the same computer to flash cores.


Still getting the same message as attached and the same errors when I try from the command line.


Also I have tried putting the update files on a known working SD card and ran from a commodore 64 hoping it would reflash with the update.


I did flash with the same setup the Vic20 Core a few weeks ago without any issue (also the spectrum ones recently too)


I havnt had anything connected when trying to troubleshoot this issue, no docking station SDCard or connected to a monitor.


just to confirm I have tried this now on different 3 machines. Windows 8.1 Builld, Windows 7 Build and Windows XP Build and I get the same message and issues so really I doubt that I am having USB device/driver conflicts on all 3 machines with different hardware.


I am at a lost what to do really.


Many thanks for your help.

Scot....

[robinsonb5-/[e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Hi,

I have a horrible feeling this is my fault! The core you flashed to slot 0 was my experimental OCMSX core, wasn't it?

I can reproduce the problem here by loading my core - for some reason it seems to upset the Chameleon's Microcontroller. No problem if it's a secondary core, but as you found out, a big problem if it's in slot 0.

I don't know if there's any way to prevent the microcontroller booting core 0 on powerup, but even if there isn't, the good news is the Chameleon's not bricked. It can be rescued by uploading a different core into the FPGA over JTAG. Unfortunately doing that will require soldering a header onto the Chameleon and using a USB-Blaster JTAG programmer. If all else fails, I will gladly do this for you if you send the ailing Chameleon to me. (Email me at robinsonb5 a-with-a-circle-round-it gmail.com to make arrangements if you want to go down this route.)

In the meantime I'll try and figure out why my core's upsetting the µC.

All the best

[[e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Hi Alastair,

yes it was the MSX core that I tried to flash to core 0 I don't normally touch that core but I was distracted. Will email you later once I get the distraction to bed.


Many Thanks


Scot....

[robinsonb5-/[e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

OK no worries.

In the meantime I've found the cause of the problem - which is simply that I'd mapped a signal to the usart_rx port of the chameleon_io entity in preparation for doing things like loading from flash and returning to the Chameleon core, but failed to assign it a default value.

I've replaced the archive with a fixed version now, so that no-one else can fall into the same trap.

All the best

[Jens Schoenfeld [e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Post by robinsonb5-/***@public.gmane.org [chameleon_64]
Chameleon's not bricked. It can be rescued by uploading a different
core into the FPGA over JTAG. Unfortunately doing that will require
soldering a header onto the Chameleon and using a USB-Blaster JTAG
programmer. If all else fails, I will gladly do this for you if you
send the ailing Chameleon to me.

This will also work without soldering a header into that place, just by
putting the header in, and bending it a little to the side with the USB
Blaster's connector. That's the way we're programming the CPLDs.

If you solder the JTAG connector in, then RR-Net MK3 will not fit any
longer, so it would be good if you try the bending trick first.

['Steven L. Croucher' steve-MpFcE0aq/[e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Post by robinsonb5-/***@public.gmane.org [chameleon_64]
I don't know if there's any way to prevent the microcontroller booting
core 0 on powerup, but even if there isn't, the good news is the
Chameleon's not bricked. It can be rescued by uploading a different
core into the FPGA over JTAG. Unfortunately doing that will require
soldering a header onto the Chameleon and using a USB-Blaster JTAG
programmer.

What is the jumped on the Chameleon board for? I rescued mine ages ago
when a certain release (6d?) caused a crash during startup.

Steve

[Tobias [e-mail] [chameleon_64]]

Post by 'Steven L. Croucher' steve-MpFcE0aq/***@public.gmane.org [chameleon_64]

Post by robinsonb5-/***@public.gmane.org [chameleon_64]
I don't know if there's any way to prevent the microcontroller booting
core 0 on powerup, but even if there isn't, the good news is the
Chameleon's not bricked. It can be rescued by uploading a different
core into the FPGA over JTAG. Unfortunately doing that will require
soldering a header onto the Chameleon and using a USB-Blaster JTAG
programmer.

What is the jumped on the Chameleon board for? I rescued mine ages ago
when a certain release (6d?) caused a crash during startup.

the jumper enables "debrick" mode of the usb microcontroller - you dont need
this unless you did a microcontroller firmware update and that failed somehow.
(see appendix in the manual)