DSATX randomly shuts down with Brainstem hooked to serial port

LYHTSPD · 08-01-2001, 12:01 PM

Hey guys, I have a DSATX and I am having some issues with it. I got it all plugged in last night in full normal mode (as a sdc and everything). It seems to work great for about the first hour or so I had it on. Then I decided to use the brainstem.

The Brainstem was already plugged into the DSATX (before powering up) using a 4-pin extension jumper I made. The red led on the brainstem was on and everything seemed happy. I plugged in a straight-through serial cable from the brainstem to the PC and the orange led on the brainstem came on. So far so good! I opened up hyperterminal and just opened the connection when the DSATX just shut down. No warnings, no blinking leds. It just dumped. I had to kill the VIN line and shut off the ACC line before it would come back up and when it did it did not give me any blinking leds. It booted up ok with the serial cable attached. Then even before I could get hyperterminal opened up, it shut down again. No blinking leds this time either.

I disconnected the serial cable from the brainstem (but the brainstem was still connected to the DSATX and restarted the system. Everything seemed to be ok. I check the serial cable for shorts or wrong pin-out, but everything seemed to be fine there as well. I plugged the serial cable back in and was able to monitor the datastream and nothing looked out of place. Voltages were ok, temp was around 36c. It was in RUN mode. I did manage to reset all values to default before it freaked out and shut down on me again.

What could be causing this?

LYHTSPD · 01-09-2008, 10:41 PM

Bump for the crazy time warp...

zootjeff · 01-10-2008, 11:41 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by LYHTSPD

Bump for the crazy time warp...

Try using a ground lead and grounding the serial port cable shield to the main ground pin of the DSATX and see if that helps..

LYHTSPD · 01-11-2008, 08:24 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by zootjeff

Try using a ground lead and grounding the serial port cable shield to the main ground pin of the DSATX and see if that helps..

Thanks Jeff, I will give that a shot tonight.

LYHTSPD · 01-11-2008, 08:45 PM

I tried hooking up the cable shield to the GND connection. I got much of the same result. It did actually give me a 4-blink led error code though, which I think is for over/under temp right? That does not seem right.

Without the serial cable plugged in, it ran stable for over 2 days straight.

LYHTSPD · 01-15-2008, 04:50 PM

Anyone?

MarcelP · 03-16-2008, 04:20 AM

does it function not yet or is now solved the problem?

LYHTSPD · 03-17-2008, 08:36 AM

Oh man, I almost forgot about this thread! lol

I had made a short extension cable from the header pins to a 9 pin dsub to the exterior of the case. Well, this seems to have been the problem. I even shielded the cable and still no luck.

I ditched the extension, de-soldered the dsub from the Brainstem and hard-wired the serial cable to the board. Everything works fine now.

MarcelP · 03-24-2008, 03:12 PM

I have now the same problem. Can you show pictures of it? Because I white not which I with Ground to connect is.

MarcelP · 03-24-2008, 04:18 PM

Here a Picture: the metallic plug of the Brainstem connect with...?
(All 9 pins are isolated from the plug.)

MarcelP · 04-05-2008, 07:22 AM

@lyhtspd:

Can you me somewhat more exactly describe which you did thereby it functioned?? I have the problem still with the version 1.14 of mpegbox.com

LYHTSPD · 04-07-2008, 08:09 AM

Sorry man, I have been swamped with stuff lately.

I will take some pictures when I get home tonight and post them here. Again, sorry.

Quote: Originally Posted by MarcelP

@lyhtspd:

Can you me somewhat more exactly describe which you did thereby it functioned?? I have the problem still with the version 1.14 of mpegbox.com

MarcelP · 04-07-2008, 11:47 AM

Oh, fine, thanks. that would be really super nicely from you.

rijk · 04-07-2008, 12:41 PM

mine cuts the power when i try the gps. I had it on tom 4, but had to move it to com 2.
the gps is com3. but maybe it has somting to do with the irq adres.

MarcelP · 04-27-2008, 08:10 AM

I could eliminate my problem finally, it was because of a wrong attitude in the Config of the ATmega!