M4 ATX USB connection

Arby · 04-27-2008, 01:47 PM

Has anyone actually got the USB connection on the M4 ATX to work? I just get a popup that says "USB Device Not Recognized".

The documentation sucks, I can't find any information anywhere. Are there any drivers?

Fox_Mulder · 04-28-2008, 03:08 AM

It runs a PIC18F2450 that interfaces with the USB as a virtual com port.

Unzip the m4atx.zip file. There should only be one file inside m4atx.inf.
Plug in the M4 atx if you havent already done so.
When the found new hardware wizard pops up, select install from a specific location.
Click next and select this attached inf file.
After thats done it should appear as a com port (ie COM4).

But if the new found hardware wizard doesnt pop up when you plug in the M4 ATX then it might be a bug in their firmware.......

Maybe you can use hyperterminal to communicate with the m4 atx, but I dont know any of the commands due to lack of documentation.

I will try this as well as soon as Laci, Andrei and I can figure out why my m4 doesnt send the motherboard pulse when my m4 is in the hardoff mode, and I can get a suitable header for the cable to plug into the motherboard's usb header.

Fox_Mulder · 05-01-2008, 11:13 AM

Hmm I think the pinout on the m4 manual is wrong for the USB connectors.

The M4 Manual says that:
Pin 1 is 5v
Pin 2 is D-
Pin 3 is D+
Pin 4 is GND
Pin 5 is GND

Looking at the datasheet for the 18F2450, Pin 16 is D+, pin 15 is D-

But following the pins with a multimeter I get the following:

Pin 3 is connected to the PIC at pin 16 (D+).
Pin 4 is connected to the PIC at pin 15 (D-).
Pins 1 & 2 are connected to each other.
Pin 1 (and thus Pin 2) is connected to ground.
Pins 4 & 5 are not connected to each other or ground.

Pins 6,7,8,9 seem to be labelled correctly.

I have attached a revised pinout.

edit: I have emailed mini-box to see if this is correct, it could be the reason you are getting the USB device not recognised error.

Fox_Mulder · 05-02-2008, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Yes the drawing in the manual is not correct.
It should be
5 4 3 2 1
N/C 9 8 7 6
Because pin 1 on J8 footprint is marked with silkscreen.

THANK YOU for your observation!
Laci

Mini Box have confirmed my findings, so please re-wire your USB plugs!

Fox_Mulder · 05-02-2008, 04:36 AM

I managed to connect my M4 to the USB ports using my pin diagram and it is recognised as a HID insde the device manager, not too sure how we are going to be able to talk to the M4.

Laci from Mini Box told me

Quote:

Soon we will have a USB software which you can use for programming the time tables(and a lot of other parameters) as you wish.

Hopefully the software isn't too far away!

jimmler · 05-02-2008, 06:02 PM

I'm thinking this board was released WAY before it was ready.

PacketSniffer · 05-04-2008, 03:47 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Fox_Mulder

I managed to connect my M4 to the USB ports using my pin diagram and it is recognised as a HID insde the device manager, not too sure how we are going to be able to talk to the M4.

Laci from Mini Box told me

Hopefully the software isn't too far away!

How is it that you are able to communicate with someone inside Mini-box when I can't get them to respond to my initial Customer Support request almost two weeks ago or my second inquiry from about one week ago?????

jimmler · 05-04-2008, 10:11 PM

No kidding! I have fired off at least 3 notes after getting my automated "your case number is" email. No reply on any of them. It's bad enough there's issues with the power supply, but then to not respond to inquiries just adds insult to injury. Next time I'm going with an Opus.

Fox_Mulder · 05-05-2008, 03:26 AM

I have been communicating with Laci from mini-box: tlaci AT mini-box.com

GhostRiderDad · 05-05-2008, 10:59 AM

how did you hook up the on/off motherboard wire from the PS to the motherboard? I've heard of a few things people use here, but I would like to know what your solutiuon was so that I can replicate it on my end. Care to help a fellow carputerer out?

Crisp2gtr · 05-05-2008, 02:29 PM

Hey Guys, I also got an m4-atx - it seems to be working all good except for the shutting down problem as you all are experiencing.

I currently have mine all wired up according to documentation however, i did notice, as in another post i saw on here that about 75 - 80% of the time it will shut down properly if i turn my ignition off then on then off again. It waits for about 5 sec, then hibernates. Any other time it will just hard-off, then windows will have to fully boot on next boot-up.

USB Connection seems to be working fine as a HID Device, if only we had somthing to update it with.

Arby · 05-08-2008, 09:46 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Fox_Mulder

Hmm I think the pinout on the m4 manual is wrong for the USB connectors.

Thanks for the help, this would also explain why the power supply shut down if I hooked up the +5V cable. (directly to ground!)

Fox_Mulder · 05-08-2008, 09:06 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Arby

Thanks for the help, this would also explain why the power supply shut down if I hooked up the +5V cable. (directly to ground!)

I was having the same problem, my carputer would not boot when the m4 was connected to the USB header on the motherboard. First I thought it was my cable, but that was fine so I assumed the motherboard pinout would be correct and I checked the M4 and saw that the pins were mixed up.

Fox_Mulder · 05-09-2008, 10:32 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Crisp2gtr

it will shut down properly if i turn my ignition off then on then off again.

This is a known bug in the firmware version 1.0 and has been fixed in 1.1 .

I had the same problem, and since I am in Australia I really did not want to send my unit all the way back to the USA so I built myself a simple "in circuit serial pogrammer" (ICSP) and asked mini-box for the new firmware and I reprogrammed the microcontroller.

If you have access to an ICSP or are good with electronics you can build one yourself and do this as well to get the new firmware. If not you'll have to send the unit to either back where you bought it from or mini-box to have the new firmware written to the unit.

racer_X · 05-10-2008, 01:07 PM

i'm not really having any of those problems with my M4, the problem i'm having is that the M4 wont recognize the power. there is suppose to be a green flashing light blinking waiting for ignition signal but i dont even get that! i used a multimeter to test the positve and the ignition to see if maybe it was my wiring but on the positive i get 12V and on the ignition when active i get about 12v and when not active i get 0V. I had this powersupply for about 2 months now and it has been working flawlessly! but yesterday it decided that it wasn't going to work any more....any comments or suggestions?