Axon connection problems

[Webbot]

Am trying to connect to the Axon using the 'Getting Started Steps' athttp://www.societyofrobots.com/axon/axon_getting_started_hardware.shtml

I've installed the USB driver. By default it wanted to use COM6 which is outside of the range that the FBOOT programmer can use. So with some messing about it is now using COM3:-

<pic 1 below>

clicking on this I can set up the properties as follows:-
<pic 2 below>

I now reboot the Axon with a Hyperterminal session running with the same settings and I see nothing at all. Not sure 'what' I'm meant to see but the getting started implies that I should be seeing something, or garbage if the baud rate is wrong. I see nothing at all.

Help?

[Tomas]

Did you start it by pushing the white button on the axon? Does the green light on the axon blink?

edit: does it work uploading new .hex files with fboot17.exe?

could you try uploading some of these? http://www.societyofrobots.com/axon/axon_function_list.shtml

perhaps the newest one will work best

[Webbot]

Yeah the green LED blinks. - button pushed.

Was hoping not to upload any new stuff. ie wanted to get USB port working correctly before trying to use the USB to write new programs - otherwise I wouldn't know what the problem was.

I tried lowering the baud rate in Hyperterminal and could see it was receiving something. It looked like garbage but Admins getting started guide doesn't actually say what you should see.

My 'old' laptop only supports USB V1 so maybe the 115200 baud rate is not supported.

So got frustrated and resorted to using my trusty AVR ISP MKII programmer to program the device rather than using the bootloader. All ok - but not ideal.

[Admin]

Does the bootloader upload the program without errors?

The data that you should see is basically all ADC port values. It'll be obvious.

Also, got a USB2 laptop you can test it on?


ps - I prefer to use the ISP programmer because I get annoyed with having to connect and disconnect hyperterminal every time I want to reprogram using the bootloader

[Webbot]

Does the bootloader upload the program without errors?

The data that you should see is basically all ADC port values. It'll be obvious.

Also, got a USB2 laptop you can test it on?


ps - I prefer to use the ISP programmer because I get annoyed with having to connect and disconnect hyperterminal every time I want to reprogram using the bootloader

I was trying to get the USB working in receive mode before I attempted to upload using it - since, if the upload failed, I would not know what was going wrong. Anyway ISP worked once I got fed up. Can now receive stuff via USB from my own programs but only at slower baud rates.  Have access to some more recent laptops but re-installing all the software etc is a bit daunting as they are 'company' machines.

Anway: at least all is now working.