Blackfin camera and axon 2 problems

[Robot_Longbordr]

Hello i am trying to use the blackfin camera with the axon 2 yet i have not been successful, when i have connected the blackfin and have sent it commands all i have gotten back were zeros, so im pretty sure there is a problem with the Tx and Rx lines. I have the Tx of the blackfin on the Rx of the axon and vice versa.
this is the code i have tried

Code: [Select]

rprintfStr("bfin")
// -------- Start Blackfin Camera-------
// Set the value of colour bin 3 to a range of RGB values
;COLOR min,max;
colorSetRGB(&min,10,0,0);
colorSetRGB(&max,255,10,10);
blackfinSetBinRange(&camera, 0, &min, &max);
int numBlobs = uartGetByte(camera_uart);// this as well blackfinCountPixels(&camera, 0,20,30,20,30);

// and this numBlobs = blackfinDetectBlobs(&camera, 0);
;rprintfu32(numBlobs);
;rprintfCRLF();
delay_ms(1000);and the output was this for the current code and just 0's for the other two example

bfinFFFFFFFF
bfinFFFFFFFF
bfinFFFFFFFF
bfinFFFFFFFF
bfinFFFFFFFF
bfinFFFFFFFF

now i notice that there is another pin next to the rx and tx of the axon thats labeled g i assume this is ground does this need to be connected to anything or what?

[Admin]

now i notice that there is another pin next to the rx and tx of the axon thats labeled g i assume this is ground does this need to be connected to anything or what?

That G is ground, and is connected to the other ground pins on the Axon. Your Blackfin ground *must* be connected to your Axon ground (any ground on the Axon will do).

and the output was this for the current code and just 0's for the other two example ... bfinFFFFFFFF

That was output leaving the Axon, as read by Hypterminal? Or?

And the 0's were coming from the Axon or the Blackfin? Which other two examples?

What are the LEDs on the Blackfin doing, from power up to receiving commands?

change your mins and maxes to this and see what the Blackfin output is:

Code: [Select]

colorSetRGB(&min,0,0,0);
colorSetRGB(&max,255,255,255);
It might just not be detecting your desired color and therefore outputting 0's.

(it's been ~2 years since I've used the Blackfin, so bare with me!)

[Robot_Longbordr]

Well i tried setting the color bin to what you said but still the output was zeros, and what i posted was from hyper terminal talking to the axon so this leads me to that the camera is perhaps broken as i dont think im getting anything from it, i could try using the blackfin console from webbot but im not sure how to connect it to the computer, i have the signal breakout board #2 im thinking of sending it to surveyor to see what they think?

I hope i have not broken it as ive already had to replace my axon once from destroying its usb chip, sigh i just dont have that kind of money.

Help, thoughts, perhaps an alternative way to check if the blackfin is broken.

the lights on the axon are lighting up and it never sparked or smoked and it does not appear to be warming up anywhere.

[Webbot]

Do you know what version of firmware is installed on the Blackfin?

edit:-
when creating my console I discovered some bugs in the Blackfin code that I reported and they fixed.

Look at my Blackfin console at http://webbot.org.uk/iPoint/31.page it shows you how to setup the board http://webbot.org.uk/iPoint/31.page?ContentPortlet_85ContentID=211

[Robot_Longbordr]

Actually i have no idea what version of the firmware is on the blackfin

also how i set up my board and camera initially is through those pages on your website.

Its just that it says to connect to a level shifter i don't know what that is or how to get it so i have not been able to connect it to find out what firmware it is or to use the console.

would this work http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/391

is including the blackfin.h files necessary even after i used project designer?

[Webbot]

Ok so you figured out what a 'level shifter' is. It dates back from the days when old pc RS232 ports used a signal that was +-12V which from a 5v or 3v3 micro controller isn't easy. ie 'level shifter' = 'voltage shifter'. Nowadays most pcs use USB instead. The product you listed looks suitable - I don't have one so make sure you understand how to set it up and look at the datasheet.

Project Designer will automatically add any 'h' files that it deems necessary so that you don't have to.

[Robot_Longbordr]

Oh ok then also is it possible that accidentally connecting the blackfin's tx to the axon's tx and vice versa render the blackfin unusable because i might have done that. Because i have not been able to get anything from the blackfin and im pretty sure i set it up right, GPIO_H0 to the ground in the top right corner. Thats really it right?

is there a way to check if its broken or places to check for continuity to see if its working properly/

Or is it good idea to send it back to surveyor to see what they think?

[Admin]

is it possible that accidentally connecting the blackfin's tx to the axon's tx and vice versa render the blackfin unusable

Possible, but not likely. The Axon has a series resistor connected to Tx that would in theory offer some protection . . . but I'm not frying my Blackfin to prove that theory

GPIO_H0 to the ground in the top right corner. Thats really it right?

Why would you connect the Tx to ground?

is there a way to check if its broken or places to check for continuity to see if its working properly

Connect the Tx up to an oscilloscope and see if anything comes out of it . . .


If you send it back, I'm not sure how much they will be able to help you:
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=13646.0

[Robot_Longbordr]

Hmm well nothing ive tried is working it always returns a -1 for blob count and 0's for everything else

also i didnt connect tx to ground i was referring to how you set the breakout board up for the camera.

and i don't have an oscilloscope to test.

is it possible having an out of date firmware is causing these problems?

edit: Ive searched the surveyor website and have not found a download link for new firmware either

[Admin]

If you are getting 0's and -1's, that means the Tx is working. If it wasn't you wouldn't be getting anything at all, or at most, mumbo-jumbo.

Follow these instructions to update the firmware:
http://webbot.org.uk/iPoint/34.page

and more firmware info:
http://www.surveyor.com/blackfin/SRV_setup_bf.html#setup3

and download the firmware here:
http://code.google.com/p/surveyor-srv1-firmware/downloads/list


After updating the firmware, see if it works with Webbot's console:
http://webbot.org.uk/iPoint/31.page

. . . and also your code.

[Webbot]

Yep the 'GPIO-H0 to Gnd' is there to disable hardware handshaking by telling the blackfin that the Axon is always ready to receive data.

In amongst my tutorials (in the firmware upgrade piece) it tell you the cmd to issue to make the blackfin report back its firmware version number. Suggest you hook the blackfin up to Hyperterminal, or similar, and see if you can make it talk sense ie returning a proper version string. The blackfin firmware seemed to change baud rate with every release just about so you may need to experiment in Hyperterminal to find out what its actually using.

[Robot_Longbordr]

Alright great Thank you webbot and Admin for all your help, i have ordered the usb to serial device so that i can attach the blackfin to Hyperterminal http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/391 i hope when it gets here my problems will be solved 

also the thing about getting back -1's this was shown when the blackfin was connected and not connected so...

[Webbot]

i have ordered the usb to serial device so that i can attach the blackfin to Hyperterminal http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/391 i hope when it gets here my problems will be solved 

Either way - it will probably be the most useful piece of kit you ever buy! Excluding expensive logical analysers / digital scopes. Now you can send back debug info from your code to your pc, use it to blow new code onto a board via a bootloader - etc etc.

[Robot_Longbordr]

Hmm well i received my usb to serial device and have tested it with the blackfin and have only gotten gibberish and i have not been able to make sense of it im thinking of updating the firmware without receiving input from the camera but i dont if this is an option BTW i have tried hyper terminal with several baud rates and still only gibberish

should i be doing something with those other pins?

[Admin]

Gibberish means your baud rates are mismatched. Try every baud rate option hyper-terminal gives you.

You can only update the firmware if the baud-rates match . . .

[Robot_Longbordr]

well ive tried most all and it should not be below 115200 right?(as only baud rates above rendered gibberish others nothing) also should i do anything else to the chip besides connecting the blackfin to it

alright at least its consistent gibberish as in a consistent start up gibberish which i understand to be the version
 Î‘IC“ñÑ this is some of the gibberish

i have no idea whats wrong 115200 baud should work i mean what else is there another way to do a firmware update the instructions on surveyor are extremely confusing and webbot's tutorial is not working for me 

i think the camera is in need of a firmware update but how do i do that if i cant match its baud?

[Admin]

Try *all* baud rates in Hyperterminal. If you see gibberish, that means your baud is close. No gibberish at all means your baud is waayyyy off. Tried 230400 yet?

[Robot_Longbordr]

I have tried All the baud rates not a single one works i am completely stumped also surveyor has not emailed me back im at the point where im about to give up 

is there anyway to update the firmware or change its baudrate without hyperterminal or anything else besides a terminal program i have tried putty and teraterm

[Admin]

It almost sounds like it's transmitting with a non-standard baud rate . . . Gibberish is what you get when you're using a baud rate that's close to the actual, say within a factor of x20.

I'd recommend trying out RealTerm as it lets you specify any baud rate you'd like:
http://realterm.sourceforge.net/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/realterm/files/Realterm/2.0.0.57/

(you can type in the baud rate number you want)

Trying guessing a bunch and see if you can find a baud that works . . . usually if you're within ~2% of the actual baud rate it'll work.

But I really think tech support from Surveyor, if it still exists, will be much more helpful than me . . .

[msprague]

If I remember right the firmware for using the standard Matchport wireless set up is configured for 2500kbps and the firmware for standalone uart usage is at 115kbps.  You probably already have disabled flow control since it was mentioned previously. To disable hardware flow control tie pin 17 on the 32 pin expansion header (GPIO-H0) to ground.
Regards,
michael

[Robot_Longbordr]

If I remember right the firmware for using the standard Matchport wireless set up is configured for 2500kbps and the firmware for standalone uart usage is at 115kbps.

well i have tried every baud speed that there was including was the 152000 speed and have tried many other random speeds in real term.

It almost sounds like it's transmitting with a non-standard baud rate . . . Gibberish is what you get when you're using a baud rate that's close to the actual, say within a factor of x20.

also if it is within that then i have a daunting task on my hands...

i also plan to call surveyor but as you said i don't know if they have tech support

[Webbot]

i also plan to call surveyor but as you said i don't know if they have tech support

Howard Gordon (SoR forum member and Blackfin guru) sadly died a while back - as per the link from Admin. I know the intention was that his wife and business partner, and life long friend, were going to try to continue the Surveyor business. I have got some e-mail addresses that I can call upon but obviously can't publish,. I'll put some feelers out and see what happens.

Edit: - From my records the default baud rate for the camera was 115200 baud. ie not 115k