Ferduino Mega Problem [SOLVED]

[Marco Silva]

Hi Everybody

I am new to this and was able to buy a used ferduino board with help from Fernando(Thank You).

This is quite a project especially for someone that has never used arduino before.
I have researched extensively on the forum but some bases are missing for me.

I have started a new Subject in hopes that you would help me getting the build done (please)

So here goes.

Issue # 1
With the battery installed the screen has an odd last line and freezes (no response).
If i take the battery out all seems Fine.
I have tried with 12 V power Supply and it is the same.

[Fernando Garcia]

Hi!

Welcome Marco!

Glad to know that I have helped you.

I think you are talking about RTC battery.

On MQTT broker I can see that your RTC is not working fine.

Have you placed the jumpers in right position as explained here?

This is a new battery?

Also to use 12V power supply you should install a fan to cool down 5 V regulator. For now I recommend you start tests with 9 V.

Best regards.

[Marco Silva]

Yes RTC Battery
Yes new battery and pins in positio 2-3
Mqtt probably shows error because board only works properly without battery connected

[Fernando Garcia]

Try fix the time using monitor serial with this example:

Code: Select all

#include <Wire.h>

#define Binary 0
#define Hex 1

/*******************************************************************************
                      Function Prototype
*******************************************************************************/ 
unsigned int SerialNumRead (byte);
void SetTime();
void DisplayTime();

/*******************************************************************************
                    Global variables
*******************************************************************************/
const int I2C_address = 0x68;  // I2C write address
byte    Second;     // Store second value
byte    Minute;     // Store minute value
byte    Hour;       // Store hour value
byte    Day;        // Store day value
byte    Date;       // Store date value
byte    Month;      // Store month value
byte    Year;       // Store year value

/*******************************************************************************
                      Setup
*******************************************************************************/
void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Wire.begin();        // join i2c bus (address optional for master)
  delay(1000);
}
 
/*******************************************************************************
                      Main Loop
*******************************************************************************/ 
void loop()
{
  boolean Readtime;       // Set/Read time flag
  unsigned int Incoming;  // Incoming serial data

  // Display prompt
  Serial.println("What would you like to do?");
  Serial.println("(0) To set the current time.");
  Serial.println("(1) To display the current time.");
  Serial.print("Enter 0 or 1: ");
   
  Incoming = SerialNumRead (Binary);  // Get input command
  Serial.println(Incoming, DEC);      // Echo the value
  Serial.println();
 
  if (Incoming == 0)                  // Process input command
    SetTime();
  else if (Incoming == 1)
    DisplayTime();
 
  delay (1000);
}

/*******************************************************************************
       Read a input number from the Serial Monitor ASCII string
       Return: A binary number or hex number
*******************************************************************************/
unsigned int SerialNumRead (byte Type)
{
  unsigned int Number = 0;       // Serial receive number
  unsigned int digit = 1;        // Digit
  byte  i = 0, j, k=0, n;        // Counter
  byte  ReceiveBuf [5];          // for incoming serial data
 
  while (Serial.available() <= 0);
 
  while (Serial.available() > 0)  // Get serial input
  {
    // read the incoming byte:
    ReceiveBuf[i] = Serial.read();
    i++;
    delay(10);
  }
 
  for (j=i; j>0; j--)
  {
    digit = 1;
   
    for (n=0; n < k; n++)          // This act as pow() with base = 10
    {
      if (Type == Binary)
        digit = 10 * digit;
      else if (Type == Hex)
        digit = 16 * digit;
    }
       
    ReceiveBuf[j-1] = ReceiveBuf[j-1] - 0x30;    // Change ASCII to BIN
    Number = Number + (ReceiveBuf[j-1] * digit); // Calcluate the number
    k++;
  }
  return (Number);   
}

/*******************************************************************************
                   Set time function
*******************************************************************************/
void SetTime()
{
  Serial.print("Enter hours (00-23): ");
  Hour = (byte) SerialNumRead (Hex);
  Serial.println(Hour, HEX);        // Echo the value
  Hour = Hour & 0x3F;               // Disable century
  Serial.print("Enter minutes (00-59): ");
  Minute = (byte) SerialNumRead (Hex);
  Serial.println(Minute, HEX);      // Echo the value
  Serial.print("Enter seconds (00-59): ");
  Second = (byte) SerialNumRead (Hex);
  Serial.println(Second, HEX);      // Echo the value
  Second = Second & 0x7F;           // Enable oscillator
  Serial.print("Enter day (01-07): ");
  Day = (byte) SerialNumRead (Hex);
  Serial.println(Day, HEX);         // Echo the value
  Serial.print("Enter date (01-31): ");
  Date = (byte) SerialNumRead (Hex);
  Serial.println(Date, HEX);        // Echo the value
  Serial.print("Enter month (01-12): ");
  Month = (byte) SerialNumRead (Hex);
  Serial.println(Month, HEX);       // Echo the value
  Serial.print("Enter year (00-99): ");
  Year = (byte) SerialNumRead (Hex);
  Serial.println(Year, HEX);        // Echo the value

  Wire.beginTransmission(I2C_address);
  Wire.write(0);
  Wire.write(Second);
  Wire.write(Minute);
  Wire.write(Hour);
  Wire.write(Day);
  Wire.write(Date);
  Wire.write(Month);
  Wire.write(Year);
  Wire.endTransmission();
  //I2COUT SDA, I2C_WR, [0,Second,Minute,Hour,Day,Date,Month,Year]
  Serial.println();
  Serial.println ("The current time has been successfully set!");
}

/*******************************************************************************
                   Display time function
*******************************************************************************/
void DisplayTime()
{
  char tempchar [7];
  byte i = 0;
  Wire.beginTransmission(I2C_address);
  Wire.write(0);
  Wire.endTransmission();
 
  Wire.requestFrom(I2C_address, 7);
 
  while(Wire.available())          // Checkf for data from slave
  {
    tempchar [i] = Wire.read(); // receive a byte as character
    i++;
  }
  Second = tempchar [0];
  Minute = tempchar [1];
  Hour   = tempchar [2];
  Day    = tempchar [3];
  Date   = tempchar [4];
  Month  = tempchar [5];
  Year   = tempchar [6];
 
  // Display time
  Serial.print("The current time is ");
  Serial.print(Month, HEX);
  Serial.print("/");
  Serial.print(Date, HEX);
  Serial.print("/20");
  if (Year<10)
    Serial.print("0");
  Serial.print(Year, HEX);
  Serial.print("    ");
  Serial.print(Hour, HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.print(Minute, HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.println(Second, HEX);
}


[Marco Silva]

With your test code..

If i have rtc battery installed it gives me strange characters when i set date.

With no battery it works fine ?

[Fernando Garcia]

Always check the baud rate on setup.

Code: Select all

Serial.begin(9600);

Set the baud rate on serial monitor to 9600.

Anyway I think your RTC it working fine because it sent right data days ago.

I think the problem is related to overheat. When the regulator heat up the voltage drop and RTC stops working.

What's the behaviour when using only USB to power the board?

[Marco Silva]

Behaviour with USB power is exactly the same.

Possible i may have damaged the board when trying to hook up relay board.
I mistakenly hooked 12v from relay board do 5v in db25 connector .

This could be the problem?

[Fernando Garcia]

Can be but first check with a new battery and test code.

[Marco Silva]

New Battery.

Exactly the same no change:(

[Fernando Garcia]

Can you show me how this relay board is connected?

Are you using separated 12 V power supply for relay board?

-------------------------------- Last edited Thu Apr 25, 2019 4:02 pm --------------------------------

Check if RTC can be found at 0x68 when the battery is connected.

Code: Select all

#include <Wire.h>


void setup()
{
  Wire.begin();

  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("\nI2C Scanner");
}


void loop()
{
  byte error, address;
  int nDevices;

  Serial.println("Scanning...");

  nDevices = 0;
  for(address = 0; address <= 127; address++ )
  {
    // The i2c_scanner uses the return value of
    // the Write.endTransmisstion to see if
    // a device did acknowledge to the address.
    Wire.beginTransmission(address);
    error = Wire.endTransmission();

    if (error == 0)
    {
      Serial.print("I2C device found at address 0x");
      if (address<16)
        Serial.print("0");
      Serial.print(address,HEX);
      Serial.println(" !");

      nDevices++;
    }
    else if (error==4)
    {
      Serial.print("Unknow error at address 0x");
      if (address<16)
        Serial.print("0");
      Serial.println(address,HEX);
    }   
  }
  if (nDevices == 0)
    Serial.println("No I2C devices found\n");
  else
    Serial.println("done\n");

  delay(500);           // wait 8 seconds for next scan
}


[Marco Silva]

Relay Board is disconnected

With i2c scan
with battery doesn´t find 0x68
without battery it finds it

[Fernando Garcia]

So you can replace the IC DS1307 or buy a separated RTC module and connect to the board after remove jumpers.

-------------------------------- Last edited Thu Apr 25, 2019 4:21 pm --------------------------------

To avoid problems with relay board wiring I recommend buy my relay board. It's expensive but will save time and prevent problems.

[Marco Silva]

DS3231 is this one OK?

Do you think i could have damaged more components ?

[Fernando Garcia]

DS3231 is this one OK?

Yes, it's suitable.

Do you think i could have damaged more components?

You should test every part using test codes.

[Marco Silva]

Ok Will do

Thank You Very Much for your help and patience

Um Abraço

Marco

[Marco Silva]

Hi Fernando

The RTC has arrived (ds3232)
Where do i connect it?

Thank You

[Fernando Garcia]

Hi!

The connection should be:

+ to 5V
- to GND
D (SDA) to 20
C (SCL) to 21

Best regards.

[Marco Silva]

OK
RTC done
Thank You

Another problem
One uln2083APG chip is also damaged.

Can i buy i replacement of ebay or does it have to be programmed?

Sorry for all questions.

How can i PAy for the webpanel?

Thank You Marco

[Fernando Garcia]

RTC done

Glad to hear!

One uln2083APG chip is also damaged.

It's strange because the IC is not connected to 5 or 12 V. But you can just buy and replace there's no firmware. It's a transistor array.

Sorry for all questions.

No problem friend.

How can i PAy for the webpanel?

Via Paypal the address is available in the web interface.

[Marco Silva]

HI

Back again

ULN arrived have replaced it and relay´s now seem to be OK.

Now onto Ezo Stamp.

I cannot get Ezp Ph Stamp to Work.
1- I only have One
2- Temperature probe is connected
3- In Test it works Fine
4- it is activated in configuration.h (all other stamps are commented)
5- Baud rate is set to 38400

I have researched the forum and tried the suggestions i have found but no luck. I think it was working on a previous version of Ferduino.
The Stamp is a 2015 Version still with some different commands than the newer versions.

Any Suggestions ?