MembersPage/NicholasFranks (2005-05-17 00:43:28)

Nicholas Franks

Database Programmer

Industrial Automation

Downhill Mountain biker

Got Turbo ?

Its going to be VW VR6 Turbo


SECTION ABOUT MY STUFF


BLOG


April 12 2004

Going to order a v3 this week, The WEB SHOP Seems to have alot of option:

Heres what i want (fell free to modify this list if i am wrong)

I also read that there's some kind of discount but i dont know if i am eligible for that (you can ask for a few % anyway, and only you know if you plan to help documenting some part of the system or the install procedure to get higher %-es).

Oh and why do we have 2 WB channels ? Is it for 2 exhausts ? (yes, actually 2 WideBand channel setup is not yet implemented in firmware).


May 18 2004

Well my work as sent me to Argentina for a couple of week. So my Genboard project is basiclly on hold until i start working back home.


June 2 2004

I Tried to put an other in Yesterday for v3.1 but alot of the stuff was marked with a *** saying that they are not in stock. Ooops.. thanx for reminding, I'll update the stock (we maintain the stock outside the shop). Everything is available.

Basically i wanted to ordered a V3.1 (did not do it cause i needed to raise my paypal limit :) ) You can pay part with ikobo.com (paying upto 205 USD in a 30 day window is possible without authentication) and you can pay some part later...

heres my shopping cart:

Other parts like

LCD,WB sensor and connector, etc ..i will get locally.

<MCELL>Where do you get the WBO2 connector, and for how much? <Nicholas> I will write the price later on when i get it

Is there anything missing.? its for a 4 cyl wasted spark setup 60-2 wheel.

<Mcell>I'd keep a HALL sensor and an NTC in the drawer, just in case. But list looks OK. Apparently you'll use custom connector and case, not Alubos + EC ? <Nicholas> Connectors going with econoseal... and case.. i am not too worried with that for now..


June 4 2004

I justed put my order in for a v3.1


June 9 2004

Wondering if my V3.1 is shipped


June 18 2004

Got the Econo Seals in the mail today The V3.1 Should come up preatty soon i hope


June 22 2004

Got the v3.1 is in ..now the fun part starts


July 21 2004

Well its ALIVE, I put power on v3.1!...

Good job, congratulations!

But weird thing happened. MegaTune works.. Bray Terminal doesnt... Anybody knows why ??

Well, Now i have a bigger problem. when i put power to it. my power supply starts pulling current and voltage is around 5V... My current limiting thing on my Power supply was setup way too high. GRRr.. anyway.. i think D6 is shorted.. hopefully thats all.. any other advice... ?


July 23 2004

Definitely have a short some where.

locate the short:


July 26 2004

Well, I think i've got it down to the D6 wich if i do the 5v 1A supply test and i get somke from u3 and u6, i am hopping to change D6,U3 and U6 and move along.

From u3 and u6? that shouldn't be? check their orientation.

The only cause I can think of is if their output is shorted to supply or GND. Fortunately, it's unlikely that anything else got damaged.

Should I send you 4 FETdrivers?


July 28 2004

"Should I send you 4 FETdrivers?" -Mcell

No Thank you, i had 4 in the kit.. and i only need 2 (4 inj) for now, So i wil make the switch. Thannks


July 29 2004

Will order an other Genboard, Yeah!

Found somebody who will solder the SMD stuff, i tried... i just cant.. Well lets say i dont want to practice on a nice Genboard.

Mcell, if i send you my old v2.2 can you check it out ? I don't think I have the time for it. I have a bad v2.2 (probably some minor easy-to-fix error) that I haven't had time to fix for almost a year now.

If you check power, crystal, ISP connection, and still cannot talk to it via ISP than it's probably not worth to mend, as the processor is hard to unsolder (well, some people can do it easily with the right tools, I cannot). I can offer a discounted v3.x though.

I will add some $$ to my next v3.1 order for shipping back and service ??


Aug 4 2004

Okay we are back on track, the Short is located and fixed. I have 2 FET Driver that fried (Smoke and all), but i have 2 other spare.

Okay moving along...


Aug 5 2004

Just order an other v3.x ... I am leaving for 2 weeks on monday, going to work in Argentina. I hope it will arrive by the time i come back.


Sept 12 2004

Got my sencond Genboard, and it also works. Brining them to someone today to get the needed SMD parts soldered on. One will use HighZ Inj the other one LowZ inj. Going to Argentina again for work so that will set me back an other week. I recived my MSD Coils and 3 bar MAP.


Sept 24 2004

Well i am back, and the boards are almost ready. So i am starting right now to get familiar with the firmware. I decided to add a feature, that i will need anyway. i need to code a output that will pulse at every spark, so i can plug a Tach meter. i just need to figure out if i need a PWM output or not... i was thinking using a IGBT output:

(MCELL)but you have output at every spark anyway: (Nicholas) I do but i am using wasted spark setup.

First off i did a .DSW file so i can code into MS VISUAL C++ 6.0 (Its a Desktop Workspace so i can programm the firmware with a IDE interface.)


Sept 27 2004

Okay bench testing my genboard:

LCD CONNECTION : GenBoard/BuildProcedures/LCDconnect The Webshop LCD as two connectors but only one is needed to make it work. I should try it tonight.

Sept 27 2004 23:38

I got the LCD running. It was very easy, but my wiring was not too pretty, its a redo for the LCD cable. I will be making a long cable cause the LCD will be in the Dash of the car.


Sept 29 2004

Well i did again... i was playing with the firmware, and wanted to create a simple firmware where i could simply test my outputs wiring. so i started commenting out some stuff in the main for loop.

compiled it with success.. downloaded it.. now can not put the old one back.. Damn. will i have to go ISP style ?

here is what i get from the cmd window

sh-2.04$ perl bin/prog.pl megasquirt.h

ihex type 00 found 5042 times

ihex type 01 found 1 times

ihex type 02 found 1 times

ihex file read and found OK

saying Mancb33cb at 9600

read unsuccessful

No hello from AVR

we say p

read unsuccessful

read unsuccessful

read unsuccessful

read unsuccessful

read unsuccessful

didn't get reply from AVR, out of sync

sh-2.04$


Sept 30 2004

YEAH !... Firmware back online, Thanks for you help Dana and Jason. The jumper on pin header trick worked.


Oct 2 2004

Testing more stuff.. learn the hard way that the firmware downloaded with CVS and the one from the snapshot link available on the this site are dirrerent...(i was at work behind the firewall).

For some reason i dont see my 5 v on pin 28 for my TPS supply


Oct 6 2004

GenBoard/Manual/WBSensorControllerCompleting does not talk about R105 and R108 because they are not needed for WBO2. They are only useful for an extra differential amplified input (for those who know what they are doing). (my Gen v3.1 are #58 and #84)


Oct 9 2004

I already fried the FETdriver chips...

Q. For HighZ inj, Is it okay is if i removed them and use a short instead ?

A. Yes, it is ok if you don't plan PWMing. Gate resistors are better at least 100 Ohm in that case. However next thing you'll fry is your AVR. The AVR is much more sensitive than the FETdriver chips. Make sure you absolutely eliminated the problem whatever it was. You could also make an entry in the KillEmAll page (I'm really interested in how the FETdrivers were killed). Also, don't forget to remove FETDRIVER_INVERTING from my_make.


Oct 25 2004

I got pics of my VEMS 3.1 with the HW on it.

MembersPage/NicholasFranks/VerThreeGenInfo for pics.


Nov 26 2004

Got the car wired up.

Issues:

'later in the night'

Did some search on the board, my signal goes up to pin 27 but doesnt seem to get to the LM1815.

Here is my config.txt its mostly based from Dave B file

http://www.squirrelpf.com/msavr/files/config.txt


Nov 27 2004

Okay, finally got our hands on a scope, checking the VR sensor singnal on EC36-27, and i see the signal perfectly with a delta of about 4 Vdc peak to peak ( at Cranking RPM ).

then right before it goes in Vin of the LM chip we have a nice signal more or less 200 mv. Here comes the triky part. the out of the LM chip, I get NOTHING ( we checked the schematic and the LM chip speced sheet and everything is wired right). I am thinking the LM chip it self is dead. Does this sound right to you guys ?

I have a spare one, i have a friend (scope meter guy, Knows ALOT about electronics) that will come back to solder the new one.

Please


Nov 30 2004

Well i am back on the road for work. Anyway, My friend ran some test on the LM chip during crank


May 16 2005

After working for a year in Argentina, looks i will be there and back for an other 18 months... But we did give the VEMS 3.1 to a freind and he did some bench test.. and would you know it..

we see rpm, sparks and injection.

He is not a programmer so i will try to set him up to download and compile the newest firmeware with only couple of clicks.

I am not uptodate on vems evolution right now... but having a software(megatune/megatunix) to enter ALL the parameters of the config and table files would be alot easier for people who are less pc aware.