CHIPKIT CEREBOT MX7CK REPAIR BROKEN FTDI chip

Created Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:52:35 +0000 by valyb

valyb

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:52:35 +0000

Hi, I own a Cerebot Chipkit MX7CK. I was trying to connect a Pololu Dual MC33926 Motor Driver Shield when I had a shortage on the UART port. I managed to rewrite the bootloader using DBG port. I can use DBG to program the board but I can't communicate with it to send commands from the COM port. The UART port powers up the board. When the board powers up, power LED ON; LD5, LD6 and LD7 stay lid for a few seconds, after LD55 and LD6 go off, LD7 is on and LD1 starts flashing and it remains like this. My computer doesn't recognize it in COM ports. When connecting threw the DBG port, it is recognized under the Human Interface Devices list, but when using the UART port it's not recognized. I THINK THAT THE FTDI chip IS BROKEN. What can I do to repair this and bring the communication back on? Thank you.

JesseN

Fri, 13 Jun 2014 00:22:55 +0000

Hi, Did you rewrite the bootloader or download the original one that comes with the board? What programming environment are you using?

Download the original bootloader for the MX7Ck here: http://www.digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?NavPath=2,892,1219&Prod=CHIPKIT-PRO-MX7

Use MPLAB IPE to program the bootloader to the MX7CK.

valyb

Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:38:27 +0000

Hi, Did you rewrite the bootloader or download the original one that comes with the board? What programming environment are you using? Download the original bootloader for the MX7Ck here: http://www.digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?NavPath=2,892,1219&Prod=CHIPKIT-PRO-MX7 Use MPLAB IPE to program the bootloader to the MX7CK.

Hi, I have used the original bootloader. I am working with MPLAB X IDE, it's the only one that can connect to the board, I'm using the DBG port, since the COM port it's not shown when I connect the board from UART or USB. Thank you. Kind regards.

majenko

Fri, 13 Jun 2014 19:10:00 +0000

The FTDI chip just bridges the USB with one of the hardware UART ports of the PIC32. You can achieve the same communication by plugging in an external FTDI USB adapter into the same UART port (check the schematics?) and linking the DTR pin of the FTDI board to the RESET pin of the Cerebot via a 100nF capacitor.