iDuino MPGuino

[Spiffed]

I've hit a snag, at least, and maybe a big disappointment.

If you were prompted to install the drivers, that's at least proof the USB interface is running.
If the power LED failed to illuminate, that's usually a sign of any of the following: a reversed LED, a short between VCC and GND, or an incorrectly soldered resistor.

Please email service@fundamentallogic.com regarding the issue.

[wyatt]

Originally Posted by Axaday

I've hit a snag, at least, and maybe a big disappointment. I downloaded the software, plugged in the iDuino, and installed the drivers, but the power LED doesn't come on and when I uploaded the blink test program it said it uploaded, but it doesn't blink.

I'm hoping someone will tell me that is just for an Arduino and that there is some good reason that my complete iDuino alone doesn't do anything. Otherwise, my iDuino doesn't work.

Mine had the LED light up right away, and it did the blinking. Kevin (Spiffed) would certainly be the best to help with the issue, but you may be able to look through the assembly instructions (version 2 or version 3) to make sure that something didn't get mixed up somewhere. Also, check all your solder points... one of mine came lose that wasn't done too terribly well and I had to re-solder it.

[Axaday]

I'm certain that the pieces are all in the right places, but my soldering skills are relatively weak. I am pretty sure I didn't solder a short, but it is perfectly possible that I didn't get a good contact somewhere. But, zounds! There are 91 solders to recheck and I don't REALLY know what I'm looking for. I have a multi-meter though, if someone could tell me what it should read in a few places.

[Axaday]

I took a good close look at the thing and removed some cat hairs with tweezers and trimmed some leads shorter and plugged it in again and the power LED came on. It still wouldn't run the blink program, though. Heartened, I trimmed some more leads and I looked for places where a bit of stuff looked like it was in a circuit pathway and tried to carefully knocked that stuff off with the tweezers. Now the power LED doesn't work again. Now and then it lights for a second as I'm plugging the USB into it, but not for long. The loader still thinks it works, but it doesn't.

At this point have I ruined the thing? And if I went and bought a complete iDuino like I should've to start with would I be wasting my time because of how much more soldering there is to go and me not knowing what I'm doing?

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I just found the edit post feature. Thought we didn't have it here.

I managed to get the power LED back and I did it by bending it, which confirms that my contacts aren't all as good as I thought they were. But I don't have time to work on it anymore tonight. Thank you to those that have helped.

----

Well, I decided it wouldn't take THAT much time and I wouldn't sleep well wondering. So I did what dcb said. I just let the iron warm up and then touched every solder point. I found a few spots that didn't really seem to have that much solder on second inspection and I moved some around until I was better satisfied and then I plugged it into the computer again. For a second the red LED flickered a bit and then it started blinking one second on and off. If that program works, should I assume the other will can push on forward?

[dcb]

Talk to Kevin and/or just briefly touch the soldering iron to all the solder joints from the kit to re-melt them.

[cmags]

Originally Posted by Axaday

Well, I decided it wouldn't take THAT much time and I wouldn't sleep well wondering. So I did what dcb said. I just let the iron warm up and then touched every solder point. I found a few spots that didn't really seem to have that much solder on second inspection and I moved some around until I was better satisfied and then I plugged it into the computer again. For a second the red LED flickered a bit and then it started blinking one second on and off. If that program works, should I assume the other will can push on forward?

Sounds like you nailed it. If the LED started blinking right after bending it (temporarily) and then touching up the solder points, it sounds like you may have had just a bad LED connection, because the program did actually load properly. Either way, sounds like you're good to go forward and load up the MPGuino .pde. Did you build the other circuitry yet?

[wyatt]

What I looked for on mine was a broken connection, I did so by just wiggling components until I found a resistor that was lose on one end. It sounds like you found your problem, but I thought I would throw that out there for others.

[Axaday]

Originally Posted by cmags

Sounds like you nailed it. If the LED started blinking right after bending it (temporarily) and then touching up the solder points, it sounds like you may have had just a bad LED connection, because the program did actually load properly. Either way, sounds like you're good to go forward and load up the MPGuino .pde. Did you build the other circuitry yet?

No, but I expect to start on it within the hour.

I looked at Radio Shack for a disconnect that would look nice and I found nothing. Then my dad suggested using telephone jacks. A phone jack has 4 24 guage wires and seems perfect, but the rainbow wire I HAVE doesn't look like it will fit. Does anyone know why I shouldn't just strip a telephone line to serve as the 4 wires initially coming to the unit?

Edit - Actually, I see that the phone cord I was planning to use is 26 gauge. Will that be good enough for what will be running ground, power, VSS, and injector?

[cmags]

Originally Posted by Axaday

No, but I expect to start on it within the hour.

I looked at Radio Shack for a disconnect that would look nice and I found nothing. Then my dad suggested using telephone jacks. A phone jack has 4 24 guage wires and seems perfect, but the rainbow wire I HAVE doesn't look like it will fit. Does anyone know why I shouldn't just strip a telephone line to serve as the 4 wires initially coming to the unit?

Sounds very reasonable. I'm using a 4-wire phone cord (RJ-11) to power my radar detector, fused at 1A, no problems (that's what their factory "hard-wire kit" is so I know its good). Are you going to mount a female RJ-11 jack on the board? That would be ideal, this way you can take a phone cable, snip off one end, wire up power, ground, injector, and VSS, and just plug it in when ready.

[Axaday]

Originally Posted by cmags

Sounds very reasonable. I'm using a 4-wire phone cord (RJ-11) to power my radar detector, fused at 1A, no problems (that's what their factory "hard-wire kit" is so I know its good). Are you going to mount a female RJ-11 jack on the board? That would be ideal, this way you can take a phone cable, snip off one end, wire up power, ground, injector, and VSS, and just plug it in when ready.

I intended to do it the other way around, but I like your idea too. Do they sell phone cords with a female end?

Edit - Could anyone, without seeing my car, estimate how long a phone cord I would need to do like he said?