Eggtimer Classic

[TXWalker]

Anyone out there have experience with Eggtimer Classic?

I have completed the build of my first eggtimer classic. I have it wired up on the bench to test. Following the directions it powers up correctly. Red LED, multiple beeps for about 30 sec, then one long beep, red and yellow LEDs, followed my more beeps red LED blinks to follow beeps. I’ve attached USB cable and can see USB to Serial on COM3 is Prolific, device is working properly.

I launch AVR insight on PC
Target selection
Target Remote/Serial
Baud 9600
Port COM
Ok

AVR just hangs. Not Responding. I can never get into program mode.

Any suggestions?

 

[sl98]

Try setting the serial port to 19,200 baud, 8 bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, and no handshaking.

 

[TXWalker]

Just tried your settings. It still just hangs up.

 

[sl98]

I use Teleterm and often times my PC assigns the USB cable a different COM port so I have to change the COM port in Teleterm. Check your cable to make sure you have the correct connections. Per the Assembly Manual:

Black –Green –White Cable:
BLACK -Eggtimer “GND” pin
GREEN –Eggtimer “RX” pin
White –Eggtimer “TX” pin

Plug the serial interface into a USB port, and confirm that your OS assigns a serial port to it.

Set the serial port to 19,200 baud, 8 bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, and no handshaking. Open up your terminal program, select the serial port that your OS assigned to the USB interface, and connect. Connect power to the Eggtimer, after a few seconds the IND light should come on, it should start beeping,and you should see the programming screen.

Short of this working I'm sure Cris will chime in.

 

[TXWalker]

Cris suggested changing to PuTTY for the interface program. I used your baud settings instead of what in the manual and it is now working. Greatly appreciate your help.

 

[John Kemker]

Cris suggested changing to PuTTY for the interface program. I used your baud settings instead of what in the manual and it is now working. Greatly appreciate your help.

Hard to go wrong with PuTTY. Solid terminal emulation, if you need that, and does everything from RS232 serial communications to SSH.

 

[Rob702Martinez]

Try using putty and just plug your cable in and see which port it is. Try different ports on the computer. I have one laptop where only the right port accepts it. I color code my pins to match the wire.

 

[billdz]

Hi folks,
I'm also having trouble getting my Eggtimer to communicate through Putty. Am I doing this correctly:
1) Plug USB/TTL into computer (red LED lights up) and find port (COM 3),
2) Apply power to Eggtimer
3) Open Putty, click on Serial, set port, speed, etc, then click Open
4) At this point a black screen opens and I believe I'm supposed to see the Flight Settings screen. I don't get anything, just a black screen.
Am I missing something?

I should mention that I'm not using the TTL/USB adapter from Eggtimer, I'm using this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CP2102-USB...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649It has 5 pins but I'm only using 3: ground to ground, TX to TX, RX to RX. Is that correct?

 

[mbeels]

Hi folks,
I'm also having trouble getting my Eggtimer to communicate through Putty. Am I doing this correctly:
1) Plug USB/TTL into computer (red LED lights up) and find port (COM 3),
2) Apply power to Eggtimer
3) Open Putty, click on Serial, set port, speed, etc, then click Open
4) At this point a black screen opens and I believe I'm supposed to see the Flight Settings screen. I don't get anything, just a black screen.
Am I missing something?

Do your steps in this order: 1) 3) then 2).
And then press any key as soon as you see text appear to put it in terminal mode, and avoid going into flight readiness.

 

[cerving]

Hi folks,
I'm also having trouble getting my Eggtimer to communicate through Putty. Am I doing this correctly:
1) Plug USB/TTL into computer (red LED lights up) and find port (COM 3),
2) Apply power to Eggtimer
3) Open Putty, click on Serial, set port, speed, etc, then click Open
4) At this point a black screen opens and I believe I'm supposed to see the Flight Settings screen. I don't get anything, just a black screen.
Am I missing something?

I should mention that I'm not using the TTL/USB adapter from Eggtimer, I'm using this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CP2102-USB...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649It has 5 pins but I'm only using 3: ground to ground, TX to TX, RX to RX. Is that correct?

I've see issues with some of those units, which is why the one that we ship uses a Prolific PL2303TA bridge chip. Try playing with the handshking settings in Putty... it should either be OFF or XON/XOFF.

 

[billdz]

Do your steps in this order: 1) 3) then 2).
And then press any key as soon as you see text appear to put it in terminal mode, and avoid going into flight readiness.

Thanks for the reply, tried your suggestion, but text never appears, just a black screen.

 

[mbeels]

Then I bet probably the issue is with the adapter as Cris suggested. The Eggtimer only sends out the text right when it first powers up, so you need to have the terminal program open and ready to display text when the Eggtimer turns on. (at least that is what I always do).

 

[billdz]

I've see issues with some of those units, which is why the one that we ship uses a Prolific PL2303TA bridge chip. Try playing with the handshking settings in Putty... it should either be OFF or XON/XOFF.

Thanks Cris,
Tried all the handshaking settings, tried both 9600 and 19200 baud rate, no success, maybe this TTL/USB adapter is inadequate and I need the Prolific chip.

When not connected to the adapter, the TRS has 2 red LEDs, one solid, one flashing. When connected to the adapter cable, only the solid red LED is on. Is the flashing LED supposed to be off when the unit is connected to the cable?

 

[sl98]

1) Plug USB/TTL into computer (red LED lights up) and find port (COM 3)

After you plugged the USB cable into your computer did you go into device manager on your computer and confirm what COM port was assigned to the cable?

 

[billdz]

After you plugged the USB cable into your computer did you go into device manager on your computer and confirm what COM port was assigned to the cable?

Yes.

 

[Ozzietx]

I know this thread is a little dated, but I'm having similar issues. I thought I would post here rather than start a new thread. Hopefully if someone else has a similar issue, it will all be in the same place.
I cannot seem to get the serial port to open.
When I connect the USB programming cable to my laptop, I see Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COM3).
When I open Putty and attempt to open the programming screen, it says Unable to open connection to COM3, Unable to open serial Port.
I used this document that Cris sent to me.
I'm sure there is something that I am missing, I just cant see what that is.
Does this ring a bell to anyone?

 

[mbeels]

When I open Putty and attempt to open the programming screen, it says Unable to open connection to COM3, Unable to open serial Port.

This sounds like an issue with your computer, putty settings, or windows driver. Do you see COM3 in the device manager? Did you wait a while for windows to install drivers? Did you see a message along the lines of "your device is ready to use"?

 

[Ozzietx]

mbeels,

That is my thinking as well. I just don't know what I don't know.
I downloaded the driver. The fact that I see the driver and COM3 when I plug in the altimeter seem to indicate
that I have the correct driver. I do see COM3 in the device manager. I believe windows did install the driver.
I don't recall seeing the message "your device is ready to use". I don't know if it's faulty memory on my part, or if
it did not state that.

 

[mbeels]

mbeels,

That is my thinking as well. I just don't know what I don't know.
I downloaded the driver. The fact that I see the driver and COM3 when I plug in the altimeter seem to indicate
that I have the correct driver. I do see COM3 in the device manager. I believe windows did install the driver.
I don't recall seeing the message "your device is ready to use". I don't know if it's faulty memory on my part, or if
it did not state that.

Hmm.... I'm not really sure. That all sounds right. Do you have another USB to serial cable to test? Or another computer? You could try TerraTerm (another terminal program) and see if you get the same error message.

 

[Ozzietx]

I did load TerraTerm, and receive the same message.
I do not have another cable to test.

 

[mbeels]

I did load TerraTerm, and receive the same message.
I do not have another cable to test.

Sorry, I'm out of ideas. I do think that the problem is related to your computer or cable somehow. Even if your Eggtimer Classic has an issue, the computer should still be able to open the serial port, because that is built into the cable adapter.

 

[Ozzietx]

I think I agree with you. I wish I knew what direction to go to diagnose it.

 

[lspikol]

Did you go into device manager and see if the cable is actually connected on com3?

 

[Ozzietx]

Ispikol,

It appears to be connected. When I plug the data cable into my laptop, the driver pops up in
the device manager screen.

 

[cerving]

Check the port assignment in Device Manager, if it gives is something greater than 4 then go in and change it to 4. If Windows complains, tell it to do it anyway. There are no native COM ports used by any internal devices in most computers anyway... except maybe for a server (they still come with COM ports for interfacing to UPS's). Make sure that you select that COM port in Putty, at 19,200 baud, and it should work.

 

[Ozzietx]

Cris,

I have assigned to COM 3.
Are you saying I need to try assigning it to COM 4?