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dual analog install errors - Printable Version

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dual analog install errors - sips216 - 07-19-2020

hello,
i've gotten the CM3 version of the device all put together, verified connections, that solder is good
i have the addon adc board for the trigger buttons and dual analog's, the one that goes between the CM and the motherboard.

i've gotten the unit up and running, gotten wifi operating gotten the sd card formatted with the appropriate files, etc.

after getting the drivers installed correctly as per the walkthrough guides in the instructions, as well as on this forum here, i went through and via putty SSH, set the correct options for the dual analogs i have installed.

when i got into the retropie os after rebooting, one thing that changed was the start button appeared to no longer work with the default setting that opened the default "start menu" to allow for the controller input/button configs.

i had to get a spare keyboard and used f4 to get in and trigger the reconfiguration.

the "R" button (not trigger, not direction) now just dims the screen, and opens a menu once i'm actually inside of a game system folder.

i'm relatively new to linux and SSH configuring devices.
for the life of me i cannot figure out how to get these additions to work. 

also, another symptom i have is the "B" button is intermittently working. i have installed the tact nibble buttons soldered to the motherboard.
there's no GPIO diagram like was made for the zero unit, so i don't know where to test that it's pin'd or making correct contact.

just a few bugs in the device. once i get these knocked out, and analogs working, i'll be quite happy with it Smile
-cm3 has clean terminals
-no bent pins
-have reseated CM3 multiple times
-using anodized boxypixel dual-analog case.
-have gone over solder inter-connections with a continuity probe, have solid connections
nipple ABXY buttons appear to have a resistance that fluctuates. are these supposed to be constant or zero?


RE: dual analog install errors - sips216 - 07-20-2020

update, got most features running, got the controller config file set correctly, still not getting the dual analogs to recognize in the controller config when i get into retropi
i decided to pull the back off while the system was on, and did a quick voltage check.

with the wifi dongle plugged in, i only read 1.3 something volts at the header that as i understand should be 5v.
the l2/r2 board is soldered through the holes from one side to the other, full pass-through. continuity tested 0 ohms. good connection.

anyone else experience this?


RE: dual analog install errors - Flavor - 07-21-2020

sips216

I'm sorry about the slow response.  It's often difficult for me to respond on weekends.

How/where are you measuring that 1.3volts?  Yes, you should get 5V on the lines that connect the add-on board to the main board.  Then, there is a regulator that will buck the 5V to 3.3V for some of the logic.  See the attachment.

If you aren't measuring those voltages, I might wonder if the analog sticks are hooked up incorrectly or if there is some solder bridging some connections somewhere.  Post some photos if you can.  Maybe try removing the analog sticks and re-testing the voltages.

   

When you said "the "R" button (not trigger, not direction) now just dims the screen, and opens a menu once i'm actually inside of a game system folder." that makes me think that something is soldered incorrectly and when you press the R button it is causing some system voltage to droop.

Also, please see this new document (if you haven't already): 
Freeplay CM3 Boxy Pixel L2R2 Dual Analog (4 ADC) Add-On Install


RE: dual analog install errors - sips216 - 07-22-2020

hey, i sorted out the R button ordeal. i think something got funky with the configuration. i went through multiple retries of re-adapting the configs for the buttons, so i think that was what messed up there.
as for the voltage probe, i checked at the two solder-through connecton points right where you indicated in your pic "GND"
it was reading 1.3 where the power should be 5v, if i understnad correctly. that's what the front side of the mobo indicates to be there.

i'll tear into it later this afternoon after i'm off work. i'll do like you suggested and remove the analog sticks. i'm suspect as they came from amazon, so we'll see what happens there. my soldering for the most part has been very clean. i am using a liquid flux, which should isolate the solder a bit more carefully, and help seal things a tad when dried.


RE: dual analog install errors - Flavor - 07-22-2020

Keep us updated. I'd have to suspect that there's a short somewhere (and it could even be internal to a bad analog stick).


RE: dual analog install errors - sips216 - 07-22-2020

update, did some voltage checks with the system on!
1.24 at terminal mate point to the motherboard, while active/on and plugged in.
3.7v at each of the l2/r2 triggers
and last but not least, i snipped each of the wires from the analogs (psp1000 per spec) and no voltage variables changed. pic of motherboard attached so you can see how things are run under the CM


RE: dual analog install errors - sips216 - 07-23-2020

update, i'm going to remove the l2/r2 board later today and isolate the power coming from the motherbard incase there's a voltage draw somewhere unexpected.


RE: dual analog install errors - a-butta - 07-23-2020

(07-22-2020, 12:56 PM)sips216 Wrote: update, did some voltage checks with the system on!
1.24 at terminal mate point to the motherboard, while active/on and plugged in.
3.7v at each of the l2/r2 triggers
and last but not least, i snipped each of the wires from the analogs (psp1000 per spec) and no voltage variables changed. pic of motherboard attached so you can see how things are run under the CM

See the attached photo and see if you get 5V without the Pi attached and the power switch held in the "ON" position. I wondering if you have a cold solder joint on the 5V pin of the L2/R2 pin. It is possible to measure a connection but if its a weak one then once you start pulling some current the voltages are way off due to a high resistance path.  If there was a solid connection and you measured 1.7 volts there the pi would not run. Let me know your findings.


RE: dual analog install errors - sips216 - 07-23-2020

i think you may be right about the cold solder joint. with pi out i actually got it to spike at 5.14v momentarily, then it went down to .5 for a bit, back to 1.2 for a bit, then i applied pressure down and it came back alive when i was probing at the l2r2 board directly. probing at the SC capacitor yielded no result.

worth noting, i did NOT use the through-pins for soldering. this may be my-bad assuming good solder would wick through and contact both points.
reworking solder job, i'll post back after testing.


RE: dual analog install errors - sips216 - 07-26-2020

forgot to post back after testing.
after a few hours of gameplay, i can confirm, the through-pins are needed. i'm an idiot that didn't RTM Smile

for any others suffering the same or similar issue... if you did not use the pins provided to join the add on board, go back... desolder your boards, and SOLDER THE PINS IN. start here as a diagnostic. continuity test will yield a false-positive Smile