Elecraft

K2 Info 090 at first test

Classic

List

Threaded

7 messages Options

Gregory P. Daly

K2 Info 090 at first test

My Christmas gift (OK, I opened it early) says "Info 090" when powered
up. According to the manual this is "EEPROM Test #1 failed".

At power up, relays click for a short period, and the display says INFO
090. The front panel buttons make the display change to many wonderful
and cryptic things that I'll figure out later, the tuning knob makes
things change, so I think the display board is working

On the control board the regulated +5V is in good shape. The 4 MHz clock
on U6 makes 5v Peak to Peak on pin 14 and is easily adjustable above and
below 4 MHz. Pins 1, 2, and 3 of U7 (EEPROM) have short bursts of 5V P-P
data at power up and then rest at +5V, supply and ground pins on U7 all
have expected voltages.

The D to A converter, U8 seems to be working, it generates a 5V P-P tone
signal on pin 4 shortly after power up. Pin 1 rises to +5 volts shortly
after power up.

I think the controller, U6 is working, and the EEPROM is bad.

Is my analysis way off here? I'd hate to do something rash, like rip out
a good part to prove I'm an idiot, or make things worse fixing things
that aren't broke.

Thanks and 73

Greg
WB7RSG

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

Don Wilhelm-3

Re: K2 Info 090 at first test

Greg,

Congratulations on your early Christmas gift!!! Sorry it is giving you
problems.

Before you start ripping things out or suspecting bad components, remember
that the design does work (and works very well), and that components rarely
fail.

The most likely problem is a poor solder joint or an unsoldered joint. As I
say many times ' Check the soldering, then recheck the soldering, and when
you have finished that, check the soldering.' That will fix the majority of
problems. The second most common problem is a misplaced component - so go
back over your components with the parts listing in hand and be certain all
the components you have placed are correct.

Good luck with it - work (and troubleshoot) in an orderly manner and you
will locate the source of the problem. Sorry, but I can't pinpoint it from
the information you provided thus far.

73,
Don W3FPR
----- Original Message -----

> My Christmas gift (OK, I opened it early) says "Info 090" when powered
> up. According to the manual this is "EEPROM Test #1 failed".
>
> At power up, relays click for a short period, and the display says INFO
> 090. The front panel buttons make the display change to many wonderful
> and cryptic things that I'll figure out later, the tuning knob makes
> things change, so I think the display board is working
>
> On the control board the regulated +5V is in good shape. The 4 MHz clock
> on U6 makes 5v Peak to Peak on pin 14 and is easily adjustable above and
> below 4 MHz. Pins 1, 2, and 3 of U7 (EEPROM) have short bursts of 5V P-P
> data at power up and then rest at +5V, supply and ground pins on U7 all
> have expected voltages.
>
> The D to A converter, U8 seems to be working, it generates a 5V P-P tone
> signal on pin 4 shortly after power up. Pin 1 rises to +5 volts shortly
> after power up.
>
> I think the controller, U6 is working, and the EEPROM is bad.
>
> Is my analysis way off here? I'd hate to do something rash, like rip out
> a good part to prove I'm an idiot, or make things worse fixing things
> that aren't broke.
>
> Thanks and 73
>
> Greg
> WB7RSG

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

Hisashi T Fujinaka

Re: K2 Info 090 at first test

Well, knowing Greg and the quality of his workmanship, I'd doubt that
bad soldering is the problem. Also, his rf test bench is probably on the
same level of, say, Ron's.

Searching the web didn't show us much info on "Info 090". Too bad it
wasn't "Info 80".

On Sun, 26 Dec 2004, W3FPR - Don Wilhelm wrote:

> The most likely problem is a poor solder joint or an unsoldered joint. As I
> say many times ' Check the soldering, then recheck the soldering, and when
> you have finished that, check the soldering.' That will fix the majority of
> problems. The second most common problem is a misplaced component - so go
> back over your components with the parts listing in hand and be certain all
> the components you have placed are correct.
--
>> My Christmas gift (OK, I opened it early) says "Info 090" when powered
>> up. According to the manual this is "EEPROM Test #1 failed".

--
Hisashi T Fujinaka - [hidden email]
BSEE(6/86) + BSChem(3/95) + BAEnglish(8/95) + MSCS(8/03) + $2.50 = latte
_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

Don Wilhelm-3

Re: K2 Info 090 at first test

I do have to disagree. I consider myself a careful builder and do not often
make mistakes, but even so, for myself, the most probable cause of failure
with an Elecraft kit is an unsoldered connection, so without remark about
the quality of Greg's workmanship, I hold to my statement - 'check
soldering'!!! I speak from experience.

73,
Don W3FPR

----- Original Message -----

> Well, knowing Greg and the quality of his workmanship, I'd doubt that
> bad soldering is the problem. Also, his rf test bench is probably on the
> same level of, say, Ron's.
>
> Searching the web didn't show us much info on "Info 090". Too bad it
> wasn't "Info 80".
>
> On Sun, 26 Dec 2004, W3FPR - Don Wilhelm wrote:
>
>> The most likely problem is a poor solder joint or an unsoldered joint.
>> As I say many times ' Check the soldering, then recheck the soldering,
>> and when you have finished that, check the soldering.' That will fix the
>> majority of problems. The second most common problem is a misplaced
>> component - so go back over your components with the parts listing in
>> hand and be certain all the components you have placed are correct.
> --
>>> My Christmas gift (OK, I opened it early) says "Info 090" when powered
>>> up. According to the manual this is "EEPROM Test #1 failed".
>
> --
> Hisashi T Fujinaka - [hidden email]
> BSEE(6/86) + BSChem(3/95) + BAEnglish(8/95) + MSCS(8/03) + $2.50 = latte

Gregory P. Daly

Re: K2 Info 090 at first test

You're right, most of the failures I've had with projects have been from
misplaced parts or poor solder, but I usually spot them before sniveling
for help. In this case, I spent a couple hours looking at it for part
placement errors, and looked at every solder joint under my stereo
microscope (Every blind old fart should have one!). Most of the projects
I work on are surface mount, but I'm reasonably sure I haven't forgotten
how to solder through hole components.

I've haven't built anything with serial interface EEPROMs before, it's
possible I'm misunderstanding what it wants. I'm seeing bursts of legal
5 volt logic signals on pins 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 at power up. Solid +5V on
3, 7, and 8 and ground on pin 4. I think the processor is trying to
"talk" to the EEPROM's pin 5 "SDI" (serial data in, I think), but it's
not answering correctly from pin 2 "SDO" (serial data out?). The
processor seems to be talking to the D to A converter since it
successfully generates a tone signal at power up, so I think it's alive.
I think a bad solder connection would show up as an intermittent or
missing signal. The signals around the EEPROM look pretty solid to my
old 475 scope.

It looks like the processor uses the same line to send serial data to
both the EEPROM and the DAC, and has a separate chip select line for
each. If the processor is healthy enough to control the DAC, It should
be able to control the EEPROM. I think the EEPROM is sick..... of
course, I've been wrong before, this may be only more proof of my
idiocy.

If all else fails, I'll haul it into work and look at the timing around
the EEPROM with a digital storage scope, and figure out who is talking
to who when.

Now that I've been away from it a few hours, maybe I'll spot something I
missed.

Has any one else chased a INFO 090 trouble?

73

GREG
WB7RSG

On Sun, 2004-12-26 at 22:58 -0500, W3FPR - Don Wilhelm wrote:

> I do have to disagree. I consider myself a careful builder and do not often
> make mistakes, but even so, for myself, the most probable cause of failure
> with an Elecraft kit is an unsoldered connection, so without remark about
> the quality of Greg's workmanship, I hold to my statement - 'check
> soldering'!!! I speak from experience.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> > Well, knowing Greg and the quality of his workmanship, I'd doubt that
> > bad soldering is the problem. Also, his rf test bench is probably on the
> > same level of, say, Ron's.
> >
> > Searching the web didn't show us much info on "Info 090". Too bad it
> > wasn't "Info 80".
> >
> > On Sun, 26 Dec 2004, W3FPR - Don Wilhelm wrote:
> >
> >> The most likely problem is a poor solder joint or an unsoldered joint.
> >> As I say many times ' Check the soldering, then recheck the soldering,
> >> and when you have finished that, check the soldering.' That will fix the
> >> majority of problems. The second most common problem is a misplaced
> >> component - so go back over your components with the parts listing in
> >> hand and be certain all the components you have placed are correct.
> > --
> >>> My Christmas gift (OK, I opened it early) says "Info 090" when powered
> >>> up. According to the manual this is "EEPROM Test #1 failed".
> >
> > --
> > Hisashi T Fujinaka - [hidden email]
> > BSEE(6/86) + BSChem(3/95) + BAEnglish(8/95) + MSCS(8/03) + $2.50 = latte
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

Gregory P. Daly

Re: K2 Info 090 at first test

oops.....

I spotted the error..... in my lust for perfect soldering, I stuck the
control board under the microscope I normally use for surface mount
work, and carefully installed C45 in the wrong place...... but very
neatly, with shiny solder ;-(

The field of view under the 'scope is very narrow, the round "pin 1" pad
under U7 looks just like the one under U8, if all you can see is a few
pins

I'll go crawl under a rock now

73

Greg.
WB7RSG

On Sun, 2004-12-26 at 21:51 -0800, Gregory P. Daly wrote:
> You're right, most of the failures I've had with projects have been from
> misplaced parts or poor solder, but I usually spot them before sniveling
> for help. In this case, I spent a couple hours looking at it for part
> placement errors, .....

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

Ron D'Eau Claire-2

RE: K2 Info 090 at first test

Greg WB7RSG wrote
I spotted the error..... in my lust for perfect soldering, I stuck the
control board under the microscope I normally use for surface mount work,
and carefully installed C45 in the wrong place...... but very
neatly, with shiny solder ;-(

--------------------------------------------

It's absolutely AMAZING how those parts jump into the wrong holes while
we're reaching for the soldering iron. I've found that the best way to
discourage their wandering is to double check the place at least twice
before soldering and once after before going on to the next step. That way
only once have I found that the part moved before soldering... And yes it
was a 7-pin resistor pack! Did get it out though...but Whew!.. That's a
chore for ANY desoldering technique!

Ron AC7AC

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com