G100 crashing?

[moreil]

Ok. Some more information. I found the protocol_g200x.h and decoded some of the packets. The WTconfig structure that comes back from the G100 has version set to VERSION_DLM (0x00) constantly. In a trace lasting for 47 minutes, no packet ever came back from the G100 with version set to VERSION (0x01).

This seems to indicate that the loaded firmware is immediately crashing in some fashion? Certainly if I click on the 'Run' button in the DLM, it came back to the DLM in about 15 seconds. Is that normal? or should the DLM web page stay unavailable after the firmware is started?

I've re-loaded the firmware about 20 times now. I've checked the size in flash versus the file size and versus the size listed in the screenshot in the manual many times. I'm using the firmware that comes with the G100 plugin.

Is my G100 simply broken??

[moreil]

Still beavering away on this: When I click on 'Test' in the G100 download manager, I get

<6>Feb 18 19:02:18 [17]: XSVF loader completed
<6>Feb 18 19:02:18 [18]: Programming time = 1046ms
<6>Feb 18 19:02:18 [19]: Config completed
<6>Feb 18 19:02:18 [20]: FPGA version register (addr 0x01) reads 0x08
<6>Feb 18 19:02:18 [21]: FPGA vers.release = 0.8
<6>Feb 18 19:02:18 [22]: FPGA status register (addr 0x00) reads 0x94

#1. Is that the right version? 0.8?

#2. The G100 firmware programming manual indicates that bit 7 is the main FAULT output. It's set if there's a watchdog timeout. Is that to be expected when using test? What do output do other people get from the test button?

Many thanks,
michael.

[123cnc]

My experience strongly links this behavior to a hardware issue, my gRex really doesn't like temperatures above 92 F. If ambient air is slightly below 90 F, I will likely lose communication once the gRex warms up, if ambient is above 92 F, then communication is never established. It does the infinite loop of initializing, reboot, reconnect...etc., Below 90 F and all is well, can run and run, stop and restart, no problems.

Luckily the weather finally cooled down here a bit to get some run time and not have to wait til the wee morning hours.  I'm located just a few miles from Xarach which isn't too far from Davis CA where the Rabbit leaves the hat.

[moreil]

I suspect I'm seeing something similar. The ambient here is in the 16 - 22 celsius range (60 - 71 F), but the behaviour of leaving it on for a long and it eventually come good matches a temperature response.

Seems very weird for what's supposed to be production hardware.

Did you find a workaround other than warming or cooling the box?

[123cnc]

I contacted Gecko Drive to get their recommendations. They have seen approximately 5% of the Rabbit Semiconductors module RCM3720 with networking trouble. I'm going to order a new one and I'll post my results.

[moreil]

I got no reply to my query.

Are they replacing it or are you buying a new one?

[mhdale]

Hi guys, I had a similar problem, my Grex was working fine for a while and then this reboot thing started happening to me as well. If I shutdown and restarted it would clearup most of the time. I struggled with it untill the direction output went on the A Axis and then I sent it back to Gecko. The spare we installed in the system has worked flawlessly, never had any issues or problems with it. I remember when I first got the first GREX i struggled with getting the firmware loaded getting connected etc. Of course the second time around I was more informed but to me it seemed like the newer unit had fewer "issues". Perhaps some of the earlier versions had some networking issues which have since been resolved. My G-100 is currently at Gecko being "examined" if I learn anything more I will post it here.
Cheers

[mhdale]

I Just heard back from Gecko, the G100 had a weak oscillator (Probably a bad crystal) which would cause it to not start up reliably, It may be possibel that this could be related to the Init - run - Init - Run Loop we seem to have all experienced. If so perhaps it was a bad batch or something. I realize that not all similar problems have the same solution but there you have it.
Cheers and good luck!

[Chaoticone]

Thanks for the report mhdale. Little things like that helps us all a lot. 

Brett

[wnevels]

Does the G100 ever do anything but crash.   I read these threads and really have to wonder.

Wes