10v PWM/Analog configuration & Testing

[mcarleton]

Hi, I don't seem to be able to get any action from the 10v PWM/Analog pins.  I have the reef-pi setup and I rant the configuration script, I believe it is booting correctly with the dt_overlay set correctly, reef-pi is running with no errors, I believe I have configured the pca9685 driver, connector and Jack(s) but I can't read any voltage/activity on that pin at all, I am more of a software genius than a hardware genius so I may be doing something wrong here.  Is there some material anyone can direct me to that might point me in the right direction?  Right now I'm just trying to dim some LED's.

[Rob F]

Hi, can you run the following command in the Pi terminal to make sure the Pi is seeing the pca9685.

i2cdetect -y 1

It should print address 40 and 70, in reef-pi the driver should be referencing address 64 which is decimal of those hex values. 

Are the DC ports working? These are controlled with the pca9685 so if they don't work it's likely related.

[mcarleton]

Hi, can you run the following command in the Pi terminal to make sure the Pi is seeing the pca9685.

i2cdetect -y 1

It should print address 40 and 70, in reef-pi the driver should be referencing address 64 which is decimal of those hex values. 

Are the DC ports working? These are controlled with the pca9685 so if they don't work it's likely related.

Confirmed, I see see 40 and 70 there, in reef-pi the address is set up to address, 64 freq: 800 as per the manual.  I set up DC Outlet 1 as an Outlet but I don't don't seem to be reading any voltage on the DC ports(s) with reef pi setting the Port to "On" or "Off".  I am reading correct voltages from pins in the Feeder/DC and I2C device ports.

0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  a  b  c  d  e  f
00:          -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
10: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
20: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
30: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
40: 40 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
50: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
60: -- -- -- 63 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
70: 70 -- -- -- -- -- -- --

[Rob F]

Thanks, that looks good. Two channels share a circuit so it's hard to imagine all 8 being out.

Can you try DC 4 or higher, DC 1 requires you add a jumper to the DC 1 backup port plug.

When you check voltage on feeder port are you checking with the data pin as ground? That port has the regular ground pin and the data pin is also a ground that gets switched on/off.

When you checked voltage on LED pins did you use the spare grounds on the 2 pin plug?

Did you try changing the dip switches for the LED channel.

[mcarleton]

DC Port 4 & 5 show the same negative result using their own grounds.
On the feeder port, I reed 3.29v between the "+3.3v" and "gnd" port in the "Feeder/DC" section.  I don't read any voltage using the same 3.3v and 'data"
I did try the LED pin on PWM and Analog mode.
When I use either the spare 2 "Grounds" pins I get 12v on any of DC 1-7, configured, not configured, on or off
I'm also seeing +12v between any DC GND outlet and the spare GND.

---

I have another RP4 and Robo-Tank controller coming in the mail tomorrow, I'll try running through the configuration/setup from scratch there and see if I get the same result.

[Rob F]

It's sounding like none of the channels on pca9685 are working yet the Pi sees the chip. I'm wondering if something went wrong during install and reef-pi doesn't see the pca9685 even though the Pi does.

When the feeder port is turned on there should be 3.3v between 3.3v and data, the DC should also show 12v when using their ground and turned on in reef-pi.

The other voltages you read sounds good, the 12v pin on each DC port all go to the same source so you should see 12v when using a common ground as you did.

You could also try moving that Pi to the controller arriving today to see if the program goes with it or reinstall everything from scratch.

[mcarleton]

It's sounding like none of the channels on pca9685 are working yet the Pi sees the chip. I'm wondering if something went wrong during install and reef-pi doesn't see the pca9685 even though the Pi does.

When the feeder port is turned on there should be 3.3v between 3.3v and data, the DC should also show 12v when using their ground and turned on in reef-pi.

The other voltages you read sounds good, the 12v pin on each DC port all go to the same source so you should see 12v when using a common ground as you did.

You could also try moving that Pi to the controller arriving today to see if the program goes with it or reinstall everything from scratch.

Yep, I'll try reinstalling everything from scratch, if that doesn't work I'll try it again with a new Pi/Controller.  Thanks!

[Rob F]

Sounds good, let me know how it goes.

[mcarleton]

Sounds good, let me know how it goes.

Ok it seems to work when I switched the PI to the new controller board, I'm reading correct voltage on DC 4-7, presumably the PWM signal ports work as well, thanks!

[Rob F]

Ok that's good to hear, something really strange is going on with that other board though, I don't know what to think about it as the Pi sees the pca9685. I will definitely get a new board shipped out to you, sorry for the trouble.

[mcarleton]

Ok that's good to hear, something really strange is going on with that other board though, I don't know what to think about it as the Pi sees the pca9685. I will definitely get a new board shipped out to you, sorry for the trouble.

Outstanding.  It looks like I'm able to get both "Outlet" and "Jack" functionality from the DC ports on this new board, I hooked the Pi up to the old one one more time just to make sure, now that I know the configuration is correct and the ports on that one still don't respond so if anything it's some very rare, deeply-embedded OEM equipment defect.  Anyway thanks sorting me out!

[Rob F]

Great, thanks for verifying and being cool about all this.