Would appreciate help with experimenters guide CIRC-05

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sahuagin
 
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Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2021 3:35 pm

Would appreciate help with experimenters guide CIRC-05

Post by sahuagin »

Hello, I'm working with the Adafruit MetroX Classic Kit. I've done the experiments up to CIRC-05 including the "make it better" sections, and some screwing around (using 2 buttons on CIRC-02 to program different patterns depending on the button positions, and on CIRC-04 syncing the POT with the servo so they turn in sync).

I cannot get the CIRC-05 with the 74HC595 and 8 leds to do anything.

My setup:
Mac OSX 12.0.1
Arduino 1.8.16
iTerm2 w/ neovim
Metro 328, I think.

What I've done/tested so far:
Started with just assembling everything per instructions and trying it out. Cut and pasted the code and tried using that. Verified, several times that the connections were in the correct places.
Put in some print statements to see that the loops were running and the numbers were changing.

As per instructions, flip the chip around and try again. (There isn't a semi-circle and a dot it's more of a U cutout at the top of the chip. Original position was the U with open side facing cardinal North. Once flipped around facing South, things still did not work so chip was removed and reinserted in its original orientation.

Pulled it all apart, and put it together again: this time used the layout/instructions from the online site. They have more steps and I'd say that they're easier to follow. That being said, having done it once already, I decided to follow some patterns to make my life easier.

Use multimeter on all the resistors to make sure I had the right ones.
Took a full size breadboard, move the IC over, cut my own wires (24ga solid core tinned copper) and did a layout with more space around things. Used LED I had on-hand from another project, used extra resistors from the Adafruit kit. No luck.

Put probes on the negative on the left part of the board, and positive on the right. Attached multimeter and saw that it had 5.1V. Moved the positive probe to the VCC line and saw 5.1V. Moved probe to the reset line and verified 5.1V.

Found a different tutorial online that used a different clock/latch sequence, programmed that but with same outcome. Test used 9, 11, 12 pins instead of the 2,3,4 pins. So, I changed between those to see if there was a difference. There was not.

Tried putting the multimeter between the +5V and the breadboard, but couldn't measure any current. (I'm new at this, so it's possible I wasn't probing correctly.)

Removed the IC from the full size breadboard and put it back on the small one mounted with the Metro. Hooked up the power. Got 2 more green LED and resistors. Put positive leg of an led on VCC(16), RESET(10), and bridged the negative legs to ground with the 560ohm resistors. When the board powers up, I can see without probing that VCC and Reset have power.

Is is possible that the 74HC595 is not working? Is there some way that I can test it with a multimeter and/or the Arduino? What else should I provide to help you help me?

Thank you.

PS - In the photo it looks like VCC has the positive lead one space high, but I've checked a few times and it is adjacent to the VCC pin.
The photo shows the setup after I've changed the pins.

Code: Select all

const int8_t LATCH_pin=11;
const int8_t CLOCK_pin=9;
const int8_t DATA_pin=12;
Reflects the current code as the picture indicates.
Attachments
IMG_2524.jpeg
IMG_2524.jpeg (64.8 KiB) Viewed 1782 times

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dastels
 
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Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2015 3:22 pm

Re: Would appreciate help with experimenters guide CIRC-05

Post by dastels »

Yes, that Metro is essentially an implementation of the ATmega328P based Arduino UNO.

The shift register might be bad, but that is in my experience very unusual. Especially with a simple IC like this. . You might have burnt it out by flipping it, but I rather doubt it. Having it backwards means it's powered with -5v which is well outside the acceptable range.

Checking the color code on resistors is a better way to check their "value" since they will be close, but not exactly the stated value... unless they are the very expensive military-spec sort.

Make sure your LEDs are the right way around.

This sort of thing is usually a connection problem. Verify all your connections. If everything is wired right... rewire it, preferably on a different breakboard or at least a different location on the breadboard. Modern breadboards can be unreliable. If the clip tension is low or it's a bit corroded you can get a bad connection when you insert the wire/part.

Dave

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sahuagin
 
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Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2021 3:35 pm

Re: Would appreciate help with experimenters guide CIRC-05

Post by sahuagin »

Seems to have been the IC.

Ordered a new IC, popped out the old and in with the new. Just worked. Appreciate the feedback, and thank you for reading.

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dastels
 
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Re: Would appreciate help with experimenters guide CIRC-05

Post by dastels »

Glad to hear you're up & running. That's a fun chip.

Dave

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