Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

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metaphor
 
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Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by metaphor »

#2220- Audio FX Sound Board 16mb. (order # 1013534)

Behavior is as follows Note that I connect the line out (left channel only) to a small amp and speaker. ALL the tests below are with no external power connected to the board when I try to update/transfer via USB. Also, I always safely remove the Adafruit drive before unplugging it.

1. I connect via USB to a Windows 8.0 laptop. The first time I do this the Adafruit drive is recognized. I then upload a ogg sound file ( 15.3 mb). I then safely remove the Adafruit drive,from Windows and unplug the USB connector; I then power with 5vdc regulated supply and the board works perfectly upon application of external power.

2. I need to then change sound files on the board and replace them with others. If I now remove power to the board, connect to the laptop via USB to update the sound files I get either one of two messages - drive not recognized, or "there is a problem with the drive". If the latter, I let windows fix the problem. Then the Adafruit drive is recognized. I upload three of your demo sound files, then safely disconnect USB before unplugging the USB connector. After connecting to external power, the sound board malfunctions when playing a sequence of three files (yours) using NEXT command.

3. If I then try to connect the Adafruit board a third time to my laptop via USB so I can upload more sound files, Windows does not recognize the drive. For all intents and purposes the board is useless. This has happened to two boards (I have same problem with your #2341 sound board.)

A. I never have external power to the sound and amp board when connecting to USB

B. I always use the "safely remove hardware" option to disconnect the Adafruit drive

C. The boards always work correctly if I only connect to USB once and never again.

Wiring is simple. I apply 5vdc and ground. Connect the R+ and R- to a small sound amplifier input. I trigger using one of the trigger pins.

These boards are a perfect fit for my project and I would hate to abandon using them because of this (hopefully resolvable) USB problem.

Please help!

Gary

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

It sounds like you're doing everything right, but I've never heard of an FX Board acting that way before.

Try re-writing the filesystem using the stock image. We have them linked from the end of the tutorial: https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-aud ... /downloads

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metaphor
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by metaphor »

Thanks for reply.

How can I do this when the drive is not recognized? Also, is it possible that the 15.3 mb ogg file I initially upload to the board partially overwrites the file system? It shouldn't but the board is acting as if it does.

If I only connect to the board one time and upload the file, the board works perfectly in replaying the file. But If I try to reconnect to the laptop, the board is not recognized or windows detects errors consistent with the file system being corrupted.

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

It shouldn't be possible for a file written in a filesystem to interfere with the filesystem itself. The information is stored in different places.

If your computer recogizes the FX Board well enough to say the filesystem is corrupted, it should be able to write a new filesystem from the image. The tutorial page has a link to Win32DiskImager that should be able to do the job.

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metaphor
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by metaphor »

Thanks again. Unfortunately, Windows doesn't say that the file system is corrupted. I am assuming that it is corrupted. Windows says that the drive is not recognized. the FX board doesn't show up. It is as if it doesn't exist.

Again, could the size of the file I uploaded (15.3mb) be the issue although it shouldn't be? The board plays and repeats the file, but if I subsequently try to connect the board via USB, the drive is not recognized. Something must be occuring to the system during the upload of my first file (15.3mb) to cause the issue. Is it possible for you to upload a file of about that size on the 16mb board and then try to see if you can reproduce this USB problem by then reconnecting to Windows?

I have absolutely no trouble with programming PIC micros via usb on this laptop in addition to programming arduino unos and megas repeatedly without any issues.

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

metaphor wrote:Again, could the size of the file I uploaded (15.3mb) be the issue although it shouldn't be?
It's hard to say anything in tech is impossible unless it's barred by the laws of physics, but in terms of probability it's about like having a car's fuel injection module fail because you inflated the tires to the maximum recommended pressure.
metaphor wrote:Is it possible for you to upload a file of about that size on the 16mb board and then try to see if you can reproduce this USB problem by then reconnecting to Windows?
I use a Mac, but was able to load a 15.3MB file, play it, and reconnect the FX Board as a removable drive without any problems.

Have you tried using WinDiskImager to rewrite the filesystem?

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metaphor
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by metaphor »

Thanks for your reply.

1. The two boards that this happened to are not recognized by windows. Thus It is not possible to use the imaging program (which I have used before) when the drive is not recognized. Also, the square IC next to the usb jack heats up excessively on both boards. They are toast..

2. So, having only one NEW board left, I connected it by usb and safely removed it a few times. No problem. Then I uploaded three ogg files (total about 10mb), I safely disconnected from windows. Upon re-connection, Windows says "there is a problem with this drive". It does however recognize it. However, when I look at the contents, of the three files on the drive that I uploaded each is about 3-5 Kb NOT Mb.

3. There is definitely something wrong with the batch of boards you sent me,. You need to do what I did using a windows computer not a mac. The new board I am now testing has nothing connected to the pins. I am being systematic,. Now I'll try to image the new system and see what happens.

Please let Limor see this thread. I really want to use these boards - they are a perfect fit for my project. Nothing like this has happened with any of the other fine Adafruit products I have used.

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metaphor
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by metaphor »

Follow up to my last post:

I uploaded the image file on the Adafruit site to the last board I was testing. Luckily this board had errors but Windows was able to detect it (not the case with the earlier boards). I then uploaded four ogg files to this board; first three, then the fourth after safely removing drive and reconnecting. The files are okay; A total of 14.6mb is on the board. No issues.

Conclusion: The boards I received (2-FX and 1 non-FX) were shipped with defective image files.

Unless I received three boards with anomalies, I would suggest testing out what I did so as to reproduce the error condition; and if you find that the image files are indeed either corrupted or contain programming errors, to put a warning on the learning pages for the boards stating that the current image file from the site should be downloaded and installed before attempting to use the boards..

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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

Send a note to [email protected] with a link to this thread. The folks there will arrange return shipping for the boards you have so we can check them in our own lab, and will arrange a refund. We'll hold off on replacement until we determine the cause of failure.

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karlpost
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by karlpost »

I was wondering if anyone has been able to trigger the next audio clip when it is currently playing another one. It looks like the trigger only is being read once the audio clip is done playing. Is it possible to go to the next audio clip in the middle of play another?

Is it possible to get the software in order to change the code for when that input pin triggers the audio?

Thanks,

-Karl

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

The standard trigger doesn't check the input pins until the current track is done playing.

The HOLD and LATCH triggers are interruptible.

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karlpost
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by karlpost »

Is there a way to get the software to change that functionality?

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

Nope.. sorry. You can use a microcontroller and the Serial control interface instead.

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karlpost
 
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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by karlpost »

So BANNED. I thought Adafruit supported Open Source. ;(

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Re: Audio FX Sound Board 16mb #2220 Drive not recognized

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

We do. VLSI doesn't though, and the firmware for the chip is legally considered a derivative work of their example code. We aren't allowed to distribute it or even link to it.

Open Source and Open Hardware advocates have to live and operate in a world where people hold other opinions, often for good reasons. Read Eric S. Raymond's _The Magic Cauldron_ for a well-balanced discussion of the issues involved in choosing between Open and Closed code.

In this case, we can offer a board that's wildly popular but is based on Closed code, or we can refuse to make it because its OSS-ness is insufficiently pure.

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