ItsyBitsy out of service

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Maker21
 
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Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2021 7:49 pm

ItsyBitsy out of service

Post by Maker21 »

Hello,
I bought an Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4 Express, especially for making retro-games with MakeCode Arcade. After soldering the pins I tested out my ItsyBitsy under CircuitPython and the Arduino IDE. Then I tried to make it running with MakeCode Arcade (newest bootloader). I used the following documents from the adafruit learning system:
- Introducing Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4 (release from 2021-07-26 and 2021-08-19)
- MakeCode Arcade with SAMD51 M4 (release from 2020-12-11)
- How to Make Games in MakeCode Arcade (release from 2019-04-04)
- Simple Audio Player (rel 2018-02-05),
link: https://docs.arduino.cc/tutorials/gener ... dio-player

I wired the ItsyBitsy M4 with an Adafruit 1.8-TFT and all the other the components on a breadboard like given in «MakeCode Arcade with SAMD51 M4). First it won`t work, after conneting and disconnetig from the PC and several times resetting the ItsyBitsy, suddenly it works ^^
That means I got the bootloader screen and could download the «Eater Princess» from MakeCode Arcade. So I could play the game. But I missed the sound.
In «Introducing Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4» I found on page 140 how to wire a Piezo Speaker. Finally I checked out, that the sound cames on A0 of the ItsyBitsy (with the original code of the «Eater Princess» - I did`nt modify it). But the sound of the «game over» was very low. So I needed an audio amplifier and a mini speaker (8 Ohm). In the Arduino tutorial «Simple Audio Player» I found how to do that. It worked fine in general – e.g. connecting the amplifier with my smartphone - as well with my ItsyBitsy MakeCode Arcade: Now I could hear the «game over»-sound clearly :-)
I was happy, but only for a humble few days, yesterday morning the ItsyBitsy crashed: instead of the «Eater Princess» I saw only the ItsyBitsy blinking on its LED (red) near the reset-button. The reset-button did`nt work. Connecting the ItsyBitsy with a computer there is now no flash disk.
Nothing works anymore …

I guess I need a new ItsyBitsy M4 Express – please help me out.
Thanks in advance

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mikeysklar
 
Posts: 13936
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2016 8:10 pm

Re: ItsyBitsy out of service

Post by mikeysklar »

@Maker21,

What was your date of purchase for the ItsyBitsy M4 from us?

Since you are using MakeCode a single reset button press should bring up the bootloader. Please make sure that no other components are attached to your ItsyBitsy.

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Maker21
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2021 7:49 pm

Re: ItsyBitsy out of service

Post by Maker21 »

mikeysklar wrote:@Maker21,

What was your date of purchase for the ItsyBitsy M4 from us?

Since you are using MakeCode a single reset button press should bring up the bootloader. Please make sure that no other components are attached to your ItsyBitsy.
+++

Hi Mikeysklar,
I purchased the ItsyBitsy M4 from Play-Zone.ch on August, the 9th of 2021. Play-Zone told me to contact you describing the problem as a topic - in case of a warranty-exchange they will need your ok.
But in the meantime I could reset the ItsyBitsy M4 - detached of all its components. This helped out: The bootdrive was available again on the PC, so I could download the "Eater Princess".
Now it works again - with sound :-)
Thank you very much for your support.
Regards

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mikeysklar
 
Posts: 13936
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2016 8:10 pm

Re: ItsyBitsy out of service

Post by mikeysklar »

Glad to hear you got this going. Now code up some games!

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