MMC card reader on ECIO

[Benj]

Hello

Please can you also attach your C code file that is generated or I cannot compare the files to determine what is going wrong for you.

[achillis1]

Hello,

Ben, if the data lines of the card board are connected to pins B7,B6,B5 ,B4, then at the custom component's properties what shall I define the pin connection?
B7 as 7 or 8? (e.x SDO>7, SDI>6, CLK>5, CS>4? or SDO>8,SDI>6...adn so on?)
I am asking because actually pin B7 of port B is the eighth(8) pin.

Thank you.

[Benj]

Hello Achillis

Thanks for the file I will look into the problem for you. Pins should be numbered from 0 so pin RB7 would be numbered as pin 7.

Are you using the SD/MMC card E-Block or are you using you own design. If you using you own design then are you doing the voltage shifting to allow the I/O to run at 3.3V. If you are doing the voltage shifting then have you confirmed that it actually works. I personally have run into similar problems when voltage converters have been failing to translate a signal to the appropriate voltage.

[Benj]

Hello

From looking at the C code there are a couple of minor differences between the custom v3 and the component in v4 but nothing that should be causing the problems you are having. This leads me to think it is a hardware problem. Let me know what hardware you are using and I will have a think for you.

[achillis1]

Hello,

No it is not my own design. I have an ECIO 40P on a bread board. I supply voltage for the ECIO from USB. Then to power up the LCD screen and the e-blocks mmc card board
I take +5v from ECIO's "VDD oUT" pin and ground from ECIO's "GND" pin. As for the MMC board I have the voltage jumper to 3,3v, that is because when I measured the voltage accross the board's termonals was 3,3v.

Thank you.

[achillis1]

the card board is the EB0037-00-1

[Benj]

Hello Achillis

Ok if you are using the E-Block then you will need to use the jumper settings A and 5V.

Then the connections in the custom component properties become

portb
trisb
2
3
4
5

Let me know how you get on.

[achillis1]

Hello Ben,

I have tested the circuit again with the appropriate settings but still the same problem: "waiting for card", "file exists".
This is happening with the MMC cards only. When I insert SD cards then it is just : "waiting for card".
I know for sure that the MMC cards are working and are formatted.

Is it possible for you to send me another test file?
I do not know what else to do.

Thank you,

Best Regards,
Achillis

[achillis1]

Hello Ben,

Do you have any news regarding my MMC card reader problem?
Also can you figure oyt why it does not even detect the SD cards?

Thank you.

[Benj]

Hello Achillis

Does the SD card say anything on it that might indicate a slightly different interface which is causing that card not to be detected. If you could take a photo of it and attach it to the forums then that might help. Other then that im at a bit of a loss as the code must be working to allow the MMC card to connect.

Could you add a bit of code to the while loop that sits and waits for the card to toggle a LED or similar. It could be that this loop is hanging due to a var-- command in the C code that BoostC seems to be a little picky over. This would not explain why the MMC card is working though.

[achillis1]

Hello,

I will attach some photos of the SD cards on my next post because I am having trouble with my camera!

I have added code inside the loop to light up an LED and to print on screen as you recomended and the program enters the loop and stays there forever!
Is this helpfull Ben? Can we do anything about that?

Ben, please note that in order for the program to advance the message: "file exists" I am having the jumper at +3V; if Iset it at +5V the it appears only:"waiting for card".
But since I have added the code for the LED and to print on screen, if I have the jumper at 3v then it does not advance to :"file exists" it just stays in the loop!
The same thing happens for MMC and SD cards.

Thank you,

Best Regards,
Achillis

[Benj]

Hello Achillis

If you have the jumper in the 3V position and you are providing 5V to the +V screw terminal then you are actually providing 5V directly to the SD / MMC card and this is likely to damage the card.

Could it be this that is causing your problems.

For a 5V system the jumper must be in the 5V position to avoid damage. This is why we provide the jumper along with all the voltage shifting circuitry.

I recommend that you set the jumper to the 5V position and then maybe get a new memory card to test out. Either that or use a card reader to save data to the card and read it back to confirm that they are still working.

If the cards are still working but the E-Block still is not then maybe it is worth returning the board to see if it has become damaged due to 5V getting access to the incorrect side of the level shifter chip.

[achillis1]

Hello,

The cards both SD and MMC are working fine. I am really sure that the first time that I connected the MMC board to the ECIO, the voltage jumper was set at 3v and still the program was not working.
Never the less I have just ordered from my local dealer a new MMC board and an ECIO application board in order to test it again with a more reliable hardware set up. Up until now I was using a bread board in order to connect the ECIO to the mmc card reader and maybe in way of process something went wrong!

Mean while Ben, as I am waiting for the boards to arrive I was wondering if you can send me a test file for the ECIO and MMC card reader? One clean made? The files I have, are being changed several times!
Also the custom code that you have attached above in a previous post; is it OK to use it with flowcode 3.6.....?

Thank you,

Best Regards,
Achillis.

[Benj]

Hello Achillis

Great well thats a good start im glad that the cards are still working ok and have not been damaged.

Your comment is a bit worrying though

I am really sure that the first time that I connected the MMC board to the ECIO, the voltage jumper was set at 3v and still the program was not working.

The PIC ECIOs are 5V devices. Therefore the jumper should be set to the 5V position. The only reason you would set the jumper to the 3V position would be if you are using an ARM or if you are specifically running a PIC or AVR at 3V. I cannot emphasize this enough. If the board has a jumper for 5 and 3 volt operation then you should always have the jumper in the 5V position unless you are sure you are running at 3V. The 3V jumper position wires the microcontroller pins directly to the module or device in question and therefore a sensitive module will be damaged by 5V signals. The 5V jumper position routes a logic level shifter in between the micro and the module to provide a buffer between the 5V system and the low voltage module.

Ill have a dig around and see if I can find a good test file using the custom component. The custom FAT component should work fine with v3.6 of Flowcode.

[achillis1]

Hello,

Ben did you find yet any test file we mentionted on the previous post?
The order from Matrix has arrived but instead of the MMC board they shipped the relay board!!!!!! Can I store data on a relay? )))))))))
never the less, my local dealer will take care of it and re-order the board!
Also I have received the ECIO application board but I have a problem with it. If I set the jumper on the ECIO to take power from EXT and then power up the ECIO board; only the green power LED -of the ECIO board-lights up and the ECIO not working(LCD and ecio led not responding).
If I set the jumper to USB and then connect the USB cable then the LED on the ECIO lights up and it works(the LCD displays the correct messages)

Is there something that I should know regarding the ECIO applicatiion board?

Thank you in advance,

Best regards,
Achillis.

[Benj]

Hello Achillis

Sorry to hear about the incorrect board being sent out hopefully we can sort this out for you ASAP. Not much chance of storing data on Relays I agree

What are the specs of the external power supply are you using to power the application board? Eg voltage and current. Does the LED on the application board light at all when using the ext power jumper position?

[achillis1]

Hello,

For the external power source I use a variable output AC to DC converter that can give a maximum output current of 800mA at 9.6 VA.
When I used it for powering up the board I tested it with several voltage options: 8.8, 11, 13..... and still my hardware configuration cannot work. The green LED of the ECIO board is lighted up at all voltage stages.
If I use an external power source to power up the ECIO module and then I have attached an LCD on the ECIO app. board and connect the power terminals of the LCD to the "VDD" and "GND" of the power terminals located on the ECIO app. Board;
it would not work?

OK....I do not now what happended but while I was replying the post; the app. board worked with the external power source!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That happened while I was powering the board and I was changing the voltage continuously up and down!!!! Bizzare!!!!!
So it seems that I am fine regarding the ECio application board and I am just waiting for the new MMC card reader to arrive:)


Thank you.

[achillis1]

Hello,

I have just received the NEW mmc card reader board. I have the jumper at +5v and tested the board with the test files from Matrix; and I still have the same problem. Actually with Sd card it is always: "waiting for card", with MMC it is "waiting for card", for both alternatives: even if I reset the ECIO and even if I unplug the USB cord to reset it. BUT if I take out the card and plug it back in again then it goes: "creating file, file exists", I open the card to see if any file is written and nothing!!!!

So Ben it seems that the card board is not the problem, what else should it be?
I have just reformatted my laptop. No other software is installed. My XP Pro are genuine, flowcode is licenced, I have tried two different ECIOs, I have plugged the ECIO onto the ECIO app. board so that I will have "clean" connections, have copied the new custom code, my board is being powered via USB,
MMC board has indeed 5v volts at its terminals.........
I am just loosing my faith here!

Thank you in advance,
Best Regards,
Achillis

[achillis1]

Hello,

Ben, I have downloaded the MMC card reader test file in HEX format from matrix and tested it- not with the ECIO but with the 16F877A- and while running the nessages on the LCD were correct!!! Meaning that the card reader is working! BUT when I insert the mmc card in my laptop nothing is written on it!
Is this how it supposed to be? The programm erases the data on the card?
Now the question is why the fcf file that I am trying on the ECIO is not working?
Ben, is there a minimum and maximum GB capacity for the mmc card? For testing the hex file I used an MMC card of 512MB.
Another thing is that, reading the MMC card reader manual it does not mention anything about SD cards. Only MMC!

Is it possible send me a simple fcf file for testing on the ECIO?

Thank you,
Best Regards,
Achillis

[achillis1]

Ben, one important thing, while connecting on the ECIO, on which port I should connect the MMC card reader, Port B or Port C?

[achillis1]

Hello,

Should I enter at the supplementary code window the following lines? > "#include "mmc_functions.h" and "#include "mmc_functions.c" in order to work the "Data_Logger_Sector_Fast.fcf" and "Data_Logger_Simple_Slow.fcf" from Matrix?

Should I also include in the same folder the "mmc_functions.c" and "mmc_functions.h" txt files?

[achillis1]

Hello Ben,

Is there any way that I can access the MMC reader(the card it self) directly from the USB port on the ECIO via a PC?
As I understand that would be the mass storage feature?
Can this be done by a visual basic program-to access the files written on the card- without involving a mass storage component?

Thank you,
Best Regards,
Achilles.

[Benj]

Hello Achillis

Is there any way that I can access the MMC reader(the card it self) directly from the USB port on the ECIO via a PC?

Short answer, no. The mass storage USB would have to be able to directly manipulate the FAT disk. You could however give a non mass storage interface for the FAT component eg using the USB slave component. This would not work directly with Windows explorer but you could use VB etc. I would recommend not to do this as it would be a lot of work for little reward.

Should I enter at the supplementary code window the following lines?

Depends what component you are using. There are 3 existing off the top of my head.

1) is the legacy MMC driver C code that does not support FAT. This uses the supplementary defines you mentioned. Any data you read or write will not be available on a PC or other FAT compatible media.
2) the beta FAT component
3) the final Flowcode v4 FAT component.

Items 2 and 3 should be pretty much identical and the only difference is that item 2 has hard coded connections whereas item 3 has Flowcode editable connections.

while connecting on the ECIO, on which port I should connect the MMC card reader, Port B or Port C?

The SPI connection to the card is bit banged so check the settings in the C code file or the Flowcode component depending on the version you are using.

[Benj]

Hello,

This problems have now been fixed and I have upgraded the functionality to include FAT32. Many apologies for the delay.

The updated component for Flowcode v4.3 can be found here.

http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/mmforum ... 461#p19450

[achillis1]

Hello,

Ben, do I have to do any corrections to the file provided?
If I am going to use mode3 should I erase the other( 1 and 2)?
Also you are saying about commenting out this one: ""To fix this problem simply comment out this line in the "Move_To_Next_File_Sector" function", this still applies?

Thank you