From SPCoast
[edit] Testing and IC installation
Test Slder joints and component placement
DO NOT install ANY of the Integrated Circuits until explicitly directed!
- Check to make sure you installed everything on the "Component" side of the board!
- Visually check the components on the board to ensure that they are in the correct place and that all components have been installed.
- Visually check all the solder joints. Look for solder bridges between adjacent pins/pads, cold solder joints, unsoldered components, and the like.
- Check to see that the polarity sensitive components (capacitors, diodes) are actually installed the correct way.
- Test Power Supply
- Apply power to the base unit. The Red LED power indicator should light up; all the other LEDS should be off. Turn off the power.
- Test Detector Circuits
- Install just the LM556 ICs - U1 through U8. There should be a dot in the corner of the chip indicating "pin 1"; alternately there will be a notch similar to that on the socket on the pin1 end. Don't bend any of the pins as you install the ICs - double check visually before continuing.
- DO NOT install the PIC yet, and DO NOT connect the base unit to the LocoNet or any of the remote sensors.
- Apply power to the base unit. As before, the Red LED power indicator should light up; all the other LEDS should be off.
- Connect the Remote Test Card to J-Local-1 with a 6-pin "telco" style cord. The Pwr LED on the test card should light up. Toggle SW1 on the test card; the Occupied LED on the base unit should toggle on and off in sync with SW1.
- Repeat with the other 15 positions.
- Remove the power from the board.
- Loading the LocoIO Firmware into the PIC
- The Detector was designed to use the latest LocoIO software produced by Hans DeLoof (v1.46 or later).
- Carefully install the OpAmp (COMP) and the microprocessor (PIC). Both parts are extremely sensitive to static electricity (see cautions).
- DO NOT connect the base unit to the LocoNet or any of the remote sensors.
- If the PIC isn't already programmed:
- Apply power to the base unit,
- Connect the MicroChip ICD to the ICSP connector with the ICD provided cable,
- Start up the MicroChip IDE and invoke the download routine,
- Download firmware into the PIC,
- Remove the ICSP ICD cable and
- Power everything off.
- PIC Firmware Test
- DO NOT connect the base unit to the LocoNet or any of the remote sensors.
- Power up the base unit.
- Both the Red LED (power) and the Blue (LocoNet activity) indicators should light up; all the other LEDS should be off.
- Power things off.
- LocoIO SV configuration
- You still need to configure the SVs in the LocoIO to match your layout. Either Hans' LocoIO.exe or the JMRI LocoIO Programmer will work.
- Connect the base unit to the LocoNet and power it up.
- The LocoNet LED (Blue) should flicker as LocoNet packets are seen; it should be "mostly off". If it is solidly on, it indicates a bad LocoNet connection.
- Using one of the above LocoIO programmers, set the board address and configure the SVs to be "active low" occupancy detectors for the correct blocks.
- Power off when done.
- Final Tests
- Once configured, connect the base unit to the LocoNet and the Test Card.
- Connect power to the base unit.
- The Red LED (power) should light up and the Blue (LocoNet activity) indicator should flicker as LocoNet packets are seen.
- Toggle the switch on the test card.
- As above, the Occupied LED on the base unit should toggle on and off in sync with SW1.
- In addition, the Blue Loconet Activity LED should flicker each time, indicating that detector changes result in LocoNet activity. If you are running JMRI or LocoIO.exe, you can open a LocoNet Activity window and see the packets being transmitted.
Congratulations, you are done! Power things off and install your new Detector on your layout.
