PDA

View Full Version : LED comes on as soon as power is supplied



dj2rbo
09-16-2010, 12:36 AM
I apologize in advance if I keep asking these questions about a CF 4.3.... I just never realized how hard they are to wire up. I had mine for awhile but was scared to use it. Anyway I followed Novastar's awesome wiring guide but when it came time to give it voltage the Main led came on and stayed on, no beeps but I also heard the boot up sound. I havent been able to to access the menu through my computer because I have no card reader. I just wanted to ask if in theory, would there be a setting/problem to cause the main led to stay on the whole time as soon as power is supplied? Help is greatly appreciated and Im very desperate at this point.

Crystal Chambers
09-16-2010, 05:27 AM
When you say the blade LED lights are you getting sound too like a normal blade ignition? If so maybe it's your switches. I think they're programed for latching until you alter the SD config file and a mom switch might cause strange behavoir.

Darth Xusia
09-16-2010, 06:06 AM
To Crystal you should listen. By default, it is set up as a latching switch. You should get a card reader ASAP. It will make your life so much easier.
What type of switches do you have in your setup?

dj2rbo
09-16-2010, 09:02 AM
Yes I have used two tactile switches for the Aux and main power. So this problem could be solved with accesing the menu and changing the setting for the switches? I dont necessarily have a broken board? Thank you for your help guys.

Crystal Chambers
09-16-2010, 09:32 AM
Hey..lol...no problem. I'm totally a CF noob. Mine isn't working for another reason but since I'm using both mom switches as well it just made sence.

It's not in the menu it's in the SD config files so you need a SD reader and a notepad program on your computer. I can't recall the specific config, but I recall reading it last night and it's as simple as changing a number to a 2. It's in the manual. Page 20. Oh wait I have V5.

Darth Xusia
09-16-2010, 10:10 AM
On the v4.3, the config has a setting for the switch. Here it is:
switch [0-2]: selects if the saber is activated by a normally-open or a normally-closed switch. Certain “push-on push-off” switches are more practical and more reliable when released for activating the saber. Other switches might simply have an “inverted” logic (normally closed contact). When switch is set to 1, the saber lights up when the electrical contact of the switch is closed and conversally when switch is set to 0. If you wish to use a momentary button for the blade activation, set switch to 2.

*EDIT* Why is yours not working Crystal?

dj2rbo
09-16-2010, 10:14 AM
So bttom line I need to access the configuration file. Also after pressing on the buttons for a while, I ended up with beeping sounds. I do however feel better because it was giving me the different sound fonts prior to this.

Darth Xusia
09-16-2010, 10:20 AM
You do need to access your sd card. Search Ebay for a card reader.
A single beep or multiple beeps?

dj2rbo
09-16-2010, 12:52 PM
Hi. It has 4 or 5 beeps and the end beep sounds longer. Tonight I am buying a card reader. Darth Xusia I just want to thank you for all your help. You dont understand how much your putting my mind at ease. What does it mean if I have multiple beeps?

HerrTenko
09-16-2010, 01:33 PM
I may be totally wrong, and if so please ignore my post, but I recall reading in CF's Manual that is was primarily configured so there was no need for a switch installed to turn the system on, this because it makes it way easier and faster to test your board (having only to use three items : a battery, a speaker, and an LED). If i recall right, then here's your explanation.

Crystal Chambers
09-16-2010, 05:21 PM
Oh I had a bit of solder jump off the tip and land on the side of the big chip next to the accent LED pads. I need to copper braid to remove the rest of the bridge. The solder sucker...well it sucks..lol

Darth Xusia
09-16-2010, 07:40 PM
Hi. It has 4 or 5 beeps and the end beep sounds longer. Tonight I am buying a card reader. Darth Xusia I just want to thank you for all your help. You dont understand how much your putting my mind at ease. What does it mean if I have multiple beeps?

Hmmm... I would assume that with the switch settings being wrong, the board is "stuck", so to speak. When you soldered the switches, how did you connect the wires to them? Side by side? straight across? Or staggered? Most tactiles are staggered.

Crystal, is everything OK with it now? You have to watch out for those solder gremlins. ;)

dj2rbo
09-16-2010, 07:44 PM
Hi. I purchased a sd card reader but I found that each bank has its own config file or text?? Shouldnt there be a main config file as soon as I loaded the content on screen?

Darth Xusia
09-16-2010, 07:49 PM
No. Each bank has it's own config. Make sure to do a backup copy of your original card before making any changes. That way, you can always go back to it if things get messed up.

dj2rbo
09-16-2010, 07:58 PM
Okay so Im going to attempt to change the switch setting from 0 or 1 to 2 for the usage of two tactile momentary setup correct?

Darth Xusia
09-16-2010, 08:00 PM
It should be set to 2 like in this example:
//CFG - EPII-Remastered (v4)
mute=0
// =
// ======
led=70
rgb=0
switch=2

If you need help with any of your settings, just PM me. I can even send you copies of config files, if you tell me what fonts you are using.

dj2rbo
09-16-2010, 08:11 PM
Will do. Ill try it with just switcing the switch numbers to 2 on all of the 6 fonts including the track folder. If I still cant figure it out please dont mind if I pm/bother you. Thank you for helping me out.

Darth Xusia
09-16-2010, 08:13 PM
Not a problem. Glad I could help. Like I said, if you have any questions or need help with any of the settings, just PM me or post back here. I'll keep an eye on this thread.

Crystal Chambers
09-17-2010, 04:41 AM
Strange that the switch config is different for every font. I really can't see any purpose for that.

Novastar
09-17-2010, 05:40 AM
Crystal... my guess is that you are misunderstanding--each font does not have a different switch configuration... it's simply the fact that each SOUND BANK has its own "config.txt" file.

All parameters that affect CF are in EACH config.txt file. Therefore, if you change "switch=0" to "switch=1" in (for example) solely the "bank1" folder... you will still need to change that option in *ALL* of your remaining folders for each bank (+ the "tracks" folder for the music player mode)...

Just because it seems that dj2rbo is (probably?) not reading the CF user's manual:

------------------
SWITCH polarity...
------------------

0 = Latching On/Off (normally open)
1 = Latching On/Off (normally closed)
2 = Momentary On/Off

-----------------------------------------
I cut that directly out of a file I placed on my CD Compendiums. As another matter of fact, the "switch" parameter ONLY refers to the power on switch... as the auxiliary switch *MUST* be a momentary button/switch. Well... in order to function properly. :)

Crystal Chambers
09-17-2010, 06:12 AM
I'm obviously missing something..what's the difference between a sound bank and a font? Then again I am looking at V5.

Why would each font or soundbank have different switches?
Otherwise the switch config file would cover all fonts and be next to the prefs or revision text file

Darth Xusia
09-17-2010, 07:35 AM
It's not that each soundbank/font has different switches. Each one just has the switch parameter so it can "control" the board, since only one bank can be loaded at any given time. I hope my explanation clears things up. I don't really know a better way to explain it. I'm sure that someone else with better verbiage will chime in.

Ronan
09-17-2010, 04:46 PM
Crystal what they mean is that each bank has its own little config file.

This means that you must alter all of them to have the same settings.

Since you can only have 1 bank loaded at a time, it does not really cause an issue, but you must remember that you need to configure ALL of them (if you want).

At least thats what i'm getting from what people posted. CF sounds like a fun little card to play with, reminds me of my electronic classes in University hehe. It also seems Erv kept it really basic so people can easily change settings.

Lord Dottore Matto
09-17-2010, 05:41 PM
Crystal what they mean is that each bank has its own little config file.

This means that you must alter all of them to have the same settings.

Since you can only have 1 bank loaded at a time, it does not really cause an issue, but you must remember that you need to configure ALL of them (if you want).

At least thats what i'm getting from what people posted. CF sounds like a fun little card to play with, reminds me of my electronic classes in University hehe. It also seems Erv kept it really basic so people can easily change settings.

The above post is correct.

I will echo what Novastar is saying here in that the most important thing when working with CF (other than the actual skill to solder it correctly) is the patience to read the manual and actually learn the manual. Believe me, there are many little things that must be done correctly for the board to work properly. None are hard to do, but all are necessary. ;)

A little hint: If you need to wire it up without changing the config files, then use a latching switch for on/off and a tactile for aux (that is the stock setting of switch=0);)

Novastar
09-17-2010, 05:54 PM
Arg. *sigh*

* Each "bank_" folder has its own config.txt file
* Each config.txt file tells CF how to behave per any given bank
* You MUST use a momentary switch for the AUX button... you have no choice. The switch parameter refers to the POWER ON button, which can be latching N/O, latching N/C, or momentary
* If you have "switch=0" in bank1... it will behave as such during the usage of the saber while it is in that mode...
* If you have "switch=2" in bank4... it will behave as such during the usage of the saber while it is in that mode...
* A "sound bank" refers to the directories on CF where you can install pretty much any sound FONT you like. The bank holds the files--it's essentially a directory

* NO, there are no "universal" or "global" configuration file settings. Sorry. Besides, the only ones that would make sense to be global would be essentially the power on switch. Most everything else might be something a user would like to change from bank to bank... per any given sound fonts in said banks.

It's true that all this SOUNDS complicated... but it really isn't once you do what LDM/Grevious said, which is... read the manual. :)

Ronan
09-17-2010, 06:31 PM
So i did understand it hehe...

You guys are making me want to get a CF, JUST so i can play with it :D

Crystal Chambers
09-22-2010, 08:15 AM
I read the manual and I understand it loud and clear. I just can't see any purpose for having one bank require one switch and another require another. Like blackstar using latching, and novastar using mom for example.

Darth Xusia
09-22-2010, 03:17 PM
Don't look at it as multiple banks. Look at it as one bank.
The Crystal Focus can only load one bank at a time.
The user has to tell the board what kind of switch it is.
It's just a bonus that we get to have six banks.

Lord Dottore Matto
09-22-2010, 05:25 PM
I read the manual and I understand it loud and clear. I just can't see any purpose for having one bank require one switch and another require another. Like blackstar using latching, and novastar using mom for example.

LOL, they don't "require" a different switch config. Since you have so many choices of sound fonts, you simply need to make sure that the switch config in each of the six that are in the saber at any given point in time have the same switch config. "Out of the box" the switch=0 for ALL fonts. This means that if you just pop a font in it will require that the saber have an N/C latching switch. If your saber has a tactile switch as your on/off switch, then you need to change said font's switch=0 to switch=2.

I sure hope this makes sense, lol.

Crystal Chambers
09-22-2010, 05:37 PM
Oh it totally does. Maybe this is a question better answered by Erv. Like Nova said about there not being any "global" or "universal" config files, then the reason is not so much about being able to change the switch config for each soundbank, but a limitation due to how the CF is designed which I'm sure is a worthy compromise.

Novastar
09-26-2010, 12:48 AM
It is not really a "limitation", but (again)... to make a "global" config.txt file with only one or two parameters... is rather pointless.

If there were at least 5-10 "global" possibilities, it'd make sense, but really... there basically aren't. Maybe someday there will be... but for now? Negatory.

Allaerra Secura
09-26-2010, 03:12 PM
Oh it totally does. Maybe this is a question better answered by Erv. Like Nova said about there not being any "global" or "universal" config files, then the reason is not so much about being able to change the switch config for each soundbank, but a limitation due to how the CF is designed which I'm sure is a worthy compromise.

It is not really a limitation. What if you normally use a latching switch for your sounds, but want to have a revealable "crystal chamber" font and you have a momentary on the crystal chamber? This just gives additionally flexibility. The CF allows us to "imagine the possibilities".

As far as the config.txt it is easy to just copy and paste it into all your sondfonts. We have a folder set up for each CF saber we do, and then we copy and paste the config.txt file for that saber into each bank.

Crystal Chambers
09-26-2010, 04:44 PM
Thank you! I think this is the first reply to my statement that is providing a usefull example.

Novastar
09-28-2010, 04:41 AM
lol, well other "useful examples" would be if you wanted your LED to be "maxxed out" on bank1... so for example, maybe you had "LED=70" on bank1...

...but on bank2... you'd prefer to save some battery life, and you're ok with not having every last iota of brightness coming out of your LED, and you set it to (for example) "LED=62".

How about flicker/other options? Well, on my CDs where I provided config.txt exampler files, I altered things such as:

* Blade flicker (both frequency & "depth")
* Pulse gradation (both frequency & depth)
* Poweron/off ramping (length & gradation)
* Swing cutoff durations (hard to explain, but it CAN matter depending on what sound font is being used)
* Clash flicker (freq & depth)
* Pitch alteration (sometimes, it can RUIN a font... such as one with "music" or harmonic sounds where you want the pitch STATIC!)

...and an entire SLEW of other stuff. So... RTFM for the win as always, and your question has been answered in many ways here in dj2rbo's thread now...

Crystal Chambers
09-28-2010, 05:59 AM
Soundbanks having their own configs to match fonts make perfect sense, I just didn't understand the reason for the switch in each bank as well.
Allaera's example reminds me of Madcow's Fulcrum. I can't think of another example but this really is a good one.

It may have been his thread, but I've been discussing the issue he had a bit further, in hopes to understand why the CF is set up that way.
It can't see any reason to have a font with a dimmer LED config. On or Off for use of a crystal chamber reveal, but that really is another topic.

Thanks!:D

Edit...after reading back over the thread I can see how so many people misunderstood my question or knowledge of CF since I used font and bank as interchangeable terms and made one or two sleepy headed posts. Sorry to make such a simple question easily complicated. No wonder it took so long to get such a simple answer..my bad.