Ok all... this is the UNOFFICIAL troubleshooting thread for CF.

I'm doing this to not only help Erv but to help the CF users. Now read this carefully... this DOES NOT mean that you shouldn't ask Erv questions if need be! I realize most people are aware of this, but... if you are not... now you are!

This is just a general "Order of Operations" and a decent guide to HELP you if some custom sound you have made... some custom configuration change you've made, or whatever... doesn't work, and renders CF inoperative!

Crystal Focus Troubleshooting & Order of Operations
A.K.A. "BUTTERING YOUR TOAST"...
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INITIAL WIRING -- if you get absolutely no sound, light or any indications that CF works from the beginning... check your wiring against the wiring guides, and test all solder joints. If you have a multi-meter, check to see that the batteries are indeed providing current to the board.

POPS & CLICKS -- To some small and inocuous extent, this is NORMAL when using CF. BUT... if it is simply RIDICULOUS and you are getting pops & clicks during transitions and "weird" sounds left and right... you might need to check your sound font. Chances are, you are using a sound font that is not designed correctly. Try a default sound font to see if it corrects the problem.

FORMATTING the SD -- ALWAYS format your SD card prior to copying any files over. Use the basic FAT table (FAT16, not FAT32). If you need to change a file... as a general rule: FORMAT THE SD CARD! Yes... format you must! ALWAYS format your SD card prior to any file changes, copies, editing or alterations! If possible, try to avoid Windows marking any files as "archive" or to be "indexed".

NOTE: If you are using a Macintosh computer, you will need to contact technical support, or be certain to prevent "extra" files from being placed onto the SD card. This is being worked on, and if a solution exists that you know about... let us know!

TOP ISSUES WITH UNRESPONSIVE CF SETUPS...

#1 -- Configuration file/package mismatch!

Remember to get the CORRECT set of configuration files!

v1.x (somewhat rare now) requires 8-bit sounds, and there is only ONE "sound font", not 4 or 6!
v2.x requires 16-bit sounds, the config.txt values are unique vs. v3, and it has FOUR sound bank folders.
v3.x requires 16-bit sounds, the config.txt values are different from v2, and it has SIX sound bank folders. Additionally, there is a special file "menubgnd.raw" that allows menu background music.

#2 -- Battery cell(s) are bad, low on energy, or have wiring problems!

Test your battery cells and their wiring. It's an easy check, and batteries with issues can cause a MULTITUDE of "false symptoms" that will sometimes point you elsewhere when trying to troubleshoot. IF YOU HAVE CF PROBLEMS... TRY A 100% COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SET OF CELLS, or use a dedicated power supply. If you can rule the cells out... moving forward in the troubleshooting process makes sense!

#3 -- Files copied improperly, amount of total files is incorrect!

Copy all the files over to the SD card ALL AT ONCE. Doing things differently may cause problems.

File amounts in each directory must be correct:
15 (v2.x) or 16 (v3.x) objects (files) in the root directory.
25 objects (files) in any given "bank" folder. That means all four banks in v2 and all six in v3.
"Tracks" folder will vary depending on music you've added, but the minimum is 2 files, the maximum is 17.

OTHER TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS...

Check for "duplicate" entries in all config.txt and leds.txt files.
Check for bad entries in setup files as well (such as switchpolarity=7 or something akin to this).
Check for any invalid sound file details (such as being 8-bit instead of 16, or signed instead of UNsigned, etc.).
Check to be certain that no config.txt file in any directory stores over 512KB of data. You should be well under the limit if you do not add a multitude of long comments/remarks.

Novastar... you jerk! It still doesn't work!!!!

If your sound packages/choices STILL fail after all of this... try the ENTIRE PACKAGE of default sound files obtained at plecterlabs.com one last time using no modifications of any kind other than adjusting the LED current if need be.

A last ditch effort: Optimize/defragment your hard drive. Then try a fresh format of the SD and re-copy the default CF sound package. This is unlikely to be the cause of CF issues, but... it certainly can't hurt!

If all of the above fails--NOW is a good time to contact PlecterLabs and mention that you have indeed "buttered your toast" at least once or twice... but you are still having problems!!

At this point, Erv will know that you have TRIED adhering to how CF functions, but the problem is more severe.

Telling him that you have "buttered your toast" will alert him to the fact that YES, you have a serious problem, and it's a lot less likely to be a simple "missing file" or battery voltage issue.

Thanks, and I hope it helps!!!

--Novastar