[Elecraft] K2 Info 090 at first test

[Gregory P. Daly]

You're right, most of the failures I've had with projects have been from
misplaced parts or poor solder, but I usually spot them before sniveling
for help. In this case, I spent a couple hours looking at it for part
placement errors, and looked at every solder joint under my stereo
microscope (Every blind old fart should have one!). Most of the projects
I work on are surface mount, but I'm reasonably sure I haven't forgotten
how to solder through hole components.

I've haven't built anything with serial interface EEPROMs before, it's
possible I'm misunderstanding what it wants. I'm seeing bursts of legal
5 volt logic signals on pins 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 at power up. Solid +5V on
3, 7, and 8 and ground on pin 4. I think the processor is trying to
"talk" to the EEPROM's pin 5 "SDI" (serial data in, I think), but it's
not answering correctly from pin 2 "SDO" (serial data out?). The
processor seems to be talking to the D to A converter since it
successfully generates a tone signal at power up, so I think it's alive.
I think a bad solder connection would show up as an intermittent or
missing signal. The signals around the EEPROM look pretty solid to my
old 475 scope.

It looks like the processor uses the same line to send serial data to
both the EEPROM and the DAC, and has a separate chip select line for
each. If the processor is healthy enough to control the DAC, It should
be able to control the EEPROM. I think the EEPROM is sick..... of
course, I've been wrong before, this may be only more proof of my
idiocy.

If all else fails, I'll haul it into work and look at the timing around
the EEPROM with a digital storage scope, and figure out who is talking
to who when.

Now that I've been away from it a few hours, maybe I'll spot something I
missed.

Has any one else chased a INFO 090 trouble?

73

GREG
WB7RSG

On Sun, 2004-12-26 at 22:58 -0500, W3FPR - Don Wilhelm wrote:
> I do have to disagree. I consider myself a careful builder and do not often 
> make mistakes, but even so, for myself, the most probable cause of failure 
> with an Elecraft kit is an unsoldered connection, so without remark about 
> the quality of Greg's workmanship, I hold to my statement - 'check 
> soldering'!!!  I speak from experience.
> 
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> 
> > Well, knowing Greg and the quality of his workmanship, I'd doubt that
> > bad soldering is the problem. Also, his rf test bench is probably on the
> > same level of, say, Ron's.
> >
> > Searching the web didn't show us much info on "Info 090". Too bad it
> > wasn't "Info 80".
> >
> > On Sun, 26 Dec 2004, W3FPR - Don Wilhelm wrote:
> >
> >> The most likely problem is a poor solder joint or an unsoldered joint. 
> >> As I say many times ' Check the soldering, then recheck the soldering, 
> >> and when you have finished that, check the soldering.'  That will fix the 
> >> majority of problems.  The second most common problem is a misplaced 
> >> component - so go back over your components with the parts listing in 
> >> hand and be certain all the components you have placed are correct.
> > --
> >>> My Christmas gift (OK, I opened it early) says "Info 090" when powered
> >>> up. According to the manual this is "EEPROM Test #1 failed".
> >
> > -- 
> > Hisashi T Fujinaka - htodd at twofifty.com
> > BSEE(6/86) + BSChem(3/95) + BAEnglish(8/95) + MSCS(8/03) + $2.50 = latte
> 
> 
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