HL2 build8 - mostly won't start

[Sherrod]

Hi all,

I have  an HL2 2019 build 8  from makerfabs. For the first two weeks in November( it sat for about about year while I got a case) it worked fine. I used linhpsdr at first - then switched to PowerSDR 3.4.9. I also used Thetis.  I also have a TAPR HPSDR and  David Fainitski's Oddysey I (hiqsdr). Once I booted the Oddysey - the HL2 seemed to become intermittent. It will sometimes work once - but if I shut it off, it won't start again. It's recognized by whatever software I try - but there's no audio and no waterfall. Thetis hangs and goes to "not responding". I feel certain the HW LED used to come on when I powered it up. Now it doesn't. The CLK, IP and SPD LEDS light in idle mode. CLK flashes until I start the software - then there's only RUN  on solid. It seems if I wait a few days and come back - it'll work one time. I've reset the switch and turned off the HPSDR and HiqSDR. When it's NOT working, I only hear the relay click when it starts if I use sparksdr. The other software starts - but there's no relay click. And the HL2 has the proper LEDs lit.  So when running  - there 's just the RUN LED on. I haven't messed with the firmware - since originally is just worked.

Sherrod

[Steve Haynal]

Hi Sherrod,

Please try pushing down on X2 with finger pressure to see if the HW LED lights. See the red arrow in the picture below. Also, if you have a scope, please measure the clock at the yellow arrow. Is it 38.4 MHz?

73,

Steve

kf7o

[Sherrod]

Hi Steve,

I  pressed on X2 - the HW LED did not light. I don't have a frequency counter, but I measured a 1volt signal at the pin you indicated. About 4 cycles fit into one scope division at .1 us - so I think that's close to 40mhz. This Tektronix 2235 doesn't have frequency readout.

Sherrod

[Steve Haynal]

Hi Sherrod,

Please use your Tektronix 2235 and see if there is a ~76.8 MHz clock at the via or pad pointed to by the yellow arrow below.

73,

Steve

kf7o

[radi...@mail.com]

Hi Sherrod and Steve

Somewhat reluctant to enter this conversation in case it only serves to add unrelated confusion, but I had exactly same issue (precisely as described, relay click, Run light but no "action") with my HL2/9 a few months ago when starting radio in SDR Console. I discovered the issue was Gateware sensitive. If I rolled back Gateware to 71p3 all was well. If I attempted to upgrade Gateware to later versions (still trying to find relevant post so I can see which Gateware version) I got exactly these symptoms maybe 80% of the time. Could only start HL2 with de-power/re-power, maybe 20% of the time.

At some point it cleared and I have no idea why, but eventually (several SDRC releases later) all is well and I am also running 72p8 Gateware with no issues.

As I say, probably totally unrelated, but symptoms are so exactly similar felt forced to at least add a comment.

73

Max

[Steve Haynal]

Hi Sherrod and Max,

Going back in gateware to see if one works is a reasonable thing to try. There is always the chance that there are some"on the edge" timing paths which don't show up for me in my testing but will in some other units.

The HW LED not lit indicates that the FPGA is not seeing a valid clock from the AD9866. Sherrod measures a clock at the output of the oscillator which is good. The second measurement is to see if the Versa5 is correctly doubling this frequency at the input to the AD9866. If not, it indicates a problem with the Versa5 or the I2C signals used to configure the Versa5. If the frequency is doubled, it may indicate a problem with the AD9866. 

73,

Steve

kf7o

[Sherrod]

Hi Steve and Max,

Steve, I measured the pin you indicated and it has a clock signal at 5v - which has about twice as many cycles as the other pin I measured. I will load an earlier gateware - to see if that affects the problem.

Sherrod

[Steve Haynal]

Hi Sherrod,

Your last measurement indicates that the clock to the AD9866 is likely good. Now we can measure if the clock from the AD9866 to the FPGA is good. Please measure for a signal on the small via between the AD9866 and FPGA pointed to by the yellow arrow below. You should measure another ~76.8MHz clock, similar to the last measurement.

73,

Steve

kf7o

[jason kitchens]

I'm following along as I have a beta3 that I killed a good bit ago that I would like to bring back.

Will the clock speeds that are mentioned for this build be the same for the beta3?

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[jason kitchens]

More specifically the third clock as the first two are easy to determine.

:D

[Sherrod]

Hi Steve,

There is no signal on that via.

Sherrod

[Steve Haynal]

Hi Jason,

Yes, the clocks will be the same for the beta3. The first should be 38.4MHz. The second and third should be 76.8MHz.

I am also running the latest gateware on my hl2b3 without issue.

73,

Steve

kf7o

[Steve Haynal]

Hi Sherrod,

There is a PLL in the AD9866 which should generate this clock. Does applying some finger pressure to the AD9866 bring the clock back? If you have access to hot air, reheating the AD9866 connections may help. You may have to replace the AD9866. You can send the board to me for repair or replacement.

73,

Steve

kf7o

[Sherrod]

Hi Steve,

I'll see if pressure brings it back. I replaced the AD chip in the HL1 once, so I'll give it a shot - if heating it doesn't help. I didn't mention it but I tried a few different .rbf files - the symptoms didn't change.

Sherrod

[Sherrod]

Hi Steve,

Problem solved. I Heated for about a minute while powered up and the HW light came on. It's working now.

Thanks,

Sherrod

[Sherrod]

Hi Steve,

One more thing, when it wasn't working, the temperature was reading  '0' in linhpsdr. I hadn't noticed it before - but it's reading a temperature now. I didn't mention it before - because I didn't know what it was reading before.

Sherrod

[Steve Haynal]

Hi Sherrod,

I'm glad to hear your HL2 is working again. Hopefully you have reheated any cold solder joint and the problem won't reappear. If the AD9866 clock is not running, then you may not be able to read the temperature.

73,

Steve

kf7o