No luck with Dazzler on Uno

[lexdm3]

Hi. I just got a Gameduino 3X Dazzler and can't make it do anything at all.  I'm using it on an Uno R3.  I have tried it powered it with USB only from my PC and from an external 9V power supply.   I have the HDMI output connected to a good TV using a known good HDMI cable. The TV is not seeing a live HDMI signal coming into it. I changed HDMI cables and switched inputs on the TV. No luck.

I first tried it with an Adafruit Metro M0 Express CPU but none of the basic example sketches would compile so apparently the GD2 library doesn't support SAMD processors. That would be great to fix!

It will compile when an Uno is selected so I put the Gameduino on an Uno R3.Now compiles but absolutely nothing happens since the TV does not see a valid HDMI source.

I installed and then deleted and reinstalled the Gameduino library v1.3.4. I have shut down and restarted the Arduino IDE a few times. No joy. However, I noticed two things:

1) The GD2 library does not show up in the list of installed libraries in IDE v1.8.13 Library Manager. It also doesn't show up in the list of "All" Arduino libraries, installed or not. I searched for "Gameduino," "GD2" and "GD." None were found. So is it really installed and active? I can't tell for sure.

2) The "GD2.h" file contains the line:
#define GD2_VERSION "1.3.3"
But it's supposed to be version 1.3.4. Could this be a problem?

I had hoped to demo this to disabled kids at the hospital where I work tomorrow. I have done a lot of adapting of games and activities for them and want to display the games on an HDMI TV or projector so they can play them together. Please help me figure out the problem here.

Thanks. --Dan

[mattp]

You should see a boot page on the TV as long as the dazzler is powered up. It doesn't need an arduino sketch to be loaded to show up.

If you're using a metro - maybe look at the circuit python libraries? I've compiled the GD libraries on all sorts of boards and processors including the MAIXDUINO which has a k210 and an FPGA running my own design. Can't see why it wouldn't work on a metro.

[jamesbowman]

Right, mattp is correct; at power-up you will see the logo. If not, something is very wrong.

So being systematic about the bringup might help. I suggest:

(1) load "blink" on the Uno
(2) Power off the Uno, and disconnect the HDMI
(3) Power on the Uno via USB
(4) Connect the HDMI

If you still don't see the logo on the TV, we can dig deeper.

[lexdm3]

Hi matt and james. Thanks so much for your responses. From the documentation I expected that the 3X Dazzler should at least send a startup screen out on HDMI when the board is powered up even if it wasn't connected to anything else. James' suggestion of running Blink is a good one.

I think there is an electrical issue with the board I bought. I have an MSEE and have been working with these sorts of things for years so I don't think I'm making rookie mistakes here but perhaps I am. Here is what I have done and learned:

- When I power up either an Uno or Metro Express M0 CPU board with USB or coax jack power at 5V without the Dazzler plugged in, I measure 5V on Vin, 5V on the 5V pin and 3.3V on the 3.3 pin. Blink runs fine. So the CPU boards themselves are fine.

- I did notice that the metal USB jack on the Uno apparently contacted some pads on the bottom of the Dazzler shield. I put tape over the Uno jack but perhaps it did some damage to the Dazzler.

- When I plug the Dazzler into either the Uno or Metro M0, I get bad voltage readings on the Dazzler shield pins as well as on the SMD power pins. Vin reads correctly at 4.9V as does the 3.3 shield pin but the 5V shield pin is now 3.9V. I measure that same 3.9V on the SMD "5V" pin and 2.8V on the SMD "3.3" pin. That makes sense because the 3.3V regulator needs more than 3.9V coming in to work right.

So something is electrically off the mark here. Any suggestions? Thanks. --Dan

PS - I still get absolutely nothing going out the HDMI cable that the TV detects. I double-checked the cable and TV input with a DVD player and it worked fine.

[lexdm3]

OK, one more clue...

I tried powering just the Dazzler shield with an external 5V supply. If I connect 5V to the Vin shield pin and Gnd to Gnd, I get near zero readings on the SMD 5V and 3.3 pins. However if I switch the external PS to the shield 5V pin, I now get correct 5V and 3.3V readings on the SMD pins.

I suspect that the onboard 5V regulator is not working but there may be more wrong than that if backfeeding 5V to the output side of the 5V regulator doesn't bring HDMI to life.

I sure would love to exchange this board if a solution can't be found quickly. Thanks.

[lexdm3]

An update - This apparently was (and is) an HDMI compatibility issue. I got a second Dazzler 3X board and it also was not detected or displayed on my 2009 vintage Sony HDTV. I tried it on a friend's 2016 65 inch Samsung Smart TV and that didn't detect it either. But it DOES work on an HP HDMI monitor I am borrowing to work on this.

So why would this work on the HP monitor but not the other two TVs using exactly the same boards, power supply and HDMI cable? I have to believe that the FPGA may not be set up to work with all HDMI displays. Both of the TVs that it can't talk to work fine with other HDMI devices.

Could you get back to me with any insight and suggestions you may have? Thanks. --Dan

[avanti]

There definitely seem to be HDMI compatibility issues with V1 of the Dazzler. I have tried quite a few screens. Many work fine, but some do not. This is a hard problem that I have seen in other homebrew implementations. Hopefully it will all get sorted eventually.

[mattp]

I have seen this in HDMI switches. If I run the dazzler through a switch that works (see my other post) then the compatibility issues seem to be resolved. It's an unpowered switch and it seems that the Dazzler HDMI port cannot power it on it's own but it does work when I have my DE-10 plugged into the switch as well - this then powers the switch and sorts out the Dazzler in the process. V. odd.

[mattp]

lexdm3 what power do you get on PIN 18 of the hdmi port? On my belkin switch, the Gameduino is not detected until the switch is powered by another device.

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[lexdm3]

Hi mattp and avanti. Thanks for your information and suggestions. I confess that I had pretty well given up on the Gameduino 3x Dazzler based on the HDMI incompatibility issue and the fact that the GD2 v1.3.4 Arduino library doesn't compile on SAMD processors. But your messages have caused me to take another lok at it.

I posted here 304 weeks back to see if James B had any answers and also sent him a personal message through this board. No reply in nearly a month so I'm assuming that there is very limited support for this board. I fully realize and appreciate that this is probably a side labor of love for James and that he can't respond right away to questions. I also hope that all is well with him.

I see that I have two choices:

1) See if anyone has a definite solution for the HDMI incompatibility issue (see below) and see if someone smarter about Arduino libraries than I am has figured out how to tweak the #ifdef CPU definitions in the GD2 library. If so, I'll continue on with Gameduino.

2) If not, I'm about to order a "HDMI Shield" from John Leung and will hope for better results.

Thanks to anyone for any specific suggestions you may have that will let me move forward. Specifically:

A) Is there some reasonably priced powered HDMI switch or splitter that you have used to get the Gameduino working with any and all HDMI TVs? If so, could you provide a specific brand, model number and source for it?

mattp asked if I was seeing +5V on pin 18 of the HDMI connector. I may have to hack up an HDMI cable to test that since I see no easy access points on the GD 3X Dazzler board.

B) Has anyone made the GD2 library compile and work well on SAMD21 and SAMD51 CPUs? If so, could you post your file modifications that made it work.

Many thanks! --Dan

[vstrakh]

Having the same issues

Can't test with Metro M4 that was a part of the bundle from Crowd Supply campaign, examples couldn't be built on SAMD.
And I see nothing when trying with Uno.
I had to solder jtag adapter just to see if the board is alive at all.

The +5V on the connector is missing, it looks like the pin is not connected.
But even soldering bodge wire to pin 18 (which is a feat on its own, considering the fine pitch of the connector) to connect it to +5v via resettable fuse - didn't change a thing.
In the end I found the combination of cable/monitor that did work, though this is definitely not a solution to the issue.

[jeffg]

I have almost the same issue. The 3X shows the powerup splash screen on my Phillips 4K monitor. But never shows anything from the HelloWorld sketch. It appears to hang on GD.begin()
Arduino Uno R3. Dazzler 3x 1.1.0
IDE 1.8.5 (mac or windows does not matter)
lib 1.3.5

Ideas?


Update:

I still have not gotten it to work with the Uno R3.
Anyone notice the Ethernet connector housing will not let the 3x seat all the way? I tried up to 8.5 volts and got nowhere. 
I had tried a WeMos ESP8266 D1 and USB power a day ago. The D1 would simply crash and restart over and over again. Tho the 3x would display its splash screen.
So I connected it to a 9v battery. Wonder upon wonders, I get a green background and Hello World. With or without the Techole 2 way HDMI switch.

So I have no idea why the UNO does not work (with or without the switch). I am going to try some other sketches...

Updated update.
Back to square one. I tried another sketch using the D1. That resulted losing the hello world sketch and getting nothing on the screen. Then I tried to put back 
the hello world sketch, and now all I get is the splash screen. At this point I have contacted the seller to return the item. It's just not worth the hassle.
The whole point of the Arduino Form Factor is plug and play, not plug and pray.
Maybe I should try the Pico version... though I really want the ESP8266 to work as I need networking.