So it is my understanding that when you brick a grey jag you need to use a JTAG to load the correct firmware.
Is there a JTAG port already on the board or will we need to solder one on?
I recovered a bricked grey Jag today by using a black Jag, RS-232 Adapter and the the BDC-COMM application.
It was recovered over the CAN port.
I didn’t think it would work at first, but I had the Black Jag configured for Board #7, chained up the bricked grey Jag, and used the recover option in BDC-COMM using the grey Jag firmware.
It breathed life back into our grey Jag.
Afterwards, I updated the firmware on the black Jag, making sure it was the only device on the chain, and explicitly using the black Jag firmware.
I can see that working. Unbricking the gray one but then bricking the black one. Remove the gray one then unbrick the black one.
I just don’t like the idea of bricking a working controller for a non-working one.
I popped the cover off earlier to find a set of vias labeled JTAG but don’t know how they are wired.
You need to get the JTAG headers, they are standard 10 pin headers
http://www.mouser.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?qs=9fQaSFfsqsyXI0P9tFOVoQ%3D%3D
is what we used and then purchase the JTAG programmer from TI that comes in the evaluation kit. I am having trouble locating it right now, but it comes with the programmer, an extra Jaguar, a motor and power supply. It is a little finicky to get it to successfully program the Jaguar from our experience, but well worth the investment. We bricked and reprogrammed at least 10 times last year and the time it saved us alone over an RMA was worth it. The biggest pain is you need to solder the header into the Jaguar as it does not come with one.
I really want to say that the kit is http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?lang=en&site=US&WT.z_homepage_link=hp_go_button&KeyWords=RDK-BDC24
but my memory is a little fuzzy on it.
Please be advised that opening the Jaguar and adding a programming header is modifying the Jaguar which is expressly forbidden.
<R55> The control system is designed to allow wireless control of the ROBOTS. The Driver Station
software, FirstTouch I/O module, cRIO-FRC, speed controllers, relay modules, radio, and
batteries shall not be tampered with, modified, or adjusted in any way (tampering includes
drilling, cutting, machining, gluing, rewiring, disassembling, etc.)
Yep, I was pretty reluctant to try this as well, fearing that pushing the wrong firmware onto the Black Jag would trash it.
But I AM happy to say that we got through it unscathed. Just note that I did not at any time cut power to black Jag. I just disconnected the grey Jag, and moved the termination on to the black - then immediately updated the firmware on the black Jag to the proper one.
Good luck!
P.S. By bricked, I’m assuming that when you power it on, you simply get no response on the status LED, and cannot enumerate it on the CAN - this was the same behaviour we had, and it came as a result of a failed firmware update.
I will try this next weekend with my own personal black jags. If they get trashed in the process i will jtag them.
Also there are solder-less jtag headers with spring loaded pins