Weird flicker

[The Master]

Hi. Ive been making a circuit and ive started getting trouble with lights flickering. The chip does use PWM but the flicker is something different. The chip will work fine then for no aparent reason all the outputs will turn on and off rapidly (about 10 times a second). I had this problem when i was testing but only if i started unplugging the mains supply slowly. Could this be a brownout? The chips stop responding to the serial input. Whats the most likely cause? Programming error? Dodgy circuit?

Edit: In my circuit i have 2 chips and they both did the same thing at the same time. Weird

[mat janssen]

Show us your circuit and show us your code. The most here have no cristalball to see what you have on your desk.

[mister_e]

well, i think those having one got..

[The Master]

Sorry. I was just asking what the most likely one would be. Heres both anyways.

Now one chip doesnt seem to be responding at all

[mister_e]

can you reprogram it and tell what happen with the one who stop?

Board layout won't help, if you have access to a Schematic software, this would make things easier for us. or a scan of an hand-made one.

I usually start with schematic, then i observe the board layout, and then the code.. but it's me

[The Master]

I havnt got any scematic software yet. Im trying to get livewire though. I think i solved the random clicker prob. It seems that if i send chr(100) for 100% brightness the chips dont like it. I cant see why that would cause a problem but i changed the max to 99 and they dont go weird now.

I do still have a problem. Ive made a test app to send a few commands out and at one command everything sticks for a second. I think this might be to do with the app tho so hopefully ill have them all working soon :P

The chip that stopped responding was actually responding. The status light was flashing so i think it wasnt getting the right command or something. Oh well, nothing that a few late nights cant fix im sure

[mister_e]

what happen if you send 101?

[The Master]

If i send 101 in theory nothing should happen. 100 should mean its the brightest. 0 is obv off. 255 means data start and 254 means reset the address.

That program isnt quite finished. The idea is that each chip picks up 16 bytes of data. 1 chip handles the first 8 and the other handles the second lot of 8. Resetting the address should only happen if a button is being held down when the command goes out.

Ive got the lights running a test pattern now so ill see if they break

[mat janssen]

I dont see:
@ DEVICE PIC16F???,XT_OSC
@ DEVICE PIC16F???,HS_OSC
etc,ect.
in your code

[mister_e]

maybe i've misunderstood something but

                                if recpos=18 then
                                    if indata<100 then
                                        address=indata
                                        write 0, address
                                        for y=1 to 10
                                            high portb.6
                                            high portb.7
                                            pause 20
                                            low portb.6
                                            low portb.7
                                            pause 20
                                        next
                                        high portb.6
                                    else
                                        low portb.6
                                        for y=1 to 10
                                            high portb.7
                                            pause 20
                                            low portb.7
                                            pause 20
                                        next
                                        high portb.6
                                    endif
                                    recpos=16

[The Master]

All fuses are set in the programmer software. I did have problems with them but now ive set them correctly it works.

That section of code your looking at is to reset the address. It only runs if RecPos=18. RecPos is only set to 18 if chr(254) arrives. That check is so the address must be less than 100. Well, i dont think ill be making 100 boxes that each have 16 chanels. 1600 sets of lights a nice thought but a little out of my price range. Hehe

Edit: Those loops just make the lights flash either orange or red depending if the address was ok or not ok