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I just built the super 8 and I'm running into an issue I haven't seen anywhere else. Everything works in testing except #1 loop/preset. When you hit the 2 switches to select #1 it cycles the bank backwards instead. It does this in both loop and preset mode. I haven't found any jumped connections or shorts but i have more investigating to do. Any ideas?

Heres a clip of whats wrong https://youtu.be/K3XKX5k_wfI

Thanks

Update: I've reflowed all related components, still no #1. I tried random switch combos and it switched on and off but nothing I did was consistent. I could case it up and just call it the Super 7.

Some thinking outloud:
If im reading the schematic correctly with what is known about its functions, shorting pins 32 and 34 to ground(?) should send voltage to the base of Q1 and the 470 dropper for the led. I have 5v on the collector and as far as I can tell the switching works when voltage is present at the base. So the question is, is the problem related to the inputs into the chip, or the chip itself? Are the switches shorting more than those 2 pins? The problem with that idea is both switches function correctly when independent. I think im going to remove the switches and try shorting the pads to eliminate any doubt in my wiring.

Still looking for anyone's thoughts on this and please correct me if my logic is wrong.

Taking the switches off and testing at the pads yields the same results

I’m not sure I’m fully understanding the issue. Have you run audio through it to see if the loop works correctly? Perhaps it’s an issue wit that LED?

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

Some other considerations when testing it outboard - make sure nothing is shorting to the enclosure; switches, switch lugs, LED leads, etc

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

I apologize if I haven't explained well, hopefully this clears it up.

Ive tested the loops, all work, except the #1 loop.

The reason the #1 loop doesn't work is the means of turning the loop on and off.

Picture the pedal hooked up on a board. You go to turn on loop #1 by pressing the BP and #2 button, but instead of voltage going to the relay, turning on the loop, the bank cycles backwards, IE if I was on bank A, after trying to turn on loop #1 im on bank D.

So effectively the pedal only has 7 loops instead of 8, and the sequence of shorts on the chip that should toggle loop #1 instead cycles the bank backwards. And the more confusing part is the #2 switch and the BP switch both function perfectly as intended when used independently. Also the bank sequence doesn't include the 2 effected switches.

My troubleshooting leads me to believe either the chip is at fault or I have a bad connection to the chip. As far as I can tell, nothing else in the circuit could cause this sort of symptom.

Thanks

I pulled the chip, reflowed the socket, checked for shorts, all checks good. I put the chip back in and nothing has changed. At this point do you think I should contact byoc directly? I've been holding off because I don't want to be "that guy" when 1% of all parts are defective. At least maybe they can tell me what conditions the chip needs to cycle bank backwards and I can troubleshoot from there

I'd hold off just yet, BYOC is actually pretty active on here and it helps to have the thread so that you don't have to try and explain again. When the mods/BYOC are satisfied that everything has been tried they'll tell you to go ahead and shoot over an email. Hang in there, these folks are top notch and will get it resolved.

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Not that spin is wrong, but I think you’ve done great troubleshooting and have isolated the problem to the MCU. I can’t think of a reason why depressing BP and 2 would cycle the bank other than the chip having a bug. Please contact BYOC directly and request and new MCU.

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

BYOC sent me a replacement mcu and I tried it today and to my disbelief I have the same problem. Im lost. I feel like have a better chance of winning the lottery than having 2 chips with the same problem. I just dont know what else to do. Ive checked all possible connections. Ive reflowed everything. Ive checked values. Ive checked the socket for any shorts to any pin. Ive compared my pcb traces to the instructions. Im just at a complete loss. Now I'm super discouraged because I still haven't fixed the problem, and I feel like a scmuck because they sent the other mcu. Im thinking I have to look at the unused pins. it looks like 2,3,4,5,6,7,13,40 are unused. Also it looks like the switches are labeled wrong on the schematic. SW1 is labeled BP to pin 33 but on my pcb and the pcb in the instructions, BP traces to pin 37. Anyone have any other possible things I can check? Ive attached the factory pinout for the mcu.

Post pictures of your build so far. Well-lit, in focus, front and back (if you can) of the PCB.

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Email: nick@buildyourownclone.com

Not the best pictures but hopefully they're ok. https://imgur.com/a/xOnKs

What happens when you you push the BP and 2 switches when you are in Loop mode instead of preset mode (yellow Loop LED is lit and each loop operates independently)? Does the bank cycle backwards in Loop mode? Or does it only do that in Preset mode?

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

It cycles the bank backwards in both modes. At this point I'm willing to ship a chip to someone with a working Super8 to try.

Nick - can you think of any other reason why pushing the BP and 2 switches would change the bank, even in bypass mode? Any ideas here?

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

Did this issue ever get resolved?
I have just completed a build and I have exactly the same problems. Additionally, I have the problem that when cycling banks I get extra combinations of LEDs etc, A only, B only, C only, A & C (for D bank) plus I get A & B, B& C...
I would really like a solution to this as I have an unusable pile of parts at the moment. I have sent an email to Nick(?) but I have not yet received a reply.


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No my issue hasn't been resolved, I'm trying to be patient and think it out to 100% rule out anything but the mcu but its hard without a better knowledge of the workings of the mcu. I plan on taking some values today, maybe someone with a working pedal can compare. Also I'm still willing to send one of the mcus to someone to test in a confirmed working Super8 on my dollar.

All voltage measured to Ground/B- with the pedal in Bypass

78M05
Pin 1 9.27v
Pin 3 5.02

PIC16F887
In the attached pic because tables don't format well on the board.

I also measured some resistances with no power to the pedal

MCU
Pin 11 to ground/B-

All switches open 3.5K
BP closed 2.5k
BP+2 closed 2.0k
BP+2+4 closed 1.7k
BP+2+4+6 closed 1.45k
BP+2+4+6+8 closed 1.25k


As far as I can tell everything seems to be correct but please let me know if anything appears off

Hold tight boys - trying to get some additional eyes on this.

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

I'm really sorry everyone. There is indeed an error in the latest version of the Super8 MCU code. I added some new features and in doing so, I screwed up loop 1. The update was done to all chips programmed after January 31, 2018. Please contact sales@buildyourownclone.com and we will get a new chip out to you right away. Please specify if you'd like the 4 bank version or the 7 bank version (see following paragraph for explanation of differences between the two).

When I first created the code, the Super8 had 6 banks. I decided to dumb it down to just 4 banks because I initially felt it was too difficult to convey which bank you were in with only 3 LEDs. But somewhere along the line last year, a batch of MCUs were accidentally programmed with the older 6 bank code. To my surprise, people not only seemed to like having the extra "secret" 2 banks, they also didn't have any problem figuring it out even though that wasn't what it was supposed to be doing. So a couple months ago, I thought, "Well, with 3 LEDs, we can actually have 7 different LED combinations (there's actually 8 if you used all off)", so I made a new version with 7 banks. Banks A - D are still represented as they always have been. Bank E is represented by the A and B LEDs. Bank F is represented by the B and C LEDs. And bank G is represented by all 3 LEDs on. Perhaps in the future, it would make more sense to get rid of the A, B, C, 7-bank system and just go with an "8-bit" 0 - 7 binary representation. But I digress. So then I figured if you have 7 banks, you probably want to be able to scroll up AND down, not just up. So the print on the enclosure says buttons 8, 6, and 4 are "bank", but they are actually, and have always been "bank up". Buttons 4, 2, and BP are now the new "bank down" feature (although there's no label on the enclosure for this). Adding the bank down feature is where the code for loop 1 got messed up.

Anyhow, I'm so very sorry and embarrassed about this. I was trying to improve our product and in my arrogance, I assumed that adding a new feature wouldn't affect any of the existing features, so I neglected to thoroughly test its existing features. Once again, please contact sales@buildyourownclone.com with your shipping address and let us know if you want the 4 or 7 bank version, and we will get a new chip out to you right away.

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*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

Thank you for the update. I have contacted sales as requested.
I was pretty sure it was a programming issue.
Looking forward to receiving the replacement so I can get my pedalboard sorted out.
Cheers


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Damn. Not cool.
I've been working today on this Super8 for a customer that's coming tomorrow. It's 1 AM in the morning for me and I have exactly the same issue as described above. Luckily I found this post pretty quick. Since I bought a extra super8 kit this week, I tried that MCU. Same thing.

So I need to replace 2 MCU's. These things happen. I'm just a bit frustrated because normally I have a working/tested pedal in house when I build a new one for a musician, so I have 2 options in case something's missing/not working. This time I didn't follow this golden rule because I sold my working Super8 a month ago, so the one I was building HAD to work.

He needs it for a gig in 2 days. I COULD just mount this one "as is" and replace it later. He could just use 7 loops for a week or two. But then he'd have to come in again to have his MCU replaced (I suppose that wouldn't be to difficult technically. I wouldn't have to take the super8 apart)

Maybe it's a good idea to warn distributors of this issue since this issue is known for about a month now. That way, the Super8 I bought 3 days ago would already have had the proper MCU.

Anyway, Keith makes that many fantastic things that it's really no problem at all if there is the occasional issue. I just wish I'd stuck to my "golden rule".

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New MCU's arrived and everything works like it should now.
Thanks BYOC.

Is it worth hanging on to those other MCU's ? Or do I just throw them away?
I have no idea for the moment how I could use them.

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Well....they're not cheap chips. But they're aren't worth the cost of shipping back and forth. Definitely hold onto them though. We've got some open-source MPLAB projects planned for the future. So they are useless to anyone who doesn't have the ability to program them now, but you may have a use for them eventually.

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

Ok thanks!

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