Matrix Creator seems to be bricked (****Could not program FPGA)

Nils · January 28, 2019, 4:33pm

Hi there,
I could use some help over here.

I am trying to reinstall my Matrix Creator, but cannot access any of the sensors.

Going through all of the steps on the troubleshooting page, I realised, that I get the**** Could not program FPGAmessage.

When I run the fpga_info command, I get the following result:

    INFO: [/dev/matrixio_regmap] was opened
    MATRIX device has not been detected
    FPGA IDENTIFY = 0
    FPGA VERSION = 10c4c

Running the following says something about No JTAG chain:

     xc3sprog -c matrix_creator blob/system_creator.bit -p 1
     XC3SPROG (c) 2004-2011 xc3sprog project $Rev: 774 $ OS: Linux
     Free software: If you contribute nothing, expect nothing!
     Feedback on success/failure/enhancement requests:
     	http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=170565 
     Check Sourceforge for updates:
     http://sourceforge.net/projects/xc3sprog/develop

     No JTAG Chain found

It’s a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ running Raspbian Stretch Desktop.

I am absolutely puzzled here. Is there any way to unbrick it?

Any help really appreciated.

yoelrc88 · January 28, 2019, 4:53pm

Few questions here Nils,

Did you try the troubleshooting guide starting from a clean new Raspbian installation?
Did you have access to sensors before this problem?

-Yoel

Nils · January 28, 2019, 5:02pm

Hi Yoel

Yes, it is a clean installation.
Yes, the sensors worked before. Matrix Creator was unused for a while.

Nils · January 28, 2019, 6:06pm

By the way: there are only some of the GPIO pins activated as listed on the troubleshooting page.

If this might be the reason for then Matrix creator not detected, then why aren’t those pins initiated correctly?

Nils · January 30, 2019, 6:58am

Any ideas, which matrix software component activated or configures the GPIO pins?
That part seems to be disfunctional, so getting it running should lead to Matrix Creator being properly detected.

Nils · January 31, 2019, 8:32pm

No luck by today. Reinstalling everything without the Matrix One attached did not succeed.

Dear creators of Matrix Creator: on the troubleshooting page, there ist this link: " If you get **** Could not program FPGA , please contact us."

Here I am. Pls hlp. thx

Nils · February 2, 2019, 11:36am

I would really like to see someone looking into this issue. It seems that this is a known issue, as there is a link reading " If you get **** Could not program FPGA , please contact us)." on the troubleshooting page.

I already started from a clean Raspbian installation, and the Matrix Creator was not detected from the beginning.

So, what are the steps to get the device detected again? Or is there a way to tell, if the thing is bricked and broken beyond chance of getting it back to life again?

yoelrc88 · February 4, 2019, 4:20pm

By the way: there are only some of the GPIO pins activated as listed on the troubleshooting page.

If this might be the reason for then Matrix creator not detected, then why aren’t those pins initiated correctly?

Hi Nils, sorry about the delayed response.

Can you share the terminal output when you tried the Hardware Test guide?. Why do you think the Creator has problems with the GPIO?

Another thing to note is that is this MATRIX Creator worked before, the F{GA programming was fine at some point. Do you have something currently connected to the external GPIOs like LEDs, servos, or other hardware? Have you before?

-Yoel

Nils · February 6, 2019, 7:17pm

Ok, well then, following Hardware Test Guide.

Installed a fresh copy of
Raspbian Stretch Lite
Version: November 2018
Release date:2018-11-13
Kernel version:4.14

on a 32GB micro SD card

No, configuration, except enabled ssh and wifi.

Step 1:
matrixio-creator-init installed successfully and rebooted

Step 2: FPGA firmware status

$ sudo /usr/share/matrixlabs/matrixio-devices/matrix-init.bash
MATRIX device has not been detected
**** Could not program FPGA
MATRIX device has not been detected

sudo /usr/share/matrixlabs/matrixio-devices/fpga_info 
INFO: [/dev/spidev0.0] was opened
MATRIX device has not been detected
FPGA IDENTIFY = 0
FPGA VERSION = 10c4c

$ cd /usr/share/matrixlabs/matrixio-devices/
$ sudo ./fpga-program.bash 
MATRIX device has not been detected
**** Could not program FPGA

If you get **** Could not program FPGA, please contact us.

This is what I am doing right now.

Step 3: Test your MATRIX board
I actually skip this for now, as it does not seem to make sense, if the Matrix Creator is not detected.

Step 4: Raspberry Pi GPIO Status

sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/gpio
gpiochip0: GPIOs 0-53, parent: platform/3f200000.gpio, pinctrl-bcm2835:
 gpio-18  (                    |sysfs               ) out hi    
 gpio-26  (                    |sysfs               ) out hi    
 gpio-29  (                    |led0                ) out lo    

gpiochip1: GPIOs 128-135, brcmexp-gpio, can sleep:
 gpio-130 (                    |led1                ) out hi

This is all I got, that is why I think that the GPIO configuration is not correct.

— end of hardware test —

If you get another result, you should configure your device with the rapsi-config command

Well, yes, please, … but how?

Nils · February 6, 2019, 8:03pm

No, there is nothing else connected to the external GPIOs, no LEDs, servos or whatsoever, and never have been.
It was only used for voice recognition before.

Nils · February 8, 2019, 9:03pm

so, doctor, any idea about the patient?

Nils · February 11, 2019, 8:25am

So, currently my Matrix Creator seems to be, well, not dead (lights are blinking), but not detectable.

At least some support could actually help.

Nils · February 18, 2019, 1:06pm

My Matrix Creator is still not detectable.
Is ther any way I can rescue it?

Samreen · February 19, 2019, 4:38pm

Hey Nils,

We are trying to replicate your GPIO output and will try to provide an update when we have more information.

Can you send us pictures of the front and back of your MATRIX Creator, the MATRIX Creator connected to your Pi, and let us know which blue LEDs are blinking when you power it? The LEDs have little numbers next to them.

Thanks,
Samreen

Nils · February 20, 2019, 9:27pm

Ok, here we go.

The LED blinking is on the left upper corner of the Atmel, labeled D48.

Samreen · February 21, 2019, 9:53pm

Hi Nils,

Your MATRIX device looks okay.

What are the specs of your power source? The MATRIX Creator may not work properly if the power supply specs do not meet the requirements.

JonM · February 22, 2019, 8:02pm

gpiochip1: GPIOs 128-135, brcmexp-gpio, can sleep:
 gpio-130 (                    |led1                ) out lo

Also, you can check the SPI devices are enabled by the following:
ls /dev/spi
/dev/spidev0.0 /dev/spidev0.1

And, to check the i2C devices that are enabled, install i2c-tools and run the following:
i2cdetect -y 1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 a b c d e f
00: – -- – 06 – -- – -- – -- – -- –
10: – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- 1c – -- –
20: – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – --
30: – -- – -- – -- – -- 38 39 – -- – -- – --
40: – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – --
50: – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – 5f
60: 60 – -- – -- – -- – -- – 6a – -- – -- –
70: – -- – -- – -- – --

You can run raspi-config and then go to ‘Interfacing Options’ to enable SPI and i2c if needed.

Nils · February 22, 2019, 9:45pm

Ok, currently I use simple 5V 1A power supply. I will try a bigger one.

Samreen · February 22, 2019, 11:17pm

Yes, we generally use 5V 2.5A power supplies so that could definitely affect it. Let us know how it goes!

Nils · November 13, 2019, 8:53pm

Sorry for taking soooo long.

Ok, running on 5V 2.5A now.

@JonM

sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/gpio

results in
gpiochip0: GPIOs 0-53, parent: platform/3f200000.gpio, pinctrl-bcm2835:
gpio-18 ( |sysfs ) out hi
gpio-26 ( |sysfs ) out hi
gpio-29 ( |led0 ) out lo

gpiochip1: GPIOs 504-511, parent: platform/soc:firmware:expgpio, raspberrypi-exp-gpio, can sleep:
gpio-506 ( |led1 ) out lo

ls /dev/spi*
results in
/dev/spidev0.0 /dev/spidev0.1

i2cdetect -y 1
results in
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 a b c d e f
00: – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- –
10: – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- 1c – -- –
20: – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – --
30: – -- – -- – -- – -- 38 39 – -- – -- – --
40: – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – --
50: – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – -- – 5f
60: 60 – -- – -- – -- – -- – 6a – -- – -- –
70: – -- – -- – -- – --