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Definitive way to check if processor is dead?

Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 4:40 am
by Nick Jones
Hi,

MS1 on 2.2 board. ECU is relatively freshly built and ran my own car perfectly (as a test) before being passed on to the present owner. Also ran the current car briefly. Ignition by EDIS.

However, due to a wiring error, that car could not be switched off on the ignition and unfortunately the battery terminals were removed to try and stop it. This didn't work immediately either but it did stop after some long seconds (I wasn't there - relying on TP reporting!)

Since then the ECU has been completely dead. Some testing done has shown the power supply diodes (including D15) were fried. However, although these are now replaced and the correct voltages are again present at the processor socket, it still appears dead when connected to a stim.

I'm suspecting that the processor has been cooked (possibly the ECU saw major over-voltage from the alternator when the battery was disconnected), but is there anyway to check this for sure?

Are there any other components we should be suspecting that are likely to have been killed by this type of abuse? Injector drivers? 232 chip?

Thanks

Nick

Re: Definitive way to check if processor is dead?

Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 5:25 am
by trakkies
Does it still communicate with your computer? If not, I'd go through the procedure given in the manual for checking this as part of the DIY assembly instructions. Is the 5 volt rail present and correct?

Disconnecting the battery with the engine running and with an alternator etc fitted is always bad news as the volts can go sky high. May also have been a large spike when it was disconnected. The MS does have some protection against this but nothing can prevent failures if the voltage is high enough.

Re: Definitive way to check if processor is dead?

Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 9:08 am
by Nick Jones
No comms now. Not speaking to TS anyway.

After replacing the PSU diodes the right voltages are present in the right places at the processor socket. I don't have the thing in my hands though - trying to assist at one remove as I built the thing in the first place. Not ideal.

As you say I think they need to go through the basic comms checking procedure from the build instructions to make sure that still works. I have another processor I can send but would like to try and identify what else has been fried before trying it as it would be a pity to kill another.

Agree that battery disconnection is not a good move and is the cause of the problem...... may have killed the alternator too!

Nick

Re: Definitive way to check if processor is dead?

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:19 am
by Matt Cramer
What happens if you try reloading firmware? What error message do you get?

Re: Definitive way to check if processor is dead?

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:30 am
by trakkies
Nick Jones wrote:No comms now. Not speaking to TS anyway.
[snip]


Nick
Then go through the procedure of checking the comms from start to finish. Latest TS has a checker built in - you should be able to 'echo' things sent even although TS isn't working normally with MS.