[TenTec] Orion II repair

[Gary J FollettDukes HiFi]

You are correct, both are essentially correct, both share almost every detail of CPU hardware.

I am pretty sure I don’t have a stuck button since the thing worked perfectly with a different CPU installed, same buttons etc.

However you may have hit on a point though. The buttons likely operate via interrupts. The interrupts give the buttons priority in terms of accessing the CPU. Every computer operates via a pecking order of interrupts so that things get carried out with correct priority.

If something is pulling one of the interrupt lines in the incorrect state, that would cause the problem I observed (and you have confirmed), that data from the encoders is stored, and gets acted upon by the CPU once the interrupts allow it.

I will take a look at how the interrupts are laid out and see if there is any happiness there.

Gary



> On Aug 6, 2016, at 11:13 PM, Howard Smith <jhsmith1024 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Gary,
> I wonder if one of the keys may be stuck in the 'pressed' state.  I did an experiment, and if I press and hold a key, then none of the small encoders will work, but the VFO encoders still work.  Also, the small encoders will the update when I release the key that I pressed.
> 
> While this does not track with you statement that changing the CPU board fixes the problem, it does duplicate your problem.  While it is tedious, you may try this with every key, and discover that it does not happen with some key.  That key may be the problem.
> 
> You might also look at the connectors between the CPU board and the Keypad board.  Maybe a little deoxit on those pins would help.
> 
> Finally, try sending the serial string '?V<cr>' while it is in its problem state. It should reply with the following text: "Version 3.032x7b-565<cr>".  This can be easily done using a terminal emulator program like PUTTY.  When I tried this on my Orion 2, the string appeared even though a key was pressed.  Yes, I know, the test was not on the Orion, but the two radios are virtually identical in both hardware and firmware for the test.
> 
> Hope this thought helps.
> 
> 73..
> Howard, WA9AXQ
> 
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