Hobby Components 8x8x8 Cube Kit (HCKITS0050)

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Ping Pong
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Joined: Fri May 04, 2018 12:23 pm
Location: Trowbridge, Wilts

Re: Hobby Components 8x8x8 Cube Kit (HCKITS0050)

Post by Ping Pong » Sun Jul 22, 2018 11:08 am

Hi Andrew

Thanks for your help.

I am using the supplied lead and I have no problems in Device Manager. I have been resetting the cube when uploading ( it is a bit hard hitting the exact point between compiling and uploading).
The lead colour to pins are
Black=GND
Red=VCC
Green=TX
White=RX
Arduino Nano is selected in IDE as is ATMega328P (Old bootloader)
IDE Ver: 1.8.5
I'll get a magnifing glass out and check for dry joints on the socket pins and associated solder joints.


Steve

andrew
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Re: Hobby Components 8x8x8 Cube Kit (HCKITS0050)

Post by andrew » Mon Jul 23, 2018 8:31 am

Thanks for your answers. Everything seems to be OK with your settings and the cable connections are correct so that can be ruled out at least. However I can replicate your error message by simply leaving either the Tx or Rx line disconnected so it is worth checking the soldering for these two pins. They directly connect to pins 2 & 3 on IC U2. Also make sure that the pins on the IC and socket haven't bent under.
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Ping Pong
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri May 04, 2018 12:23 pm
Location: Trowbridge, Wilts

Re: Hobby Components 8x8x8 Cube Kit (HCKITS0050)

Post by Ping Pong » Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:43 pm

Hi Andrew

Sorted, it must have been a dry joint on either RX or TX pin. I just resoldered both as they looked ok.
Thank you very much for the help.
Just want to make RGB 8*8*8 now.

If anyone is thinking about buying one of these kits, I highly recommend it. Great price, quick dispatch, quality parts, easy to follow instructions, looks bl**dy fantastic (especially in the dark) and a fast, knowledgeable support system, namely Andrew.

Steve

andrew
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Re: Hobby Components 8x8x8 Cube Kit (HCKITS0050)

Post by andrew » Thu Jul 26, 2018 8:49 am

Glad you managed to get it working and thanks for the good feedback. It had to be something simple like that. There's a lot of pads to solder so it's very easy to miss something or get a dry joint. Sometimes you can get a hairline crack in the solder that's only visible using a microscope.
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jkerai@gmail.com
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Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2018 12:23 pm

Re: Hobby Components 8x8x8 Cube Kit (HCKITS0050)

Post by jkerai@gmail.com » Mon Nov 19, 2018 8:49 am

Hello Hobby Componenets,

I received my kit and fully assembled. This is my second kit as first kit I was having some issues, i thought rather than wasting time to troubleshoot let me order the 2nd kit. However, i am having some issues. it was much easier to put this one together as i had learnt from the the first kit.

I've checked all the joint with magnifying glass and no issues. I've checked all the led including columns and rows no issues.

Problem i am having is with rows. Row 4th, 5th & 6th are the only ones that work. Rows from the bottom 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 8th do not work at all.

I've tested the rows are not working with separate power supply and they all work fine.

I've re-inserted the ICs but no joy.

Can you please advice what can be the issues?

Many thanks,

Jay

andrew
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Re: Hobby Components 8x8x8 Cube Kit (HCKITS0050)

Post by andrew » Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:17 am

Sorry for the delay in answering this question -

If the issue it related to complete rows not working then the issue has to be somewhere along the following path:

IC U2 pins 23, 24, & 25 ---> IC U1 ---> IC U3 ---> the pin headers L1 to L8 that connect to the vertical wires that link to each cube row ---> connection of those wires to each row on the cube.

For the first section that runs from IC U2 up to and including IC U1, if the issue laid there it would cause either none of the rows on the cube to work, or one of the following combinations not to work:

Layers 1, 3, 5, 7 or
Layers 2, 4, 6, 8 or
Layers 1, 2, 5, 6 or
Layers 3, 4, 7, 8 or
Layers 1, 2, 3, 4 or
Layers 5, 6, 7, 8

However the combination of rows you're reporting (1, 2, 3, 7, 8)doesn't match any of these patterns so it is unlikely that the issue lies within this part of the path. The problem is however if the issue is any further along the path I cannot explain how those specific layer would not be working without there having to be 5 separate issues.

Can I clarify with you what you mean by them having a problem - do you mean all the LEDs on these layers aren't turning on, all stuck on, or are only partially working?
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jkerai@gmail.com
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Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2018 12:23 pm

Re: Hobby Components 8x8x8 Cube Kit (HCKITS0050)

Post by jkerai@gmail.com » Thu Nov 22, 2018 1:36 pm

Thanks for getting back to me.

Row 4, 5 & 6 are the only lights up and plays sequence.

Row 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8 does not light up at all.

I've manually tested each led's on non working rows and they all work.

I disconnected all the leds so i can examine the circuit board closely. Visually all it looks fine and i also applied extra solder to all the joints. I then put it all together but problem still persist.

Any other suggestions?

Regards,
Jay

andrew
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Re: Hobby Components 8x8x8 Cube Kit (HCKITS0050)

Post by andrew » Thu Nov 22, 2018 3:22 pm

've manually tested each led's on non working rows and they all work.
At least this is something that can be ruled out.

With previously reported issues the symptoms always point to pads around specific IC or pin to check but as mentioned before, with your issue I cannot think of any way to explain the problem without there begin 5 separate issues.

I know you have already checked connections but can you just double check all the soldering to the pins and that none of the pins on the IC sockets have bent under the socket rather than going though the holes (this is a bit tricky to check). In particular can you check pins on the following:

IC U1, IC U3, and pin sockets L1 to L8.

The problem(s) has to be somewhere along this path. If by any chance you have a multi meter you could also try checking the continuity between the pins of these IC sockets to the pads on the opposite side.
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Deathquake
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Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:32 pm

Re: Hobby Components 8x8x8 Cube Kit (HCKITS0050)

Post by Deathquake » Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:38 pm

Hi, rec’d as Chrimbo gift so far so good, novice solderer so we’ll see how broken it is by the end.
Confused by the instructions for the push switches though, placement is important and the position of the component leg is specified in the diagram. How to indentify the component leg is not mentioned though.
I have been supplied 4 pin switches and used multi meter to establish with legs are connected and which not.
Google failed me too...

andrew
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Re: Hobby Components 8x8x8 Cube Kit (HCKITS0050)

Post by andrew » Mon Jan 07, 2019 12:23 pm

Sorry for the confusion. If you take a look at the push buttons you will notice that 2 of the legs protrude out of one side of the switch and the other two out of the opposite side. This makes the switch slightly wider which means it can only be inserted into the PCB in one of two possible orientations - it doesn't matter which of these two orientations you use. So to try and make this clearer -

With the PCB orientated so the component side is facing up, and the 8x8x8 cube logo running along the top, the footprints for the two switches should be on the far left hand side of the PCB towards the bottom. You should insert the push buttons so that the legs one one side of the switch are facing towards the top of the PCB, and the other two legs are facing the bottom of the PCB.

Hope this makes sense.
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