9 replies to this topic

[Jim Davies]

I'm getting the following:

• Often unable to deploy from VS2010 when ethernet is connected to the board.
• Often unable to use MFDeploy when ethernet is connected to the board.
• DHCP sometimes doesn't work.

Question - I notice that if I have ethernet connected when I connect the board and then run MFDeploy and do a 'Ping', I get:

Pinging... TinyCLR

whereas if the ethernet is not connected, I get:

Pinging... TinyBooter
Bootloader build info: Netduino Plus by Secret Labs LLC

Is this expected behaviour please? (device capabilities listed below)

Jim


Pinging... TinyBooter
Bootloader build info: Netduino Plus by Secret Labs LLC
HalSystemInfo.halVersion: 4.1.2821.0
HalSystemInfo.halVendorInfo: Netduino Plus by Secret Labs LLC
HalSystemInfo.oemCode: 34
HalSystemInfo.modelCode: 177
HalSystemInfo.skuCode: 4097
HalSystemInfo.moduleSerialNumber: 00000000000000000000000000000000
HalSystemInfo.systemSerialNumber: 0000000000000000
ClrInfo.clrVersion: 4.1.2821.0
ClrInfo.clrVendorInfo: Netduino Plus by Secret Labs LLC
ClrInfo.targetFrameworkVersion: 4.1.2821.0
SolutionReleaseInfo.solutionVersion: 4.1.0.5
SolutionReleaseInfo.solutionVendorInfo: Netduino Plus by Secret Labs LLC
SoftwareVersion.BuildDate: Nov 7 2010
SoftwareVersion.CompilerVersion: 400771
FloatingPoint: True
SourceLevelDebugging: True
ThreadCreateEx: True
LCD.Width: 0
LCD.Height: 0
LCD.BitsPerPixel: 0
AppDomains: True
ExceptionFilters: True
IncrementalDeployment: True
SoftReboot: True
Profiling: False
ProfilingAllocations: False
ProfilingCalls: False
IsUnknown: False

[Illishar]

The N+ still have a few malfunctions in regard to Ethernet it seems. There're constantly popping up posts like yours. (They're working on it, I've read.) Something with lwIP. The current fix is, never to unplug your ethernet. Ever!

[Jim Davies]

Thanks Illishar. I'm currently having to plug/unplug the ethernet and plug/unplug the USB in a fairly frequent and usually random fashion! Jim

[Chris Walker]

Hi Jim,

I'm getting the following:

• Often unable to deploy from VS2010 when ethernet is connected to the board.
• Often unable to use MFDeploy when ethernet is connected to the board.
• DHCP sometimes doesn't work.

There is a known issue with DHCP in which some routers have troubles negotiating a dynamic address with the Netduino Plus. This appears to be a bug in the new open source networking stack (lwIP) Microsoft is using in .NET MF 4.1. In conjunction with a few community members, we're working on a fix for this...hoping to release it over the holidays.

For the other two issues, you shouldn't be having those. Can you try something really quick for me? Is it possible to use a static IP address temporarily...and see if the other two issues go away? There may be another DCHP issue lurking.

Question - I notice that if I have ethernet connected when I connect the board and then run MFDeploy and do a 'Ping', I get:

Pinging... TinyCLR

whereas if the ethernet is not connected, I get:

Pinging... TinyBooter
Bootloader build info: Netduino Plus by Secret Labs LLC

Is this expected behaviour please?

When you ping the device, a response of "TinyCLR" means that the .NET MF firmware has loaded...whereas a response of "TinyBooter" means the device is stuck in bootloader mode. It will remain in bootloader mode if the pushbutton is being held during startup or if there is corruption in the .NET MF firmware. It's possible (although not likely) that the pushbutton on your Netduino Plus is "stuck." Try tapping on the pushbutton and wait about 30 seconds and see if you exit out of TinyBooter mode and into TinyCLR mode.

Chris

[Chris Walker]

Hi Illishar,

The N+ still have a few malfunctions in regard to Ethernet it seems. There're constantly popping up posts like yours. (They're working on it, I've read.) Something with lwIP.

The current fix is, never to unplug your ethernet. Ever!

The two main issues we're seeing (and working on) are: [a] the networking stack doesn't seem to like it when you plug in an Ethernet cable _after_ booting your Netduino Plus; [b] DHCP doesn't like some routers.

The temporary workaround, for anyone having these issues, is to [a] plug in your Ethernet cable before powering up your Netduino Plus; [b] use a static IP for now.

Some of the folks at Microsoft are on holiday vacation, and the code with the bug in it was written by the open source community...so we're digging deep into many thousands of lines of code which we didn't write...during the holidays. All that said, we're working hard on a resolution to these issues and hope ot have a fix sometime next week.

Thanks for your contributions to the community, including the subtle humor

Chris

[Jim Davies]

Many thanks for your replies, Chris and Illishar. I'm afraid things got worse - nothing to do with Ethernet now. I stupidly tried to install other Alpha/Beta versions of the 'plus' firmware to see if it made a difference (to the Ethernet issues). Unfortunately the netduino plus is now at least half-bricked and I can't even Erase in MFDeploy. It gets as far as 'Rebooting', but then hangs. I've also got a netduino here which is fine on the same machine. And this netduino plus was fine at first. MFDeploy shows the device name OK (I set the 2 boards to different USB names). I've tried keeping the button down while connecting the board (the blue LED stays on) - if I do a Ping or Erase, both hang with no visible output in MFDeploy. I'm looking at the drastic SAM-BA option, but neither SAM-BA 2.1 nor SAM-BA v2.10_cdc offer USB on the initial connection dropdown - only 'com2', 'com3' and 'com4'. I have an old album called 'Unhalfbricking' by the group Fairport Convention - maybe I can do something with that? Help please. Jim

[CW2]

I'm looking at the drastic SAM-BA option, but neither SAM-BA 2.1 nor SAM-BA v2.10_cdc offer USB on the initial connection dropdown - only 'com2', 'com3' and 'com4'.

Have you already erased it? If yes, select one of the com-s from the list (probably the one with the highest number). If not, there will be one more entry in the list after you plug in Netduino USB cable, the erased microcontroller appears as virtual serial port (USB Communications Device Class).

[Jim Davies]

Ah, thanks CW2 - I get it now. Some of the SAM-BA descriptions don't mention about the USB disappearing and the new COM port popping up!

I haven't erased yet. I'm just trying one more time to deploy NetduinoPlusFirmware_v4.1.1.0_ALPHA_A3 again. It starts OK, with 2 'Signature PASS' - but then hangs on 'Executing application...'. I'm going to leave it for a few minutes and see what happens. (Still there 35 minutes later - killing it now.)

I guess the TinyBooter is OK - should I erase or try something else, I wonder?

I don't have a clear picture of the different layers involved in this.

Jim

[Jim Davies]

I'm pleased to say I'm having better luck now.

I managed to re-deploy 4.1.0.5 and now MFDeploy and VS2010 are behaving correctly with the board. I'm still not 100% sure what was happening - the main symptoms were:

• MFDeploy 'Erase' hanging on 'Rebooting'.
• MFDeploy 'Deploy' hanging on 'Executing application'.
• VS2010 unable to restart the device when deploying.

Perhaps I'll get back to the Ethernet prob now!

Jim

[Chris Walker]

Jim, Glad that you're back up and running. If you can't get the Ethernet to work, please let us know and we'll step through it with you... Chris