Radio locked with the latest firmware

[W1AEX]

The new firmware has definitely resolved the key lock issue with my GD77. Thanks for all the focused effort to get it tracked down and fixed.

73, Rob W1AEX

[VK3KYY]

Rob

I think technically there may still be some problem with the keypad, I don't see anywhere that is pulling the keypad matrix high or low, on either the schematic or the code.

This is obviously not causing a problem, but I will still put it on the To Do list in case it comes back to bite us.

[W1AEX]

Roger,

Understood. I guess it would be an easier task when building a stable firmware from the ground up if the hardware would act predictably. Everything that has been done so far from one line of code to the next is nothing short of remarkable!

73, Rob W1AEX

[VK3KYY]

I'm going to take one of my radios apart again and check if it has pulldown resistors.

I need to take one apart anyway, as in the long term I'd like to look at the internal data between the CPU (MCU) and the C6000 DMR DSP chip when running of official firmware to see if I can spot any trick they are doing.
But soldering wires onto the MCU and the C6000 is going to be tricky, as the pins are very small.

[VK3KYY]

Rob.

FYI. My dad had the key lockup problem on a brand new GD-77, even with Alex's latest changes.

Alex and I have found a way to hopefully enable the internal pullup resistors in the MK22 MCU in case Radioddity / TYT saved some money by not actually fitting real pullup resistors.

And this version hopefully has those resistors enabled

Can you give it a try for a while.

BTW.

I had a thought about this problem. I wonder if it happens when the battery absolutely fully charged, but once you leave it on for a short while the batter voltage drops even if the radio is in the charger ?

[W1AEX]

Roger,

Interesting about your Dad's radio still glitching. I wonder if there are hardware variances between production runs? I'm guessing the answer is yes...

I just installed the pullup firmware to give it a run. It came up fine and I have been exercising the keyboard pretty intensively with no issues noted. I'll run with it this evening and leave it in overnight to see how the GD77 starts up cold. My battery is currently at 93% but to be honest I have never seen any relationship to the keylock problem and the battery level with my radio. I sometimes run mine to the point where the radio shuts down and displays the Battery Low message and the keypad never glitched. I'll post if any keypad anomalies show up.

73, Rob W1AEX

[VK3KYY]

Hi Rob

Thanks.

My dads radio was doing something odd, some of the time. Initially it was completely locked and after a while, it looked like it was treating the key down and key up actions as separate things, so when he tried to do anything it was basically unusable.

I think this problem could be related to high battery voltages, because people leave the radios on charge overnight and the voltage will be at its maximum first thing in the morning, and when you leave it on for a while, or even reboot it a few times, the voltage will drop a little.

My did also tried putting the radio in his garage which is cold at the moment, as he lives in the UK and its winter (like it is for you).
But cold didn't make any difference.... One it was working, it stayed working even if it got cold.

[VK3KYY]

I've done a slighly updated version, where as well as enabling the pullups in the MCU / CPU, I've also added a small delay between when each pad column line is driven to 0V, and the inputs from the keypad columns is read.

Previously there was no delay, and its possible that the voltage on the column select lines was stilling ringing.

[W1AEX]

Hi Roger,

No problems at all running the first "pullups" release below. Not a single glitch last night or this morning and it started right up without any sign of the keypad lockup problem. I'll install the newer release now (with the added delay) and run it today.

73, Rob W1AEX

07:59:53
DEC 6 2019
[178cffe]

[W1AEX]

Roger,

Zero problems with the second version of the "Keypad Resistor Pullups" firmware. I have moved on to the Tri-Band Squelch version which I think has the same code as the keypad resistor pullups v2 release. Everything is running beautifully!

73, Rob W1AEX