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We have noticed a problem with a select number of BlinkMs. We received a shipment of 35 of the BlinkM from a distributor, 5 of them were DOA. We are following up for replacements from the distributor, but we were wondering if this was a more frequent problem with users.

This is the symptom:
Power on the BlinkM and the three dies blink once and turn off immediately.

Is this a sign that the ATtiny doesn't contain data or has been flashed?

This is with the BlinkM connected directly to the Arduino or with it stand alone.

I am trying to build a 35 BlinkM network. I have a separate power supply providing 4.5V @ 1600mA, with pull-up resistors across to the D and C pins. I can't seem to scale up to 35. I can control a small network, but not larger than 20 at this point. I tried using a couple different values for the pull ups (1.8k, 4.7k, etc.)

Any suggestions?

-Rob

I have a chain of 14 BlinkMs that I've programmed to unit numbers 1 thru 14. However occassionally many of them will loose their unit numbers, quite often switching to a duplicate number. I'm 100% sure I'm never sending the set address command. How is this happening? I suspect there's a bug in the firmware somewhere thats allowing this to happen (perhaps when there are timing issues on the I2C bus). In any case, this is a major problem as the only way to fix this is to manually remove each BlinkM and reprogram it's address.

Programming: A simple Arduino sketch that implements a linear brightness ramp (0 to 255), one color at a time, using BlinkM_setRGB(). At any moment, one of the colors should be ON and the other two should be OFF. Each brightness level is held for 0.5 second. Source code is below.

Problem: (1) As each ON color ramps up, I see occasional bright flashes (0.5 - 2 seconds long) of one of the OFF colors. Less frequently, both of the OFF colors flash at the same time. (2) Although the ON color follows the brightness ramp most of the time, I also see the ON color dimming, going off, or brightening for 0.5 - 1 second, after which it returns to the programmed ramp.

Other info: (1) I have two brand new BlinkM units. Both BlinkM's show the same behavior. (2) Leaving DEBUG_PRINT undefined does not affect the LED behavior.

Using Arduino Diecimilia and Arduino environment software 0011, with BlinkM plugged directly into analog pins 2-5.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
/*
* BlinkM Linear Test
*/

#include "Wire.h"
#include "BlinkM_funcs.h"

#define BLINKM_ARDUINO_POWERED 1

#define BLINKM_ADDR 0x09
#define DELAY_MS 500

#define DEBUG_PRINT

void setup()
{
byte rc, addr;

if (BLINKM_ARDUINO_POWERED)
BlinkM_beginWithPower();
else
BlinkM_begin();

BlinkM_setAddress (BLINKM_ADDR); // comment out to not set address

Serial.begin(19200);

rc = BlinkM_checkAddress( BLINKM_ADDR );
if (rc == -1)
Serial.println("\r\nno response");
else if (rc == 1)
Serial.println("\r\naddr mismatch");

addr = BlinkM_getAddress(BLINKM_ADDR);
Serial.print("Addr=");
Serial.println(addr,DEC);
}

void loop()
{

byte r, g, b, n;
int c;

for (n=0; n<3><256>);
Serial.print(b,DEC);
Serial.println();
#endif

BlinkM_setRGB(BLINKM_ADDR, r, g, b);
delay(DELAY_MS);
}
}
}
------------------------------------------------
Sample output from serial console:

rgb=240,0,0
rgb=245,0,0
rgb=250,0,0
rgb=255,0,0
rgb=0,0,0
rgb=0,5,0
rgb=0,10,0
rgb=0,15,0
rgb=0,20,0

Hi,
I tried including the BlinkM_nonvol_data.h library into a sketch and I get an error message asking for an initializer before PROGMEM. Anybody know what that should be or how to fix it? This is a library that is supposed to include preprogrammed light scripts, as described in their data sheet.

Thanks.

I am trying to set up the arduino board and a blinkm. I keep getting this message when I try to load the blinkmcommunicator sketch :

avrdude: can't open input file C:\Users\Jessie Whiteman\Desktop\BlinkMCommunicator\BlinkMCommunicator\applet\BlinkMCommunicator.hex: No such file or directory