VP2 Console Serial Port Message During Boot

[SLOweather]

Last weekend, I was testing on a VP2 some of the serial interfaces I've been building. For the first time, I rebooted a console while serially connected.

I was surprised to see, during the boot process and beeps, the console sent:

"LCD board ok." out the serial port.

This was noted on on Jun  6 2007 ver 1.70 firmware.

[Garth Bock]

Seems like the console is continuing to have some surprises. I have been reading with great interest the serial connection project. I have been thinking about it as a winter time project.

[Bushman]

There's a full list of embedded statements here:  http://www.wetterstationsforum.de/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=59385&sid=185d6a1a3560d4caab3030f9564c66de

[DeKay]

Last weekend, I was testing on a VP2 some of the serial interfaces I've been building. For the first time, I rebooted a console while serially connected.

I was surprised to see, during the boot process and beeps, the console sent:

"LCD board ok." out the serial port.

Yup.  This is the only thing I've ever seen it spontaneously burp out.  If you can figure out what the other serial port brought out to pins 11 and 12 of the expansion connector do though, you'll be ahead of me.  Maybe C2520 knows?

[SLOweather]

The only thing that comes to mind is that those might be the original programming port. Until a few years ago, (around the time of the DST date changes), one needed to purchase or rent an updater from Davis which installed on the Expansion connector and connected to a PC to upload new firmware. Then the firmware itself was changed so that future updates could be done through the serial interface (probably USB, too).

(I rented one from Davis and then sub-rented it to a few people on one of the regional weather networks before I returned it.)

Hmm, I suppose that's something I should test on my serial interface. I wonder if it'll brick the console...

Yup.  This is the only thing I've ever seen it spontaneously burp out.  If you can figure out what the other serial port brought out to pins 11 and 12 of the expansion connector do though, you'll be ahead of me.  Maybe C2520 knows?

[C5250]

If you can figure out what the other serial port brought out to pins 11 and 12 of the expansion connector do though, you'll be ahead of me.  Maybe C2520 knows?

That's easy, USART1 is used for the cabled version. Just look at the interrupt vector table, only the cabled firmware version has an interrupt vector for USART1.

[DeKay]

Hmm, I suppose that's something I should test on my serial interface. I wonder if it'll brick the console...

Only one way to find out.

It has been done before with my USB version by one brave soul, so no reason it shouldn't work for you.  But if it breaks, you get to keep both pieces.

That's easy, USART1 is used for the cabled version. Just look at the interrupt vector table, only the cabled firmware version has an interrupt vector for USART1.

That certainly explains why I couldn't get a peep out of that port on my wireless version!

[SLOweather]

Hmm, I suppose that's something I should test on my serial interface. I wonder if it'll brick the console...

Only one way to find out.

Did it, and posted results in the interface thread. All went OK.

[C5250]

Did it, and posted results in the interface thread. All went OK.

I doubt you could brick it, aside from improper use of one of the undocumented commands. But the most critical of those will just return "Not in test state". One could mess up the calibration or config with some of the others though.

[Grrxyn]

If you can figure out what the other serial port brought out to pins 11 and 12 of the expansion connector do though, you'll be ahead of me.  Maybe C2520 knows?

That's easy, USART1 is used for the cabled version. Just look at the interrupt vector table, only the cabled firmware version has an interrupt vector for USART1.

While I am not disagreeing with this; I don't think the extra UART pins on the dongle connector are used by the dongle.  The dongle is the same product for wired and wireless versions.