FAQ: How can I check that my PAM unit is actually being configured?

Other than putting an analog signal in and observing an analog signal out, there is a simple way to verify that the PAM unit is connected to the Anadigm® AnadigmDesigner2 software. In the AD2 Menu there is the item Target.

Target -> Display Board Information

This command queries to determine the state of the Anadigm® IC. There are four possible replies to this command:

This response indicates that all is well, as far as AD2 can tell.

The second type of response is all too common, but gives a lot of useful information:

The first 2 items listed are simple to debug, but if the connector is plugged into the PAM unit verify that the other end is plugged in correctly. Also check that the green power LED is lit below the power connector to verify that power is connected. The third item refers either to SW3, the 10 position switch just below the RS232 or SW5, the 3 position MODE switch. On SW3 all 10 positions need to be ON. On SW5 in this mode positions 1 & 2 are ON and position 3 is OFF.

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The third possible response is rare but might be easy to correct:

This response means that there is power and the AD2 is talking to the PAM unit. But for some reason the Anadigm® IC does not want to talk. On the PAM-5002 this is usually is because either SW3 or SW5 is set for EEPROM mode. As in the case listed above, all of SW3 must be ON and SW5 positions 1 &2 are on.

In general, one or more of the following signals is not going between the Anadigm® IC and the microcontroller:

• DCLK
• DIN (data into the Anadigm® IC)
• ACTIVATE (perhaps is in the wrong state)

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The fourth type of response is not too common, and is rather misleading:

To date, the solution to this is a change in the Baud Rate setting in the AD2.
In the top banner menu of AD2, select Settings then Preferences. When the Preferences window opens click on the "Port" tab and find the "Select Serial Baud Rate" setting down near the lower left corner. Try a baud rate setting of 57600 or 56000 and see if that gets you back to the first response.

Another possible cause of this error message is that the signal ERRB is not being correctly communicated between the Anadigm® IC and the microcontroller.

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