[ot][spam][crazy] The Trials of Controlling a Programmer

[Undiscussed Horrific Abuse, One Victim of Many]

>
> the LPC socket was sometimes showing the issue previously, refusing to
> find the LPC chip unless I reinserted it a number of times.
>

But I did try to gently bend some leads to resolve connection issues, and
> thinking on that I guess that means I might have a way to consider whether
> I'm testing the chip leads or socket leads.
>

Then later, I tested connections from the chip seating all the way to the
> teensy board, and found a number that were failing due to wear on the
> breadboard, and adjusted and squeezed these until they conducted. But it
> still wouldn't detect a known-working chip.
>
> I then removed it from the breadboard and wired it up hanging in the air
> with female jumper wires. This is not working either.
>

It sounds like there are two issues: a failing socket, and failing wire
connections. Not considering that there are likely two separate kinds of
issues could have worsened the confusing frustration.

>
I'd like to compare the electrical activity at the chip pins to what the
> device is supposed to send somehow.
>

> Maybe I could try to add debug information to flashrom's serprog protocol,
> although I'm feeling that might be inefficient.
>

It's important to eventually have logic debugging. But maybe something more
reusable than serprog additions.

Thinking about testing manually vs building or finding logic probing tools,
one thinks about time. Both tasks are slowed from human issues.

I bet there's existing code to use raspberry pi as a logic analyser
somewhere ... but I'm unsure if the frequency will be sufficient without
learning the flashing protocol. Learning the protocol would normally be
expected for hobbying this.

Thinking on manually testing things with more rigor. Ensuring the chip used
works. Considering every pin in all the ways, and verifying they all work
before a test.

It's frightening to think of putting all that work in and having it still
possibly fail for unknown reason, but it may be an important and rational
diagnostic step. One that has not yet been done.

>
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