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Failure when inserting fresh batteries

Trying to use an AudioMoth 1.2.0 that has been used troughout year 2021.

With switch on USB/OFF, when the 3rd battery is inserted, LEDs turn on: fixed red+ flashing green.

Attempted to set the time by playing chime from mobile app. Nothing happens.

When the switch positioned on CUSTOM, both LEDs go off.

Switch repositioned on USB/OFF or DEFAULT, LEDs still off.

Left for the the night with the switch on USB/OFF, next morning the batteries are completely drained (0% displayed on the charger).

This AM was configured with the same paremeters as a couple of others that are all behaving as expected. SD card has free space and tried with another SD known to work fine.

Is this a known behaviour ? Am I missing something ? Any clue to solve that ?

7 comments

7 Comments

Alex Rogers

Jun 03, 2022

It would be worth trying to put it into the bootloader mode manually by connecting USB power (without batteries) whilst holding a paperclip on the programming pins. It won't show any LED in this mode but you will see it connect within the Flash App and that will then allow you to update the firmware.

Alex Rogers

Jun 04, 2022

Replying to

@Pierre One of the first things that the AudioMoth does on powering up is to check a pin to confirm the hardware variant. The AudioMoth Dev uses a different switch layout and this AudioMoth 1.2.0 seems to think it is an AudioMoth Dev. There might be a couple of reasons for this: 1. Corrosion on the version detect pin. 2. Larger problem that is preventing reliable GPIO activity. Can you try two things: 1. With the current firmware, put an SD card in the AudioMoth but no batteries, put the switch position to DEFAULT, and then plug in the USB cable. Does it start making a recording - flashing red LED. Check the SD card contents to see if the recording worked. 2. Revert the firmware to 1.4.4 and check for normal operation. This earlier version doesn't know about the existence of the AudioMoth Dev board and will assume that the device is a regular AudioMoth 1.2 device. The Config App will ask you to update the firmware but all the normal scheduling operations will still work okay.

Pierre

Jun 07, 2022

Replying to

@Alex Rogers Not sure I did all the steps in the intended saquence... but the firmware version does chan00nge the behaviour.

1. With

+ current firmware (v.1.6),

+ SD inserted,

+ switch on the DEFAULT position

+ No batteries

Then, When connected to USB,

- Nothing happens

2. Same, unless

+ switch on CUSTOM position

When connected to USB,

+ Green LED steady

+ AM detected by Flash app

+ change firmware to 1.4.4 successful

3. With firmware v.1.4.4l

+ SD inserted,

+ switch on the DEFAULT position,

+ No batteries

When connected to USB,

+ Red LED flashing until switch back to OFF position.

CONFIG.TXT and .WAV file recorded on SD card.

.WAV file has 106 seconds of noise ( no audio) and silence for the rest of the file.

It seems the different behaviours are reproductible, so there must be some logic implied.. But it's beyond my understanding.

Its 'brother' (Round 7 IIRC) has no such problems (suffers only of weak recording level, 1 or 2 steps lower than others).

Still in hope it will be usable this summer....

Pierre

Alex Rogers

Jun 08, 2022

Replying to

@Pierre I think switching to v1.4.4 has removed the issue with the switch (which is operating fine) but has revealed the underlying problem that is affecting the AudioMoth ability to read its input pins. Try out some other settings with this firmware to see if you can make a recording. It sounds like this might be corrosion. Where are you based? It would be useful to be able to examine the hardware in more detail. Can you email contact details to andy@openacousticdevices.info?

Pierre

Jun 03, 2022

Hi Alex

The behaviour is the same when connected to a PC with the switch on USB/OFF. Solid red and flashing green.

LEDs go off wben the switch is changed and do not come back when switch is returned to USB/OFF position.

AM is not seen by the config app nor by the timesetting app.

This AM was used in March, last time on 2022/03/22 and the recordings were fine. Installed at home in a container and in protected place.

It was reconfigured a week/ 10 days ago and it seems everything went fine too.

Since then it has been kept indoor and it looks 'as new.

Alex Rogers

Jun 03, 2022

Is it possible to connect to the Config App with the switch in any position? This sounds like a hardware problem. Are there any obvious signs of corrosion?