If you are having issues with your Pikatea Macropad, this guide will help to figure out if the problem is with the device or on the operating side. This guide applies to windows only but suggestions for Mac are included.

The goal is to read the outputs from the device through serial communication.

This guide is a WIP

Getting started

Download the debug version of the Pikatea Firmware (Pikatea_Macropad_GB2_1.2.2-debug.hex) and use this guide to flash the device with it. This firmware includes more serial outputs to better determine issues. This firmware should not be used with deej as it will most likely cause problems. 

Download PuTTY

PuTTY is a powerful windows terminal program. Download it here and install it. 

Find the device's COM port

Open "Device Manager" and under "ports" you'll find your device when you plug it in with a COM(Number). Mine for example is COM5. Yours will probably be different so remember it. (It might say Arduino Leonardo, it might say something else but regardless it's always the connection when you plug it in)

Open PuTTY

Open the PuTTY application and change the connection type to Serial. Change the COM port to the device you figured out in the previous step (for me it was COM5). Make sure the speed is set to 9600. It should look something like this. Do not click open yet. Unplug and re-plug in the device. Wait about 2-3 seconds or when you hear the "device connected sound" in windows. After you know the device is connected, click open. 

The debug firmware prevents the device from doing anything for 15 seconds to give time for you to connect to the serial port. 

Analyze and Test

The terminal should be displaying messages. These messages can be used to determine the problem. 

The terminal should show the output of the SD card. If there is no output, then the device is having issues with reading it. Try a different SD card or formatting the 128mb card that came with the device.

The terminal should also show when an action is completed. If this is not the case than a connection between the buttons and/or the encoder has become "loose" and needs to be resoldered.

If you are having issues and can't quite read/understand the issue the device might be having, reach out to support over email or on discord.

Again, within 3 months of receiving your device, a repair/replacement is free.