help Helicon Remote (android) broke my camera 50D

[keyghost]

hey all first time poster and i know you guys mess with the canon hardware.
any help will be appreciated.

this is how my cam behaves now.
youtube.com/watch?v=POwsHqUfZMA (can't paste link for some reason)

i connected the camera with usb to my phone (SGS4) and used Helicon Remote.
took video and it worked fine for a year (taking out the now and then crashes of the software)
few days ago while the camera was buffering after i stopped the video, the program crashed and my cam got stuck. i waited for a minute or so and power cycle my camera.
and the result it the video above. i can't take pictures the camera get stuck from time to time and when i connect it back to the remote (android) i can't seem to take video more then a second.

i don't know how exactly but it seems the Remote triggered a flag in the buffer processor or something similar and it cannot be rested.   

things i tired-

- different CF
- taking the battery
- power cycling
- uploading the firmware again.
- trying to mess with the windows version of the remote (which just crashed when  connecting it to the computer)
-trying to mess with the android version so see if i can repair it.

no luck....

i'm sure it's not a hardware fault (meaning it's NOT mechanical but a problem with embedded software on the electronic chips)
i'm almost sure it's a problem with the software of the embedded chip.

this happened just after using the Helicon remote.
the camera work fantastically for years.

anyway.. any help will me much appreciated

thanks.

[a1ex]

Looks like the shutter contact got stuck somehow.

Try this workaround: autoexec.bin

Code Select Expand


    beep();
    NotifyBox(10000, "unstick shutter");
    SW2(0,100);
    SW1(0,100);


Delete the module folder, then start the camera in single shot mode; you should be able to enter the menu, go to LiveView, use ML intervalometer and... that's pretty much it. I tried this trick on 5D2 (started by keeping the shutter pressed, without the workaround the camera behaved just like in your video, after the workaround I could navigate the menus and so on).

Once you get into menu, clear the camera settings.

There was a similar case where a 600D got half-shutter stuck after exposure to rain or something like this.

[keyghost]

the shutter button is not stuck (mechanically).
can you elaborate about trying this workaround?
you want me to install ML and replace the autoexec.bin with yours?

Edit:
i would like to debug my camera through the usb connector. what is the best program to do so ?

[a1ex]

Yes, I assumed you already have ML installed, since you posted here.

Try gphoto2, but I'm not sure what commands to suggest. Just try poking things around and paste a log file with what you tried; might give some more clues.

[keyghost]

yeah i had ML installed but i removed it.
but i will give gPhoto2 a try. and will post the results.

[a1ex]

Do you still have the bootflag on the camera?

(if not, I'm not sure how to enable it without getting into menus)

[keyghost]

with ML back on the camera. it work sort of fine. i can't take video more then 2 seconds. any ideas?

[a1ex]

I'm not going to play 20 questions with you to find out what "sort of fine" means

[keyghost]

well it can take pictures. but when turning off and on again it sometime get to it's old behavior (running Gun) and it takes some fiddling with connecting to the computer ,trying to take video then trying with ML then maybe with the Helicon to get it back to work normally. i really think it's a buffer or ram issue. how can i dump the ram ?

[Audionut]

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html#I_think_the_tachyon_modulation_must_be_wrongly_polarised

[keyghost]

ok noted.. if i could debug the camera i would have more info on what is wrong.
how can i thoroughly debug my cam?

[Audionut]

I would start with this: http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=10589.msg102760#msg102760

And then report the results.

[keyghost]

ok tried the autoexec.bin the camera stills fire on power up.
created a debug log file from gphoto2.
http://pastebin.com/MZsBFZ8G