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Basic Stamp bored not connecting — Parallax Forums

Basic Stamp bored not connecting

lordofbluefirelordofbluefire Posts: 3
edited 2008-03-21 19:21 in BASIC Stamp
I'm trying to connect my Basic stamp bored to my comp which has vista ( ya I know it sucks ), and no matter what I do I can't get the drivers or anything to work right with it. No matter what vista won't recognize it. It's a USB board of education Rev B if that accounts for anything. I've looked around and there are topics on this but those methods don't work so I'm kinda out of options, if any one knows how to get this connected I would love the help. Thanks.

Comments

  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2008-03-01 05:47
    There are pretty much only 2 reasons why this happens:

    1) There's something wrong with the installation of your drivers. I assume you're using some kind of USB to serial adapter. Maybe you don't have a current version of the driver. Maybe you have one of those USB to serial adapters that are cheap and don't implement the DTR control line that's needed to program / download the Stamp. Maybe something went wrong with the installation originally. Make sure you uninstall the current driver and download and install the most recent driver from the USB to serial adapter's manufacturer. Some that are known to work include: the ones Parallax sells, adapters made by FTDI, the Keyspan High Speed USB to Serial adapter.

    2) Make sure there's power going to the Stamp. It needs to be running for the Stamp Editor to recognize it.
  • lordofbluefirelordofbluefire Posts: 3
    edited 2008-03-01 06:13
    uh, do I need to be using a serial to usb adapter because I've programed this bored off of the USB cable that came with XP and that worked right off the bat. There is power going to the stamp for sure, lights are on and the comp detects but doesn't make higly pigly of it.
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2008-03-01 06:27
    I don't know what USB cable you're talking about. If it worked before with the Stamp under XP, then it's a USB to serial adapter that works with the Stamp and it ought to work with Vista as well, but you may need a newer version of the I/O drivers for it. The default driver software that comes with Vista doesn't work with devices like the Stamp that requires other control lines like DTR (Data Terminal Ready).

    It doesn't matter if the computer detects the adapter. It doesn't matter if the Stamp Editor says that it gets an echo from the Stamp. If the DTR signal doesn't work properly, the Stamp Editor will not be able to identify which Stamp you have and won't be able to download programs to it.
  • lordofbluefirelordofbluefire Posts: 3
    edited 2008-03-01 06:41
    My board doesn't have a serial port on it, it's a mini USB cable. DO you really need to run it through a serial port, cause it seems a little odd for todays tech.
  • Bruce BatesBruce Bates Posts: 3,045
    edited 2008-03-01 10:22
    lordofbluefire -

    When you say "My board doesn't have a serial port on it, it's a mini USB cable" are you speaking about the carrier board on which the PBASIC Stamp is mounted, or are you speaking about your computer? In any/all cases you are running through a "serial port" it just depends which KIND of serial port.

    In todays computers, there are two kinds of serial ports which appear on them. Infrequently, you can find computers with old-style DB-9 (RS-232) serial ports. Much more frequently you will find new-style USB serial ports. In either/both cases they are still serial ports.

    If your computer has a USB serial port, and your Stamp carrier board has a USB serial port, there is nothing extra you need to do, except to make sure that you have the Vista USB drivers which Mike discussed earlier. Any ordinary USB serial cable will work fine for programming the PBASIC Stamp

    If your computer has a DB-9 (RS-232) serial port, and your Stamp carrier board has a DB-9 (RS-232) serial port, there is nothing else you need to do. Vista should have RS-232 serial port drivers, right out of the box. A fully propagated RS-232 serial cable will work fine for programming the PBASIC Stamp in this case.

    If your computer has a USB serial port, and your Stamp carrier board has a DB-9 (RS-232) serial port, make sure that you have the Vista USB drivers which Mike discussed earlier, AND you will need a USB => DB-9 (RS-232) Serial adapter which is supported by the PBASIC Stamp IDE. Mike discussed these earlier as well.

    Regards,

    Bruce Bates

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  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2008-03-01 14:24
    I'm sorry for not noticing sooner since you did mention in your first posting that you have a USB Board of Education. This board has a built-in USB to serial adapter using a chip made by FTDI. This chip provides the interface between USB and the serial asynchronous data needed by the Stamp module. As I mentioned, the default I/O drivers in Vista may seem to work with this chip, but do not in fact work properly. You MUST install the proper drivers from FTDI. Parallax does include drivers with the Stamp Editor, but they may not be the most current ones. The best thing is to uninstall any existing driver and download and install the most recent one from FTDI (www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm).
  • Ed BEd B Posts: 6
    edited 2008-03-20 19:25
    I am using a BOE with Vista and the USB adapter with no problem. I have a REV C board.
  • Chris CChris C Posts: 50
    edited 2008-03-21 19:21
    I saw the same problem with the solution Mike discussed. Proper Vista drivers will solve it. That's why I don't run Vista on my development machine. =)
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