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Dim Newbie with dumb question

Jim BockJim Bock Posts: 8
edited 2008-05-06 18:16 in General Discussion
When I open the configurations panel there are no options for the COM port - just a blank space under 'Serial Port'. The device manager shows the SX Key connected to COM4, but there's no way to tell the IDE!
If I try to download anyway, I get a message that the COM port (COM1?) is in use by another application.

Comments

  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2008-04-15 13:08
    Jim,
    Is the serial port built-in to the computer? Or are you using a USB to serial adapter ?
    Can you change the port from COM4 to COM1 (assuming there isn't already a COM1) ?

    Are you using the latest version of the IDE ?

    Bean.

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    Did you know that 111,111,111 multiplied by 111,111,111 equals 12345678987654321 ?

    www.iElectronicDesigns.com

    ·
  • Chuck ThomasChuck Thomas Posts: 39
    edited 2008-04-15 13:53
    I have a similar problem. I just got two new USB SX Blitz keys and the computer doesn’t recognize them when plugged into the board and the computer. The board is powered by a 9V 1A transformer.
    Any suggestions? Do I need to install a driver? I have reinstalled the most current SK software and no luck.
    ·
    Chuck
  • Jim BockJim Bock Posts: 8
    edited 2008-04-16 01:58
    Bean,
    The IDE was just downloaded so it should be current. I am using a USB to serial adapter. I used it successfully with the SX earlier on my work computer, but when I tried it there today, I had a similar problem. At work this time, it did at least allow me to see a COM1 radio button, although I didn't have any choice as to whether or not to select it. The previous time at work I was able to select COM4. There are no buttons shown on my home computer.
    As to changing the serial adapter COM port, I don't know how to do that.

    Jim
  • Chuck ThomasChuck Thomas Posts: 39
    edited 2008-04-16 11:54
    Bean and Jim,

    Jim If your are using a laptop make sure it is plugged into the wall and not on battery. I had a problem using an SX-Key on battery, plugged into wall no problem.

    Bean,

    I downloadeda nd installled USB driver, selected COM 5, but still get a "chip failed connection" error message. Any suggestions?

    Chuck
  • Chuck ThomasChuck Thomas Posts: 39
    edited 2008-04-16 11:59
    Bean, Jim

    Never mind. I replaced chip and programmer is now working.

    Thank you,

    Chuck
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2008-04-18 23:35
    Bean,

    After speaking with Mr. Bock it seems that the SX-Key IDE is not seeing his USB to Serial Adapter COM port, even though it shows up in the Device manager. It worked once before. I do recall seeing a message before that PJMonty was involved in where it wasn’t detecting certain types of USB Adapters depending on how they registered in the system. I’m not sure what the fix was for this. His SX-Key Editor shows no available COM Ports. So for some reason it is not seeing what is there. I have given him some stuff to try, however I would like to see if Peter knows what he might try or some test for detecting the ports.

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
  • RobotWorkshopRobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307
    edited 2008-04-19 02:09
    If there is any issue with the FTDI drivers or any legacy registry entries dealing with the COM ports for the FDTI chips then I might have something that will help. FTDI does have a utility on their website to clean out all the extra USB type COM port definitions on your system and removing the drivers. Running that to clear out your current config and then letting the system find the FTDI chip again to install fresh drivers may help.

    It is also nice to clean out definitions for ports you've only used once. I had to program some FTDI chips and once my system got up to COM40 or so I thought it would be a good time to clean them out and start fresh. Now I only have the ones on the system that I need.

    Robert
  • Jim BockJim Bock Posts: 8
    edited 2008-04-19 21:17
    I've tried two different Keystone USA-19QW usb-serial adapters on three machines, all with similar results in the SX IDE. Replacing the SX Key with a BS2, with no other changes, and opening Stamp Editor led to immediate recognition of the port in all three cases. I think this pretty well narrows the problem to a communications conflict between the SX IDE and the Keystone adapter.
    Next step is to get hold of another adapter.
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2008-04-21 16:00
    Jim,

    I have alerted the author of the IDE to this thread to see if there is anything he can offer or suggest. Take care.

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
  • Jim BockJim Bock Posts: 8
    edited 2008-04-24 02:14
    I have replaced the Keystone adapter with the Parallax USB-serial adapter, and the IDE now finds the port with no problems on either machine. Thanks for the help! (It would still be nice to know why the Keystone, of which there are 20+ in my lab, works perfectly for StampEditor but not for SX-Key)
  • Jeff MartinJeff Martin Posts: 760
    edited 2008-05-06 18:16
    We just released a beta version of the SX-Key software on our website today:·

    http://www.parallax.com/Default.aspx?tabid=460

    Version·3.2.92h BETA·includes code that should fix the problem with the Keystone adapter (if, indeed, it works with the current BASIC Stamp Editor just fine).




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    --Jeff Martin

    · Sr. Software Engineer
    · Parallax, Inc.
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