Problem with USB programming

kenmac

Hi folks,
Recently I had spent a whole day continually loading a Prop program, using a Propstick, when suddenly it just stopped programming and I kept getting the message "No Propeller chip found on any Com port...... Scanned Com1,2,3".
My first move was to swap over to my prototyping board, which uses a RevA USB converter.
The result was the same - it couldn't find the Prop!
I noted that the Red LED flashed on the converter board.
So, I probed the Tx and Rx pins with a CRO and found that there was no activity on these lines when trying to program.
Does this indicate a driver problem or a faulty converter chip?
Before going any further I tried re-installing the Tool program and drivers with no improvement as a result.
I even went back to V1.05 of the Tool but no go either.
This PC is my usual testing unit associated with the Prop stuff and has performed faultlessly up till now.
I even tried setting up a Prop. on a plugin proto board with just the minimum components - still no go.

The only changes recently were the addition of the Viewport program.
I uninstalled that program just in case, but it didn't help.
I had a look in the System hardware details at the USB Driver info and it looks normal. (to me)
This what is there:
Ports/USB Serial port/Com3:
Driver V2.04.06......... ftser2k.sys, serenum.sys, ftserui2,dll

USB Serial Bus Controllers\USB Serial converter:
Driver V2.4.6.0 13/03/2008......... ftdibus.sys, ftd2xx.dll, ftlang.dll

I need some help on this.
Any suggestions on any other things I can try?
Incidentally, I am not using a USB hub on this PC.

kenmac

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Perth, Western Australia
Time Zone = GMT + 8

grasshopper

Check the power? Also unplug the USB and plug it back in.

sosaraujo

what if you first "uninstall" the drivers and then (restart) and install again?. Not to re-install.

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Adrian Sosa Araujo.- San Luis, ARG - Time Zone (GMT -3)
El planteo de un problema es mas importante que su soluci

shanghai_fool

I have always had this problem with v1.2 prop tool. every time it "uses" the port, I have to unplug and replug the usb.
However, when using Prop_Terminal, I only have to minimize that and it works. So, to make prop tool work, after either downloading or "identify hardware", I have to maximize Prop_terminal then miniize it to use prop tool again.

Donald

sosaraujo

...and incidentally...are we talking about the same?
www.parallax.com/tabid/530/Default.aspx
www.parallax.com/Store/Microcontrollers/BASICStampModules/tabid/134/txtSearch/32201/List/1/ProductID/398/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName
www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/prod/prop/32200-32201-PropClipPlug-v1.3.pdf
www.parallax.com/Store/Microcontrollers/BASICStampModules/tabid/134/txtSearch/604-00043/List/1/ProductID/285/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName
www.ftdichip.com/Documents/DataSheets/DS_FT232R.pdf

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Adrian Sosa Araujo.- San Luis, ARG - Time Zone (GMT -3)
El planteo de un problema es mas importante que su soluci

shanghai_fool

Yes to, the latest driver, the USB protoboard and the PropClip Plug. They all work great with the Prop Terminal but have problems with Propeller Tool v1.2.

kenmac

The PC is using XP/SP2 and the Tool has loaded flawlessly until the other day when it just stopped.
I did a clean install of Tool V1.2, which should have loaded the correct driver - no change!
The message that it cannot find the Prop. probably means that it couldn't get a match with the ident code info held in the eeprom associated with the FTDI chip.
There is definitely no activity on the Rx and Tx lines connecting to the Prop.

I'll look at the info listed by sosaraojo.

kenmac

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Perth, Western Australia
Time Zone = GMT + 8

shanghai_fool

See if you can find the port with Hyperterm. Then at least you will know which port it is. Then check the edit comm port in PropTool. Make sure it also sees the same port and "YES" to be able to scan it. You can't, of course, use HyperTrem and PropTool at the same time. You can also check the device drivers.

sosaraujo

I think I understand now.
You are using this: PropStick USB @ [url=http:// http://www.parallax.com/Store/Sensors/CustomKits/tabid/134/txtSearch/propstick/List/1/ProductID/411/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName ] http://www.parallax.com/Store/Sensors/CustomKits/tabid/134/txtSearch/propstick/List/1/ProductID/411/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName [/url]

I think you have problems into the Propstick, between the ftdi232 and the propeller, coz' you read "cannot find the propeller".
But you can find the port... else the message will be "No serial ports found".

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Adrian Sosa Araujo.- San Luis, ARG - Time Zone (GMT -3)
El planteo de un problema es mas importante que su soluci

kenmac

I've given up on this one.
It's taking too long to sort out, so I'm reverting to a Serial programming circuit.(Com1)

Ken Mac

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Perth, Western Australia
Time Zone = GMT + 8

Chris Savage

Ken,

Are you able to program using the serial interface? I noticed there were no questions to discern if the issue was the connection or the module itself.

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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering

kenmac

Chris,
Eventually I went to another location where there was a working Prop, and tried to program that - it was successful.
So, the conclusion is that it isn't a problem with the Propplug, but something to do with the FTDI drivers and/or Windows.
This is very confusing and I have put it temporarily in the "too hard" basket and will come back to it later.
I have now built a Serial (Com1) interface card that works OK, so I can progress with my project.

kenmac

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Perth, Western Australia
Time Zone = GMT + 8