Identification problems

mattduvall

I got a usb Boe Bot for christmas, and I have gotten up to the point to identify the board so it can communicate wiht my computer. I have downloaded the usb drivers and stamp editor on the site but, when I click "run>identify" it shows "com3" as the only port, and it will not show up there. I have tried plugging it into evey usb port on my computer and dont kno how to resolve this. any help is VERY much appreciated.

Mike2545

Have you restarted your PC? Also check the power supply/battery...

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Mike2545

Mike Green

If you plugged in the BoeBot before you installed the Stamp Editor and its USB drivers, Windows may have tried to use its default USB driver which doesn't work properly with the Stamp Editor. Unplug the BoeBot and reinstall the Stamp Editor and the FTDI USB drivers, then try again to identify the BoeBot. Make sure you're using good batteries or an AC adapter. Try a different USB cable if you have one.

It's possible, but very unusual for a BoeBot to be defective. Overwhelmingly, when a Stamp can't be identified, the problem is either inadequate power or a problem with I/O drivers or a problem with the USB cable.

mattduvall

thanks a lot, I noticed windows installing a driver automatically, I'll try that

mattduvall

ok I don't know what to do, I tried a new cable, and installing the software first, but no luck. There is only one port that shows up on the identification screen (com3) the loopback says "yes" but the echo says "no" The driver that windows installs automatically seems to be the same one from the website. Also i tried new batteries. This is very frustrating

Franklin

Try this (on windows computers) go to device manager and select view hidden devices then, with your cable disconnected delete all com ports that are hidden (greyed out). Uninstall them and remove drivers don't just disable them. then uninstall the parallax software and reinstall make sure the drivers are installed. When that is done restart the computer and after it has loaded completely plug in your cable and boebot. See what you get and do not accept the windows drivers. If asked select install drivers manually and select the drivers parallax installed.

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- Stephen

mattduvall

hmm I dont see any greyed out ports under hidden devices

Franklin

Then you don't have the USB device installed correctly.

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- Stephen

mattduvall

I'm not sure what I am doing wrong. I just click the driver, and it installs.

mattduvall

ok, so windows installs somthing like serial port converter and (com3) when i disable the serial port converter, i get an error message saying no serial ports availible. I'm very frustrated, will someone please help!

kf4ixm

go here and download the driver... make sure you have nothing plugged into your usb ports unless you have a usb mouse, then that will be fine. most importantly, make sure your boe bot is not plugged in.

http://www.parallax.com/tabid/530/Default.aspx

Click save, then save to your desktop. when download completes, then click run. you will get that same DOS screen as the driver installs itself. now open up your device manager under the control panel. now at this point, plug your boe bot into your usb port with the power switch OFF on the boe bot. you should see a driver installation commence for a new com port, under the device manager you will see a new USB com port (COM#), the '#' will be the com port number that is your boe bot. now you should be able to open up basic stamp editor and upload the program to your boe bot, just make sure you turn the boe bot 'ON' before you try to communicate with it.

mattduvall

How can I dl the program onto the board if it is not on? I have tried turning the bot on but it still does not recognize it. Everything happend as you said but I still cannot identify it, everytime I click identify the led on the bot flashes but it does not identify it

kf4ixm

to make sure the driver installs correctly, the bot needs to be off, after the pc recognizes it, installs the driver and issues it a com port number, then you can turn it on to download your program.

SammyG

I did the unthinkable and took Windows advice on how to fix the same problem you listed.
I downloaded PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_10311.zip from:
http://www.prolific.com.tw/support/files//IO Cable/PL-2303/Drivers - Generic/Windows/allinone/PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_10311.zip

After unzipping and running the executable the next time I plugged the BASIC Stamp into the USB drive, it loaded a driver and has been running since.
Good luck.

mattduvall

ahhh i cannot get this to work would anyone be willing to take control of my laptop and do it?

sam_sam_sam

Here is the link· where the drivers are there is also an uninstaller

www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

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··Thanks for any··that you may have and all of your time finding them

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Sam

allanlane5

Critical piece of information: You MUST install the USB Driver WITHOUT having the USB cable plugged in.

Once the USB Driver IS installed, THEN you can plug in your USB cable.

If you plug in the USB cable first, Windows loads its default USB serial driver, which WILL NOT WORK, and which will block key parts of the USB Driver installation.

mattduvall

yeah i did that, but it still installed the defult windows driver. I just got windows 7 so ill see if itll work

mattduvall

ok, it still doesnt work for me. Heres what I do.

-install bs editor
-install the usb drivers
-plug in the boe bot with the power off, windows then automatically installs drivers
-I turn the bot to position 1
-run > identify, the main sections are blank. the loop says yes, the echo says no

????????????/

allanlane5

Have you tried new batteries? Are you sure the BS2 is not plugged in upside down?

The loopback checks the cable. The Echo checks only the 'front end' of the BS2 hardware, a couple of transistors
that 'echo' back to the PC what's sent to the BS2. The loopback test doesn't require power on the BS2, the
Echo test does require power on the BS2.

allanlane5

Have you tried new batteries? Are you sure the BS2 is not plugged in upside down?

The loopback checks the cable. The Echo checks only the 'front end' of the BS2 hardware, a couple of transistors
that 'echo' back to the PC what's sent to the BS2. The loopback test doesn't require power on the BS2, the
Echo test does require power on the BS2.

mattduvall

what do you mean by upsidedown?, its just the mini usb into the bs and usb into my computer right?

allanlane5

The BS2 'module' is a 24-pin wide DIP, which could be plugged into the BOE-Bot board one of two ways -- only one of which is correct.

Oh, and don't just reverse it and try that, because you can break things that way,
if they're not already broken.

mattduvall

WOOOOOOOW I'm not even gonna say what I have been doing wrong. lets just say I'm new to robotics and dont quite understand the vocab. anyway i got it to work, thanks everyone

PJAllen

All of these Replies and you're going to duck & cover?

No way, you have to face the music.

mattduvall

lol ok, i didnt even have the basic stamp plugged into the the board, i geusse it cant identify somthing thats not there

Mike2545

You get the "Doh" of the week

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Mike2545

James Long

mattduvall said...
lol ok, i didnt even have the basic stamp plugged into the the board, i geusse it cant identify somthing thats not there

Well.....you did figure out the problem, so you are moving forward.

We all had to start somewhere........

James L

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James L
Partner/Designer
Lil Brother SMT Assembly Services

Are you addicted to technology or Micro-controllers..... then checkout the forums at Savage Circuits. Learn to build your own Gizmos!

Mike Green

I guess I'll have to add that to my list of "99% of all failures to identify a Stamp are due to ...". It has come up before.

PJAllen

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Alrighty, then.· (Don't forget to pick up your sign.)