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"No Basic stamps found." trouble shooting — Parallax Forums

"No Basic stamps found." trouble shooting

NubyNuby Posts: 18
edited 2010-02-24 15:34 in BASIC Stamp
Where can·I find a guide or documentation to walk me thru trouble shooting the error message "No Basic stamps found"?
I have had my software running for a couple of months now even programed a few projects and a bot that worked untill I scabbed off all the parts. Tonight·in the middle of learning about "Ping", while doing some "cut a paste" of·a program up pops the Error message.
Checked power source, even plugged in a different board with a different stamp on it still the error message? When the down load starts I can see that it finds the Loopback and the Echo just before·I get the Error?

Thanks
Nubyconfused.gif

Comments

  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2010-01-13 05:25
    Just scroll back through this forum looking for all the other "No Basic Stamps Found" questions.

    The Stamp has to be working for it to be found by the Stamp Editor. The Stamp and the Editor talk to each other. If the Stamp doesn't talk back, the Editor complains.

    For the Stamp to work, it must have power and it must not be broken. It's hard to break a Stamp, so that's an unusual reason for "No Basic Stamps Found".

    For the Stamp Editor to talk to the Stamp, there has to be a working bidirectional serial connection between the two. If you're using a serial port, the port has to be working, the serial cable has to be working and has to be plugged in on both ends. You can't have any extra adapters on either end that might mix up the connections.

    If you're using a USB port and a USB to serial adapter, the port has to be working (including the USB driver), the USB cable has to be intact, and the USB to serial adapter has to be working. The USB to serial adapter has to properly implement the various handshaking lines like DTR, RTS, CTS, and DSR. Many brands of adapters don't do this and won't work for downloading Stamp programs. Most adapters made by FTDI or using an FTDI chip set work fine. The Keyspan High Speed Serial Adapter also works fine.

    If you're using a USB port, remember that the standard Windows driver won't work for programming Stamps. You have to have the FTDI driver (for FTDI adapters) or Keyspan driver (for the High Speed Adapter) properly installed.
  • NubyNuby Posts: 18
    edited 2010-01-13 05:43
    Thank you for your input.·Just checked my "Devise Manager"·no issues with USBs or any other hardware or drivers.

    What real gets me is it was working one minute then stopped.·Thought·I might have changed a set-up or something and rebooted the computer to see if it would "fix" itself, no luck. Also went to the "Preferences" in the BS editor·and set what·I could back to default. The baud rate it is at 9600.

    Thanks

    Nubyconfused.gif
  • NubyNuby Posts: 18
    edited 2010-01-13 05:44
    By the way the two lil lights near the plug on the board blink when the computer comes on.
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2010-01-13 05:59
    The "lil lights" come on as the operating system initializes the USB bus and "enumerates" the various devices connected.
  • NubyNuby Posts: 18
    edited 2010-01-13 07:23
    So do those lights mean that the drivers, cables and stamp are ok? Could it be my BS software needs to be refreshed/repaired?
  • sylvie369sylvie369 Posts: 1,622
    edited 2010-01-13 11:30
    No, the lights do not necessarily indicate a good connection with a working Stamp. They indicate that the USB connection is fine.

    We're a little in the dark still about what you're working with.

    Is the Stamp mounted on a board of some sort? Which kind of board? Are you using a serial-USB converter of some sort? If so, Parallax or other? What's your power source?

    If it was working and then stopped, it sounds most like a power problem, right? When you say that you checked the power source, what did you do? Are you using batteries or a wall wart or what?
  • NubyNuby Posts: 18
    edited 2010-01-13 13:40
    Yes, stamp is on a "Board of Education Rev D". No converter I think the cable came with the board. Now the power source maybe a bit in question, a power supply, which has been working all along, with clips on wires to the stamp board. Maybe the two clips shorted out? If that was the case when i plugged in the carrier board with a different stamp it should have not gotten the error message. LM29401 transistor has power so I know juice is getting to the board. Was running a Ping 5 min before this happened with this exact setup? You know pushing my chair back to see how far I am from the desk, worked great I was thrilled!

    Going to check it out with a better power source, maybe buy a new battery. Will take it to another computer that a friend has with the same software and see if it is ok for him.
    Will report back tonight.
    Thanks for all your help!
    Nuby
  • sylvie369sylvie369 Posts: 1,622
    edited 2010-01-13 16:29
    If you have a multimeter, you can check the voltage across the Vdd and Vss points on the BOE (should be right around 5V), and also Vin and Vss (should be whatever your power supply is putting out). Your comment about the LM2904 makes it sound like you've done that directly on the regulator, but what about on the board?

    Perhaps a silly question, but...you do have the slide switch turned on, right? That is, you have it on 1 or 2, not 0?

    Also do you have any circuitry attached to the board while you're testing it? If it were me, the first thing I'd do would be pull all of the wires from the headers and try to get the Stamp·to respond on its own.
  • NubyNuby Posts: 18
    edited 2010-01-14 03:36
    Want to say a very big THANK YOU to Mr. Mike Green and sylvie369 for helping me.
    As it turns out it was my "mickey mouse" power source set up. I have learned a very big lesson here thanks again. I am back to work on my little project.

    Thanks
    Nuby
  • sylvie369sylvie369 Posts: 1,622
    edited 2010-01-14 12:07
    Over time I've noticed that the when my stuff doesn't work, it's the power supply about 75% of the time. Eventually you get a better "feel" for what's going to work and what isn't.

    Glad to hear it's going again.
  • okemoabeokemoabe Posts: 12
    edited 2010-02-24 15:34
    I have the same problem here... gotta go buy a new cell. Nuby's topic might help i see... i'v been using my BS2-IC for months, and today it just turns out not to be working... NO!.

    Can u tell exactly what you did to solve your problem, found a new Power Source???????
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