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Mac OSx with VMFusion running Windows Pro: programming Propellers. . . . — Parallax Forums

Mac OSx with VMFusion running Windows Pro: programming Propellers. . . .

Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,400
edited 2012-04-18 16:10 in Propeller 1
Hey there,

I've just switched over to a Macintosh.

BST works wonderfully, but the Parallax Propeller Tool running in a Windows VMFusion environment doesn't seem to detect or program Propellers. In the Device Manager the addition/removal of FTDI hardware doesn't show up as a VCP serial port - does anybody have the same hardware setup and know how to get this functioning?

Thanks,

Ken Gracey

Comments

  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2012-04-18 09:03
    Have you installed the FTDI drivers on the Windows side? For BST to work, you have to install the Mac FTDI drivers, but you need them for Windows too.

    I normally use Parallels Desktop, but I have an old copy of VMWare as well and it works the same.

    When you start VMWare, you also have to tell it which environment "owns" which USB devices. I know Parallels Desktop has a menu item for the I/O devices and the USB device list is on that menu. You can check or un-check each device to specify whether it is controlled by the MacOS or Windows.

    I've run all the Windows software for the Propeller under either Parallels Desktop or VMWare's Fusion including the Propeller Tool, the PropScope software, ViewPort. I also run the Stamp Editor that way and it all works fine.
  • pedwardpedward Posts: 1,642
    edited 2012-04-18 09:08
    Click on the VM->Removable Devices->Future Devices FT232 UART Host->Connect (disconnect from host) to make it appear in Windows. That's how it works with VMWare on Linux.
  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,398
    edited 2012-04-18 09:14
    Today I connected a demo board to windows running on virtualbox on Linux (OpenSuse)

    To run it I have to enable serial port (Com1) in VirtualBox, then attach it to /dev/ttyUSB0 on linux host.

    Then Parallax Propeller Tools detected a propeller on com1

    No FT232 drivers needed in virtual windows. Windows think it accesses normal com port.

    It is not the same environment, but maybe it can help.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,400
    edited 2012-04-18 15:38
    Thanks pedward and Mike Green - between a fresh install of drivers, telling VMFusion that it can own the serial ports in its configuration tool, a total reboot of all systems I was able to get these ports to work.

    Very surprising to see a Windows XP system running on a Mac in this way - wow!

    Ken Gracey
  • pedwardpedward Posts: 1,642
    edited 2012-04-18 15:40
    Make sure you have a legit license for that XP! Don't copy that floppy!
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2012-04-18 16:10
    Lately I've been using Boot Camp to run Win7 on my MacBook Pro instead of running XP in VMware Fusion. It takes a couple minutes to switch over but other than that it works great and programs seem to run better with fewer crashes or hangs.

    If you only have XP you need to use a virtual machine because since Lion, Boot Camp does not support XP.
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