Woes of Win10 and new XCTU
trooks
Posts: 228
in BASIC Stamp
I have been away from my project for quite a while. My old laptop died and I had much more pressing financial concerns than getting a new one.
I was using Win8 to go through Getting Started with XBee RF Modules (Book part #122-32450 and had successfully proved my circuits were functional and my coding was doing what I wanted. The short of it is I had a major heart attack
My Drs. now tell me that just a couple more 'procedures' and my heart will be back to full and proper operation and I will no longer have to keep the nitro pills on my person at all times. Best of all they tell me the fog that has crept into my brain will completely go away.
In anticipation of my renewal and before all my funds went to 'uncovered' incidentals I looked for and found a suitable HP Pavilion. It came with Win 10 built in. I went to Digi and downloaded XCTU. Now all the menus are different and I can no longer change or verify parameters of my XBee modules.
XCTU will recognize the XBee connected via all three Parallax adaptors and even recognize the remote XBee set up for loopback/range testing. When I go to configuration mode to setup the local XBee nothing displays on the configuration screen so there is no way I can set the parameters such as API mode and unit addresses.
I realize this is a looong posting but it is no where as long as it took me to type, retype and retype it again. Digi does not understand my problem or has no idea how to work around it. I need to find a way to set up my 802.15.4 XBee units or all my work and expense is lost.
Thanks for any and all suggestions,
trooks
I was using Win8 to go through Getting Started with XBee RF Modules (Book part #122-32450 and had successfully proved my circuits were functional and my coding was doing what I wanted. The short of it is I had a major heart attack
My Drs. now tell me that just a couple more 'procedures' and my heart will be back to full and proper operation and I will no longer have to keep the nitro pills on my person at all times. Best of all they tell me the fog that has crept into my brain will completely go away.
In anticipation of my renewal and before all my funds went to 'uncovered' incidentals I looked for and found a suitable HP Pavilion. It came with Win 10 built in. I went to Digi and downloaded XCTU. Now all the menus are different and I can no longer change or verify parameters of my XBee modules.
XCTU will recognize the XBee connected via all three Parallax adaptors and even recognize the remote XBee set up for loopback/range testing. When I go to configuration mode to setup the local XBee nothing displays on the configuration screen so there is no way I can set the parameters such as API mode and unit addresses.
I realize this is a looong posting but it is no where as long as it took me to type, retype and retype it again. Digi does not understand my problem or has no idea how to work around it. I need to find a way to set up my 802.15.4 XBee units or all my work and expense is lost.
Thanks for any and all suggestions,
trooks
Comments
Give that a try...
Mike
Wishing you a speedie recovery. Presuming you’ve had stents inserted and hoping not bypasses where they opened you up. My dad had a quad bypass at 67 after jump-starting him (over 30 years ago) and my brother (~60) had a stent(s) following a heart attack. Both made fantastic recoveries. Results these days are amazing for heart surgery as long as they catch it.
Looking forward to seeing you on these forums
Thanks for your reply. When it comes to Winders I have been virtually brain dead since 4.0 or so
or whenever the DOS shell went away. In my working career since then my laptops came configured for what they were needed to do and came with a CD lesson disk. After retirement I had a friend to help get me up to Win 8 but she is gone now to the pearly gates I'm sure.
I have no clue what "the executable of ICU" is or where to find it. I did find a part of XCTU that would supposedly make the program think you had a version of WIN different than 10 but none of the versions offered worked. I am beginning to wonder if getting a laptop with Win 10 hard wired in was a mistake. Each of the other versions behaved exactly as the Win 10 I have.
There is the possibility that it is a display problem in which case I have get back with the shop where I bought it. If you can elaborate on "the executable of ICU" I will try that before I have to get out in the world of the fake flu that kills old geezers like myself.
trooks
It is true the mind is the second thing to go - I forget what the first was.
_____
Thanks much for the thoughts.
So far each of the specialist at the cardiology group tried different combos of drugs and did all the test associated with their specialty. Mostly it has been me against the 'heal with steel' guys. I am encouraged a bit that there are ways to fix stuff now without cutting me open.
Some say that I have no heart at all and what I have is a thumpin' gizzard<swg>.
trooks
My brothers stent was done while he was awake via an artery in the leg IIRC.
My dad was on the roof fixing something just 3 months after his open heart surgery.
I'm presuming by your comments though, that your case is not a case of partial blocked arteries.
Take care and best wishes!
Digi shows this module being EOL which to the best of my knowledge means End of Life. However they are still available from Parallax. It seems to me that Parallax should have some responsibility as regards helping customers configure and test these modules.
I am pairing these modules with three kinds of Parallax adaptors, power modules and the ever so useful BS2 modules and a smattering of other products sold by Parallax.
I have have tackle boxes filled with Parallax products. Admittedly some of them are missing some of their magic smoke but I learned how not to let the smoke out next time.
Is anyone here on speaking terms with Ken Gacey?
support@parallax.com
with a link to this thread. Let the techies get involved. Ken would probably refer this issue to them.
You'll need a different book that features those modules. Something like this:
https://www.digi.com/resources/documentation/digidocs/pdfs/90001526.pdf
This is another good manual to keep on hand:
https://www.digi.com/resources/documentation/digidocs/pdfs/90002002.pdf
Btw, I might be mistaken, but I "think" that by default, you can just send serial into the DI pin, and the another XBee DO pin will spit out the signal. Not sure, but worth a try.
VonSzaevas,
Thank you ever so much for the new documentation. I do not recognize either of those digidoc numbers as already being in my library.
Since I am already well into my pre-bedtime repast I will have to dig into them at a later time. They finally got my meds to where I am back to a nightly glass of wine. My main Doc OKed me having a nightly glass.
Surely he was aware that glasses come in different sizes.
I need a good nights sleep since I am having a procedure tomorrow. It was recommended that I bring an overnight bag just in case.
Yes I do realize that two out of the box XBees will work as a wireless UART. The fact that they will communicate when I am trying to set up a loopback/range test proves that point. It is the choices of channels and addresses and the ability to configure them on the fly that make this protocol ideal for my purposes. Did I ever mention how deadly important security is for this system?
Am hoping very much to get back to Y'all soon.
trooks
"Travel is injurious to your prejudices." - Samuel Clements
VonSzaevas,
I was mistaken that there was to be a procedure. It was only a couple of test and only one of them involved a needle to get blood. The other test had me hold my arms above my head for what seemed like forever while they moved me back and forth through a big doughnut and took motion pictures of my heart. I believed that was called an MRI. They will use a computer on those movies and make a 3D movie of what my heart is actually doing.
But I digress.....
The first thing I did when I got home was check out those links you gave me. The reason they were not in my library is that I have no interest in DigiMesh or Zigbee. Did I mention that I depend on 802-15-4 To give me the control and security my system requires. I have no interest in having to learn another rule book.
What I did find is that Digi sells a setup to configure and test XBee modules and best of all it includes two more S2Cs for me to use. Oh happy, happy day.
The setup is on order and I should have it by the first of next week.
Check you later alligator...
After while crocodile...
trooks
DigitalBob,
Thanks much for taking the time to help me on my way.
You are right-on about the usefulness of that PDF. So much so that I already had it open on the task bar.
Actually it is the 'How To' for the setup I have on order from DigiKey. A lot of what I already knew is beginning to come back into focus. Digi has put a lot of stuff into the parameter settings that I do not recall ever having anything to do with in 802.15.4 modems. At one time a company I worked for had a proprietary program that allowed me to get into clients modems to verify settings and do specific kinds of testing.
I am using a fairly simple time-slice multiplexing setup in my systems. I built in my own error checking and unit verification. The communications contain hardly more than a hand full of bytes with each bit or two bit pair telling loads about status or sending instructions. Basic language programming has always been a piece if cake for me. If I told you much more about the system I would have to kill you<VBG>.
trooks
I made it!
I am the proud owner of stents and they did not even cut my chest open.
I feel like someone else.
I am under strict instructions to remain horizontal and inactive as much as possible.
Dr. says several weeks before I can begin rehab.
hav 2 go now ZZzzz
I finally found why I could not see the parameter settings in XCTU. I went to my friendly local used computer equipment dealer and explained my dilemma. He made a few keystrokes and mouse clicks and poof the settings appeared.
I did not bother him with foolish questions as to whether or why Windows or XCTU had become incompatible.
I was so pleased that I promptly bought the most expensive used carrying case he had and promised him all my future business that dealt with computer stuff. Parallax is still my first choice for new stuff.
Next week I go back for some follow up testing of my heart function and begin planning some type of physical rehabilitation. I really need to get back into shape after being almost vegetative for so long. As (bad) luck would have it a brother and sister-in-law are both looking at have the same or similar procedures. Now I get a chance to be as helpful to them as they were to me the past couple of years.
I went through rehabilitation after having knee replacement and it worked wonders. Now I am terrified at the thought of being in the same type of setting though.
Now I can only hope the guy I was to be in partnership with has made his recovery from having drank the Facebook lemonade that put space between us. What I built was based on his idea and now I must try to find a different use for it.
Sorry for the long post. My mind and fingers are working sooo much better now.
trooks
OK, moderators, we've got a live bot back on the forums. Squash that sucker!
Ken
" "
G'Bye Ken
@trooks Don't know if I’m misinterpreting your post, but what Ken is referring to is that there was a spam post from a spammer right after yours. Obviously Ken was not referring to you in his reply.
@trooks ah, no, I'm sorry about that! My comment was for a previously-removed post (not you). I shouldn't have left that stale crumb on the forums.
And if you need help with X-CTU, I'd be happy to do that. Just drop me an e-mail kgracey@parallax.com and I'll send you a Zoom link. Their software has some unnatural user interface, but once you've got it figured out, it's easy.
Ken Gracey