COM Ports "Not Known"
MacroEng
Posts: 4
I am using a USB2SER cable to communicate to a BS2Px.·
On my test machine all is fine when I download to the stamp assuming that I use one particular USB port.· However, when I visit the machine in question the BS editor does not see any COM ports other than 1 and 2 which are not USB ports but PCI bus ports.· (Of course the cable driver is installed on·all PCs)
Also, the "Edit Available Ports List" dialog box when accessed via the "Identification" DB does not display the "Known Ports" control.· When accessed via the "Preferences" DB the "Known Ports" control is visible.
In the Device Manager, the·USB ports·are operating normally.
What·would prevent the BS editor from seeing an otherwise normally working USB port.
Matthew
Post Edited (MacroEng) : 11/29/2005 9:16:57 PM GMT
On my test machine all is fine when I download to the stamp assuming that I use one particular USB port.· However, when I visit the machine in question the BS editor does not see any COM ports other than 1 and 2 which are not USB ports but PCI bus ports.· (Of course the cable driver is installed on·all PCs)
Also, the "Edit Available Ports List" dialog box when accessed via the "Identification" DB does not display the "Known Ports" control.· When accessed via the "Preferences" DB the "Known Ports" control is visible.
In the Device Manager, the·USB ports·are operating normally.
What·would prevent the BS editor from seeing an otherwise normally working USB port.
Matthew
Post Edited (MacroEng) : 11/29/2005 9:16:57 PM GMT
Comments
You probably want a subject line, something like "USB Serial Ports not showing up".
There have been a couple threads that cover this type of problem, but as a starting point, you mention that the USB ports are operating normally in device manager. From within device manager, can you see the serial ports under 'Ports (COM & LPT)?
If the ports don't show up there, it suggests that the drivers are not installed properly.
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John R.
8 + 8 = 10
I have to agree with John's response entirely. However, just to add a bit to it, any computer on which you use the USB2SER adapter (presuming you purchased it from Parallax) MUST have the drivers pre-installed, before you can even attempt to use the adapter.
Regards,
Bruce Bates
With humility and respect I write:
When I wrote that the USB ports are working properly I meant that they are present under 'Ports (COM & LPT)' AND working properly when any USB·device is plugged in. Additionally, I installed the cable driver before attaching to the PC and this is acknowledged by the Device Manager.
More specifically, my problem is that the ports are not 'Known Ports' when accessing the stamp through the 'run' or 'Identification' fuction but are known when using the 'Preferences' DB. Despite the fact that they are known in the Pref DB they are not included in a generated object code .exe which is my ultimate goal. I have put '{$PORT COM3} in the header to no avail (COM3 being the corresponding port for the USB2SER cable as shown in the Device Manager.)
Now, when I say that the ports are not known in the 'Edit Available Ports List' (Run>Identify...>Edit Port List) dialog box I mean that there is not even a view window for known ports. Just a text window, an entry option for 'COM#', and gray buttons for ADD, DELETE, and CANCEL. When I type a number in the COM# field the ADD button enables. I select the ADD button and nothing happens. Usually, the port would show up in the otherwise present 'Known Ports' view window.
Matthew
Post Edited (MacroEng) : 11/29/2005 9:19:59 PM GMT
My best guess, and it is only a guess, would be to ask what type of USB/Serial adapter you are using. Based on other discussions I've seen here, there are a number of USB/Serial adapters with a "less than complete" implimentation of the serial port interface, and these _can_ cause problems on _some_ machines. I don't know the particulars, just speaking from memory of other threads on the subject.
There are a lot of layers for things to go through, and a lot of opportunities for "identical" PCs to be different, and hence see different results when working with the same "external" components.
Here is one linke to a discussion of problems with USB adapters:
http://forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=15&m=55087
There are a number of other links, try the following search to find others. (You'll get a bunch of unrelated stuff, but all from the parallax forums. You might be able to refine the search. You will also probably need to paste this all back together. The search is from a test search engine Parallax has up and running, at least for now.)
http://search.parallax.com/search?q=USB+serial+port+problem+site:forums.parallax.com&btnG=Google+Search&ie=&site=parallax&output=xml_no_dtd&client=parallax&sort=&lr=&num=10&proxystylesheet=parallax&oe=
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John R.
8 + 8 = 10