PropStick USB: problem with hardware identification

Daniele Imberti

Hi Folks,
I have a problem with my new PropStick USB.

I use an Italian Windows XP Pro SP2 and during installation I have an error
that explains to me the I use a wrong language version operating system.

I tried to download manually the USB driver for FTDI Usb device.
But Nothing... Doesn't work.

I tried to install Propeller Tools on a Windows 2000 Server machine...
The installation works better... no error...

But When I insert the USB plug in that machine and start Propeller Tool,
when I use the Run - Identify Hardware menu I have an error:

Scanned COM1
Unable to open COM3.

Anyone can help me???
In the manual I didn't find nothing about this error.

Thanks a lot

Daniele Imberti
Synes srl
·

Jeff Martin

Hi,

I'm not sure about one thing:· Was it the Propeller Tool Installer that gave you the error message about "wrong language version..."?· Or was it the USB Driver installer that said that?

While using the Win2000 machine, did you also have the PropStick USB connected to power as well (+5 volts?· +3.3 volts?)

If you open up the Device Manager on the Win2000 machine, can you tell if the USB-based COM port is COM3?· Or is it COM1?

Thank you.

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--Jeff Martin

· Sr. Software Engineer
· Parallax, Inc.

Daniele Imberti

HI,

The message abaout wrong language appears during the installation of Propeller Tools.
The installation stops... And I can use the Tools but the USB drivers weren't be installed.

A question: PropStick can work with the current from USB or I need to supply other power???

In W2000 Device manager the USB based COM porr figure as COM3.

Probably the problem was that I don't supply current to PropStick...
I thought that all the circuit was powered with tme current from usb port.

Thank you.
Daniele Imberti

Paul Baker

The Propeller on the Propstick USB must be powered seperately, connect a 5V supply to the Vin pin.

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Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer

Parallax, Inc.

Wurlitzer

Similar problem with my new Educational board.

When the USB cable was plugged in the 2 leds on the USB board flash briefly. Then, XP identified that the hardware was connected. Pressing F7 in the Prop Tool IDE generated a "No Propeller Chip Found on any Comm Port" and displayed Scanned Comm1, Scanned Comm4. I uninstalled the driver and reinstalled and that seemed to be clean.

I followed the troubleshooting document and lowered the value of the Latency timer for the USB Port Properties. The device manager shows that the USB port is operating properly at least on the PC end.

I did measure the voltages on the USB board and have 3.3 on both the TX and RX pins. I have very low voltage on the RES pin and I believe that should be high as the Push button for reset is N.O. and not depressed. I removed the wire going to the RES pin on the USB board and the voltage stayed low. Is there a pull up resistor on this board or is the pull up done by the Prop chip?

I have checked the wiring 4 times and even connected the board to a 2nd XP PC with identical results. No Spin, No Joy.

Paul Baker

I ask only because you didn't explicitly state it, have you plugged the 9V battery in? If so, meter the output of both regulators, make sure they are outputting 5V and 3V.

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Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer

Parallax, Inc.