SX Key comm error with vista

jokerswild

G'day folks,

I'm having problems programming my sx ic's on my vista laptop. I know vista is Smile but its what i've got to work with.

I can verify the sx 1 in maybe 10 or 20 attempts otherwise i get a comm error (the error number changes everytime) but i cannot program at all.
Sometimes i get a sx not found error.

I am using a generic USB to serial adapter (pl2303) which i can get to work reading nmea strings from a gps without a problem.

Can anyone shed some light on this problem or must i suffer alone?

Thanks for any input guys!

Bean

Try a USB to serial based on the FTDI chipset. Or if you want to be sure, get the USB to serial adapter from Parallax.

I use vista with the parallax USB to serial and it works fine.

Bean

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gator

I switched to the FTDI chipset.
I am using the TTL-232R-3V3 cable with an additional MAX232.
Programming and debugging work fine.
But if you want to use IRC Calibration 4 MHz or "slowest"
it fails everytime: "Chip connection failed".
This is annoying.

Gator

Bean

Gator,
Are you using the SX-Key or the SX-Blitz ?

Bean.

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gator

Bean,
I'm using the SX-Key Rev. F.

Gator.

PJMonty

Of course, I'm sure you downloaded and read the FAQ at the top of this forum, right? You've tried everything in that FAQ that is on the page called "Chip Connection Failed Error" and seen no change? I assume you've also read the "Best Threads INdex" (also at the top of this forum) and read through the thread called "SX error messages and quirks" as well.

If not, then start there now.


Thanks,
PeterM

gator

> You've tried everything in that FAQ that is on the page called "Chip Connection Failed Error" and seen no change?
Yes, I did.

> I assume you've also read the "Best Threads INdex" (also at the top of this forum) and read through the thread called "SX error messages and quirks" as well.
Yes, I did.

I'm familiar with SX chips since they came on the market, approx. 10 years ago.

Gator.

PJMonty

If you've tried everything in the various FAQs and threads, then you need to determine if this is a Vista issue, an issue with your computer, an issue with the SX-Key, or an issue with the board you are attempting to work with. You need to isolate the problem. Have you swapped SX chips? Have you swapped power supplies to the board? Do you have an old computer with an older OS on it? Test on it. Do you have a friend with a computer with a non-USB serial port and who isn't running Vista? Try their machine. Do you have a board that has worked in the past? Try that. When did you switch to Vista? Recently? Did your problems start then? When you switched to Vista, was it because you bought a new machine that you had never used for SX development or did you swap the OS on your existing machine? Can you pull the drive, swap in another drive, install an older OS and see if the problem on the current machine is the OS?

I'm sure you're wondering why this has to be so hard. Given the myriad combinations of computer hardware/OS/SX board and power supply, there could be any number of subtle things going on. Until you can step up and help isolate the problem, it's hard for folks to diagnose remotely. Have you tried verifying there are no background processes running that are hogging CPU cycles? You haven't even mentioned what machine, how much RAM, etc, so anyone trying to help is pretty much going on the limited information given which is "laptop with Vista". The machine specs may not help, but not having them means guesswork and stabbing in the dark. There have been people on this forum who had chip connection failures because they had a crappy power supply powering the board with the SX.

Step through all the items that could be a problem, come up with a way to determine if they are working (and that means physical testing today, not just saying, "Oh, it worked last week"), verify what is definitely working and what is not, and then attack the short list of items that remain.

PeterM