Connecting this thing up!

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baxtr

Connecting this thing up!

Post by baxtr »

Okay I bought the box and the link together but cannot get the thing to talk.

The FDDI drivers are loaded okay and the device reports as working in Device Manager. I thought that was it but it would not connect up following this http://www.e-stim.co.uk/commander/commander2.html.

I tried the serial port tester, however that just says error 5 when I click on the connection button. so no help there :-( I've tried multiple USB ports both directly into the computer and on USB hubs version 2.0, 3.0 and 3.1. Still no actual connection. The only think I can think of is that the Com port seems to default to 9600,8,n,1 which feels quite old. Is this the issue? should it be something else? If so I have not found out what that should be. I suspect you just stick with that default. I am running both programs as Admin so that should not be a problem either. So now I am stumped.

I'd like to know if this is a setup issue or something that is happening because the supplied cable has an issue. Any help you can offer gratefully received although I will tend to be slow as I don't always have the opportunity to get here! I will be around for the next couple of days though so that gives me a chance.


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admin
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Re: Connecting this thing up!

Post by admin »

what errors if any do you get when running Commander? Does Commander 'see' the serial port in the drop down for selection? If not then its a driver issue. If it does then Have you switched Commander on n the 2B (does it show an arrow on the screen?)

the 2B does run at 9600 8N1, but Commander will set that up. Can you publish the log?

What version of firmware/Commander/Windows are you running

Si
E-Stim Systems Ltd
baxtr

Re: Connecting this thing up!

Post by baxtr »

Hi Sorry, It takes me so long to get the opportunity to reply.

Everything on the PC side looks fine. The device appears in the device manager FDDI drivers are loaded and a comm port assigned. If I unplug this immediately goes away.

I run the commander as Admin as I assumed it would need that to get to the link? The 2B box does turn the Controller mode on and I do get the arrow. All that checked out on your instruction sheet.

The serial port tester logs are just full of the following logs:

27/01/2018 15:16:30 ************************************************************************
27/01/2018 15:16:30 E-Stim Systems Serial Port Test Program v1.1.2
27/01/2018 15:16:30 Built on 25/01/2016 17:09
27/01/2018 15:16:30 COM3 found
27/01/2018 15:23:23 Closed

Doesn't tell me much but I can confirm that COM3 is the port assigned.

The commander log is full of blocks like this

27/01/2018 15:02:45 *****************************************************************
27/01/2018 15:02:46 COM3 found
27/01/2018 15:02:46 Commander Version 2.1.48
27/01/2018 15:02:46 Built on 14/02/2017 12:45
27/01/2018 15:02:46 Loading Settings from:startup.dat
27/01/2018 15:02:46 Settings file not found, using defaults
27/01/2018 15:02:57 Error COM3 could not be opened
27/01/2018 15:03:39 *****************************************************************

It suggests that Commander is seeing the Port but not getting an answer from what ever is on the end. I'm not convinced that this is the 2B though as the serial test does not do what it should either. Is it possible the cable is faulty?
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Re: Connecting this thing up!

Post by admin »

from the log the fact that Commander reports that it cannot open the Com port would indicates issues with drivers. There is no need to run Commander as admin, as long as you have copied all the files to the location you are running it from - as a test use the desktop. The settings files is missing from wherever you are running Commander, but I confess I cannot remember if its created on first use, or it exists in the zip file/folder

you say you can see the com port in the device manager - does it show any errors when you click down to properties?

What version of Windows are you running?

Si
E-Stim Systems Ltd
baxtr

Re: Connecting this thing up!

Post by baxtr »

I've tried again this morning. This time only using the serial tester on the grounds that if that does not work then Commander is unlikely too.

I've attached a pic Error.png which is what happens when you try to connect when running as Admin or not.

The other is a snap of my devices entry for the FTDI serial port usb driver. Yesterday I deleted that completely clearing out the whole thing until there was definately no driver. I then plugged in and let windows find the most up to date driver for the devcice. Again the picture was the result and it suggests all is well. As I am only using the serial test program that seems to be a single EXE so should not be reliant on any setup etc. I am just running that off of a flash drive.

Bit stuck now.
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Re: Connecting this thing up!

Post by admin »

Try running it direct from the desktop, NOT a flash drive. Error 5 is generally a permissions issue, but I have Commander and the SP Tester operating correctly from Win 10.

Si
E-Stim Systems Ltd
baxtr

Re: Connecting this thing up!

Post by baxtr »

Okay I will give that a shot.
baxtr

Re: Connecting this thing up!

Post by baxtr »

Just tried it from my local disk drive.

This is the log entry

14/02/2018 20:48:10 ************************************************************************
14/02/2018 20:48:10 E-Stim Systems Serial Port Test Program v1.1.2
14/02/2018 20:48:10 Built on 25/01/2016 17:09
14/02/2018 20:48:10 COM3 found
14/02/2018 20:49:16 Closed

and the attached image is what happened.
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Re: Connecting this thing up!

Post by admin »

I didn't suggest your Local Disk Drive, I suggest the Desktop. Running from c:/ will cause potential errors as windows does not like running from locations it considers to be unsafe.

Unzip the files and copy the all files to the Desktop and run them from there. (You cannot run from inside a zip file)

Can you post the log file when you run Commander. (It gives a little more information)

Error 5 is normally Access Denied, so I would look towards how you PC is setup. Are you running as admin or a normal user. (We normally run everything as a normal user). Are you running anything else that could be attempting to use the serial port at the same time?

How did you install the drivers?

Si
E-Stim Systems Ltd
baxtr

Re: Connecting this thing up!

Post by baxtr »

Hi Si,

I've tried running on my desktop, in my data disk etc. I work in IT and am very familiar with permissions issues. I am not however seeing any of these here. I've tried running as admin and not as admin and I have nothing else loaded that uses a serial port at all, there is not even one on my motherboard.

I have attached two JPGs from the screen during execution of Commander. It first moans about serial port5 then it says could not open Com3 (which is the port the cable maps to) After that it freezes and cannot be closed or anything. I have to close it abruptly with task manager.

I tried to attach the log file however I can't add a .txt so here is the content of the file

23/02/2018 17:52:06 *****************************************************************
23/02/2018 17:52:08 No serial ports found - Remote Access only.
23/02/2018 17:52:08 Commander Version 2.1.48
23/02/2018 17:52:08 Built on 14/02/2017 12:45
23/02/2018 17:52:08 Loading Settings from:startup.dat
23/02/2018 17:52:08 Settings LASTIP Parsed [192.168.0.5]
23/02/2018 17:52:10 Settings LASTPORT Parsed [8888]
23/02/2018 17:52:10 Settings MAXA Parsed [50]
23/02/2018 17:52:10 Settings MAXB Parsed [50]
23/02/2018 17:52:10 Settings WEBSKIN Parsed [2b.html]
23/02/2018 17:52:10 Settings BEEP Parsed [off]
23/02/2018 17:52:38 *****************************************************************
23/02/2018 17:52:38 COM3 found
23/02/2018 17:52:38 Commander Version 2.1.48
23/02/2018 17:52:38 Built on 14/02/2017 12:45
23/02/2018 17:52:38 Loading Settings from:startup.dat
23/02/2018 17:52:38 Settings LASTIP Parsed [192.168.0.5]
23/02/2018 17:52:49 Settings LASTPORT Parsed [8888]
23/02/2018 17:52:49 Settings MAXA Parsed [50]
23/02/2018 17:52:49 Settings MAXB Parsed [50]
23/02/2018 17:52:49 Settings WEBSKIN Parsed [2b.html]
23/02/2018 17:52:49 Settings BEEP Parsed [off]
23/02/2018 17:54:28 Error COM3 could not be opened

Hope all this helps. I have tried the cable in native USB ports as well as one in a usb hub. I have tried USB2 ports as well as USB 3. The device does seem to work right up until something tries to communicate with it.

Let me know if you have any ideas or if you need me to mail it back to you or something.
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