LightHouse_Papa Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 (edited) Hi I got a problem with my notebook and this USB to LOR dongle. HP DV9000 with Vista x64. The dongle works on my desktop - so the hardware isn't busted ... YET. Installed the latest and greatest drivers. Windows says it is working. LOR Hardware Utility says "NOPE". Can't open port. Gee, I can OPEN and USE the PORT with Hyperterm (swiped from an XP installation) AND send/receive data (little test rig I slapped together). I don't want to install S4 on other machines - one bit of aggrivation is enough seeing how time is short for this lighting season. So what's wrong here. Any ideas? Thanks! Edited November 29, 2015 by LightHouse_Papa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMassey Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 If they are the latest and greatest drivers from Microsoft they are the wrong ones. you need to be sure they are the LOR drivers.made by FTDI. Windows will automatically install its own drivers if you let it. If you have the MS drivers, delete the port in device manager and uninstall them, unplug the dongle and re boot, then install the FTDI drivers with the dongle unplugged. When asked plug in the dongle and if windows offers its own drivers, decline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightHouse_Papa Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) Hi Phil, Sorry - I should have been clearer ... these are the LOR FTDI for the device. Acquired from LOR site. I'll diddle around with them again tomorrow - ya never know what you miss when you're tired and under the gun to get it done. I've gone the reboot, cold power reboot and went as far as re-installing the LOR FTDI drivers after digging around to locate the “WinBlows” drivers. I know I ‘broke’ some com drivers while doing this. No worries – they are there, just renamed for now. 8 years (since last OS install) and you acquire allot of different drivers! The primary reason I want to get this to work: I use the laptop for developing hardware designs in the shop because it has internet access. The shop machine has NO INTERNET ACCESS by design (and security) So I need the laptop to further development and the actual testing of the new display elements (I think that's proper LOR terminology) to be certain of the effects I built in. I do not want to install and REGISTER S4 on another machine again unless it will work. I have a XP machine that has enough horsepower to handle the task of running a show but not until it is ready. Just blinky / flashy this year ... next year an entire 3 hour show with sound (MIDI to DMX is woring very well). My OLD show PC is a P4 and Windows ’98, yeah ’98 and it works just fine with the serial to RS485 bridge @ 115kbps – no it isn’t DMX speed – it is Arduino speed (for a lack of a better term) I’m thinking I should just use the DMX bridge. S4 is rather a pain when it comes down to E1.31 and sequencing as I am still trying to get Pixel Editor to work for me on a simple 50 pixel string. I gotta be missing something … allot of pressure to get something done this year and trying to work with something that is short of total chaos doesn’t help. Almost an entirely new display this year (minus the GECE pixels). Current calculation has me @ +/- 10,000 channels depending how much I get built, tested and done. This doesn’t include the several Arduinos on RS485 or DMX(simple change in bps)that run the SSRs. I’ve already constructed the many different cross over cables – LOR to DMX (RJ45 & 3-pin XLR) – Bridge to LOR – Bridge to DMX (RJ45 & 3-pin XLR) so it isn’t a total Greek tragedy. So to get this all done and tested, sure – I’d LIKE to use the dongle but will revert to alternative methods using my E6804 as a bridge (for now). It is a pain b/c it is already setup for the 1200 pixel matrix. My E682 is already doing its job … sort of. So – I am frustrated this doesn’t work ‘as advertised’. Thanks for the assist Edited November 30, 2015 by LightHouse_Papa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbltrukr1 Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Anytime I have run Windows Update I have had to reinstall the LOR USB485 drivers from the CD to get mine to work weather it was on my old XP machine or the Windows 8.1 machine I am running this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightHouse_Papa Posted December 1, 2015 Author Share Posted December 1, 2015 (edited) Hi, I went through all the stuff again ... LOR driver ... install ... restart ... insert dongle (that just doesn't sound right) ... Hardware Utility: Screw you! It refuses to open the port. Invalid port number ... **BUZZZZ* Nope, sorry - that is a incorrect answer! I can STILL use it with a COMM program - send/receive and no issues - so it is really strange HU has a problem. In all the time I've had to use FTDI stuff in the past - it is usually a headache to get to work properly and actually KEEP it working. So that's how it goes when I've used their stuff. Hmmm ... My serial port bridge to RS485 happily screams along @ 115kbps - I think I can go that route for now *IF* I can convince S4 to use it without jumping through any more hoops. Or use the E6804 DMX bridge mode. OKAY - gonna submit a trouble ticket ... obviously there is a problem with the software. UPDATE: HU does not like my laptop - Put a StarTech USB to serial COM port on - connected the serial to RS485 ... (my GO-TO always works tool) ... HU still refuses to open the com port. INVALID PORT NUMBER - yeah, right. Maybe it is time to STICK to Renard and SanDevices - obviously S4 can't handle it. Time to re-evaluate this installation before it blows up. Madrix is looking better all the time in spite of its cost. All the suggestions is appreciated - Thanks! Edited December 1, 2015 by LightHouse_Papa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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