No Comm Port and Compatability Question

[javerill]

I have decided to use an older laptop computer to run my shows on. I noticed I do not have a comm port listed in the device manager. I do not have the original cd's and I am not sure I can locate the windows cd.

Is it possible to install the comm port without a cd? I did try to add hardware but had no luck.



I have 6 boards from LOR and I hope they will work together. they are the ctb16pv v1, ctb16dv5 and ctb08.



Jim

[evan.a]

yes you can , you can use this as a comm (staples). they also have wireless cards as well. this one has a rj 45 connection at the end. its next to the link light.



here's the wireless.

[cmoore60]

Jim,

Does the laptop have a USB port? You could obtain a usb to serial adapter or just purchase one of the USB LOR adapters.

Note: not all usb to serial adapters are known to work with LOR, so I would recommend obtaining from LOR.



Chuck

[cmoore60]

Evana,

Are you sure the RJ45 on the end of that card is NOT a ethernet netowrk connection. LOR is not ethernet, it is a 485 network, which essentially a serial network.



Chuck

[evan.a]

jim needs to explain why he needs the comm port. is it to connect to the network or the lor controler.

[JeffF]

javerill wrote:

Is it possible to install the comm port without a cd? I did try to add hardware but had no luck.

Jim

Go to the laptop companies website and see if the drivers are available there. Most companies leave these "legacy" downloads available for people who still use their old equipment.

If you have trouble finding them, give us your laptops brand and model number and I'm sure someone can help you find the software(or maybe they actually have the CD).

Good luck,
Jeff

[javerill]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the respone. I believe I have my comm port figurerd out. Thats why this group rocks!



Jim

[cmoore60]

Jim

Will you let us know how we were able to help?

Chuck

[javerill]

ok, so I might have spoken a little early I now have a comm port listed in my device manager BUT it isn't working and I am still back where I started.

Do I need a driver for the LOR to work?

I see a USB-Serial controller listed but it has an error beside it.

I also have a comm port 4 listed but when I run my LOR Hardware, it only checks comm 3. Is there a way to change that to Comm 3?

Thanks again for your help!



Jim

[LightORamaDan]

javerill wrote:

ok, so I might have spoken a little early I now have a comm port listed in my device manager BUT it isn't working and I am still back where I started.

Do I need a driver for the LOR to work?

I see a USB-Serial controller listed but it has an error beside it.

I also have a comm port 4 listed but when I run my LOR Hardware, it only checks comm 3. Is there a way to change that to Comm 3?

Thanks again for your help!

Jim

It sounds like the USB drivers are not installed correctly. You will most likely need to remove them then re-install.

Please take a look at the attached trouble shooting guide. Specifically pages 8, 9 and 10 will show how to un-install and re-install the drivers.

Dan

Attached files

RS485_Adapter_Troubleshooting.pdf

[JeffF]

My notebook computer also uses comm port 4 for the USB ports. For some reason the LOR Hardware Utility was not looking at comm port 4 so I had to set it under the LOR Sequence Editor first. After setting it there, the Hardware Utility would work fine.

Like Dan says though... sounds like you also have a problem with the USB driver. Once you get that fixed, try what I mentioned above, it worked for me and hopefully can work for you.

Good luck.

[javerill]

Thanks for the suggestions. Dad I did as the PDF suggested and I know it did something but I am not sure it worked as I wished. I am now getting more errors then when I started.

BTW, I am using a Toshiba Satellite Laptop with Windows XP SP-2.

Here are the different messages I am now getting. I hope they point to what I am doing wrong.



THANKS FOR THE HELP!!!




Attached files

[javerill]

Error1

Attached files

[javerill]

I am getting this error no matter what port I try to select in the network connections of the sequence editor.

Attached files

[javerill]

error4

Attached files

[javerill]

error5

Attached files

[evan.a]

javerill wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions. Dad I did as the PDF suggested and I know it did something but I am not sure it worked as I wished. I am now getting more errors then when I started.

Did I miss a post? Are we calling Dan (Dad)? Lmao

are you using a sc485 or a rs485?
picture 1 and 2 is not seeing your 485.Picture 3 is telling you you cant control your lights. very common when your just sequencing and dont have your 485 connected. dont remeber 4 but picture 5 is showing your hardware, right click on the ? and click update. after that refresh see if your ? goes away. if that doesnt help, right click the ? and uninstall. unplug the 485. plug in your 485 and see if you hear 2 tone. your hardware wizard should come up. after your done on picture on click on auto config.

[LightORamaDan]

evana wrote:

javerill wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions. Dad I did as the PDF suggested and I know it did something but I am not sure it worked as I wished. I am now getting more errors then when I started.

Did I miss a post? Are we calling Dan (Dad)? Lmao

[snip]

The Dad typo is funny... I didn't notice it...

It seems like there is still a USB driver problem. When you went through the trouble shooting, did you use the FTCLEAN then run the EXE that installs the USB drivers without the USB adapter attached?

Dan;)

[javerill]

LightORamaDan wrote:

evana wrote:

javerill wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions. DaN I did as the PDF suggested and I know it did something but I am not sure it worked as I wished. I am now getting more errors then when I started.

The Dad typo is funny... I didn't notice it...

It seems like there is still a USB driver problem. When you went through the trouble shooting, did you use the FTCLEAN then run the EXE that installs the USB drivers without the USB adapter attached? YES

Here is a new wrinkle to the problem. I hooked up the adapter to a laptop that has vista installed and it loaded the drivers and works perfect!

My desktop still doesnt work. HOWEVER, a friend came over with his adapters and we tried them and BAM it worked.

It looks like I have old school equipement and his is new school. Could that make a difference?




Attached files

[LightORamaDan]

Things make more sense now.

That blue thing is a USB-232 adapter that is connected to the SC485 which is a 232-485 adapter. All the drivers we have been talking about do not pertain to that blue adapter.

That adapter would have come with a very tiny CD folded in the cardboard packing. It is so small many people do not even notice it. The drivers we were taking about do not pertain to that adapter. Is there a model number / manufacture name on the device? At LOR we have sold a variety of different USB-232 converters.