alternative serial cable
- Thread starter aduy
- Start date
Is there such a thing as a serial port that plugs into the CD drive slot on the laptop as I won't use both at the same time and the massive button on it causes it to open whenever the wind blows so I just end up pulling it out anyway. The CD drive uses SATA.
Not too much.
Fe eNothing wrong with wanting to save money Ec.
The other day I drove 30 miles to save 20p on fuel.
Is there an 'irony' smily?
Oh very good Ec.
You can get a serial interface which takes signals from the screen. You just araldite it on in the middle.
As an aside, I bought a PCMCIAAMI6RACVDAA (or whatever that slot is called) serial RS232 adaptor made by Brain Boxes.
http://www.brainboxes.com/
Absolutely flawless and top quality , but well beyond most people's pocket money.
You can get a serial interface which takes signals from the screen. You just araldite it on in the middle.
As an aside, I bought a PCMCIAAMI6RACVDAA (or whatever that slot is called) serial RS232 adaptor made by Brain Boxes.
http://www.brainboxes.com/
Absolutely flawless and top quality , but well beyond most people's pocket money.
@nick
Two ends of the price continuum:
http://www.brainboxes.com/serial-to-usb-desktop-and-lab
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=serial+port&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Your choice.
e
Two ends of the price continuum:
http://www.brainboxes.com/serial-to-usb-desktop-and-lab
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=serial+port&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Your choice.
e
With a baud rate of either 60 or 75 depending on screen refresh rate it isn't going to work with PICAXE!
That costs considerably more than the AXE027 and my laptop doesn't have a slot for that since the technology's getting out of date like serial ports.
Again the brain boxes one is much more than the AXE027 and the e-bay ones will probably be equally useless as the one I already have.
Has anyone used the USB-to-Serial adaptor sold in Techsupplies?
Yes, I used to use the USB10.
However, for an extra £2.40 (£9.59 - £11.99)
I opted for the AXE027. (Less wires)
e
Did it work on Windows 7 64-bit?
Also, that difference will have to be spent on delivery from Techsupplies as they don't have a trade counter ("visits by appointment only").
Can you or a Rev-Ed employee confirm if this is the adaptor sold by Rev-Ed: http://www.rapidonline.com/Cables-Connectors/Cables/Computer/USB-to-Serial-adaptor-9-way-male/400921 as Techsupplies sells a lot of stuff from Rapid including 'high grade solrer'.
Its not that the technology of serial ports is going out of date, I am sure that we will have RS232 devices for many years to come.
What has happened is that there are not many devices that the average PC or Notebook PC connects to that needs serial these days, so they dont fit the ports.
Yes. A genuine USB010 and other PL2303-based cables.
I haven't personally tested it on Windows 7 64-bit but we have independent forum reports of it working on Windows 7, 32-bit and 64-bit systems.
I personally can't confirm it. It looks like a USB010, but then so do many others.
Thanks for the reply.
I am seeing the same thing Using a Silabs CP2102 USB to TTL adapter & 74HC14 Inverter. Picaxe downloads with the CP2102 are consistently 3 times faster than with an FTDI based adapter.
3725 bytes
FTDI = 77 seconds
CP2102 = 24 seconds
I have never had a failed download with either.
Reliability is more important to me than speed in downloading, but I am getting both with the CP2102.
Plus the 2102 Module has both 5v and 3.3v outputs that can power the breadboard.
Cost $3.99 shipping Included.
Goey
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I've tried making an adaptor to fix the problem (see picture). It's simply a 3.5mm socket connected to a 3.5mm plug but there's a push-to-make switch connected to the Serial In line and pressing it connects it to 5v through a 1k resistor and a diode prevents the serial adaptor from sucking up the small current. When the button is pressed, the PICAXE resets. A download can still be performed normally using a computer with a proper serial port. It makes downloading better using the serial adaptor but since there was no downloading before, 'better' doesn't mean a lot so by better, I mean the computer will acknowledge the PICAXE's existence occasionally if the button is briefly tapped repeatedly but any download process will fail pretty much instantly.
---EDIT--- Dial-up users should look at the first image provided by eclectic rather than mine as his is the same image but downscaled so it'll load quicker.
Where do I get one?
---EDIT--- Dial-up users should look at the first image provided by eclectic rather than mine as his is the same image but downscaled so it'll load quicker.
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@nick12ab
A couple of points.
1. Your jpeg images are nearly half a megabyte.
Some users are on dialup, and this could cause them problems.
Can you reduce the image size please?
2. More difficult.
Do you have a better camera, or
a flatbed scanner / all in one printer.
The flatbed is excellent for circuit boards.
e
A couple of points.
1. Your jpeg images are nearly half a megabyte.
Some users are on dialup, and this could cause them problems.
Can you reduce the image size please?
2. More difficult.
Do you have a better camera, or
a flatbed scanner / all in one printer.
The flatbed is excellent for circuit boards.
e
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To duplicate my setup you will need a breadboard, a 74HC14 IC, and
2 .1uf Caps.
The CP2102 Module I use came from Ebay (US) Item #330584326615.
Current EBAY UK Item # 230647447668.
Current EBAY US Item # 230648266272
It arrived from Hong Kong to here in the US in less than 10 days.
You can get the 74HC14 just about anywhere. DO NOT try to substitute a 74HCT version.
You will need the VCP drivers from Silabs.
http://www.silabs.com/Support Documents/Software/CP210x_VCP_Win_XP_S2K3_Vista_7.exe
Attached is a Pebble based graphic of my setup with an 18M2. You will need to make the appropriate changes for other Picaxe with different power and Serial Pins.
NOTE: THIS IS NOT A RS232 LEVEL DEVICE WITH ALL RS-232 SERIAL I/O'S. IT IS STRICTLY FOR PICAXE DOWNLOADING & DEBUGING / SERTXD / SERRXD. THE CP2102 HAS ALL SERIAL I/0's ON CHIP BUT THEY ARE NOT BROUGHT OUT ON THIS ADAPTER BOARD.
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The camera has selectable resolutions so I'll use a lower resolution next time (640x480 or 1280x960). It's a mobile phone camera. I do have an all-in-one printer so I'll use that from now on when scanning circuit boards that don't have stuff sticking far off of them.
Thanks for that but that one is an auction rather than just a sale.
- What's wrong with the HCT version
- Can the 4069/40106 be used instead?
Don't use a lower resolution.
It'll make things worse.
Plenty of light / stabilise the phone / highest possible resolution.
Then, use software to shrink the filesize.
I took your original pic,
sharpened it, then adjusted lighting, then shrank the size.
e
No, it is a completely different make and brand.
Fer crying out loud Nick, get a little positive in your thinking. The same module is offered via sale as well. Just do a little research.
HCT will not work with 3.3v Logic should someone chose to use the 3.3v output of the Module as the supply voltage. If you really want to know why then look up & read the datasheet.
CD series logic should work ok. However the current sinking/sourcing of CD series logic is only about 2ma. Where the HC logic can source/ sink about 10 ma. This may be important should a project need the extra inverter pins to drive an LED for example. I find myself needing to invert/buffer signals quite often in some of my projects. And yes CD4000 logic will work up to 15v or more. However it takes 2/3 Vcc to trigger it. So for example you have the CD4000 Vcc at 12v it will not trigger with a 5v Logic signal.
As far as it goes, you could forget the logic chip and use 2 cheap transistors for the inversion. But you will then need to add 4 resistors. One on the base and one on the collector of each.
I have shown you what will work and what is the easiest to implement.
If you want to make substitutions from the get go, then, well, you are on your own.
Goey
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The holy (cheap) possible Grail?
how many days have you spent on this quest?
And how many days/weeks until the ebay item arrives?
Please check your PM (Near top right of this page)
e
Nick,
how many days have you spent on this quest?
And how many days/weeks until the ebay item arrives?
Please check your PM (Near top right of this page)
e
I've spent around 3-4 days on this. Here's a timeline:
14/07/2011 - It arrives stuffed in a small padded envelope complete with bent 9way-25way adaptor and frisbee
14/07/2011 - I try various drivers including latest, Rev-Ed's and the ones on the frisbee. RS232 break signalling doesn't work.
15/07/2011 - Try again!
16/07/2011 - I disassemble it to see if there's a solder jumper to enable break signalling - there isn't
17/07/2011 - I make that useless adaptor to try and simulate the break signal
14/07/2011 - It arrives stuffed in a small padded envelope complete with bent 9way-25way adaptor and frisbee
14/07/2011 - I try various drivers including latest, Rev-Ed's and the ones on the frisbee. RS232 break signalling doesn't work.
15/07/2011 - Try again!
16/07/2011 - I disassemble it to see if there's a solder jumper to enable break signalling - there isn't
17/07/2011 - I make that useless adaptor to try and simulate the break signal
It's there now.
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I have windows 7 64-bit, and i use a prolific 2303 adapter. the way to do it is download the vista 32 driver. right click it > properties > compatibility > select vista. then run it an it works took me 5 minutes to figure it out, and it works like that for other programs as well.
The driver is the same for both systems anyway. I'll try it anyway.
Here is some advise from Prolific.
"Prolific strongly recommend to only purchase USB-to-Serial cables from company-branded products providing technical support.
It is not advisable to buy from unknown cable makers (no-brand cables) made in China. Prolific does not manufacturer any end-product cables and will not provide direct support to end-users."
Reference: http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/FAQs.asp?ID=50
In other words:
Caveat Emptor
lbenson
Senior Member
Caveat Emptor, but I have a number of PL2303 adaptors which will program a PICAXE, and a number which will not. The ones which will not are OK for other PICAXE serial, or for serial on Linux devices, so I assume the issue is the "break" signal (I haven't scoped them).
I also have a ChipHead CH340 adaptor which will program a picaxe, but which gives garbage when you send with sertxd. I don't understand that one.
And I have a Rev Ed cable which works for everything.
I also have a ChipHead CH340 adaptor which will program a picaxe, but which gives garbage when you send with sertxd. I don't understand that one.
And I have a Rev Ed cable which works for everything.
Nick,
I use one of these with an inverter and it works fine on 08M ....
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/USB-TTL-6-pin-Module-use-cp2102-arm9-max232-max2332-/280498379392?pt=AU_Components&hash=item414f019a80
I use one of these with an inverter and it works fine on 08M ....
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/USB-TTL-6-pin-Module-use-cp2102-arm9-max232-max2332-/280498379392?pt=AU_Components&hash=item414f019a80
wow the new forum looks great! and does anyone know how to take a part one of the prolific cables, cause mine is way too long, with the usb cable and the the serial cable attached together its like 12 feet, i only need it to be 3 feet. also when i do my controller mods with the picaxe i was considering putting one of these usb to serial chips inside the controller, and having a mini usb jack on the controller, but seeing as there are major driver issues, i think i will just stick with the 3.5mm jack and use the serial. If i were to do that the drivers would need to install automatically.
oh look i can insert an image in the post from my computer, not just an attachment... yay! heres a circuit for a controller, just to test it, and it doesn't open a new webpage either it just pops up on the same page.
oh look i can insert an image in the post from my computer, not just an attachment... yay! heres a circuit for a controller, just to test it, and it doesn't open a new webpage either it just pops up on the same page.
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Push a small screwdriver under the DB9 plug and prise it out enough so that it can be gripped with fingers. Then continue pulling it out. It'll be hard but the cable shouldn't break off.
It didn't work. I reckon that the driver in my cable isn't a genuine prolific at all but just a cheap knock-off where the manufacturer has applied the Prolific USB settings to their own rubbish chip so that it runs using the Prolific drivers and they don't have to make their own drivers.
And isn't properly set up yet so in documentation there are various [ARGx=Undefined]s where strings such as 'PICAXE Forum' should go.
Eclectic sent me a free USB010 adapter and it worked straight away, so the one from Amazon clearly had a counterfeit chipset. The Amazon one also used a COB package for the I.C. so that they wouldn't have to put effort into doing the fake chip markings properly as it would look different from the real thing. Downloading the program to display the message below on a OLED took half a second with the adapter which means that this adapter is also faster than a standard computer serial port so I might be able to use the recent thread on speeding up AXE027 downloads.
An addition: While reading through the documentation about tags, for the quote tags, the linked one leads to post 175553, which is this one!
EDIT: It just turns out that the number used in the documentation changes to the latest post in the forum every time a new post is made.
An addition: While reading through the documentation about tags, for the quote tags, the linked one leads to post 175553, which is this one!
EDIT: It just turns out that the number used in the documentation changes to the latest post in the forum every time a new post is made.
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Which, I think, confirms the
"Buy from Rev-Ed" posts earlier.
Costs a bit more, but they work.
e
The AXE010 uses a Prolific Chipset and driver. I have only seen the latency timer adjustment available with FTDI drivers.
I doubt that you can speed up downloads with the AXE010 any further than they are. Not unless the driver allows changing
the latency timer.
Why is download speed so important anyway ? Are we getting so impatient that an extra few seconds to download
a program onto a Picaxe is unbearable ? The speed you should be really concerned with is when using sertxd / serrxd or serin /serout,
or hserin/out after the program has downloaded.
- I didn't mean on the Rev-Ed adaptor, I meant on a normal computer serial port. No, I can't do that as I have just checked.
- For download speed importance, some people want to mass-program PICAXE chips. Then it's important. Even so, why not? Using the slow mode would be like running a PICAXE-40X2 at 4MHZ and no-one does that!
I can't imagine more than a handful of people that would ever have the need to mass-program Picaxe Chips, since the target market is mostly educational/ hobby. Which is not to say that a Picaxe cannot be used in a commercial product. I sell several products using both Picaxe 14M and 8M. But the volume is less than 20 devices per month. It simply would not make any sense (MFG cost wise) to use a Picaxe in a true high volume product when the Picaxe can cost over 4 times more than the Identical PIC. ( PIC18F25K22 @ $2.05 US vs Picaxe 28X2@$8.76 US. - @Qty 100). For me the Picaxe shines in the areas of rapid development and proof of concept.
And FYI, yes people do run 40 Pin Micros at 4 Mhz even if it can run at 32 or 64. Why ? Because the Micro was selected for the number of I/0s or ADC's and not for its Oscillator Speed. Sometimes peripherals demand lower MCU speeds. Here in the US certain Federal Regulations kick in around 3 Mhz for unintentional RF radiation devices so that any commercial product that has an oscillator greater than that must be FCC tested and approved (which runs the development cost up.) .... Faster is not always better.
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Download speed matters a lot to me. I don't recall much of my code ever working the first time I downloaded it, or the second, or the third....
I simply keep changing my code over and over until it works, so the download speed determines my programming speed and I spend most of my time just waiting for the download. So far, faster downloads matter more to me than faster processor clock speeds.
I simply keep changing my code over and over until it works, so the download speed determines my programming speed and I spend most of my time just waiting for the download. So far, faster downloads matter more to me than faster processor clock speeds.
I guess I've never had a DL speed issue since I have always used my own USB DL circuit based on the CP2102. (3 x Faster than Serial or FTDI)
To keep things in prospective, try programming 500 lines of code into a regular PIC in PIC PiC Basic Pro or in C and then compiling and downloading. You would appreciate even the slowest DL with the Picaxe Platform.
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I still load all my code via serial cable, so perhaps it's not as quick as via USB. 2K of code can take awhile.
Years ago I downloaded (uploaded?) programs from audio "data" tapes into my very first computers, after first copying them in by hand from hobbyist magazines. I'm pleased programs load quite a bit faster these days, and they "save" a whole lot easier, because my programming skills haven't improved by much. In fact, I'd say they've deteriorated. So anything Rev. Ed. can do to help, (like the nice Editor and all the wizards,) the better.
Years ago I downloaded (uploaded?) programs from audio "data" tapes into my very first computers, after first copying them in by hand from hobbyist magazines. I'm pleased programs load quite a bit faster these days, and they "save" a whole lot easier, because my programming skills haven't improved by much. In fact, I'd say they've deteriorated. So anything Rev. Ed. can do to help, (like the nice Editor and all the wizards,) the better.