AXE027 problems

ZOR

Senior Member
I am getting problems finding an available port for my cable. It wants port 17 but that's being used. When I look at ports with the editor I see multiple entries on ports showing AXE027 but unavailable. I am probably to blame never plugging into the same USB. I am using Windows 7, anybody know how I can clean out my ports list, as am sure not all 16 ports in use.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
How do you mean it wants port 17 but that's being used ? Windows would not likely be asking to use port 17 if it could not use that ? What is asking to use port 17 ?

Cleaning out ports list can be a little complicated. There are multiple things which need to be cleared out and it may involve tweaking the Registry. I have done it with XP but not Windows 7.

It may be better to let it use port 17 then move it to where you would like it, but I can't see any problem if it wants port 17 and that works.
 

ZOR

Senior Member
Sorry if not clear how I wrote it.

I reinstalled my cable, and the installer from rev_ed installed the cable into port 17. However when I tried to download to a 14M2 it reported not being found on Com17. When I went into options/Serial Port it showed many ports with AXE027 next to them, all saying unavailable.
PORTS.jpgPORTSB.jpg
 

ZOR

Senior Member
hippy, I just bypassed my USB hub, plugging my cable straight into a USB socket on the PC. It now uses Com3, and the download cable is scanning and found. So this USB hub must be blocking the works?

However my list still shows multiple port allocations for the cable, but also reporting them unavailable.

So happy again, but will search on clearing ports allocation, thanks
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
You seem to be using PE5 which can only access COM ports 1 through 16. We would recommend using PE6 which can use any COM port 1 through 255.

To move a cable to a port which PE5 accepts, the instructions in the AXE027 datasheet should be followed; "3.02) Changing the default COM Port Number". Basically go into Device Manager, select the PICAXE AXE027, right-click for Proerties, select Port Settings, then Advanced, the change the COM port number.
 

inglewoodpete

Senior Member
However my list still shows multiple port allocations for the cable, but also reporting them unavailable.
Plugging a USB hub into a USB port on a computer expands the number of USB ports 8-to-1. Each time you plug your AXE027 into a hub's port, your computer allocates a serial (COMx) port number. When you unplug the AXE027, your computer remembers the allocations and settings but, of course, the COM Port is unavailable because you've unplugged your hardware. To compound the intrigue, if you plug your USB hub into different ports on your computer, your computer will keep on allocating COM port numbers.

It is best if you choose just one of your computer's USB ports for your hub and use just one USB port on your hub for the AXE027 and you can keep the allocated COM port number consistent and within the range of your chosen PE.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
However my list still shows multiple port allocations for the cable, but also reporting them unavailable.
As Inglewoodpete says; Windows is allocating a new port for every different hub / socket which is used. The "unavailable" ports are those which Windows knows have been used but are not currently plugged in. Windows does not know that you have one cable which you are moving around and has to assume that you have 17 cables but only one currently plugged in; it needs to allocate a new port number in case the next thing you do is plug in those 16 other cables.

The way to avoid multiple ports and having to reinstall drivers is to always use the same connection, same hub and the same sockets to plug into.

You should also be able to keep things under control by moving every AXE027 driver instance to the same port as described above. Then, no matter which hub / socket is used, the cable should always appear on the same port. You will only get a new port number allocated when a previously unused hub / socket is used, and its port can be changed to the one you want to use.

That gets more awkward if you have two or more AXE027 cables you may want to use at the same time, but should work for a single cable. I also haven't tried that to verify that it does work.
 

ZOR

Senior Member
Thanks both. Yes obviously I have unwillingly made the problem. Problem is I have a hub on my desktop and it gets used for a variety of things. You would think Bill Gates wizz kids would have done a workround or someone out there doing a cleanup program. Never mind will try what you suggest and make all references to the cable. the same port number. Thinking how I do that as a cable only appears in devices when it's plugged in. Can't afford 17 cables (laugh)
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Never mind will try what you suggest and make all references to the cable. the same port number. Thinking how I do that as a cable only appears in devices when it's plugged in.
You need to set "devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices" as "1" as an environment variable, then open Device Manager, and select Show Hidden Devices, and then you can update the settings for all devices ...

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff184583.aspx
 

ZOR

Senior Member
Thank you so much hippy, really appreciate that. I will now clear out my ports.

All the very best


EDIT - All done and dusted, thanks again
 
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