comm port problems

[Tumbledown]

The problem is that the port assigned to the Axe027 cable seems to move about after the cable is disconnected/reconnected.

I am running win7 64bit, axe027 cable and have good communication with my test board. I can run and download programs.
I have updated to the latest drivers, Logicator and Picaxe Programming Editor and always attach the cable to the same USB port.
I assigned port 2 in the system device driver for the axe027 and port 2 in the Logicator and things are OK at first.
The next time I connect the cable and try to run, I get the port not available but another port shows available.
Then I try the Picaxe Programming Editor and it works on port 2.
I try the Logicator and the port is unavailable.
I can't use port 2 until I go back to the control panel and change to the new port there.
Now when I look at the picaxe type/ports settings, it show 2 unavailable axe027 ports and a third one available.

I have fixed this one time by uninstalling the Picaxe Programming Editor and reinstalling it.
Is there a problem running the Logicator sometimes and then the Picaxe Programming Editor other times?
How do you make the USB connect to the same serial port everytime?

 

[westaust55]

With the Programming Editor (at V5.5.1) at least with WinXP,

if you start the PR with the AXE027 cable connected, the PE allocates the same COM port as previously set.

if you start the PE without the AXE027 cable connected the the PE assigns COM1 as the com port. when you select OPTIONS/Serial Port it will show the AXE027 against the assigned port and indicate it as "(not available)" since the cable is not connected.


In the latter case it is easy enough after the AXE027 cable has been connected to select the correct COM port from the toolbar by selecting OPTIONS/Serial Port where the AXE027 should now be displayed as "(ready for use)" so select/apply the correct COM port and it should all work.

I do not currently have Logicator installed so cannot check whether I would see the same situation.
I can imaging if you ran the PE and closed that then started Logicator some resources such as COM ports may still be seen as in use and thus starting Logicator to use the same cable would report the Port/cable as not available.

 

[Technical]

How do you make the USB connect to the same serial port everytime?

It sounds like you may be accidentally inserting the AXE027 cable into different USB sockets. You should always use the same socket on the computer, then the COM port will remain constant.

So
1) Insert AXE027 into same USB socket
2) Insert AXE027 before starting the software
3) Only run PE or Logicator at one time (not both at same time, so exit one before opening the other)

If you do this the allocated COM port should remain constant.

 

[Tumbledown]

Thanks for the replies.
I did state that I am using the same USB port.
I run the PE without the cable when I am programming but quit the program before inserting the cable again.
When I start up the PE again, the port that was working is labeled as not available.
I don't understand this.

 

[Buzby]

.. the port that was working is labeled as not available.
I don't understand this.

Don't believe the 'not available' notice.

I've had loads of times where Windows says some USB device is unavailable, but I could still use it.

I now treat that notice as "might not be available" !.

 

[hippy]

I run the PE without the cable when I am programming but quit the program before inserting the cable again.
When I start up the PE again, the port that was working is labeled as not available.
I don't understand this.

It is difficult to follow exactly what you are doing or to determine exactly what is happening. "Not available" will occur for an AXE027 COM port that no longer has a cable connected but the COM port number of the AXE027 should not be moving around or new AXE027 entries being created unless using a different USB socket.

It is probably just coincidence that re-installing the Programming Editor seemingly once fixed the issue as it has no bearing on COM port availability or configuration, simply reports what the Windows OS says is available or not.

 

[Tumbledown]

Thanks hippy, reinstalling the PE solved the problem