No X2 & M2 Picaxe's in Library

Jaden

Senior Member
Hi,

I have a design which I have been working on between upgrades and I have a 40x2 and 20M2 chip in the design. Now I cannot find any of the X2 or M2 chips in the library! I am running the following versions,

Release 1.70 (Build 12325)
Windows 7 SP! (x64) v6.01, Build 7601

So I had the chips and now I do not. I have done fresh downloads and reinstalls of the VSM software and as well applied the Model patch 4.02.

No big problem at the moment as I can copy the 20M2 (I need another).

I also just renewed my license for another year.

Thanks
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
The X2 and M2 chips should be accessible via Library -> Pick Device/Symbol -> PICAXE.

What PICAXE chips are included in that and what happens if you open / simulate a Sample Design that includes an X2 or M2 chip ?
 

Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
If you have renewed your license you should be using the full 4.02 release (we never actually had a 1.70 release?)
Download the full 4.02 version install from www.picaxe.com/vsm
 

Jaden

Senior Member
Sorry Technical I ment 7.10 (Build 12325). I downloaded the latest version and installed that. The only thing I am yet to try is to uninstall VSM and reinstall.

hippy in my Library I only have the early chips as well as the M, X & X1 Picaxes.

Attached is a copy of the PICAXE Library.

I have a project I am working on that still shows the 20M2 & 40x2 chips I put in before I lost them. I can load this no problems. I have so far run a program on the 20M2 OK.

When I look at the 40x2 the LISA Model File is greyed out but says AXE40X2.MDF and it is not in the MODELS folder.

Thanks
 

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Jaden

Senior Member
OK.... A complete removal of the PICAXE VSM software.

Reinstall (Ver 4.02) and still no x2 or M2 components, Installed the Model Patch 4.02 and still no X2 or M2 Picaxe's. No idea how I originally had the x2 & M2 chips as I have two in my current circuit!
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
With a complete removal and reinstall using PICAXE VSM version 4 installer the M2 and X2 files should have been installed in the correct places even before applying any patch files, and should be available for selection.

Take a look in System -> Set Paths to check VSM is pointing to the right place ...

Library : C:\Program Files\Revolution Education\PICAXE VSM\LIBRARY
Models : C:\Program Files\Revolution Education\PICAXE VSM\MODELS

Perhaps try uninstalling then deleting any "C:\Program Files\Revolution Education\PICAXE VSM" directory to make sure there are no files lurking around to confuse things.
 
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Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
Check your 'Compatibility Files' button at the top of the Windows Explorer when browsing the C:\Program Files\Revolution Education\PICAXE VSM\LIBRARY folder.
If you have 'copies' of the old libraries in this compatibility folder delete them and then restart PICAXE VSM.
 

Jaden

Senior Member
Check your 'Compatibility Files' button at the top of the Windows Explorer when browsing the C:\Program Files\Revolution Education\PICAXE VSM\LIBRARY folder.
If you have 'copies' of the old libraries in this compatibility folder delete them and then restart PICAXE VSM.
Bazinga! Solved. After deleting all the files I could find, I totally deleted the VSM folder, yet as Technical says there were some older library files in there! Possibly hidden somewhere else? Remove them and all is as it once was. Anyway I now have the new Picaxes back.


Thanks for your help. I would also like to say to those out there that this software is well worth the bucks, I am an electronics technician by trade and this tool is so handy and much cheaper than the other VSM micro programs they offer. No need to drag out multimeters and oscilloscopes, all there! Even for hobbyists, this software is a great learning tool.
 

profbill

New Member
Many thanks for the information above!
I just experienced a problem with the X2 parts and VER 4.02 and did the following!

1. Downloaded VSM VER 4.02
2. Uninstalled VSM via the MS UNINSTALLER in the CONTROL PANEL.
3. Switched OFF UAC prior to VSM installation giving permission to VSM to install (Administrator permission)
4. Installed VSM 4.02 as guided by prompts successfully.
5. On completion switched back ON UAC.
6. Ran VSM successfully with all M and X2 parts available in the library!

Many thanks to the previous hard work done by all!

Bill.
 

Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
The main upgrade issue is that Windows Vista, 7, 8 no longer allow programs such as PICAXE VSM (ISIS) to create/save files in the Program Files folder. So when ISIS auto-creates 'indexes' of the libraries in the /LIBRARY subfolder these actually get placed in the 'compatibility files' folder rather than in the /LIBRARY folder itself.

If you then upgrade the PICAXE VSM software this library index becomes out of date. But as it is not part of the installation process it is not changed by the update.
Then, unfortunately due to the way Windows works, the new version ISIS still gets pointed to the old library index in the 'compatibility files' folder, rather than the newly installed updated libraries. Hence it doesn't 'see' the updated libraries.

The simplest solution is to simply browse to the C:\Program Files\Revolution Education\PICAXE VSM\LIBRARY sub folder, click the 'compatibility files' button at the top of Windows explorer, and then delete all files in this compatibility folder. When ISIS nexts starts the libraries will then be reindexed automatically from the correct, up to date version.

Labcenter will be fixing this issue in ISIS version 8 by moving the libraries out of the Program files folder completely.
 

profbill

New Member
Many thanks!
I have deleted the file as instructed and reinstalled!
I now seem to have a rather interesting condition as all my compiles seem to fail and give the following 2 messages:

No power supply specified for net VDD in Power Rail Configuration
Simulation FAILED due to netlist compile error(s)

I have tried a couple of reinstallations doing all that has been recommended to no avail!
I have also constructed some new simple test circuits with 08M2 and an MCP41xx plus other simple circuits to no avail- same 2 compile error messages!

I must be missing somthing very obvious so any help would be most welcome!

Bill.
 

profbill

New Member
Apologies!
My mistake!
I did not remember to check the "Configure Power Rails" for VCC, GND and VDD in "DESIGN" on the ISIS top toolbar!
VDD was not included in"nets connected to VCC/VDD.
In fact I have had to go back and check several of my designs and modify them!

Bill.
 

profbill

New Member
Many thanks for help to date!

Everything has been working well for a few days and now I have something really odd happening!

When I insert an 08M2 or any M2 part and any X2 part e.g. 28X2 in the simulation and try and run a relevant simple program
I end up not being able to and VSM gives the error message "Cannot find Model File 'AXE28X2.MDF'
VSM returns a similiar message relevant to the the M2 parts.

I started installation from scratch again complete with installation of the 403 patch but the VSM simulation behaves properly for a few reloads
and then seems to lose access/connection the MDF files for M2 and X2 parts!
Any ideas or pointers!

Bill.
 

Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
We've not come across this error before, the model file in question is part of the PICAXE model library PICAXE_IC.LML
It's either there or not - and indeed it has to be present for the simulation to work at all.
So it's as if Windows is not allowing access to that file?

Try right clicking over the PICAXE part name in the left hand parts picker and updating it.
 

profbill

New Member
This is most odd indeed!
Right click updates the file but VSM still insists it cannot find the MDF file for M2 and X2 parts!
I need to investigate further all the updates (Windows 7) etc. that I have done very recently on this system to see if anything abnormal has happened before persuing this as a VSM problem!
I will come back when I have done this!
Many thanks,

Bill.
 

Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
We suspect that the picaxe_ic.lml file is being reverted back to an older version by 'something' external to VSM.

Check there is not a cached version of this file in the /MODELS 'compatibility files' folder described a few posts back. If there are files called picaxe.lml and picaxe_ic.lml and picaxe_parts.lml in the 'compatibility files' folder they can all be deleted, then restart VSM.
 
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profbill

New Member
Many thanks!
The file I located PICAXE_IC.LML was dated 15/12/2008 and deleted.

I deleted the three PICAXE files(.LML)
The files that now exist in /MODEL and are currently:

PICAXE.LML 07/01/2011 27kb
PICAXE_IC.LML 29/06/2012 82kb
PICAXE_PARTS.LML 29/06/2012 7kb

All seems to be working at the moment!
As soon as I get time I will try and reproduce the problem and discover what is causing the change!

Bill.
 

Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
You don't need picaxe.lml any more, it's an old file and can be deleted (or rename it to .old or similar).
 

Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
Use Windows Explorer to view the folder

C:\Program Files\Revolution Education\PICAXE VSM\MODELS

Click the 'compatibility files' button at the top of the screen.
Delete all 3 files that start 'picaxe' in this folder.
Exit Windows Explorer
Restart PICAXE VSM.
 
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