Vista 64bit drivers for AXE027

[QuIcK]

impartation:
Vista wouldnt let me install drivers. I dont know how, or why.
when i plugged in the usb cable it would say "found new hardware, searching for drivers"... I thought, brilliant... here we go.
So, as there isnt a standard driver for the usb cable, it came up saying "Driver not found" and gives you the option to locate the driver yourself or check online for support.
Clicking on "locate driver yourself" (as I had downloaded the 64-bit xp drivers from http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/software.htm), I browsed to, and selected, the folder where i extracted the driver files, and clicked next.
It eventually came up saying "Unable to install drivers".

Solution:
Plug in the usb cable, and try going through the wizard. If it doesnt work then:

open control panel, and search for device manager (its in System And Maintenance -> System -> Device manager on the left-hand bar)

There should be 2 unknown devices. either refresh the view or open all the submenues (cant remember where they were, and i cant be bothered uninstalling it just to find out)

right click on one of the unknown devices, open the properties, and press the "Reinstall Drivers" button.

In the wizard that opens, there should be an option to "Browse computer for software".

on the page that opens click the "Let me pick from a list of device drivers" button.

choose "Show all devices" (or similar)

then click "Have Disk" and navigate to the folder you extracted the drivers to, and select one of the available files (cant remember which is which, i think vista will figure it out tho)

finish the wizard, accepting the fact that it is an unsigned driver.

repeat for the other unkown device.

 

[westaust55]

@quick,
why not impart your knopwledge/experience for other who may switch to Vista in the future rather than just delete the post.

EDIT: Was it this post that helped:
http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12175

which leads here: http://www.scannermaster.com/USB_Cable_p/01-551038.htm

 

[QuIcK]

updated.
and no. i did read through it, but it didnt help.
i just messed around until i found a way to point vista to the driver.

 

[westaust55]

Thanks for that information.

May help others in the future including me, if and when I ever moved from Win XP to Vista.

 

[tiscando]

I happened to have a 64-bit Vista OS on my new advent PC, and I downloaded the axe027 drivers extracted it into the downloads folder, and then plug the axe027 USB. I went through the wizard and came to the 'browse folder for drivers', and specified to look in (username)/downloads, and they are installed and the axe027 works.
Then another day, I turn the computer on, and it failed to boot up, so it went through it's OS repair program and on the first time, corrupted the driver and the driver files.
When it booted up again, I installed the drivers again after re-plugging the axe027, then the computer went through the OS repair twice, but this time, it didn't corrupt the driver, but deleted all my copied VSM schematic .DSN files, but not to worry because I kept all the originals on my memory stick.

Next, when I plugged it in, I heard the 'hardware connected' noise, but the 'install drivers' window didn't pop up. When I tested it in PE, it works. Downloaded a picaxe program and it worked also.

I was going to change my new PC because of two other problems, but those problems seem to be going away, so along with my axe027 working with my new PC, I've finally decided to keep it.
And I recently haven't gone through this PC repair again.

 

[tiscando]

Actually, if I have the axe027 usb plugged in while the computer is booting up, the system restarts before the Vista logo would have been displayed, and then prompts to do a startup repair. Here, I unplug the axe027, then select the 'start windows normally' option as opposed to launching the repair, and then Vista sucsessfully booted up completely this time.

So, I have to take the axe027 usb cable out before the computer boots.

My PC is an Advent q6003 with a 64-bit Vista OS. Here, the axe027 usb may be causing download problems.


axe027 wiring: I have shaved the sheath off the part of the cable near the stereo plug for wiring to a molex header: firstly, I completely cut through the cores, and I continuty tested which cores are connected to the tip and rings on the stereo plug, in my case it is the black core for tip for gnd; orange for mid ring for Rx; yellow for outer ring for Tx. Then I wired them to a kk molex header in the same order as I did with my axe026, and I sucsessfully downloaded with both. I'm sure the molex attachment to the cable doesn't have any short-circuits, as I've sucsessfully downloaded a picaxe on a breadboard with it.

I could see 3 extra wires - brown, red and green wires that are not connected to the stereo socket. What could they be? I cannot find about them in the axe027 datasheet.

Also, does the rs232 'break' command switch the Rx line high, like the serial test does?

 

[hippy]

That Vista is deleting your VSM schemtics suggest something is unstable or incorrect with your PC or OS installation, or you are storing them in a place that Vista does not tolerate. This would seem to be a Vista issue which would be best directed towards your PC supplier.

The AXE027 cable comes completely assembled so I do not know what the additional wires in the cable are. They may be unused, connected to unused points on the FTDI driver or may simply double-up the used cables for higher-current capacity or reliability. The AXE027 circuit diagram doesn't show them because it's a functional diagram.

As to the "RS232 'break' command" I don't understand the context there.

 

[tiscando]

That Vista is deleting your VSM schemtics suggest something is unstable or incorrect with your PC or OS installation, or you are storing them in a place that Vista does not tolerate.

The VSM files were stored in C:/users/(username)/documents/backup of 2gb nano/picaxe files/(various folders with the .dsn files in)

Now they are stored in C:/users/(username)/backup of 2gb nano/picaxe files/(various folders with the .dsn files in) to shorten folder paths.

the 'backup of 2gb nano' folder contains exactly what's in my memory stick.

The OS was already installed on my PC before it was delivered.

The AXE027 cable comes completely assembled so I do not know what the additional wires in the cable are... or may simply double-up the used cables for higher-current capacity or reliability.

Those extra wires are not connected to the stereo connector.

As to the "RS232 'break' command" I don't understand the context there

What does the RS232 break command do? Does the serial test send a 'break' command to switch the Rx (picaxe's serial in) line high when I click on the on-screen LED, or is it a different command that switches the Rx line high?

 

[hippy]

The serial test toggles the PC's / USB-to-Serial TX out high and low which in turn drives the Serial In high and low. A high on an RS232 signal line for an extended period of time is commonly called 'a break signal'.

The Programming Editor requests the OS to set the serial line high or low and the OS and any involved drivers does that using a variety of mechanisms depending on type of serial interface used.