Synscan update problem.

[raymo]

,I go through the sequence of events required to update my Hand controller, and when I reach update the screen tells me that there is no connection. I understand that the controller was designed to work with
an RS 232 connection and I am using the commonly used RS232 to
USB adaptor because no comps in my house have 232 ports. Other people seem to have no problems using this method, so why am I?
If the program is looking for a 232 port and not a USB one, how do
I tell it where to look?
raymo

[seeker372011]

It'd be a while since I did an update but memory suggests I had no luck with a laptop and had to use s PC for this
The Serial to USB adapter didn't seem to work

Sure others will chime in

[acropolite]

I've used an Aten usb adapter no problems on my Toshi laptop. Make sure you have the correct com port set for your device (usually Windows device manager will assign a port that's high in the range), if possible assign com 1 or 2 to the USB adapter and make sure that corresponds with the port that the update software is expecting.

[raymo]

Hi Cathy, sorry, I accidentally replied while I was still in the thread
containing your old post. Yes I did hold 0 and 8, and entered setup,
which only continued to show controller information plus LO for the
optional low update rate for slow comps.
raymo

[raymo]

I'm stumped. I have been following all the problems with the various
firmware versions for months now, and finally decided to update, and what do you know, I've got problems too.
raymo

[coldknights]

Have you another pc to try it on ? A different USB to Rs232 adaptor the lead that come with the mount is it a 9 pin DB9 at 1 end and a RJ11 at the other ?
Just trying to go through the steps and process of elimination to get it to work as there has to be a reason.
Also have you tried a different USB port ?

[raymo]

I appreciate your help. I have tried on my desktop as well as my laptop.
I bought the mount used a year ago, and it has always worked fine.
The cable I am using is new, as I didn't get one with the mount. It is actually two cables; a short one with a DB9 female on one end and USB at the other.
The other cable has the DB9 male on one end and the RJ11 plug on the other. Both supplied by my local Skywatcher dealer. He uses this set up
himself. He knows of one guy that had the same problem a while back, but unfortunately doesn't know if he overcame the problem. It is a bit
baffling because as I said, the laptop dings when I insert the USB plug,
which would suggest that there is a complete circuit through the cable.
If the cable was open circuited the PC wouldn't know it was plugged in.
Incidentally, you're up late.
raymo
P.S. I tried all 4 USB ports

[raymo]

Thanks again; I'll try and find one.
raymo

[Steffen]

Raymo, what version is it on now? IIRC, only controllers that came with version 3.0 and up are user-upgradable.

Cheers
Steffen.

[raymo]

Hi Steffen; It's ver. 3.20
raymo

[Steffen]

Ok, that's not the problem then.

Sorry, I have no suggestion apart from that, other than saying I'm successfully using a Keyspan USB-Serial adapter with the updater tool running in Parallels on my Mac.

Cheers
Steffen.

[Merlin66]

I also use a Keyspan USB>Serial adaptor, XPsp3 and haven't had any problems upgrading.....

[raymo]

Thank you all for trying to help; this is getting beyond a joke. Everything
goes fine until I press the update button, when it tells me " cannot
connect to a Synscan hand controller", or "read to end of file". The
weirdest thing is that when I plug the handset into the USB port the
device manager pops up and says the USB to serial adaptor is working
and ready for use in com port 6. I untick auto locate and enter port 6, but
it makes no difference. I'm at a loss to know who to turn to.
raymo.

[coldknights]

Hi Raymo,
Disconnect the USB lead from the USB port then clean registry out and then plug the lead back in and make sure you have a internet connection and it should download the driver and install it .or

If you have tried it all and the cables you got from a scope shop take them and the hand controller to the shop and ask him to do it for you with the cables you got from them.

http://www.bisque.com/sc/forums/p/446/430.aspx#430

[acropolite]

Raymo, you can manually assign the port used for the adapter in the device manager, you don't have to accept the automatically assigned com6.

You should also check to see if the device drivers are correctly loaded, if they're in exception you will see yellow (question from memory) marks against the device.

I suggested a few posts back that you manually assign the adapter as com 1 or 2 for good reason, as often software won't work correctly on higher number ports despite being able to select those higher ports within the application.

I always permanently disable the FIFO Buffering in the device manager as well as temporarily disabling firewall, AV and anti spyware as they can upset the timing of the data stream.

We regularly upgrade PABX software and some of the upgrade packages we use will not work if the firewall/ AV and anti spyware is in operation and the FIFO buffer enabled, sounds weird, but it happens.

You should also be able to run hyperterminal and check to see if the adapter is working by looping back TX and RX data on the DB9 connector of the adapter (pins 2 and 3). Any characters typed should be echoed back on the screen.

[guggle]

Not all USB to Serial adapters work properly. Someone mentioned the Aten brand earlier in this thread. We use them at work for specific USB to serial purposes and have had no problems with them, but just about every other brand causes grief. Unfortunately, they can be hard to find.

Good luck.

[acropolite]

The Aten adapter is easy to find online. http://www.shopbot.com.au/aten-usb-to-serial/price/australia/518102

[raymo]

Hi Cathy, Thanks for the PM, I'll have a look at my desktop's
motherboard. Regarding your recent post; I have a particular difficulty
in that I am pushing 80 and not highly comp literate, and have no idea how to clean out the registry.It is all compounded by the fact that the
scope shop is an 8hr round trip[about $75 in petrol].
raymo

[raymo]

Thanks for all the posts that arrived in the last few minutes. I will look into all the suggestions. There were quite a few, so it will take a while.
raymo

[coldknights]

Hi Raymo ,
I understand your situation and I can only hope that someone over your way that reads this Thread can help you and maybe able to pop in and do the update for you.
Sorry I can not help you any better then I have, thems the breaks for living on the other side of Australia.
One last thing I have to ask are you plugging the cable into the rs232 port on the bottom of the hand controller which is the connector next to where the handcontroller cable goes and disconnecting the handcontroller cable and plugging the power lead from the mount to the bottom of the hand controller .

[raymo]

Thanks again Cathy, and in answer to your question, yes I am. Now I've
got to try all the things suggested by the other posters.
raymo

[raymo]

Hi Phil, have disabled FIFO, firewall, AV, etc: Have checked for latest drivers. Device manager says latest drivers already installed, and
adaptor working and ready for use. Have manually selected every port
in turn up to no.12. Same result, "cannot connect to Synscan controller.
Have installed HyperTerminal, but can find nothing in it that I could
use to test the adaptor.
raymo

[2stroke]

I would just by a com header if you motherboard has one or a pci/pcie com card. My dedicated astro pc has 3 real com and 2 LTP now because of the bad luck with usb adaptors.

http://www.scorptec.com.au/computer/46808-at-cp2s1pl something like this is all you need.

[raymo]

Thanks to everyone for their help. The problem has been solved; and
now you can all have a laugh and wonder what kind of a dill brain I am.
As I said at some stage, I'm not very comp literate, and hence I didn't
know that the firmware had to be unzipped[ or, indeed, how to do it.]
It often turns out to be the simplest, stupidest things. 3.35 works fine,
and now I have an SAO selection, I am wondering how many SAO stars
are in the database.Anyone know?
raymo

[acropolite]

Good to hear you resolved the problem Raymo, you've probably learned quite a bit in the process so it's not a wasted exercise.

[raymo]

Spot on Phil.
raymo