Weird driver problem

A friend of mine bought a CNC machine and hooked his laptop to it with a
tailor made usb (laptop end) to RS232 15 pin (CNC end) cable. The guy
who made the cable is a CNC expert and has no problem uploading
instructions to the CNC machine from his own laptop when using that cable.

My friend's laptop, on the other hand, generates a "Found new hardware"
wizard which asks for the location of drivers for a "usb-serial
controller D". I've looked all over the internet for such drivers but
can find nothing in the way of drivers that work. Also, I don't know
what the wizard is referring to because we didn't install any such
controller into my friend's laptop. He's running XP Pro SP3 on the
laptop and we can't get it online because of its location. We can move
the laptop into his house and get it online, but since the CNC machine
weights over 9,000 lbs. and fills a room, we can't move it along with
the laptop so that the computer will generate the wizard.

When the wizard is generated, it doesn't matter whether or not the CNC
machine is fired up or not. If you disconnect the usb to serial cable
before starting the computer, the wizard doesn't pop up. However, the
second you connect the cable to the laptop, whether or not the CNC
machine is powered up, the wizard appears.

Does anybody know what's going on here?

TIA

--
John Corliss

John Corliss wrote:
A friend of mine bought a CNC machine and hooked his laptop to it with a
tailor made usb (laptop end) to RS232 15 pin (CNC end) cable. The guy
who made the cable is a CNC expert and has no problem uploading
instructions to the CNC machine from his own laptop when using that cable.

My friend's laptop, on the other hand, generates a "Found new hardware"
wizard which asks for the location of drivers for a "usb-serial
controller D". I've looked all over the internet for such drivers but
can find nothing in the way of drivers that work. Also, I don't know
what the wizard is referring to because we didn't install any such
controller into my friend's laptop. He's running XP Pro SP3 on the
laptop and we can't get it online because of its location. We can move
the laptop into his house and get it online, but since the CNC machine
weights over 9,000 lbs. and fills a room, we can't move it along with
the laptop so that the computer will generate the wizard.

When the wizard is generated, it doesn't matter whether or not the CNC
machine is fired up or not. If you disconnect the usb to serial cable
before starting the computer, the wizard doesn't pop up. However, the
second you connect the cable to the laptop, whether or not the CNC
machine is powered up, the wizard appears.

Does anybody know what's going on here?

TIA


Bring the USB to RS232 cable, to a machine with a connection to the
Internet, while you're experimenting. You may be able to resolve the
issue that way. That is, as long as the adapter cable is not
permanently affixed to the CNC. Nothing needs to be connected to the
RS232 end, while you work on this issue.

I have a couple USB to RS232 adapters here, that I bought at a local
computer store (they don't have to be "custom", they're a standard item).
They use FTDI brand chips inside, and use an FTDI
driver. The product packaging came with a mini-CD, which I would
never stick in an optical drive. That left going to the FTDI
site to get drivers.

Your adapter could use an FTDI or Prolific chipset (there could be other
brands, so that isn't an exhaustive list). When the adapter
is connected to your (working) laptop, open Device Manager. Look
in the "Universal Serial Bus controllers" section. Find the "USB
Serial Converter" entry. Right-click on it and do "Properties",
then use the "Details" tab. Look for a "Device Instance ID". Mine
looks like this.

USB\VID_0403&PID_6001

Then go here, and get the informal USB device list.

http://www.linux-usb.org/usb.ids

If I scan down that list, I can find these two individual lines
in the file.

0403 Future Technology Devices International, Ltd
6001 FT232 USB-Serial (UART) IC

That should give some idea where you'd go looking for drivers. In
my case, it was something like this. If the adapter is Prolific,
you'd go http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/downloads.asp?ID=31 .

http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/CDM/CDM20602.zip

As far as I know, the main benefit of installing the driver,
is you get a custom dialog box for configuring the hardware.
I have entries under "Ports (COM & LPT)", where I can configure
the adapter.

If I use UVCView.x86.exe to view configuration information for
the adapter, the bDeviceClass field and friends, is all zeros.
So perhaps it'll need a driver installed, to be recognized. Some
USB devices have standard Class codes, and a driver in the OS
can support them. Supported bDeviceClass USB devices are listed here,
near the bottom. At least some USB devices, need no driver when
you plug them in, because they're in this list (something like
USB Mass Storage, when using an external USB hard drive).

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/connec...faq_intro.mspx

Paul

Paul wrote:
John Corliss wrote:
A friend of mine bought a CNC machine and hooked his laptop to it with
a tailor made usb (laptop end) to RS232 15 pin (CNC end) cable. The
guy who made the cable is a CNC expert and has no problem uploading
instructions to the CNC machine from his own laptop when using that
cable.

My friend's laptop, on the other hand, generates a "Found new
hardware" wizard which asks for the location of drivers for a
"usb-serial controller D". I've looked all over the internet for such
drivers but can find nothing in the way of drivers that work. Also, I
don't know what the wizard is referring to because we didn't install
any such controller into my friend's laptop. He's running XP Pro SP3
on the laptop and we can't get it online because of its location. We
can move the laptop into his house and get it online, but since the
CNC machine weights over 9,000 lbs. and fills a room, we can't move it
along with the laptop so that the computer will generate the wizard.

When the wizard is generated, it doesn't matter whether or not the CNC
machine is fired up or not. If you disconnect the usb to serial cable
before starting the computer, the wizard doesn't pop up. However, the
second you connect the cable to the laptop, whether or not the CNC
machine is powered up, the wizard appears.

Does anybody know what's going on here?

TIA

Bring the USB to RS232 cable, to a machine with a connection to the
Internet, while you're experimenting. You may be able to resolve the
issue that way. That is, as long as the adapter cable is not
permanently affixed to the CNC. Nothing needs to be connected to the
RS232 end, while you work on this issue.

That's a really good idea and you've pointed out something we didn't try
and that was disconnecting the cable from the CNC machine to see if we
still got the Wizard. I just called my friend on the phone and had him
do that, and yes, the Wizard still opened when he booted the computer.

This is great! Many thanks! LOL Now we don't have to move his CNC
machine into his house.

I have a couple USB to RS232 adapters here, that I bought at a local
computer store (they don't have to be "custom", they're a standard item).
They use FTDI brand chips inside, and use an FTDI
driver. The product packaging came with a mini-CD, which I would
never stick in an optical drive. That left going to the FTDI
site to get drivers.

Your adapter could use an FTDI or Prolific chipset

I downloaded the Prolific driver this morning by coincidence. I'll look
for the FTDI one and copy them to my thumb drive.

(there could be other
brands, so that isn't an exhaustive list). When the adapter
is connected to your (working) laptop, open Device Manager. Look
in the "Universal Serial Bus controllers" section. Find the "USB
Serial Converter" entry. Right-click on it and do "Properties",
then use the "Details" tab. Look for a "Device Instance ID". Mine
looks like this.

USB\VID_0403&PID_6001

Then go here, and get the informal USB device list.

http://www.linux-usb.org/usb.ids

If I scan down that list, I can find these two individual lines
in the file.

0403 Future Technology Devices International, Ltd
6001 FT232 USB-Serial (UART) IC

That should give some idea where you'd go looking for drivers. In
my case, it was something like this. If the adapter is Prolific,
you'd go http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/downloads.asp?ID=31 .

http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/CDM/CDM20602.zip

As far as I know, the main benefit of installing the driver,
is you get a custom dialog box for configuring the hardware.
I have entries under "Ports (COM & LPT)", where I can configure
the adapter.

Good to know. And another benefit will be that the Wizard won't open
every time my friend starts his computer. 80)

If I use UVCView.x86.exe to view configuration information for
the adapter, the bDeviceClass field and friends, is all zeros.
So perhaps it'll need a driver installed, to be recognized. Some
USB devices have standard Class codes, and a driver in the OS
can support them. Supported bDeviceClass USB devices are listed here,
near the bottom. At least some USB devices, need no driver when
you plug them in, because they're in this list (something like
USB Mass Storage, when using an external USB hard drive).

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/connec...faq_intro.mspx

Paul

Wow, Paul, thanks for all that help! I'm going to print this message out
and take it with me when I go back to my friend's place Monday.

Have a great day and thanks again!

--
John Corliss