In SX Microcontrollers, SX/B Compiler and SX-Key Tool, g_daubach wrote:

To my knowledge, the "SX-Key not found on COMx" error comes up when the IDE tries to establish communication with the SX-Key. To do so, it sends out connect pattern to the SX-Key, and expects the SX-Key to send back another pattern within a certain time frame. When the IDE does not get this answer in time, it issues this error. I don't think that the time frame has been set too short in the IDE. You can check and provoke this with a normally working SX-Key setup when you click the program button with no serial cable connected to the SX-Key. It will take about two seconds until the error comes up, so I assume that the IDE leaves plenty of time for the SX-Key to answer.

So, if this error constantly shows up, there must be something wrong, and it can't be a timing issue. There are many possible reasons. Some of them are:

Wrong COM port, bad serial cable, bad or worn-out connectors, SX-Key pluged on to the ISP pin header in wrong orientation (it will not be powered in this case - but furtunately not damaged, according to my experience), no supply voltage, or voltage out of range (must be close to 5V) up  - to the worst case - the SX-Key is defective. I don't think that this is the case with Patrick's SX-Key as he reported that it works with the other software he is using.

BTW: Here is a trick how to test if the connections between the COM port and the SX-Key are functional: Start up Hyperterminal, or any other terminal program, select some baud rate and format (does not really matter which one), de-select any handshaking options, and turn off any "auto-echo" option, i.e. the terminal program shall not echo the characters you type. Then type in some characters, and you should see them echoed back to the receive window (when each character comes up twice, you did not turn off auto-echo). The SX-Key's COM interface is designed and "hard wired" in a way that it echoes back each character received, no matter if it is powered or not. So, if you see the echoed characters, you can be sure that the hadrware connection between the COM port and the SX-Key is operational, i.e. the plugs and the cable are OK.

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