I have made a lot of programs that use the serialport back in the dos days.= I = did write my own UART ISR and it worked good on dos and Win 95. But when I = run = these programs on XP or later they don't work very well, if at all. And the = biggest problem is that sometimes when the dos program exits, the com port = is = not released as far as windows is concerned so I can't try it again without = rebooting windows. I don't get a error message telling me what is going on = either. Maby this is your problem also. /Ruben > Well, I had a go at a couple of the suggestions, but so far no joy. > = > First I tried unchecking the FIFO buffer checkbox and several other = > variations. Then I tried the USB to serial adaptor, but again, no go. > = > The USB adaptor certainly works, because I've used it for another = > communications job witth an RFID reader, and it worked at first attempt = > which really surprised me. > = > I got a reasonable number of my boards going, so I'll have another attemp= t with > the next batch. > = > Next, I'll have to try booting into DOS via a floppy .. once I work out = > how it's done. > = > Thanks for all the help. > = > Regards, Roger > = > = > = > ----- Original Message ----- = > From: "Roger Weichert" > To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." > Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 8:07 AM > Subject: Re: [EE] XP versus Win95 Serial ports > = > = > > > > Carl Denk wrote > > > > > >> As I understand, some (many?) laptops and maybe desktops do not provide > >> the RS-232 voltage levels of +/- 12 VDC, but maybe TTL levels, and/or = no > >> negative voltages. Also there may be an issue of providing enough powe= r. I > >> assume the laptop has USB ports available. You might look at an USB/RS= -232 > >> adapter, noting that some of those adapters may not provide the necess= ary > >> voltage/amperage. Might look at > >> http://www.scantool.net/accessories/usb-to-rs232-converter.html I don'= t know > >> if that will do the job, but seems like it might, and at $13, that's h= ard to > >> beat. I recently got a Nettop, with no RS-232, but has 3 USB. Am consi= dering > >> getting one to talk to PIC embedded systems and a PLC. > > > > Thanks Carl, I actually woke up through the night and was thinking abou= t it, > > and realised I have one of those type devices I bought off ebay a few w= eeks > > ago, and I didn't even think to try it. That's definitely something tha= t's > > worth a try. > > > > > > Richard E. Teague wrote > > > >>I seem to remember something from my old ICD1 which used the serial por= t. It > >>would not work properly when FIFO buffer was enabled on the com port. T= ry > >>clicking start/control panel/system/hardware/device manager/ports Then = double > >>click on your com port, then click port settings/advanced Then uncheck = "use > >>FIFO buffers" checkbox. Click ok on all open windows And give it a try.= Don't > >>know if that will fix it with your programmer board, but it was necessa= ry to > >>make the ICD 1 work on the com port in XP. > >> > >>And ,yes, XP does do some very strange things with com and parallel por= ts. > > > > > > Thanks Richard, > > > > I recall seeing that setting as I was checking everything, so I'll give = > > that > > a shot. It's probably the easiest test to do out of all the suggestions > > > > > > John Hansen wrote > > > >>I think you have a couple of options here. If you can figure out what = > >>this > >>old software is actually doing (could it be writing configuration value= s?) you > >>could acquire a modern PIC programmer and rewrite the chips using MPLAB= (or > >>the like). > >> > >>Or you could save the old clunker as you have been doing. > >> > >>One other possibility would be to boot into DOS using a floppy or a CD = on a > >>modern computer when you want to do this programming and boot into your > >>regular operating system off the hard drive at other times. > > > > Thanks John, before I aquired a factory programmer, I actually tried us= ing a > > couple of different pic programmers, but the beauty of the original is = that > > there is a screen where you can set or change the variable parameters f= or the > > board and therefore rewrite the eprom easily. > > > > If I knew how to write higher level software maybe I could write my own > > version and use it with my own pic programmer. > > > > At least I've bought some time by getting the old clunker going. I have > > about 20 boards to finish fairly quickly. > > > > Your other suggestion of booting into DOS using a floppy sounds like a = > > great > > idea to try if the earlier ones dont work. Thanks again. > > > > Carl Denk wrote > > > >>2 questions: > >>1: Could you duel boot DOS using GRUB or other loader? This would > >>eliminate the floppy. Or use a USB or SD flash card to boot DOS? > >>2: Could you run the DOS under Linux with WINE? > > > > Thanks Carl, yes it would be worth a try too. I'm not sure how all that > > works, so I will do some checking or may ask more questions if none of = the > > earlier suggestions work out. My laptop still has a floppy drive, and I= still > > have the original DOS disks. > > > > Thanks to everyone for all your input. Looks like my morning is taken c= are of > > trying out all the suggestions. It's great to fire off an email before = I go to > > bed, and when I wake up find a heap of excellent ideas in my inbox. Tha= nks > > again. > > > > Regards, Roger > > > > > > > > > > > > -- = > > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > > View/change your membership options at > > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > = > = > -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- > = > = > = > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.441 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3018 - Release Date: 07/20/10 = > 18:36:00 > = > -- = > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > = =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Ruben J=F6nsson AB Liros Electronic Box 9124, 200 39 Malm=F6, Sweden TEL INT +46 40142078 FAX INT +46 40947388 ruben@pp.sbbs.se =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D -- = http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist