debugging serial dongle problem

by **ahdavidson** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 10:21 pm

I have a Serial SpokePOV dongle on which I suspect I have soldered something incorrectly. Debugging advice appreciated...

Without the dongle connected to the SpokePOV (just assembled, road bike config with two batteries, no images loaded by me), it initializes fine when I put the batteries in (all LEDS fire in the test sequence). If I wiggle a magnet at the sensor, the LEDs start doing their dance, although I haven't yet mounted it on a wheel to verify the default image.

If I plug the dongle into the SpokePOV but not into the computer, same thing -- all ok.

If, however, I also plug the dongle into the computer (iMac with the USB/serial adapter from adafruit) and reset the SpokePOV by removing and reinserting a battery, then nothing -- all LEDs dark, no startup sequence, niente. I believe the USB/serial adapter is OK, because I have used it succesfully before on this computer with a MiniPOV.

So I suspect that I have a bad soldering job on the DB-9 connector on the dongle, but I have reheated all the joints and they look OK to me.

Is my analysis correct; if so, any suggestions?

Thanks.

by **adafruit** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:42 am

the adapter may be pulling down the reset line. have you done the dongle tests in the software?

by **ahdavidson** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:13 am

Yes. Test Port simply reports that it failed to open the port. (I even put the Comm Delay up to 10,000.) That's what led me to back up and just test the hardware first and I observed what I wrote in the previous post.

Btw, I have the adapter plugged directly in to a USB port, not a hub.

Also, when it is plugged in and playing dead, if I disconnect the dongle from the computer, the board does the startup pattern, as if a hard reset...

by **adafruit** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:49 am

thats something else, if you cant open the port at all you have a driver problem or need to run as root or something

by **ahdavidson** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:03 pm

With the USB/serial adapter from you, is the driver you mention on this page still the right one, as far as you know, for MacOS X 10.5.x ?

I haven't yet upgraded to Snow Leopard.

by **adafruit** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:57 pm

should be

by **ahdavidson** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:58 pm

I was afraid you'd say that. Rats...

Anyway to get more detailed diagnostics out of the serial port test? Would it help me to know exactly why it couldn't communicate ?

by **adafruit** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 10:43 am

you could try opening it with like zterm or something

debugging serial dongle problem

debugging serial dongle problem

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