Driver not installed !!!

Can anybody help please. I am at my wits end with this.

I have just got a new PC and loaded the toolkit onto it but can't scan my network. I get a numerous messages in cgate (see full list below). The ones I am concerned about are :

"Hardware key: Key initialize failed (DRIVER NOT INSTALLED)"
I installed from the zip file and that seemed to go fine. I am using AMD64 but this shouldn't be a problem as it runs 32 bit apps. I used the download with java included.

"receive checksum error: response garbled"
"Unit sync failed"
I have checked burden and clock with learn mode. I have a slight concern that my PCI has burden on but no clock as this is what I have in the database. However, learn mode trick should fix this.

Java errors
I am beaten by these ones too

Other notes:
- My PCI has version 4.3.0 firmware
- I can use the diagnotic tool to view the network and switch loads on/off
- I can program lights using learn mode but can't add new switches as this will result in address clashes.
- My old PC is very unstable so I can't use it

The full cgate output is attached.

Robert J

 

The Driver message is not something to be worried about, it will be supressed in future versions of CGate.. it relates to support for a Hardware Dongle we sell..

I suspect your other problems stem back to a network that isn't very healthy.. CGate is getting confused at some responses and isnt handling them very well.

Check the usual suspects.. burden, clock, cable lengths, number of devices, quality of terminations etc..

 

Thanks Duncan.

- I have reduced my network to one output and one PCI.
- They are connected with one of the 6 inch cbus cables supplied with the outputs.
- I have tried both hardware burden & software burden initialised by "learn mode".
- I have swapped out cables and tried other outputs.
- The cbus diagnostic software suggests there are no unit address clashes and no errors on the network.

Still the network won't sync.

The only thing I have not swapped out is the PCI. It is nearly 2 years old. Could there be a compatability issue with cgate and firmware 4.3.00 ?

One thing I have noticed is that the PCI LEDs don't alternately flash when outputs are in "Learn Mode". Is this normal ?

Thanks in advance.

R

 

4.3.00 PCI is fine for CGate/Toolkit.. PCI Leds dont flash when the network is learn mode, thats correct.

When Toolkit is attempting to scan the network.. do the PCI leds flash?

The COM Port you're using, is it via a USB or PCMCIA adaptor or is it a "real" one?

 

Yes, the PCI Unit-Comms LED flashes during a scan and other network commands (see output below). The Other LED always stays on.

I am using a USB-Serial adapter but get similar results with a "real" one (I can keep my old PC up for a few minutes).

I am sure I have the COM port correct as I can switch on/off loads using the Cbus-Diagnostic tool.

I have seen the network with an ok status but it is usually in sync. How long should a sync take on such a minimal network.

Is the magic number method mentioned in the following post a good thing to try ?
http://www.cbusforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1213&highlight=PCI+clock

Attached please find some further analysis/symptoms using cgate & the diag tool.

Thanks again

Robert

 

Hi Robert.. its curious that dimmer does appear to giving responses to commands that are just plain wrong.. t it may be faulty.. But its still possible that the Network isn't very healthy.. the amount of traffic that the Diagnostic Tool generates is minimal.. Toolkit requests much more information from each unit and if there is network problems, you're much more likely to expose them whilst using Toolkit than the Diagnostic Software.

 

I have used numerous different dimmers. I doubt they are all dodgy. I suspect it to be the PCI as I have swapped everything else out.

Is there any way to reset a PCI (or indeed any unit) to the factory default settings ?

I have had better results doing a "tree 254" with cgate when the net status get to "ok". However, the network seems to stay in "sync" status for ages. I don't get "garbled response" until I scan while in "sync" status. How long should it take for a small network to sync ?

Should I be worried about the java errors. I seem to get them even before I get network errors (eg. garbled response, check sum & unit sync) ?

Looks like I should invest in a network analyser.

Robert

 

Ashleigh, it is highly unlikely to be a burden or cabling issue - read Robj's previous post quoted above

It sounds to me that the PCI is acting up, or there is a comms issue between PC and PCI (most likely)...

My 2c, John

 

Just to clarify.

At the moment my network has two units on it connected with a cbus 6-8 inch cable. I have swapped out the dimmer and tried the one I got while on the training course. I have also swapped out the cable (and tested using cable tester).
It has a hardware burden. I have tried taking the burden out and using a software one in case the hard one is faulty.
The PCI unit address is 0.
The 8 channel dimmer has unit address 1. The other dimmer I tested with has address 4.
Cbus LEDs are on for both units.
I am using a usb-serial dongle to access the PCI.

I have reset the PCI using procedure mentioned previously.
1. Using hyperterm
2. I typed "~" (no return) the same was echoed back to me
3. I typed "A33E0001" which was also echoed back to me.
4. I hit return. The following was the units reply "323E00901" although I suspect that the last "1" in the string is as a result of the unit not sending a carraige return and over writing only the first 8 characters. Is this as expected ?

I agree the symptoms all suggest a network comms problem but I can't confirm where it is or what it is. I think I have tried all I can with the burden side of things. I can't analyse the clock any more but did the reset as suggested.

I have ordered a network analyser but would appreciate any other suggestions in the mean time.

The Clipsal support email I sent hasn't been responded to yet. I did reference this posting. Maybe they will wait until we done as much as we can with this posting. How long does it usually take them to respond ?

Thanks

Robert

 

A Sweex. See http://www.sweex.com/product.asp?pid=291
It is off the shelf from my local PC shop. I would not expect it to be high end (if you can get high end usb-serial adapters)

Two emails, and an attempt at web register that failed with a PHP error . At this stage an call to Oz might be in order. (I live in Ireland. An email is cheaper )

No worries.

Yes, I registered my outputs with it. It isn't very stable. The screen drops after a few minutes.

Not sure. Don't have it here now. I know it was v2 install software on the course I was on but I think it was an early version of the toolkit I used to register outputs. About August last year.

Real COM

Old pc was XP professional was 4 years old.
New is XP Home.
Both would not be modified much as toolkit is all I use Windows for. I use Linux for everything else.

Yes.

Thanks

R

 

In light of that info, I reckon it's the USB -> Serial thingy that is causing the problem.

If the PCI worked on the old PC using real COM port, then it's unlikely to have died. The PCI I use for programming is probably 5 years old, maybe older - but it definitely will not work properly on some USB converters.

-------------------

One thing that is worth checking... the Toolkit's PCI "Network Detection" routines act a bit wierdly with Virtual COM ports (USB devices). On mine, when you scan the network it always finds a PCI on COM3 but then "Fail Identify" it. That port is actually the laptop's Internal Modem, but Toolkit thinks it's a PCI.

Anyway, I have to *ALWAYS* do a "Find Network" rather than "Scan Network" - that lets Toolkit keep serching and after about 5 minutes it finds the real PCI on COM5 or 6 or 7 or whatever XP has decided to allocate it to this time around.

Since you seem to have connected OK using Hyperterminal, you seem to have found what port's been allocated - just make sure that Toolkit is also finding and communicating with a "true" PCI on the correct port.

I might be wrong with this, but I had a lot of problems myself with a similar issue and that was the cause for me!

Good luck - JC

PS: Is there any way that you can borrow another brand of USB thingy, or perhaps load Toolkit onto a (reliable) PC with physical COM port, perhaps a firend's ?

 

Thanks guys. New usb-serial on order.

R

 

Oh.. havent seen that before.. I've logged it and will try to recreate it.

 

It's very annoying, especially since WinXP re-assigns the COM for the USB, so you never know what Port the PCI is actually running off. When I first set up this "configurator box" that I use for commissioning, I couldn't connect to PCI and couldn't work out why (actually I needed to do Learn Mode to enable it's Clock).

What happens is that when the (real) PCI won't respond, you think there's one there (on the Modem Port) but it won't connect... hence it seems to be a Toolkit error. I'm an pretty experienced User but this kind of thing would stump a newbie.

Laptop = Toshiba MPRT 400AOM02 Celeron 1.8GHz

It wastes about 20+ secs waiting for a response from my internal software Modem (which Toolkit thinks is a PCI), gives up, then only takes about 4-5 secs to Scan and Identify on the correct Port with the PCI connected to it via USB-->COM thingy.

Attached screen captures :
- Results of "Find Networks" Scan
- Device manager details for the Modem

Hope that helps - advise me if you need more info on the Modem Device

Thanks, John

 

The analyser has confirmed a network comms problem (I think) so I have posted a new thread in the hardware forum as I don't think it has anything to do with Toolkit/C-Gate.

See http://www.cbusforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9554#post9554

Thanks.

R

 

The USB-Serial adapter recommended by Ashleigh has done the trick.

Thanks all.