NIRT - cannot download

[nicknickster]

Got a project all set up and ready to transfer to a NIRT using the USB cable. I think i have the cable connected correctly - with the metal connectors pointing to the back of the NIRT.

A green light is flashing on the USB cable.

I click to transfer the project and the dialog says it recongises i am using the USB cable and that i should press START to do the transfer. However the START button on the dialog is greyed out. I have waited a while and it remains greyed out.

I have tried all this connected and not connected to C-gate, but i can't get it to show me a START button to press. Very infuriating !! Any ideas?

nick

[Newman]

If the Start button does not become available then it means that CIRCA can't talk to the NIRT on the other end of the cable. Yes, the silver bits to the back is the correct way around for the cable.

A few things to check:
- that the NIRT is powered up from C-Bus and both unit LEDs are On.
- that the cable is fully inserted. If the unit has been in-use for a while there may be some crud on the contacts.
- that the USB programming cable shows up in your PC device manager.
- that you're using CIRCA 2.5.0 or newer

One of the first things that CIRCA does is download new firmware into the NIRT. The file is located in the c:\Clipsal\CIRCA folder and is called something like (IR_APP.S19, or something like that, brain is in holiday fog mode...). Make sure it's there. If CIRCA can't find this file it won't start the download either. If you're running Vista or 7 then that may also be a clue that the problem is file permission related.

[nicknickster]

Thank you for taking the time to reply (especially at this time of year!)

However in reply to your post:

The NIRT is powered from C-Bus and both unit LEDs are illuminated (the left hand one flashes on and off every few seconds but the right hand one is on constantly for some reason - is that correct?)

I think i have inserted the cable fully - the cable is brand new. I have also peeled the heat shrink around the connector back a bit to make sure the connector is going fully in. The NIRT is also brand new - i haven't used it as i didn't have the USB cable until last week.

The cable shows up in device manager and the transfer dialog box on CIRCA says it is connected to the cable (and doesn't offer the COM alternatives as it knows the USB cable is there). The green LED on the cable also flashes every second or so.

I am using CIRCA 2.5.1

The firmware file IR_APP.S19 is in the CIRCA folder.

The PC is running XP.

I would have loved to have found something i was doing wrong so that i could correct it but i seem to be doing everything right, but for some reason CIRCA tells me to press that START button for the transfer but greys it out so all i can press is CANCEL.

Can you think of anything else i could try?

nick

[Newman]

(the left hand one flashes on and off every few seconds but the right hand one is on constantly for some reason - is that correct?)

Yep, that's correct.

Hmm, OK. Can you test IR codes? CIRCA has the ability to test IR codes in a physically-connected NIRT without downloading a full project. It would be worth testing that functionality out.

It's also possible that something has gone awry with the USB driver. To solve this, uninstall the 5100HSCU driver, disconnect the dongle, and re-install CIRCA 2.5.1. Then re-connect the dongle and let the driver re-install itself.

Out of interest, has this problem occurred after making any changes to your set-up, like installing a new version of Toolkit or PICED or similar? Maybe a change in PC firewall?

You could also try making a new Toolkit AND CIRCA project and saving that project before trying the transfer.

[nicknickster]

I tried to do a TEST to check the IR codes. I realised the green flashing light on the USB cable is actually powered by the NIRT (I assumed it was the USB) so i presume that the cable is connected properly.

However for some reason when i press to TEST and now when i press to Transfer to Unit i get the following.

The box pops up to say it is processing an unexpected error which then reports as:

"Exception 'EReadError' in module CIRCA.exe at 0002978B
Error reading ConComboBox.ComProperty: COM Port Error: WriteFile Function failed on registry read

Module: UNKNOWN, Source: UNKNOWN, Line: UNKNOWN, Procedure: UNKOWN"

I can't understand why this started happening. It does exactly the same whether i have loaded my project or not, whether i have connected the USB cable or not and whether i have C-Gate or Toolkit runnign or not.

I therefore uninstalled the USB driver AND CIRCA and downloaded the most recent version (which was the same as i was always using) and reinstalled it. For good measure i downloaded the most recent Toolkit and installed that.

I am afraid the same thing happens every time. I now have no idea what to do next.

Thank-you for any more help you can give me.

nick

[Newman]

The green flashing light is powered from the USB, not the NIRT.

Unfortunately I'm off on holidays as of today. Perhaps one of the others on the forum will have some ideas.

[nicknickster]

I don't understand how the flashing light in the cable is powered by the USB rather than the NIRT. If i plug the cable into the NIRT and leave the USB end dangling and not plugged into my PC then the flashing light stays flashing.

Anyway - have a good holiday and hopefully someone else has some ideas on what i can try next

thanks for your help so far

nick

[Newman]

I don't understand how the flashing light in the cable is powered by the USB rather than the NIRT. If i plug the cable into the NIRT and leave the USB end dangling and not plugged into my PC then the flashing light stays flashing.

Heh, the current required to run the micro in the 5100HSCU is so low that it's actually stealing enough leakage current off the 5034NIRT to keep itself running. That's not the normal condition however, and you'll notice that the green flashing LED is distinctly dull when connected only to the NIRT. It gets much brighter when plugged into the USB port.

Out of interest, does this PC have any native COM ports at all? It might be related.

Also, is the user account limited or does it have administrator privileges?