Unable to connect via USB to 5000CT2

Sorry for asking what is probably a silly question, but searching the forum and the FAQ hasn't revealed an answer.

I'm attempting to upload new firmware to a BW Mk2 Touchscreen (5000CT2).

I'm using a windows XP laptop, connected to the screen via a USB cable into the programming port. I was able to get a connection one time, long enough to download the project into PICED. I then hit the reset button with a paperclip (through the paper seal). The screen went black, and since then I've been unable to get a connection.

Here are the steps I've taken to try to get a connection:

I uninstalled everything (not realising it would delete the project), including PICED, the toolkit, the USB driver thing, etc.

I have the latest (downloaded today) versions of PICED and the toolkit installed, including telling it to force the USB driver installation. The install worked fine as far as I can tell.

When I connect the USB cable, the laptop detects new hardware and installs the 5000CT2 driver, and sets up a COM port (COM8), which I can see through device manager.

When I launch PICED, tell it to start a new project, then attempt to connect to the screen, I tell it to use COM8. In the log I can see 8 or so Tx attempts, but no replies from the screen. Attempting to "recover" the screen gives me an immediate failure.

I assume the cable etc is fine, as the screen itself is detected every time I remove it and reconnect it. It is a cable I've used to connect to a printer with no issues. It does prompt me to install the device drivers for the screen every time, which seems wierd, but the install always seems to work fine.

I've gone into device manager and changed the COM port in the advanced settings to COM10, and changed it in PICED, and still no connection. I note that the USB port seems to be set to 9600 baud, and the default setting in PICED is to connect at 38xxx - I've tried leaving both at default, or setting both at the same, and it hasn't helped so far.

I'm sort of at wits end - I've fiddled with it as much as I can stand right now. I'm hoping someone has had the same problem, or can point me to a definitive checklist of settings to try.

Thanks.

 

By taking a paperclip and pushing it through the seal and pressing the reset button you have completely wiped the memory of the unit. Firmware... project... the lot. As such, PICED won't be able to communicate with it until the firmware is re-loaded.

To re-load the firmware you do the following (taken from the PICED help file):

The Black and White C-Touch Mark 2 can have its firmware erased by pressing the Unit Reset button. To replace the firmware :
1. Select the USB port used to connect to the C-Touch in Program Options
2. Open a C-Touch mark 2 project
3. Select the Transfer | Recover C-Touch 2 menu item
4. Select a firmware file
5. Click on OK
​

If this is still unsuccessful then get out your paperclip and press and hold the reset button down for ~5 seconds to make sure that the existing firmware was successfully erased. After that, try the above procedure again.

What situation did you find yourself in where pressing the protected reset button was necessary?

 

Thanks Newman.

I may have misunderstood what I was meant to do, but PICED refused to upload a slightly modified profile (downloaded from this touchscreen) due to a firmware incompatibility. From reading the manual, it seemed to suggest that the only way to update the firmware on that particular touchscreen is to clear it with the protected reset button and then recover it with PICED.

-----

I've taken the steps you outlined above (including re-resetting the touchscreen), and I still am unable to connect:

When I insert the USB cable, it finds the touchscreen and installs a COM port (COM8).
I use the program options to select COM8 as you suggest.

When I attempt to "Recover" the device, it comes up with a large "initalising" window, and then gives me the error "serial comms time out".

The PICED log shows nothing (in contrast, if I try to "connect" to the unit, it shows some tx from the laptop with no replies from the unit).

 

For further information:

I was able to successfully connect to another identical screen in the house without making any configuration changes, and download its project.

When I attempt to upload the project without any changes, it gives me a warning saying "Unit firmware is version 3.30.0" and requires me to either change the software or the firmware version.

That's why I tried to update the firmware version on the other screen that won't talk to me anymore.

 

Thanks Nick, though to be honest I didn't see a "transfer firmware" option for this particular model, I've used it successfully on the colour touchscreen in the house.

Do you have any ideas as to my problem (unable to "recover" or communicate in any way with the touchscreen now it has been reset)? It is becoming quite frustrating to not be able to use this touchscreen....

 

As nobody seems to have any further ideas, where do I go for further support in Australia?

Thanks.

 

If you touch that you'll go blind!

Hi,

From everything you have described i am pretty sure your hardware is ok:
- You got PICED to download a project the first time round, so the USB connection works.
- You pushed the big bad button, wiping the entire flash contents, so now the screen is blank, as expected.

My best guess is that the ferkling you did with the USB com port driver settings, while trying to fix it, has stuffed something up. Try uninstalling the USB driver and re-installing it.

Before each attempt to use the "Recover C-Touch#2" option, push the Unit Reset button again. This ensures the hardware bootloader is reset, cleaning out any cruft left over from the previous comms attempt.

The Recover C-Touch #2 option in PICED uses a separate executable to reload the flash contents, which is why you don't get any log info in PICED.
If you still have problems after reinstalling the drivers, run a serial port sniffer to see what's going on and post it here or PM it to me.

Hope that helps!
Mark.

 

Thanks for your reply Mark.

I've managed to get the unit flashed and the project uploaded.

I made no other changes to the laptop configuration other than installing a com port sniffer (as you suggested, to send you logs) and hitting the reset button on the unit between each attempt. In fact, out of frustration when the first attempt with the com port sniffer did nothing, I gave it a couple of jabs with the paperclip... and it connected immediately on the next attempt.

I'm not sure if the installation of the com port sniffer also touched something in the com port configuration on the laptop, or if the unit for some reason needed to be smacked with the reset button more than once, but either way it worked.

Thanks for everyone's help and patience.

 

I am having the same issue after inadvertently pressing the reset so I could overwrite the existing firmware and programming ( bought unit second hand with old programming on it) which didn’t work initially ( it did seem to download ok, but then came up with a message saying you need to programe this unit before use), which is what I was trying to do ! trying a sniffer.
please let me know if there is an easy fix. seems to be just a comms issue between pc and c-touch.

 

Update. Sniffer not detecting any issue. Arghh

 

I may be able to help, i did this with one at work just to see if i was doing it correctly.
It all went well until i tried to upload the firmware, Just couldn't do it. My problem was the resetting the unit also resets it's internal address, i think it was 0 or 1 once i changed this in piced it all worked ok, i was using the cbus interface for the firmware dl and then the project all good. The unit sold for $300, if some available still.
Regards Trevor

 

Thanks for the feedback. If connecting with USB tho it should not need a port internal address I don’t think. I can understand if using c-bus this would be the case. If you are talking usb, where do you check or change the internal address in PICED ?

 

I didnt delve that deep, only used cbos comms, if anyware it would be in the connetion utility i think. But as you say using comm you would think it doesn't use it. But it is clipsal so who knows, id alsi check in the project detail and even yry using the cbus comm just to see if it might change it first, you never know. Now I'm sure that if Ashley was online he whould know.

 

As a last alternative if you send it to me i can try a d do a dl of the fw via cbus, small fee, unless you can try it yourself. It takes a long time to complete it.

 

Tried via Cbus, port 0, 1,2, didn’t work unfortunately. Get Win Error code 5, and win error code 123, which seem to be permission type errors according to google.
Still can’t connect via usb, get comms timeout error. very frustrating.
Even tried another pc. Both running windows 10 unfortunately. Not sure if an older operating system might work.
Any help out there would be appreciated. thanks.

 

Can you try a different PC, if all fails its a bout anchor ⚓
But last try send it to me, if i fail its my boat anchor

 

I just sold one on ebay for 350, if you need one let me know, 2 available i think, have to check on Tuesday. Open to negotiation on price