Test and Measurement Forum

We've been having nothing but problems, since April, trying to run an older ADC11 with your USB/parallel port adapter. The ADC11 had operated fine for years on a parallel port.

I have removed and reinstalled and repaired Picoscope 5 more times than I care to remember, trying to fix this, on two, maybe three laptops. A Picoscope 2203 runs fine (using Picoscope 6) on any of them.

Some of the problems: (On one WXPSP2 machine) "Error: ADC11 not connected." (on another WXPSP2 machine) "The file ADC1132 failed to load correctly." Either of these result in "Waiting for ADC" when Picoscope 5 starts. We have not once (out of about 20 tries, since April) been able to capture a single-triggered event (a voltage spike and decay over 3 channels) whose capture had been routine using a direct parallel port connection. We have gotten one (maybe two) captures, of signals we don't recognize and that may be the far tail end of what we were trying to capture. Sometimes Picoscope 5.20.1 shows "running" but there are no traces whatsoever visible on the screen, when we know there are measurable signals applied to the terminals.

I'm wondering if this is the same problem on which Michael (Guru, Location: St Neots, Cambridgeshire) advised another poster to send back his old ADC212/100 to have it modified by Picotech so it would work with the new USB adapter. (Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 3:19 pm Post subject: Error - ADC 212)

Hi I don't know about the post that Michael had wrote, however I have a number of things I would like you to try out and forgive me if you have tried them already.

1) when you installed the software did you select the ADC11?
2)When you plug the adapter you have do plug the adapter on its own with out the ADC11 then install the drivers for it.
3) Can you see the PicoParallel port under device manager?
4) When you choose the ADC11 with the parallel port adapter do you select the port to be USBPP1?

Kind regards

Answers in CAPS below.

1) when you installed the software did you select the ADC11?
YES.
2)When you plug the adapter you have do plug the adapter on its own with out the ADC11 then install the drivers for it.
I INSTALLED THE PICOSCOPE SOFTWARE WITHOUT THE ADAPTER INSTALLED, THEN INSTALLED THE DRIVERS WITH THE "FOUND NEW HARDWARE" WIZARD, BUT THE ADAPTER AND ADC11 WERE BOTH TOGETHER DURING THIS DRIVER INSTALLATION. WILL HAVING THE ADC11 ATTACHED MESS UP THE DRIVER INSTALLATION? I DID GET SUCCESS MESSAGES.
3) Can you see the PicoParallel port under device manager?
HAVEN'T LOOKED YET.
4) When you choose the ADC11 with the parallel port adapter do you select the port to be USBPP1?
YES.

How old might a device have to be to not work as-is with the adapter?

Hi the adapter will work with any parallel ported product we made. I would try the following then :

1) Unplug the ADC11 from the parallel USB adapter
2) Unplug the Parallel port adapter.
3) Plug the Parallel adapter back into the USB adapter without the ADC11.
4) Can you then go into device manger and take a screenshot of what you see. (opening the Universal Serial Bus Controllers Section)


Kind regards

Continuing the sad saga...

The Device Manager shows Pico parallel port. I was able to get Picoscope to at least recognize the ADC-11 itself by, yet again, removing and reinstalling Picoscope 5. This at least eliminated the "The file ADC1132 failed to load correctly" error on starting Picoscope 5, and the ensuing "Waiting for ADC" status message. However I'm not so confident it won't come back.

However, the big problem still remains, the scope will not capture voltages. I applied 1.8 volts DC to the scope terminals, had PS5 "running", and absolutely no voltage trace is displayed on the screen, running or stopped. It seems that the USB/parallel adapter is not working with this ADC-11, and has never worked. So no wonder it doesn't trigger.

Do I need to send the adapter back, or, again,

I'm wondering if this is the same problem on which Michael (Guru, Location: St Neots, Cambridgeshire) advised another poster to send back his old ADC212/100 to have it modified by Picotech so it would work with the new USB adapter. (Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 3:19 pm Post subject: Error - ADC 212)?

Hi the parallel port adapter may have compatibility issues with some computers, it could also be that the unit is faulty. In any case please email us support@picotech.com.

Kind regards