Problem loading 3204 with one particular PC

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courchaa
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Problem loading 3204 with one particular PC

Post by courchaa »

Hi, the probem I have is that I have a 3204 which will not communicate with the USB port on a particular PC. The software which came with the scope loads as if all is well but when I connect the scope to the USB I get the message 'cannot communicate with device' (I believe!). Have tried same scope and software on other PCs and no problem - works fine. Is this a USB problem? The USB port of the offending PC can read my memory sticks but doesn't seem to like to communicate with the scope. Is it possible that the actual driver for this particular USB hub cannot cope?
Also, when I did try another PC which had previously been setup with an ADC200 and I tried to load the software for the 3000 series, the machine still thought that an ADC200 should be connected - how can I change the settings on a PC which reports the wrong scope?
Many thanks

ziko
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Post by ziko »

Hi,
You may have tried this already, but are you using the same USB cable, check that the cable is not faulty, i.e. try another cable if you a haven't already.

Does the PC you are using have USB 2.0 interface?
What operating system are you using?
Do you have admin wrights?

In terms of looking for the ADC200, you are using PicoScope 5 which requires you to Select File->Setup->Converter and then choose the device from the list.

Kind regards
Ziko

Technical Specialist

courchaa
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Post by courchaa »

Thanks for reply - in answer to your questions

1. usb port is NOT usb2.0 but 1.1
2. system is XP (with SP 3 loaded) and I have rights

Will try another cable but I think I did this a couple of days ago. Is it ESSENTIAL to have usb 2.0? The other 3204s I have seem to work ok on other machines which only have usb1.1.
Driver seems ok when I look at system hardware i.e. no yellow flags
This is strange as loading the 3204 is usually a doddle.

Thanks for advice on ADC200

ziko
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Post by ziko »

Well it is not essential to have USB2.0 but recommended, what do you see in device manager? The only other thing I can say is that the device needs to be powered from the USB port so maybe there is not enough power to drive the device on that particular computer, try all the other USB slots as the power may vary, are you using a laptop or desktop?

Kind regards
Ziko

Technical Specialist

courchaa
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Post by courchaa »

Ziko,
Tried different usb cable - not that. Device manager seems ok - entry in device usb hub correctly states 'picoscope 3000 series' (or something like that). I think you may be right about the usb 1.1 not being able to source sufficient current. I tried one last time yesterday and device started (showed blue trace line) for about 0.5s when it then reported the usual problem of not communicating with the device. I disconnected the device (as suggested by software), reconnected and then the software hangs. The pc in question is an RM machine which is actually 'a laptop in desktop format' (often used in FE colleges where I work).
Have now replaced machine and all is well.
BTW, I asked some of my 'savvy' students about usb problems and they suggested lack of current is a typical usb problem and that current boosters are available or can be made - maybe another day!
Many thanks for you support - I appreciate it
Aidan C

ziko
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Post by ziko »

Yes that's what I was alluding to, you can use two USB ports to supply more juice, there are cables out there that can allow you to do this, so one port will be used purely for power whilst the other will use for data connection.

Kind regards
Ziko

Technical Specialist

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