USB Driver Errors( prolific and silicon)

[Glenn]

Hi folks 

I’m working for OEM and we have both V1210 and V130 in each panel.

I have successfully downloaded programs to 8 systems using laptop (Lenovo  510) running windows10 and visilogix 9.8.65. I installed drivers once only. No problems after that. [ note: V130 cable is USB to serial port adapter + mj10-22-cs25 + modem cable to port 1 on V130.]

HOWEVER-Yesterday  went to site with same laptop and same cables to download . No luck ! We  ended up with errors on both the V130 and V1210. Both had unsuccessful downloads.

On attempts to communicate with V130. came up with the little yellow triangle and messages in device manager. Tried install driver and also update driver to no avail.

Similar thing happened when tried to establish comms with V1210 using silicon driver. 
see attached photo.

Finally I used the  clients  Dell laptop- ( Windows 10) downloaded visilogix 9.8.65 ( same version), installed driver for the prolific. No problems ! V130 program download was successful. 
Then used same USB port with V1210 cable( USB to miniUSB). Again this worked fine!

So - anyone out there have any ideas on why the  drivers suddenly won’t work on the Lenovo?

Could this be a Windows10 updating issue? 

Any advise / help is appreciated!

[Flex727]

Yes, this is almost certainly a Windows 10 updating issue. Do these PLCs have Ethernet cards installed? If so, you might consider doing all the updating by Ethernet. I do this routinely and generally recommend an Ethernet card as part of the system integration.

[kratmel]

I support the  version that this is a problem with updating Windows.

However, I had problems with the USB to COM driver once due to interference from the computer's power supply.
It was powered from a different power  than the machine to which it was connected.

Disconnecting the power supply from the mains and running on batteries solved the problem in this case.

Now i use isolated USB to COM.

[Glenn]

Thanks for response Flex727.

I have ethernet option on the V1210. I will look into same for V130. Still would like to resolve the issue though...

[Flex727]

3 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Still would like to resolve the issue though...

I believe the issue, or something similar, has been discussed elsewhere on this forum along with some potential solutions. Poke around a bit and perhaps it can be found.

[Ausman]

 

Microsoft has the most annoying habit of breaking things that work in the serial department.  I have no doubt this is one of those situations.  I have had to hunt around many times to find a solution.  As Flex says, there are many references to the various issues on the forum.

Have a look at these various posts and topics:   

http://forum.unitronics.com/topic/3454-usb-rs232-adapator-erro/?do=findComment&comment=12671    

http://forum.unitronics.com/topic/4516-usb-connection-issues/?do=findComment&comment=16593 

http://forum.unitronics.com/topic/6061-prolific-chips-and-usb-to-232-etc/?do=findComment&comment=24412   

I often find that an older version of a driver lifted out of another Windows version will work fine in W10.  But it is all a bit airyfairy at times.  Supposedly the main adapter manufacturers keep up to date on Microsoft changes, but I understand that it can be hard.   Also be aware of non-genuine chips around, these can play havoc through not working properly. 

In the above topics I referenced a program that lets you remove all drivers before reloading anything.  It has been invaluable at times, and I have checked that the link still works ok.  

Finally, the solution that will always work…..Get an older laptop that has a native serial port. It is not set up to do anything else other than communicate to plcs (& other devices) that only do serial.  No internet, nothing else!   I have a large variety of older computers just for this purpose.  Depending on what I am talking to, some are very old indeed!  One is a T4900CT Toshiba on DOS.  They each have a number of programs that I still need occasionally, and the sole reason for having them is for connections that WORK.

Joe T loves Dell Latitude D830s for the same reason.  A native port. You can pick such things up very cheaply.

If I am doing anything in adjusting one of the programs, I do it on the main office system.  Sometimes I have to use DOSbox.  But transferring anything using serial, I use the dedicated puters.

Sometimes I can be caught out not having them, and this is where genuine converters can be useful.  I use Shentek, but there are other good names around as well.  But even then I sometimes have issues. 

Nothing beats a dedicated 9 pin gizmo on the motherboard.  It infuriates me that these are dropped these days as old hat, yet so much equipment is still around that needs them.  It has been "worked around" by doing adapters, external or internal.  It would have been more straight forward to simply keep native serial connections, instead of "pretend" ones, yet they are gone on the basis of "serial is old-fashioned so we'll get rid of it".  But it is there hiding in plain sight on a myriad of things that to most users are invisible.

Cheers, Aus

[Joe Tauser]

Do a System Restore on the Lenovo to before the last Windows Update.  If you can talk to the PLC, download and install Ausman's favorite tool to block Windows updates-

https://winaero.com/request.php?1796

Note that blocking updates does cause a security risk.  M$oft always has your best interests in mind (😝).

Joe T.

[Glenn]

Thanks Guys!

I am thinking that possibly Ausman's idea of using an older laptop with serial is a good solution. 

Also thinking of using a VBox virtual machine. OS windows 7 and then no updates. Do you think that could work?

 

[Joe Tauser]

I've never tried a virtual machine, but I use Win 7 exclusively on my programming computers, turn updating off, and don't have this problem.  You can still get Win 7 licenses from non-M$oft vendors.

Let us know if you try the VBox what your results are.

Joe T.

[Ausman]

41 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Also thinking of using a VBox virtual machine. OS windows 7 and then no updates. Do you think that could work?

I've always had limited success doing this, in that serial (and other) comms would never work properly due to the awkward "internal" interfacing involved.  But by all means try!

On Joe's comment about the programming computers, I also have some systems that are complete standalone dedicated for a particular job.  They are not connected to anything, hence have no security risks.  But they are the only way I can get some older things to work properly, now that "modern" thinking has over-ridden perfectly good stuff.

cheers, Aus

[TozoM8]

I use a MacBook Air since day one. Installed parallels desktop and running windows 7 on the virtual machine. The windows 7 is set up with no internet connection. Runs without ANY glitches. Check my emails and web on the Mac side, do the plc stuff on the windows side. The battery lasts 7-8 hours, it is way more durable than most pc (hard aluminum shell) weights 2.2lbs.  I use it in a very dusty environment. The best setup in my opinion. 

[Glenn]

Thanks guys I’ll let you know results when I get back