Again: Hardware not found on COMX

Community General Discussions
1

Hi.

I'm writing here, because i have been reading a lot of topics, and I can't still solve my problem (Sorry for my English... I'm not native).

 

I have a PICAXE-28 Starter Pack with the AXE027 usb and the PIC16F886 chip

Also, I have 3 AA batteries 1.5V (non-rechargable)

All of these items were bought in PICAXE:

http://www.techsupplies.co.uk/PICAXE

The topics that I have read are:

https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/node/7826

https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/node/32933

https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/node/25593#null

http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?22022-Programming-Error-Hardware-not-found

http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?21313-Newby-hardware-not-found-problem

http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?22485-Hardware-not-found-problem

 

Well, my "issue" is: I cannot download any code to chip.

I decided attach some pictures... So, you can see what I mean.

Ohhh, almost forgot... My OS is Windows 7.

 

Version Board

 

 

Batteries test

 

Plug Test (usb port test + led ON)

 

Plug Test (usb port test + led OFF)

 

Download circuit test

 

Download circuit test (zoom)

 

Pins test (following picaxe manual instructions: "TEST ON ACTUAL CHIP V+ and 0V pins with a multimeter")

(Pin # 8 - Ground ) // (Pin # 20 - Positive)

 

Pins test (zoom)

 

The Picaxe manual (pdf) says:

 

Download Checklist

PICAXE microcontroller

• Is the correct PICAXE chip correctly inserted in socket (I think it's ok)

• Is a PICAXE chip (not blank un-programmed PIC chip) being used (I think the website would not fool me, right?).

• Is a damaged PICAXE chip being used (chip has had over-voltage o reverse power supply applied) (I think it's ok, I always use

3 AA batteries alcaline 1.5V non-rechargable)

• Is a smooth 4.5V to 5.5V DC supply correctly connected. TEST ON ACTUAL CHIP V+ and 0V pins with a multimeter! (I think it's ok, the last 2 pictures show that)

• Is the reset pin connected to V+ via 4.7k resistor (18 / 28 / 40 pin chips)       (I don't know)

• Is the correct 3 pin resonator connected if required (28 / 40 pin chips)        (I don't know)

• Are the serial download 10k/22k resistors correctly connected.         (I don't know)

 

 

I have installed the usb controller, about two times... one from CD (.zip) and one from file of picaxe website (.exe).

I will hope that anyone can help me.

Thanks.

Jorge.

 

2

Selected microcontroller

I have selected Picaxe-28x1 / 40x1

"A picaxe-28x1 chip is marked PIC16F886"

3

Dead chip

How can I test / know if:

1. The Board it is working and not damaged?

2. The Chip PIC16F886 it is working and not damaged?

Could I test both of them separately? but not electricaly, I mean with motors or servo or led or protoboard?

Can I do that?

4

Couple of Thoughts…

I had a few problems like this myself recently… have you tried:

Make sure that reset button isnt depressed

Removing the Chip, and Re-Inserting the chip, being absolutely 100% sure all the pins are seated correctly and the chip is the right way round. There is a little semicircular dimple on one end of the chip. There is a matching dimple on one end of the socket.

Reset switch Look at https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/node/75, See where PICAXE28 is written on the board, and to the right of that there are 2 holes labelled R. Thats for the reset switch. Anything there? Any stray solder etc?

Voltage Pin. Above where it says R there are 3 pins. If you are looking at the board with PICAXE28 nearest to you, the left and middle pins should be jumpered to link V1 and V2. 

5

I Think I know what it is.

I think I know what your problem is.  When you go to download the driver for Windows it normally puts you on the driver for Windows XP.  For the many variations of Windows this would normally not be a problem, but they made BIG CHANGES for Windows 7 and so the Windows XP driver doesn’t work.

Computer programming is my job and it took me 2 or 3 hours one night to figure this all out.  My first mistake is I used their auto installer which loaded the unsigned driver. It took a while to realize that an unsigned driver was the problem, then I went off trying to figure out how to force Windows 7 to accept an unsigned driver. A few hours later, I checked the PICAXE web site again and discovered the SIGNED DRIVER and I downloaded that.

Now I am going to win right? Uh…no…

I loaded the driver, but you have to go back and also load the virtual COM port driver. (Basically you load drivers twice to make the cable work). As it turns out this is covered in their documentation, which I read closely then ignored after having the first problem.

After I loaded the driver for the virtual COM port suprise it worked.

So…

Try this link:

http://www.picaxe.com/Software/Drivers/AXE027-USB-Cable-Driver/

According to their revision history v2.08.14 is the one you want.  Once you get it installed you have to load it twice, once to load the driver and once to configure the virtual COM port.

I hope this works for you, the Windows 7 vesion is a pain.

 

 

6

Oops…Nevermind

Oops nevermind,

I didn’t see you that the code has found the COM port. 

You are probably fine on your driver installation then.  Sorry for not paying closer attention.

7

The obvious

Just to verify the obvious…

Make sure its connected to the batteries and is “on” (I have an on/off switch I wired into mine.

Make sure you don’t have the batteries wired backwards, if you did that the motor driver will get VERY HOT.

It appears you are setup for COM2, make sure on the options tables you selected PICAXE 28/1 and that you picked COM2.

I have made all these mistakes, so feel free to make them too …LOL.

 

                  -Hal  (kingart3)

 

8

Re: Couple of Thoughts…

Reset switch: Nothing strange in 2 holes. Don’t have any solder, but it have red plastic cover.

Voltage pin. The jumper is well placed (between left and middle pins)

9

Re: Couple of Thoughts…

About the chip… I think it’s well placed considering google’s photo (showing the board + chip).

 

10

Re: The obvious

1. The batteries is “on”: My clip battery don’t have any wire (red / black), it just have a two mmmm (see picture)

2. I think its ok.

 

11

No Luck?

No Luck on this I am guessing?

One way to approach this is to get another board and 28X1 chip.  You can then try the new board and chip and if they work great.  At that point you can swap parts around to see if your original board is bad or your original chip is bad.  If the new board and chip don’t work then I would be suspicious of your cable next.  I wouldn’t expect them to mess up the cable, but when things don’t work, you can’t really overlook any possible answer.

If you have a friend nearby who is doing the same things, you could try plugging his board into your computer and cable.

Just a suggestion.

 

 

12

Re: No luck?

I will try installing Linux…

But I don’t know if the board / chip will work.

 

13

Re: No Luck?

I have to pleasure to show you this:

 

 

So, I think the USB cable isn’t the “issue” (when I use picaxe-28X2)
I´m using now UBUNTU 12.10 and AXEPAD.

When I try to connect the board (Picaxe-28X1) to PC (using usb cable AXE027)… Axepad show: "Hardware NOT found"

What can I do now?


14

Out of Ideas

Sorry Falcon, I am out of ideas.  I don’t think it’s the software or cable anymore.  Must be the board or the chip, but the electronics part is not my strong side.  Maybe someone else will have a suggestion.

15

Re: Out of ideas

Thks.

I have pleasure to tell you: The “issue” is a damaged chip, I test the picaxe 28X2 board with the PIC16F886 and it didn’t work.

But the 28X2 chip it works on 28X1 board.

PSDT: I have to change an UBUNTU to do a better test.

 

Thks again.

16

That is Great

Hey Falcon,

That is great, big congratulations on figuring this problem out.  Thanks for letting us know what the problem was, this kind of thing is always frustrating.

 

                             Good luck on your projects,

 

                                                  Hal (kingart3)