Severe driver installation problems

NETMF & Gadgeteer
1

Hello

I have installed a million of drivers in my life starting with Windows 3.1 up to today.
When you read the following please keep in mind that you are not reading a post from a dummy computer beginner!

I’m working with FEZ Domino since two months now.

All is quite fine except the driver installation which is a real nightmare.

And yes: I loaded the firmware into the FEZ that was on the homepage when I stated using it.
But it did not solve the severe problems that I still have.

First I installed the drivers from the FEZ homepage (EXE) which are incomplete.
You have to download additionally the CDC driver (ZIP).
Why isn’t it inlcuded ?

But even after downloading it separately it will not install.
Windows is telling you that it is the wrong driver when the MODE jumper is closed.

This is no wonder because the USB device ID in the driver’s INF file does not correspond with the USB ID sent from FEZ Domino.

Here are the USB device ID’s that are sent from FEZ Domino running firmware 4.1.5:

Bootloader:
VID_1B9F&0104

‘MODE’ Jumper closed: (COM1 debugging with RS232 Shield)
VID_1B9F&0102
VID_1B9F&F001

‘MODE’ Jumper open: (USB debugging)
VID_1B9F&F003&MI_00
VID_1B9F&F003&MI_01

As you see, depending on the MODE jumper, the FEZ Domino may use 5 different USB device ID’s.

The driver installer is incomplete.
It does not install these 5 devices.
And the additional CDC driver ZIP file also does not contain the device ID for RS232 debugging: F001 which I intended to use.

There is something completely messed up with the device ID’s / driver files.

For all those who have the same problem as I have, I manually corrected the INF files and created a ZIP package that contains all 5 drivers.
You can download it here:
http://www.electronix.ch/ptbsync/ALL_FEZ_Drivers.zip

I tested these drivers on different computers.
They represent the 5 USB devices in FEZ Domino running Firmware 4.1.5.
These drivers work without any problem on XP SP3 and Windows 7.

So please download my package if you have any driver problems!

But now comes the REAL nightmare:
After fixing the INF files and getting it to run on my first computer I wanted to install it on another computer but there was no way.

I ended up investigating the installation on 10 different computers / partitions.
I used computers at work, of my girlfriend etc…

Here comes the result of several weeks of driver nightmare:

Windows XP Service Pack 2: (32 Bit)

There is absolutely no chance to get any of the drivers working.
I tried it several times and serveral ways.
No chance at all!
They don’t even appear in Control panel.

Windows XP Service Pack 3: (32 Bit)

All 5 drivers work excellent without ever seeing any problem on any computer with SP 3.

Windows 2003 Service Pack 1: (32 Bit)

Some drivers work, others not.
I have to use the “CDC for Serial Debug” driver because the “CDC for USB Debug” does not work at all.
This appears in control panel with a yellow exclamation mark saying “The device is not working properly”.
(Ohh man, how I love these meaningless error messages!)

Windows Vista with or without Service Pack 1 (32 Bit)

There is absolutely !no! way to get it running.
Windows Vista detects a new USB device and installs the driver telling me the driver was installed successfully, but in control panel there is the exclamation mark but no VCOM port.
The behaviour is extremely strange on Vista. It takes very long resulting in either an error message or an endless loop.

Windows 7 (64 Bit)

All works fine on Windows 7.
No problems at all.

Note that I invested many many days in trying to install the drivers on several computers.
I’m not a computer beginner.
Please keep that in mind before answering!

Elmü

2

:wall: :whistle:

3

Before I answer your question, your title of the post is very unreasonable. There are thousands and thousands of these devices around the world. Search the forum and you will not see any “severe” reports :slight_smile:

[quote]First I installed the drivers from the FEZ homepage (EXE) which are incomplete.
You have to download additionally the CDC driver (ZIP).
Why isn’t it inlcuded ?
[/quote]
I think the biggest problem is one thing you are not understating correctly. There are 2 different drivers, one for NETMF debug/deploy and one fro boot loader. The installer only has the NETMF deb drivers.

[quote]But even after downloading it separately it will not install.
Windows is telling you that it is the wrong driver when the MODE jumper is closed.
[/quote]
What do you see in device manager? Have you tried a different PC? I can assure you that thousands of users have this driver installed just fine.

[quote]This is no wonder because the USB device ID in the driver’s INF file does not correspond with the USB ID sent from FEZ Domino.

Here are the USB device ID’s that are sent from FEZ Domino running firmware 4.1.5:
[/quote]
Because you are not in loader mode. Did you load any CDC program to your device?

[quote]For all those who have the same problem as I have, I manually corrected the INF files and created a ZIP package that contains all 5 drivers.
You can download it here:
http://www.electronix.ch/ptbsync/ALL_FEZ_Drivers.zip
[/quote]

Thank for sharing but something is seriously off on your end. Maybe the PC maybe somehting else bu no one else has the same problem as yours!!

I will stop reading as this is not related to GHI drivers but your own. You do nto need ot be frustrated and try to make tour own drivers. It is easier to just come here and we iwll help you out.

[quote]Note that I invested many many days in trying to install the drivers on several computers.
I’m not a computer beginner.
Please keep that in mind before answering!
[/quote]
Why so? Just come here and let us help you. You have modified our driver that is used by so many and so you are not on the right track. Even if there is a problem, it has to be fixed by GHI.

I suggest we start from zero, on a PC you didn’t use before preferable as your custom driver may cause other unknown problems. Even better, a new thread with better topic “help with installing drivers” :slight_smile:

4

I think what Mike is trying to say is that v4.1.5 is not the latest firmware version. Try again.

5

Hello

Yes I notice that there is no help here.

I will not waste my time here.

Thanks, Gus you are definitely no help

6

I suggest you checkout www.ardunio.cc.

7

Hey guys, it is not very nice to pick on someone because they are not understanding how to do something. If your comments are not made in a helpful spirit maybe it is best not to make them. Lets all try to be friendly to everyone. :slight_smile:

Now to the OP:

I can understand why you are frustrated after having gone through so much effort. One rule of thumb when working with NETMF and especially GHI boards is that if you are having a really hard time like this you are likely going about something the hard way. Even though GHI has made things really easy for us there is still a lot to learn to get going so it is best to start by reading through all the tutorial documents that they make available that way you know at least where to look when you have problems.

As others have also mentioned there are different kinds of drivers for the boards. In ‘normal mode’ when you are programming the board and such the board reports itself as a NETMF debuggable device and that is what you will see in Device Manager. If you are wanting to load firmware (boot loader mode) then the device will show up as a virtual COM port. You have to have these drivers loaded as well. These two type of drivers will do about 95% of what you will probably do with the boards.

Don’t loose heart, remember if you are to the point of really struggling then you are likely headed down the wrong path. Just come to the forum and ask for help before getting so frustrated.

8

I am ready to answer questions or step you through it.