I got the pre-order kit a long time ago and finally had time to try using it. When trying to update the firmware I cannot get the firmware to communicate with the spider. I did a bit of research and found that device manager doesn’t even see it. I’ve tried different ports on the spider and on my computer, different USB cables, but nothing. Do I have a defective device?
Hi Newbie (sorry, you should change your profile 
)
Fundamentals first. Do you have the DP module or the SP module? Either way, with the USB cable NOT connected (same for an external power source if you have the DP module), wire up the red DP (/SP) module using the module connector cable to SOCKET 1, labelled with a D (same label as the DP module has).
Then, check your configuration switches. I can’t remember what they should be, but set them to “normal operation” (and I don’t have a Spider to look at them !)
Check you have sound turned on in your PC, and open device manager so you can see what it has.
Then, plug in the min USB cable into the DP module and your PC.
Listen for device connected noises, and look for LED status lights to come on in your DP module (if it has one?) and the one marked D1 on your Spider mainboard.
Tell us if the LED D1 lights up - if not, try changing cables. Also tell us what you hear from the OS device connected noises.
In “normal” mode the device should be detected as a debuggable .Net device - it may need to install a driver at that stage, but it should be detected if all is operating as expected. Take a screen shot of Device Manager at this stage and report back your findings !
Not sure how to verify DP vs SP module. I do get a red power light on both the USB and the spider modules. I’m plugged into port 1. Zero noise out of device manager detecting device plugin. Device manager didn’t change either. All DIP switches set to the default position of off for this test, but for the first time around I was set to OFF/ON/ON/ON as per the firmware update instructions.
Hi Chris 
DP module is “dual power”, and has a barrel connector for an external power. SP is “single power” and only has power from the mini USB connection.
So if you don’t get a detection noise at all, but you get power, I’d say you have a dodgy cable. There are many “power only” cables out there that don’t even have 4 wires that USB needs, so can you try some different cables?
did you connected any other module on your spider e.g. the T35 Display?
My spider sometimes refuses to be “seen” by windows with a display connected.
@ weiti, yes, that’s a great point - some PCs won’t give you enough power (current) to run all the connected devices, so make sure you test initially with just the SP/DP module and mainboard.
I’ve got the DP module. But it turns out to be a USB issue. Took me 4 cables before I found one that worked. Firmware now updated 