First, this WILL be obvious to everyone: I am NOT a computer jock.
On Saturday went to a site with two Classic 150s to update the FW to the latest 6/29/12 rev. There is NO internet there, so took a 6-month old Tosh Laptop running Win 7 Home Premium. Had loaded the Manual, the Win 7 instructions, and the FW onto it.
Plugged the USB cable into one of the Classics which had been powered down for five minutes. The cable was plugged into the computer. When the power was switched on to the Classic, the LED did light -- it was RED, and the computer did not recoginze that ANY hardware had been connected, so none of the driver updating worked. Did poke around with it for about 90 mins, but no joy.
The maunal shows the LED as GREEN, so the RED must be an ERROR indication.
Did not want to swap the cable from the other CC. And, YES, the exact USB port on the Tosh computer had been used to DL pics via a Card Reader in that port, and that was detected by the computer.
Am in the situation of having internet where there are no Classics, and NO internet where there are Classics. Am at the Classic-rich site a couple days a week.
Must be doing wrong things, or not doing correct things.
The Classics both have the Nov 2011 production code, which was factory-installed, and have never been updated. The computer has NEVER had the Classic driver installed or updated. The Cl 150 S/Ns are in the 1650 to 1680 range.
Am stumped, which occurs fairly often when needing to delve into the inner workings of Win computers.
Any advice/council appreciated. Thanks, Vic
Hi Vic
Did you have installed the driver before begining the process?
Erik
Hi Erik,
NO, have not ever specifically installed any Driver. Let me go back to read the instructions, and the manual for the Classic.
Realize that Updating something that is not present might be difficult.
Will read further. Thanks, Vic
Hi Vic. Sorry you had trouble there. Windows 7 can be a real PITB.
You will need to install the drivers on the computer. Did you see the driver install video ??
I would look at that and also the PDF.
The USB LED color on the Classic being red should be changed in the manual.
We changed the color of the LED. It just means that the Classic is seeing the USB
power from the PC.
I will let Ryan chime in on the Windows 7 and USB driver thing. He's done that so much
more than I have recently. But please check out the video and/or PDF if you haven't already.
It may be, and I seem to remember that windows 7 does not come up like XP did when you
plug a new USB device into it.
Windows 7 is not as good as say, XP for this kind of stuff. I don't use the Redmond 7 virus, myself.
boB
Hi boB,
Vic's laptop is a MacIntosh if I read it correctly.
I recently installed the driver on PCwin7 and had no problem.
Erik
Quote from: SolarMusher on July 10, 2012, 03:59:14 PM
Hi boB,
Vic's laptop is a MacIntosh if I read it correctly.
I recently installed the driver on PCwin7 and had no problem.
Erik
My laptop is an Apple Macbook Pro of the 2009 variety and is running XP on bootcamp.
It works very well for this. I am assuming this is just a windows 7 annoyance.
It should work though.
boB
Yes, you are correct boB, unfortunately, this is a Windoze 7 HPE computer.
This is a problem for almost no other folks, perhaps no other Classic FW updaters. Just do not yet know what am doing wrong. Still poking around. The Card Reader that plugs into USB was found by this computer, and there was a dialog box asking what I wanted to do. So Win 7 does have some form of this New Hardware Detected functionality seen in other Windoze versions. Somehow, there is nothing that has automatically placed a CL Driver anywhere that the system has been looking.
Will study more. Too hot here to run this computer. Thanks, Vic
Hi Vic,
On the precedents versions of Windows OS, you were obliged to install the driver BEFORE plugging the USB peripheral ; unless this peripheral was marked "Unknown device" by the OS.
To cure that, i discovered the following tool that helps me a lot :
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html (http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html)
Let's try it.
Other idea : is your OS 64 bits and your chipset Nvidia ??
There was a patch included in Windows7 SP1 to cure USB problems in this context.
Have you installed SP1 ??
Yann
Vic try this.
Assuming you have downloaded and installed the Midnite firmware updater and have the little Icon as such on your desktop allready. (If not do that first)
Plug the USB cable in with the Classic on.
Go left click the little windows icon on the lower left corner Used to be start) and then go up and Right click "Computer" and left Click "Properties"
Now you should see "Device Manager"in the upper left somewhere left click it.
Now there should be a category labeled Coms and LPT left click the little arrow to expand the stuff in it if it is not already expanded.
Do you see a CDC serial port emuator or something about a boot loader 1.4 (Sorry pre coffee and I am going from memory) it should have a yellow exclamation point by it.
If not try the other Classic If so continue on
Right click on the CDC serial device and select update driver software
Select browse my computer for files
Point it towards the C dive and the MidNite solar folder.
This should take care of it. If not holler and we can see where it may be going foul. Sorry for spacing like I did but I thought it may be easier to follow.
Ryan
Ummm, , ,
My classic 250 is still sitting in a box, but I will doubtlessly need to update it's firmware at some point.
I'm kinda used to fiddling with firmwares on all kinds of embedded stuff in some pretty strange ways.
is there some actual requirement for a driver for the usb device in the classic? Reason I ask, is that I don't use
windows or macos except under duress. have done a modest amount of embedded work over the years,
but I've always used linux.
Am I going to be tearing my hair out, cursing other, and more competent persons than myself?
Hi Yann,
Thanks for the link ... think that I will try that utility.
Ryan, thank you very much ... sorry to put you through this.
I did poke around quite a bit with the boot Loader and so on. The RED LED was a bit concerning, so did not want to switchh to the other Classic, if there was something wrong with the cable or similar ... thinking that I might hurt the other Classic. Believe that I'll be at the other location later today and will try your instructions. Thanks.
AND, cpm, I did search this site, in addition to having read every post here over the period of the past year or so. I have NEVER seen this topic come up in the past ... so this is a unique situation IMHO. I do not praticularly care to screw about with computers, and ALL computers know this, and become difficult to use in my hands. Come, mostly from the Mac side, but as a Hammie Radio guy, in the past, a Ham with a Mac was a ham without a computer, so was FORCED to switch. Seems that all other users have had no problems updating the FW, so it is me, and my situation. Having no internet at the target site does not help. And having no Classic at this site makes it difficult to just run out and try something.
Furthermore, the support form MidNite is the best you will ever find. The Classic is the best CC that you could find. Much of the value in this CC is in the inherent capabilities and flexibility that it contains -- these capabilities are being constantly being extended and improved. The MN team has been doing CCs and solar stuff for decades. Most other are just happy to have their product boot up, and not smoke ... then they ship the product, and forget about updates.
Thanks for the help and ideas will keep working ... bottom line is that the current FW in the Classics is working fine and have found an Asorb time that fully charges but does not overcharge the batts, so existing FW IS doing the job. More Later, Vic
Quote from: cpm on July 11, 2012, 09:17:55 AM
Ummm, , ,
My classic 250 is still sitting in a box, but I will doubtlessly need to update it's firmware at some point.
I'm kinda used to fiddling with firmwares on all kinds of embedded stuff in some pretty strange ways.
is there some actual requirement for a driver for the usb device in the classic? Reason I ask, is that I don't use
windows or macos except under duress. have done a modest amount of embedded work over the years,
but I've always used linux.
Am I going to be tearing my hair out, cursing other, and more competent persons than myself?
Actually, I believe that unix and linux both have CDC serial port emulation built in already.
Having said that, there is no application for those OS's yet to send the upload data to the Classic.
There IS an application that has been around for a while that uses Ethernet to update the Classic itself
but it does not work for updating the MNGP Remote yet. If it did, we would also have that
as an option. Of course, that one that updates the Classic code itself could work for the Classic Lite
since it does not have an MNGP natively. I think that Ethernet updating of the Classic version may be
available sooner than later for that.
For now, this week, windows and the tearing out of hair is necessary. XP is the Win OS of my choice.
It is just easier I think than the Redmond 7 virus.
boB
Hi boB, I love your Win 7 moniker! Worked for a Mac/Apple oriented company eons ago, and we always considered MS as the Evil Empire. They have worked very hard to keep up that spirit (the Schneider of Software??).
To all, reloaded the MN FW into the laptop, went to the other site, and FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS, and all went fine. Cl FW and MNGP FW updaed, all settings retained -- all good!
Ran the Classic through Bulk and Asorb ... went very quickly as the batts were fully charged. Had set EA to 14, and worked like a charm. Went to Float 30-60 seconds after showing a charge current less than 14 A.
Thank you all very much for the hand-holding. Part of the previous problem was that I could not find the MN folder. Did download that file again, and this time, found two of them ... a navigation problem on my part. Am unaccustomed to using a laptop, and really HATE the touch pad, and tha fact that when your hands are near the pad, like for clicking on something, you never know what will be selected, or what planet you will wind up on -- far, far to sensitive to proximity. There must be an adjustment for the sensitivity.
Thanks again, Vic
I had problem with Asus G74 and W7 pro. Downloaded firmware then went through procedure connecting power off then on with GUI
waiting for Classic 150 to start. When it did all I got was CRC error, file damaged. After using USB port analyser the USB and ort was up
and working and the Asus and Classic could see each other BUT no data would move over the serial link.
AFter a while I used another laptop, Acer, with W7 64bit pro. Same result. Another Classic 150, same again.
Had to borrow an HP laptop with Vista 32bit OS and the firmware upload went first time.
I have been reading about W7 64bit problems with USB ports and its a whole research topic.
Quote from: dgd on July 11, 2012, 11:41:42 PM
I had problem with Asus G74 and W7 pro. Downloaded firmware then went through procedure connecting power off then on with GUI
waiting for Classic 150 to start. When it did all I got was CRC error, file damaged. After using USB port analyser the USB and ort was up
and working and the Asus and Classic could see each other BUT no data would move over the serial link.
AFter a while I used another laptop, Acer, with W7 64bit pro. Same result. Another Classic 150, same again.
Had to borrow an HP laptop with Vista 32bit OS and the firmware upload went first time.
I have been reading about W7 64bit problems with USB ports and its a whole research topic.
Yeah, I don't know what the deal is with Windoze 7. XP and Vista appear to work pretty well for updating.
And W7 has so many different versions... Pro, Home, 32, 64, Enterprise and all the combinations of those.
We at least got W7 to work here at MidNite, but then out in the field, it's all a crap shoot with W7.
I think I will just stick with my good old XP Pro for development.
I wish I could figure out exactly what is happening, but I can't find anyone that knows anything about USB drivers
for windows. I think they have all died.
boB
PS, Vic, I'm glad you like the W7 rename. Saw that on a Usenet group I think and it seems fitting.
I had the same problem as dgd.. It was driving me nuts! I followed the PDF to a T. The driver showed it had installed correctly for the USB device since it showed the "USB CDC serial port emulation (COM8) in the device manager window.. but when I had tried to update the firmware it gave the CRC error. The only thing I did to fix it was keep doing the procedure over and over including rebooting my VMWare instance of Vista. Between the CRC error and comm port in use it eventually worked.
Where's our OS X firmware updater app? ;D
Quote from: David on July 15, 2012, 06:20:53 PM
Where's our OS X firmware updater app? ;D
It's coming actually !! That method will be done through Ethernet TCP/IP.
It's the MNGP update that cannot be done through that method quite yet.
Sorry you're having so much trouble but glad it finally worked for you.
I am getting a new laptop with the Redmond 7 virus pro 64 bit in a week or so, so
I should be able to have more trouble like some others (like you) are having and maybe
it will get fixed.
I will feel your pain, so to speak.
boB
">I am getting a new laptop with the Redmond 7 virus pro 64 bit in a week or so, so
I should be able to have more trouble like some others (like you) are having and maybe
it will get fixed.
I will feel your pain, so to speak.
boB <"
Funny. I DO like XP Pro better than 7, but 7 HE was on my Laptop as delivered, so am running it for updates
boB, as you might guess, MidNite has, by far, the BEST support anywhere. Thank you, and the Team, very much for taking the time and effort for the direct support, and caring about your customers. This is quite unique. Many companies could not care less once the sale is complete. One in the solar biz does come to mind in this regard. Thanks for all the help, Vic
Quote from: boB on July 15, 2012, 06:27:19 PM
I am getting a new laptop with the Redmond 7 virus pro 64 bit in a week or so, so
I should be able to have more trouble like some others (like you) are having and maybe
it will get fixed.
boB
I actually find it hard to believe that such an excellent product as the Classic has tech support gurus that still compute in that awful XP os. W7 and soon W8 will be the default os on most new computers so is that not where computing support from Midnite - firmware updates etc., should be? :)
Although I would be happy with an rs232 serial port so my trusty cpm1.4 Altair could do business with the classic
Incidentally I noticed a USB driver port update for the USB controller my laptop uses came from MS
in a set of W7 updates received a few days ago. I will try my asus laptop/W7 again with firmware d/l when I get my new Classic 250 next week.
And yes Vic, kudos to Midnite, support is excellent and after reading these forums I decided to go Classic. Too many other alt energy suppliers just ignore reported problems.
Dgd
Actually windows 7 works fine. have 4 computers running it and they all worked flawlessly. I think it is more of a pc by pc basis as to the ones that give grief. I have grown to like windows 7 (As much as one can like it) better than XP it does however take more memory to get the job done.
Ryan
Quote from: boB on July 15, 2012, 06:27:19 PM
Quote from: David on July 15, 2012, 06:20:53 PM
Where's our OS X firmware updater app? ;D
It's coming actually !! That method will be done through Ethernet TCP/IP.
It's the MNGP update that cannot be done through that method quite yet.
Sorry you're having so much trouble but glad it finally worked for you.
I am getting a new laptop with the Redmond 7 virus pro 64 bit in a week or so, so
I should be able to have more trouble like some others (like you) are having and maybe
it will get fixed.
I will feel your pain, so to speak.
boB
I'd be happy if I could do the firmware for the Classic thru the network TCP/IP jack..
Would save lots of headaches.. (IMHO)
Going to play tommorrow with some USB cables again and try to do the update..
My Windows XP HE is not co-operating..
I gotta drag a 12v battery in the house for this as I don't have any 12v power adaptors laying here to scavage..
Firmware upgrades over Ethernet is coming actually. Andrew has had the Classic portion working the MNGP is a little tougher but he will get it.
Well if I can't get my USB thing resolved I may need an email with that fix..
Not worried about the MNGP as much as the firmware for the main unit.
Quote from: epsgunner on July 18, 2012, 09:39:59 PM
Well if I can't get my USB thing resolved I may need an email with that fix..
Not worried about the MNGP as much as the firmware for the main unit.
I think they both need to at be updated at same time. My mngp display went all black until it was updated.
Updated the second of the pair of Classic CCs yesterday, and all went smoothly and quickly. Works great. Had to reset the time, but all else was retained.
Stating the obvious about supporting other platforms for updating Classics, Windoze still must have 80+% of the und-user market, so seems that that should be first in line IMHO. Am sure that the Mac is by far the best machine to use, but I'm cheap and LOVE to Hate Windoze and MS ... who would I hate if not MS/Windoze ... OH, yea, that huge multi-national Electrical/Solar Co!
Thnaks for the support. Vic
Figured it out.. my error..
Missed the part about turning off the Classic after downloading and installing the Com port sim.. then setting the port to Com 8..
Opening the GUI, selecting the item you want to update.. THEN turn on the Classic battery breaker.. :o
I was opening the GUI after I powered on the Classic in error..
With the GUI open and then hitting the 150 button it would then load the DOS loader and give me the CRC error..
All good now.. both the Classic 150 and MNGP have been updated.. 8)
So for others having issues.. make sure you load the GUI up 1st then power on the Classic..
Also make sure you see the 100% & and the next line that says FINISHED before X'ing out the DOS loader screen..
Also had the CRC error and after many repeats eventually it went in. Was doing the update from XP on VMware on Macbook pro so I wasn't really expecting plain sailing :)
Don't know if it was a fluke but having the device manager window open while doing the update may have helped.
EDIT: Just updated the firmware again and left the device manager window open this time. Firmware went in without a single CRC error :)