OC IOCard, what's the secret ?

[Wendy]

Thanks Nico,

I'll try your suggestions. Just have to go out first and buy the DB25 cable. Let you know how this works out.


Thanks Wendy

[Wendy]

Hello Nico,

Just made some tests.

First of all I connected the cards with a 1:1 DB25 cable. Tried all 4 connectors on the USB card.

Without starting the controlador, all outputs go high. Starting the controlador then inputs start flashing at random (wel maybe not, some ports don't appear), see picture. Even if I disconnect the MC. Outputs are all high (checked with multimeter).

Next thing I did was connect the MC directly to the parallel port, changed the controlador.ini and then I was able to put an output on or off. Inputs don't do anything at all via the parallel port.

I've added a screendump from the controlador with usb and MC. You cannot see it flashing here, but it is constantly writing inputs to the screen. I don't have this when the MC is connected directly to the parallel port.

I hope you can make any sense of this strange behaviour...

Thanks in advance for looking at this.
Regards, Wendy

[Suggy]

Hi, Wendy.

I have found that if the master cards are not powered then the inputs start to flash just as your controladar programme is showing.

I would start at the begining and ensure that the master card is being powered correctly (5v).

Regards,
Darren Sugden
www.sugden.karoo.net
Video of my A320 cockpit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7YIWPtRuxs

[Wendy]

Hi Darren,


Thanks for replying.
The master card is powered with a laboratory power supply regulated to 5 volt. I checked on some IC's that they have power and they do have, I did'nt however checked them all.

Strange thing is, even when I use the usb-card alone flashing continues in the controlador.


Thanks Wendy

[fordgt40]

Wendy

As I understand it:-

1. Initially with a direct connection between MC and USB card - inputs did nothing and all outputs were high

2. With new cable inputs flash randomly and outputs remain high

3. Re-connecting directly between the MC and USB cards outputs now work but inputs are dead

So the new cable did nothing, but reconnecting directly you found that outputs work, whereas previously with the same connection they did not.

This suggests to me that you are making an intermittent connection when not using the db cable. This is not surprising as a direct connection is not advisable

The strange thing is that the new cable did not improve matters. Are you certain that you purchased a direct 25 to 25 way cable - this is not the same as a "typical printer parallel" cable which does not actually connect all pins. It might be worth checking the pinouts continuity with a meter.

Good luck

Regards

David

[Suggy]

Hi, Wendy.

Could you post (or paste here a copy) your iocard.ini and controlador.ini files for me to have a look at.

You never know, it might be an incorrect setting in the *.ini file and is software related rather than hardware.

Regards,
Darren

[Wendy]

Hi All,

@David
Well the new cable brought live into it. Althought not the kind of live I was expecting. But it actually did something especially when connected directly to the parallel port.
I just checked the pins from the DB25 cable and they are all connected 1:1.

@Darren
I do not find a iocard.ini file.
Here are the settings of the controlador.ini.


Thanks for looking at this.

Kind regards, Wendy


[ fichero de configuracion para el programa CONTROLADOR ]
[ Configuration file for CONTROLADOR ]

[ Uso de Expansión USB ]
[ Iocard Master expansion USB ]
USB=yes

[ Múltiples USBs ]
[ Non unique USB ]
MUSB=No

[ Número de periférico para el USB ]
[ USB Device number ]
deviceUSB=2048


[ Número de A/D a usar de la placa de Expansión USB ]
[ A/D used by Iocard Master expansion USB ]
USB_AD=0


[ Puerto donde se encuentra conectada la IOCard Master ]
[ Iocard Master, parallel port address ]
Port=$0378


[ Modo compatible yes/no , necesita cable especial ]
[ Compatibility Mode yes/no, needed special cable ]
FullCompatible=No


[ Utiliza placa de expansión yes/no]
[ Use Expansion card yes/no]
Expansion=yes

[ Activar en modo SIMULADOR yes/no]
[ Use simulated card yes/no]
simulator=no

[ Numero de tarjetas Master inter-conectadas ]
[ Number of connected master cards ]
NCards=1

[ Refresco de poll tarjetas Master ]
[ Master cards refresh ]
MasterRefresh=10

Filter=no


[ End of File ]

[Suggy]

Hi, Wendy.

I have compared my controlador.ini to yours and there are two differences which you may want to experiment with:

#1
[ Número de A/D a usar de la placa de Expansión USB ]
[ A/D used by Iocard Master expansion USB ]
USB_AD=0

My file shows: USB_AD=4

#2
[ Utiliza placa de expansión yes/no]
[ Use Expansion card yes/no]
Expansion=yes

My file shows: Expansion=no

Maybe worth changing since mine definitely works!
Fingers crossed..........
Failing that, have you attached the USB module to another computer and tried it that way?

Regards,
Darren

P.S. Ignore my request for IOCard.ini - you obviously haven't ued it (From your previous posts, I'm assuming you are intending to use SIOC only).

[Wendy]

Hello Darren and all helpfull members,

Followed your ini settings, without succes. I also connected the usb and MC to another pc and guess what... same problem. Also rechecked the cable.

So I did a little experiment and went back to the direct parallel port connection, so without the usb card.

I found out that all outputs work, but about 50% of the inputs do not work. The one which I used to test earlier does not work either. The inputs that do not work are spread over the 2 connectors.

Can I be sure now that at least the MC is defective or could it still be something else ?



Regards, Wendy

[maliga00]

Hi, my controlador .ini is:

[ fichero de configuracion para el programa CONTROLADOR ]
[ Configuration file for CONTROLADOR ]

[ Uso de Expansión USB ]
[ Iocard Master expansion USB ]
USB=yes

[ Múltiples USBs ]
[ Non unique USB ]
MUSB=No

[ Número de periférico para el USB ]
[ USB Device number ]
deviceUSB=2048


[ Número de A/D a usar de la placa de Expansión USB ]
[ A/D used by Iocard Master expansion USB ]
USB_AD=4


[ Puerto donde se encuentra conectada la IOCard Master ]
[ Iocard Master, parallel port address ]
Port=$0378


[ Modo compatible yes/no , necesita cable especial ]
[ Compatibility Mode yes/no, needed special cable ]
FullCompatible=No


[ Utiliza placa de expansión yes/no]
[ Use Expansion card yes/no]
Expansion=no

[ Activar en modo SIMULADOR yes/no]
[ Use simulated card yes/no]
simulator=no

[ Numero de tarjetas Master inter-conectadas ]
[ Number of connected master cards ]
NCards=1

[ Refresco de poll tarjetas Master ]
[ Master cards refresh ]
MasterRefresh=10

Filter=yes


[ End of File ]


It´s works OK. Please try it.

If it not work, may be an electronics damage in the master card.

Regards
Alberto