All, I feel like I'm no closer to a working sat station than I was one month ago. I have two computers to run SatPC32 on. Both are DELL Windows 7 Home Premium, one a desktop, the other a laptop. I have a Keyspan 4-port USB to RS232 box with optical isolators from CommFront connected to G-5500 and ICOM 910H interfaces.
When I run SatPC32, I set up the COM ports and then enable R+ and C+. The computer then controls the xcvr and the rotors. After clicking on R and/or C a few times, or after clicking the transmit button on the ICOM, the computer crashes... Blue Screen, screen of death. IRQ_LESS_OR_EQUAL message. Both computers do the same thing. They crash after a short while.
I've tried connecting the computer to an isolated power source, not part of the power company a.c. feeding my shack. This would be the generator in my RV. Same problem. SatPC32 ran for quite a time, but eventually the computer crashed.
I have disconnected everything from the computer except for the USB going to the monitor, Keyspan box, mouse, and keyboard. Still same thing, computer crashes after awhile. The laptop crashes with only the Keyspan connected.
I need expert advice again. I run SatPC32 as administrator; what about compatibility modes? What about critical o/s or driver upgrades or service packs? What about adding ferrite toroid to all wires going into and coming out of the computer? What about a power source isolator, like a UPS with a full-time inverter to get good isolated sinusoidal a.c. power to the computer and everything connected directly to it (like the monitor)? The Keyspan is USB powered. The good UPS's get expensive.
Please reply on this BB (preferred) or to private email [email protected] or call 406-826-7373.
73, Larry W7IN
Larry, I will answer your mail off the list. 73s, Erich, DK1TB
----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry Gerhardstein" [email protected] To: "AMSAT BB" [email protected] Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 3:58 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Hardware or software problems?
All, I feel like I'm no closer to a working sat station than I was one month ago. I have two computers to run SatPC32 on. Both are DELL Windows 7 Home Premium, one a desktop, the other a laptop. I have a Keyspan 4-port USB to RS232 box with optical isolators from CommFront connected to G-5500 and ICOM 910H interfaces.
When I run SatPC32, I set up the COM ports and then enable R+ and C+. The computer then controls the xcvr and the rotors. After clicking on R and/or C a few times, or after clicking the transmit button on the ICOM, the computer crashes... Blue Screen, screen of death. IRQ_LESS_OR_EQUAL message. Both computers do the same thing. They crash after a short while.
I've tried connecting the computer to an isolated power source, not part of the power company a.c. feeding my shack. This would be the generator in my RV. Same problem. SatPC32 ran for quite a time, but eventually the computer crashed.
I have disconnected everything from the computer except for the USB going to the monitor, Keyspan box, mouse, and keyboard. Still same thing, computer crashes after awhile. The laptop crashes with only the Keyspan connected.
I need expert advice again. I run SatPC32 as administrator; what about compatibility modes? What about critical o/s or driver upgrades or service packs? What about adding ferrite toroid to all wires going into and coming out of the computer? What about a power source isolator, like a UPS with a full-time inverter to get good isolated sinusoidal a.c. power to the computer and everything connected directly to it (like the monitor)? The Keyspan is USB powered. The good UPS's get expensive.
Please reply on this BB (preferred) or to private email [email protected] or call 406-826-7373.
73, Larry W7IN
Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Thanks to all who have answered both on and off the list. I have had my sat station working on a prior computer, an XP laptop, not with the KeySpan but with one serial adapter cable plus the "real serial interface" in that computer. I've not tried those on the Win7's. I no longer have the XP's; they both died this past winter.
Interfaces are the GS232 from Yaesu, and the CT-17 level converter from ICOM.
Though I have a lot of stuff on USB, 4 ports out of 6 total, I have tested with only the KeySpan attached.
I will try the alternate programs suggested off-list.
I may try the "real serial interface" approach--a good idea. Though I live in a small town, there is a computer geek who lives nearby me. I have at least one salvaged serial port interface from a previous computer. I have another junked computer that possibly has one in it also. I'll check that out.
I will get the additional information from the crash screen and display here.
73, Larry
On 5/1/2010 1:45 AM, Erich Eichmann wrote:
Larry, I will answer your mail off the list. 73s, Erich, DK1TB
At 04:39 AM 5/1/2010 -0600, [email protected] wrote:
Thanks to all who have answered both on and off the list. I have had my sat station working on a prior computer, an XP laptop, not with the KeySpan but with one serial adapter cable plus the "real serial interface" in that computer. I've not tried those on the Win7's. I no longer have the XP's; they both died this past winter.
Interfaces are the GS232 from Yaesu, and the CT-17 level converter from ICOM.
Though I have a lot of stuff on USB, 4 ports out of 6 total, I have tested with only the KeySpan attached.
I will try the alternate programs suggested off-list.
I may try the "real serial interface" approach--a good idea. Though I live in a small town, there is a computer geek who lives nearby me. I have at least one salvaged serial port interface from a previous computer. I have another junked computer that possibly has one in it also. I'll check that out.
I will get the additional information from the crash screen and display here.
73, Larry
Sorry I can't help Larry. I'm just replying to say it will be nice to have another station in Montana on the satellites.
I use InstantTrack on an old Win95 computer with a 1.2GB HD. IT aims the antennas but I do everything else manual. Maybe sometime down the road I'll do rig control but I'd have to build an interface. The rig isn't plugNplay.
73
Here is the crash screen essential info...
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL STOP: 0x000000D1 (0x0000000000000068, 0x0000000000000002, 0x0000000000000001, 0xFFFFF88004FC2EF1) USA49WGx64p.SYS Address: FFFFF88004FCEF1 base at FFFFF88004FC2000, Datestamp 45cc305b
Clearly, this crash occurred inside the KeySpan USA-49WG device driver. The downloaded driver is for Vista, not Win7. This may be the problem. I will call Tripp-Lite on Monday when they are open. I also will purchase the 2 serial port PCI interface ($20) that I found on the Internet. It is plug-n-play and utilizes only one IRQ slot. We'll give that a go and see what happens.
If anyone knows of a Win7 driver for the KeySpan adapters, please let me know where to find them.
I have read via google that drivers for Vista may or may not work well in Win7. Symptoms are computer locking up, computer crashing, device malfunction, incorrect data being sent or received, and others. I've seen both crash and data malfunction.
Someone suggested I go back to XP; thanks for the advice. If I still had an XP computer, I'd gladly try it. But both of my XP boxes died last winter and I replaced both of them with Win7 computers. Unless someone donates a working XP box to me, I'm sticking with Win7.
Manual control of the two rotors and the Doppler is out of the question. I tried it and managed one contact, I forget which bird. But then the bird's AZ/EL shifted and I never found it again.
Onward!
73, Larry W7IN -- DN27 -- Plains, Montana
On 5/1/2010 4:39 AM, Larry Gerhardstein wrote:
Thanks to all who have answered both on and off the list. I have had my sat station working on a prior computer, an XP laptop, not with the KeySpan but with one serial adapter cable plus the "real serial interface" in that computer. I've not tried those on the Win7's. I no longer have the XP's; they both died this past winter.
Interfaces are the GS232 from Yaesu, and the CT-17 level converter from ICOM.
...
I may try the "real serial interface" approach--a good idea. Though I live in a small town, there is a computer geek who lives nearby me. I have at least one salvaged serial port interface from a previous computer. I have another junked computer that possibly has one in it also. I'll check that out.
I will get the additional information from the crash screen and display here.
73, Larry
On Sat, May 1, 2010 20:06, Larry Gerhardstein wrote:
Hi Larry,
Here is the crash screen essential info...
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL STOP: 0x000000D1 (0x0000000000000068, 0x0000000000000002, 0x0000000000000001, 0xFFFFF88004FC2EF1) USA49WGx64p.SYS Address: FFFFF88004FCEF1 base at FFFFF88004FC2000, Datestamp 45cc305b
Clearly, this crash occurred inside the KeySpan USA-49WG device driver.
I would try the Windows XP driver together with your Win7 installation it can't get any worse. But the PCI serial board, thats where I would put my money on :))
From experience, doppler control via SatPC32 and manual tracking the
antenna is something that isn't that difficult.
Good luck 73 Jan PE0SAT
On Sat, May 1, 2010 03:58, Larry Gerhardstein wrote:
Hi Larry,
Your patience is put to the test, don't give up we all run in to problems we can finally solve.
All, I feel like I'm no closer to a working sat station than I was one month ago. I have two computers to run SatPC32 on. Both are DELL Windows 7 Home Premium, one a desktop, the other a laptop. I have a Keyspan 4-port USB to RS232 box with optical isolators from CommFront connected to G-5500 and ICOM 910H interfaces.
When I run SatPC32, I set up the COM ports and then enable R+ and C+. The computer then controls the xcvr and the rotors. After clicking on R and/or C a few times, or after clicking the transmit button on the ICOM, the computer crashes... Blue Screen, screen of death. IRQ_LESS_OR_EQUAL message. Both computers do the same thing. They crash after a short while.
The first thing that I would try, is to connect to a real RS232 interface and not via USB. Maybe it is possible to get a PCI card with two RS232 interfaces on it an put in the desktop.
Please reply on this BB (preferred) or to private email [email protected] or call 406-826-7373.
73, Larry W7IN
Goodluck Jan PE0SAT
Maybe when the system crashed again, try to writedown the complete message and send it to me.
At 06:58 PM 4/30/2010, Larry Gerhardstein wrote:
I have a Keyspan 4-port USB to RS232 box with optical isolators from CommFront
It seems most likely that you have defective driver software for the USB device. That's the most likely cause of this sort of a crash.
I suggest you go to Keyspan's web site and attempt to find the very latest driver. Their web site has a "support" tab with a "downloads" submenu, and finally a "software/drivers" page. Install the latest driver and try again.
One hangup. I just checked their website, and it appears that they have NO drivers listed for windows 7. Perhaps you should call their support folks and ask about this. If they've never tested with Win7, or have known problems, then you may need to give 'em hell. If you can't get a driver they've specifically tested with Win7, then they are officially weenies. At that point you should at least try the very latest Vista driver.
If that doesn't help, buy a different brand. To have the best chance of something that works right, buy the brand which you believe sells in the very highest volume.
Franklin, Thanks for the advice. I also checked their web page. So far as I can tell they DO NOT have a Windows 7 driver for the KeySpan. Yes, awful. I'll call them on Monday when they're open again. If they can not offer up a driver for W-seven, I'm going to give them heck and then ask them to take the KeySpan back.
I'll then get a 2 port PCI to serial interface for the Inspiron. I can get one for about $20.
http://www.usconverters.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=69
73, Larry W7IN
On 5/1/2010 5:40 PM, Franklin Antonio wrote:
At 06:58 PM 4/30/2010, Larry Gerhardstein wrote:
I have a Keyspan 4-port USB to RS232 box with optical isolators from CommFront
It seems most likely that you have defective driver software for the USB device. That's the most likely cause of this sort of a crash.
I suggest you go to Keyspan's web site and attempt to find the very latest driver. Their web site has a "support" tab with a "downloads" submenu, and finally a "software/drivers" page. Install the latest driver and try again.
One hangup. I just checked their website, and it appears that they have NO drivers listed for windows 7. Perhaps you should call their support folks and ask about this. If they've never tested with Win7, or have known problems, then you may need to give 'em hell. If you can't get a driver they've specifically tested with Win7, then they are officially weenies. At that point you should at least try the very latest Vista driver.
If that doesn't help, buy a different brand. To have the best chance of something that works right, buy the brand which you believe sells in the very highest volume. _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Larry,
If you still suspect it's an OS issue, downloading XP Mode for Windows 7 may solve the problem.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx
It may be worth having in any case.
Glenn AA5PK
----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry Gerhardstein" [email protected] To: "Franklin Antonio" [email protected] Cc: "AMSAT BB" [email protected] Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 7:01 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Hardware or software problems?
Franklin, Thanks for the advice. I also checked their web page. So far as I can tell they DO NOT have a Windows 7 driver for the KeySpan. Yes, awful. I'll call them on Monday when they're open again. If they can not offer up a driver for W-seven, I'm going to give them heck and then ask them to take the KeySpan back.
I'll then get a 2 port PCI to serial interface for the Inspiron. I can get one for about $20.
http://www.usconverters.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=69
73, Larry W7IN
I have Windows 7 Home Premium. I believe I would need to upgrade to something different in order to run XP virtual. If the $20 PCI card works, that is cheaper.
Larry
On 5/1/2010 6:50 PM, Glenn AA5PK wrote:
Larry,
If you still suspect it's an OS issue, downloading XP Mode for Windows 7 may solve the problem.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx
It may be worth having in any case.
Glenn AA5PK
participants (7)
-
Erich Eichmann -
Franklin Antonio -
Glenn AA5PK -
Larry Gerhardstein -
Larry Gerhardstein -
PE0SAT -
Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL