microProg no longer working

[LGR]

I haven't used my LV32MX v6 (HW rev 1.01) in a while (several compiler upgrade cycles), because I was using a pickit3 with mplab for the target hardware. I went to use the LV32MX v6, and the microProg wouldn't connect. The USB Link LED doesn't come on, and microProg doesn't do anything. I reloaded the USB driver, but when I select USB - Show Devices in microProg, nothing appears. I'm using 32-bit XP. This used to work a while ago. Do I need to go back to an earlier version of microProg and/or the USB driver?

[LGR]

Is it possible to brick the onboard programmer? I have the current driver installed on XP, and it recognizes my old lv2433 board, but XP does absolutely nothing when I plug the LV32MX v6 in now. No sound, no device in device manager, absolutely nothing, even though it's supposed to be the same driver.

I wish you would put a regular 6-pin programmer connector on these things; right now, it appears that I have an expensive paperweight.

[janko.kaljevic]

Hello,

LV32MX v6 board works very well with latest mikroProg Suite application.
Please can you tell me if it is the same situation when connected on another computer?
This board should work with the same driver as current mikroProg, or the same driver as for LV24-33 board.

So drivers have to be OK.

Best regards.

[LGR]

I don't have another Windows computer, but the lv2433 is recognized on this computer.

When I first connected the LV32MX v6, Windows saw new hardware, and then I tried to do the firmware upgrade, but the upgrade program crashed. Did this brick the 18F chip? Is there a way to reflash it if Windows doesn't see it anymore? I have a Pickit3, but is there a way to connect it to the 18F?

[janko.kaljevic]

Hello,

Please can you tell me which hardware revision of the board do you use.

Firmware upgrade is available only for hw. rev. 1.10 and 1.11.
hw. rev. 1.01 has different programming chip and firmware upgrade can not be done on these boards.

Best regards.

[LGR]

As I said, it's 1.01. If firmware upgrade isn't possible, does that mean that an attempt won't do anything, or will an attempt brick the programmer? It appears that I followed the instructions with the compiler upgrade, and it destroyed the programmer.

[janko.kaljevic]

Hello,

reported behavior is very strange.

LV32MX v1.01 reports to the mikroProg Suite with different name and it is simple impossible to perform firmware update on this version of board.
I don't think that this sequence of operation caused this problem.

If you try to update firmware on this board it will return error message and will not perform it at any circumstance.

Best regards.

[LGR]

That leaves me with a board that is not recognized by windows at all. It doesn't show up under Device Manager. Nothing.

As I said, the lv2433 is recognized by windows. The driver that I've loaded is:

mikroProg For PIC Drivers v2.00 >> mikroProg For PIC Drivers v2.00/Win 2000, XP, 2003 32-bit >> USB18PRG-x86.EXE

Date: 8/5/2010 5:07 PM Original Size 410 KB

Is that the correct USB driver for the LV32MX v1.01?

[janko.kaljevic]

Hello,

Both boards use the same driver.
And if the computer can recognize your LV24-33 board, it should recognize LV32MX too.

If your computer does not recognize it at all, I am afraid that something has failed and on board programmer is not working properly any more.

And the best test would be to try it on another computer, just to be sure.

Best regards.

[LGR]

I just plugged it into another XP computer (without any USB drivers installed), and got the "found new hardware" balloon. So apparently, the 18f is still alive. But when I plug it into my computer with mP, it does absolutely nothing. And yet the computer with mP recognizes the lv2433.

I plugged the lv2433 into the computer, and then uninstalled the driver when it appeared in Device Manager. The computer still doesn't respond when I plug the lv32mxv6 in. There is apparently something on this computer preventing the computer from seeing the lv32mxv6, and yet it sees the lv2433.

FWIW, when I plugged the lv32mxv6 into my friend's computer, it saw the device, but the mouse stopped working, and I had to unplug and plug the mouse to get it to start working again.

Can you think of anything else I should remove and reinstall?

[janko.kaljevic]

Hello,

I just do not see what could interfere with driver of the board.
When you tried it on another computer have you installed drivers just to see whether the on board programmer works properly?

Best regards.

[LGR]

I just loaded a fresh copy of mikroProg Suite on my friend's computer, and it all seems to work, although it's extremely slow (several minutes; the computer may have other issues). I uploaded the HEX file from the lv32mxv6.

So something's apparently corrupt on my computer.

Any ideas?

=============================

This is getting weirder.

I can't use my lv2433 with my computer because even though mikroProg connects to the board, it sees the board voltage as 3.75 volts, and refuses to work. When I connect the same LV2433 to my friend's computer, it correctly reads 3.3 volts.

There's something definitely not right on this computer, but I completely uninstalled and reinstalled the USB driver, and I get the same behavior.

What could be causing it to not see the lv32MX at all, and read the programmer voltage wrong on the lv2433??????

[LGR]

OK, this just got even weirder.

The problem is FIXED.

I plugged the board into a different USB port.

Now the lv32mx works, and the lv2433 reads the correct voltage.

W.T.F.?????

[janko.kaljevic]

Hello,

This is exactly why I asked to try it on another computer.
Since the board was used before I assumed that it was on the same set up.

USB port can be cause of these problems if it fails to provide enough power.
For example, you are using laptop with power savings on.
Or you are using USB hub on which you have connected more USB devices.
Or simply this USB port has failed.

Best regards.

[LGR]

None of those seem to be the case. I use this port for my Pickit 3 and thumb drives. There's something stranger than that going on. This isn't through an external hub; it's one of the motherboard's internal ports.

But at least the problem is solved.