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 Robotics / 26940
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Subject: 
IR tower problems on a laptop with NQC
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics, lugnet.robotics.rcx, lugnet.robotics.rcx.nqc
Followup-To: 
lugnet.robotics.rcx
Date: 
Fri, 9 Mar 2007 01:00:44 GMT
Viewed: 
13535 times
  
I have a used Dell Inspiron 8200 laptop that is old enough to have a serial port. I’m trying to use a serial port IR tower to program an RCX and am having problems. When I plug in the tower the green light turns on immediately, which AFAIK is not normal, and any NQC command I try comes back with “No reply from RCX.” Here is some output from the command-line NQC’s verbose option, in case it helps:

Tx: 55 ff 00 10 ef 10 ef
Rx: 55 ff 00 10 ef 10 ef
Retrying...
Tx: 55 ff 00 10 ef 10 ef
Rx: 55 ff 00 10 ef 10 ef
Retrying...
Tx: 55 ff 00 10 ef 10 ef
Rx: 55 ff 00 10 ef 10 ef
Retrying...
Tx: 55 ff 00 10 ef 10 ef
Rx: 55 ff 00 10 ef 10 ef
Retrying...
Tx: 55 ff 00 18 e7 18 e7
Rx: 55 ff 00 18 e7 18 e7
Retrying...
Tx: 55 ff 00 18 e7 18 e7
Rx: 55 ff 00 18 e7 18 e7
Retrying...
Tx: 55 ff 00 18 e7 18 e7
Rx: 55 ff 00 18 e7 18 e7
Retrying...
Tx: 55 ff 00 18 e7 18 e7
Rx: 55 ff 00 18 e7 18 e7
Retrying...
No reply from RCX

I used this command, specifically:
C:\nqc>nqc -SCOM3 -v -d -pgm 2 test.nqc > output.txt
I’ve also tried this in BrixcCC and it can’t get a response from the brick, either. Meanwhile, on another machine the IR tower and RCX work fine.

I believe that COM1 and COM2 on this machine are the PCMCIA slots which are currently unused. To make sure I wrote a quick C# console app to get a list of all the COM ports:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.IO.Ports;

namespace ConsoleApplication1
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string[] lPorts = SerialPort.GetPortNames();
            foreach(string port in lPorts)
            Console.WriteLine(port);
        }
    }
}

It simply reports “COM3,” and this is also the only port BricxCC can find when I try its automatic discovery option. I have a USB tower I can use (but haven’t tried yet), but because I also want to use this laptop with the old Dacta Control Lab, I need to make sure the serial port works.

Does anyone have an idea of what’s wrong?



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: IR tower problems on a laptop with NQC
 
(...) Jordan, I only have one suggestion that may, or may not be useful. I'd suggest you try a fresh battery in the tower. I know you said it works on another PC. Sorry, that's the best I can do. :) Steve (18 years ago, 9-Mar-07, to lugnet.robotics.rcx, lugnet.robotics, lugnet.robotics.rcx.nqc)
  Re: IR tower problems on a laptop with NQC
 
The light goes on as soon as you plug in the tower? Sounds like someone is already using COM3. I was looking around DELL technical support and you may have a bit of work ahead of you. First off your serial port on the inspiron 8200 should be COM1. I (...) (18 years ago, 9-Mar-07, to lugnet.robotics.rcx, FTX)

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